St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Leeds

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Leeds Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 19–20 October 2011 Inspection number 377689 Unique Reference Number 108050 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 377689 Inspection dates 19–20 October 2011 Reporting inspector Keith Bardon

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 246 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anthony Bundock Headteacher Liz Holliday Date of previous school inspection 30 June 2009 School address Cromwell Street Leeds LS9 7SG Telephone number 0113 293 4411 Fax number 0113 293 4422 Email address hollidej01@leedslearning.net achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 15 lessons, observed 10 teachers, held meetings with staff, members of the governing body and pupils, and talked informally with parents and carers. The inspectors observed other aspects of the school's work, and looked at a range of evidence including policies, the improvement plans, pupils’ work and the school’s records indicating pupils’ progress and attainment. The inspectors also analysed the 84 questionnaires returned by parents and carers.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Are the above-average levels of attainment recently achieved by Year 6 pupils sustainable?  Do pupils from different ethnic heritages achieve equally well?  Is the quality of teaching consistently high?  Do leaders and managers have a clear understanding of what the school needs to do to continue to improve?  What is the impact of development in Early Years Foundation Stage?

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Information about the school

This average-sized primary school is situated a short distance from the city centre. About nine in 10 pupils are from a range of minority-ethnic backgrounds with pupils of African, Caribbean and mixed White and Black Caribbean heritage the three largest groups. Approaching four in 10 pupils speaks English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is a little above average but very few have a statement of special educational needs. The school has Healthy School status, holds the Inclusion Chartermark and has achieved the Activemark, Basic Skills Quality Mark and Stephen Lawrence awards. An after-school club is available to pupils at the end of each school day. This is managed separately and was inspected at an earlier date. The report is available on the Ofsted website .

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Information about the school

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is an outstanding school which provides its pupils with an excellent quality of education. The school’s motto, ‘We care’, is promoted comprehensively and is at the heart of all its work. Consequently, the ethos is extremely strong and the school has a very pronounced sense of togetherness. ‘School is like being with your brothers and sisters’ is typical of the comments pupils make. Cheerful faces are everywhere and the considerable enjoyment pupils derive from the school’s extensive range of lively and stimulating experiences is clearly apparent in all that they say and do.

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Main findings

Strong and focused leadership combined with a unified and skilful staff ensure the provision for pupils’ learning is of a consistently high standard. From a starting point on entry to school that is often below, and in some aspects of language, numbers and personal development well below what is typical for their age, pupils make excellent progress and achieve extremely well. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above the national average. The quality of teaching in lessons is outstanding and never less than good. In the most effective lessons, innovative strategies ensure pupils’ full attention and application. Challenging but achievable tasks promote a fast pace of learning, building knowledge and skills securely on what pupils have acquired previously. Teachers give pupils regular and detailed verbal feedback on how well they are doing and how to improve their work but are not always as thorough when marking pupils’ workbooks.

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Main findings

The very high quality of pastoral support is reflected in the pupils’ excellent personal development. They are extremely well behaved, are polite and well mannered and place high value on achievement, often applauding spontaneously when someone has made a particularly effective contribution to a lesson. The school’s contribution to the local and wider communities is extensive and the very positive manner in which it engages with parents and carers benefits pupils and their families considerably. The conscientious and well-organised governing body supports the work of the school well but is too reliant on reports from staff for its view of how well the school is performing.

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Main findings

As a result of the school’s substantial improvements since its previous inspection, pupils’ attainment has risen significantly. Rigorous and frequent checks by all staff with management responsibilities ensure that the school performs extremely well in all that it does. Despite the school’s many strengths, there is no complacency. The outcomes from extensive monitoring and evaluation are used incisively to identify and target areas in which further improvements can be made. Action plans specify what is to be done, how this is to be achieved and how success is to be measured so that everyone is clear about the direction the school is taking and the part they are to play. As a result, the school’s capacity for sustained improvement is outstanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve marking of pupils’ work by ensuring that teachers consistently: - provide praise for what has been achieved - review results of any previous guidance - give clear information about how the work could be further improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the capacity of the governing body to collect its own information about how well the school is performing.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning and approach all lessons with the same high levels of enthusiasm and application. Behaviour is of a very high standard and makes a very strong contribution to the excellent quality of learning in lessons. They listen very closely to their teachers, follow instructions meticulously and give very careful thought to the questions put to them. Levels of concentration are very good and pupils of all ages and abilities remain sharply focused until the task they have been set has successfully been completed. In one highly motivating lesson, Year 6 pupils put extremely thoughtful and well-constructed questions to a citizen of ancient Pompeii (role played by the class teacher). Their attention to detail and the manner in which they absorbed and considered the answers was exemplary. Pupils show a great deal of confidence in their own abilities and eagerly tackle problems which

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

require reasoning and decision making. They derive a great deal of pleasure from working with others, discussing what they are doing very sensibly and sharing responsibilities constructively and amicably.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils gain knowledge, skills and understanding at a rapid pace and achieve extremely well in all aspects of their learning. This applies equally to pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language. Since the last inspection, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 has risen substantially, with results in the national tests improving from average in 2009 to significantly above average in 2010. Cohort variations and pupils’ mobility cause attainment to vary a little year-on-year but school records and the work pupils are doing in lessons show attainment is being maintained at an above-average level. Pupils read with confidence and understanding. Their writing is of a high quality and they produce neat, well-structured and interesting pieces of text which are a pleasure to read. Most pupils manipulate numbers and solve mathematical problems with understanding and skill to arrive at accurate and well-reasoned answers. Careful

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

attention is paid to the needs of high-ability pupils, including those with particular gifts or talents, and they attain consistently high standards. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive excellent support and make rapid progress similar to that of other pupils. Pupils confirm that they feel totally safe in school and have every confidence in staff to look after them. They have an excellent understanding of what they need to guard against in their everyday lives, including how to keep safe when using the internet. Pupils from different backgrounds work and play happily together and show a great deal of respect for adults and each other. The importance of healthy eating and regular exercise is understood fully. They make very sensible choices about what to eat and readily engage in physical activities that help them keep fit. Pupils enjoy being involved in decision making and take on responsibilities around school

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

enthusiastically. They are sensitive to the plight of others and readily raise funds to help those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils acquire an excellent range of personal and academic skills, which, combined with regular attendance, provide a very secure foundation for future learning and life. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They are reflective thinkers with a very clear understanding of their social responsibilities and a highly-developed sense of right and wrong. Pupils value highly the many cultures and faith traditions that are represented in school and acquire a detailed understanding of religions and traditions that are different to their own.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 2 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 1 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 1 Pupils' behaviour 1 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 2 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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How effective is the provision?

Teachers use their very detailed assessment knowledge of each pupil’s abilities to match work extremely precisely to the learning needs of the individual. Their attention to detail when planning lessons that motivate pupils and move their learning along at a fast pace is exemplary. Pupils rise to the high level of challenge that tasks provide because they have confidence in their teachers to help them through any difficulties. Creativity and originality are features of the most effective lessons, with staff using information and communication technology and employing strategies such as role play at various strategic points to maintain pupils’ very high levels of interest. Because pupils are always wondering what is coming next a sense of anticipation and excitement permeates these lessons, motivating them to produce their best work at all times. Teachers question pupils skilfully and challenge them to

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low make decisions and think of their own solutions to problems. This promotes their independence as learners extremely well. Teachers give frequent and very informative feedback when pupils are working in lessons. They mark pupils’ books conscientiously but at times give too little praise or insufficient advice on how their work could be improved; previous guidance is not always followed-up sufficiently. Teaching assistants are deployed extremely effectively and use their many skills to considerable effect in support of pupils’ learning. Some teachers and support staff spend much of their time working very effectively with small groups. This boosts progress and makes a major contribution to the gains pupils make.

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How effective is the provision?

The extremely vibrant and wide-ranging curriculum meets pupils’ needs exceptionally well. The school shows immense respect for pupils’ differing cultural and ethnic heritages and, while literacy and numeracy are at the forefront of pupils’ learning, the range of experiences the curriculum provides is exceptional. During the inspection, plans for the final day of International Week, in which pupils celebrated their own heritage in costume and with food from home, were generating considerable excitement. Such initiatives and the joining of different subjects in a fully cohesive way provide learning on a wide scale. Pupils’ singing and the playing of the steel band, for example, are a tremendous pleasure to listen to. Regular visitors to school and visits to places of educational interest extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding and broaden their horizons considerably. The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities which are very well attended and much

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How effective is the provision?

The quality of care the school provides for all pupils and the attention to detail staff pay to the needs of each individual are outstanding. Pupils are completely confident that they are looked after very well and that help is always at hand. Staff share a high level of expertise in matters relating to pupils’ welfare. This enables the school to respond very quickly and highly effectively to any pupils who are experiencing difficulties and who may need additional help. A very close watch is kept over pupils who may be vulnerable with the school employing its very well-established links with a wide range of outside agencies to ensure they receive all the support they need. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is extremely well organised and managed. The extensive and well-targeted support these pupils receive helps ensure that they make rapid progress. Systems for promoting pupils’

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How effective is the provision?

regular attendance work very well and levels of attendance are above average.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 1 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The skills, drive and aspirations of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior staff provide the school with a very strong sense of purpose and clear vision of what can and will be achieved. Staff are totally confident that their contributions to school are valued and appreciated. Consequently, they work as a very close knit team, sharing a common goal of setting pupils on the best possible road to success. The targets set for pupils’ achievements and the school’s performance are extremely challenging but understood by all and unerringly met. The quality of teaching is checked thoroughly and systematically. Constructive discussion about what and how to improve, combined with carefully identified opportunities for training, ensure staff benefit fully from continuous professional development. The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities well. Governors give careful consideration to the information

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How effective are leadership and management?

they receive and ask challenging questions to help the school to improve, although this is often based on reports they have received rather than on governors’ first-hand information and observation.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school is recognised as a flagship for exemplary race relations, and a strong sense of harmony prevails. Equality of opportunity is promoted extremely well. Pupils’ progress is tracked meticulously and great care taken to ensure they can all achieve to the best of their abilities. Procedures for safeguarding pupils’ welfare are thorough and effective. Regular checks are made to ensure everything is as it should be and that all people coming in contact with the pupils are correctly vetted. The school’s very strong partnerships with other schools and a wide range of organisations are utilised extremely effectively to enrich pupils’ experiences, widen opportunities for learning and support their personal development. Staff have excellent understanding of the background of the pupils and of the needs of the local community and work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all. The school’s well-

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How effective are leadership and management?

established links with other national and international communities, including staff and pupils at a school in Sri Lanka, benefit considerably all those involved. Staff make every effort to involve parents and carers in the life of the school and in their children’s education, and links between home and school are highly productive.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 1 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 1 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children enter Nursery with skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age. Staff have an excellent understanding of the needs of the age group and provide children with a wide range of interesting play-based activities covering all areas of learning. As a result of this and the extremely high level of care and attention paid to them by all staff, children make excellent progress. By the end of Reception, the majority of children are working within expectations for their age. Staff promote children’s social and personal skills extremely well by encouraging them to help each other. On the teacher’s suggestion, two children willingly left the drum they were playing to turn on a tap for another who had been painting and needed to wash her hands. A significant proportion of children enter Nursery with limited English. The very effective support they receive from staff in the use of language promotes their learning exceptionally well and it is not long before they are

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Early Years Foundation Stage

working and playing contentedly alongside other children. Children’s progress is assessed frequently and comprehensively with the information used very effectively to plan the next steps in their learning. Very systematic records are kept and children’s development is monitored and tracked extremely closely. This enables staff to respond quickly to children’s individual needs and to any signs of vulnerability. Leaders and managers have a very clear understanding of what is working well and where further developments are needed. Under the leadership and guidance of the deputy headteacher, substantial improvement has been made to provision and outcomes for pupils since the last inspection and children’s attainment at the end of Early Years Foundation Stage is rising.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

With very few exceptions parents and carers hold very positive views of the school and are pleased with the quality of education their children are receiving. Those who added comments to their questionnaires described it as a, ‘wonderful school that cares for parents and children’. They particularly liked the ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusiveness’ and the fact that the headteacher, ‘will always create time for you’. A very small number of parents and carers would like their children to receive more homework but a similar number think they have too much. Inspectors looked at the work pupils do at home and asked them about it. They take considerable pride in all that they do both in and out of lessons and the work pupils do at home provides a valuable extension to their learning.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Leeds to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 84 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 246 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 56 67 26 31 1 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 50 60 34 40 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 41 49 39 46 2 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 44 52 34 40 4 5 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 47 56 32 38 3 4 1 1 The school helps me to support my child's learning 35 42 43 51 4 5 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 33 39 47 56 2 2 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 31 37 39 46 3 4 1 1

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 34 40 43 51 2 2 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 38 45 40 48 3 4 0 0

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 30 36 46 55 3 4 0 0

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 38 45 37 44 3 4 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 51 61 27 32 3 4 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Leeds, LS9 7SG

Thank you very much for the very friendly greeting you gave the inspectors when we visited your school recently. Lots of you smiled and made us feel comfortable and welcome. We thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the work you do, and special thanks go to those who talked with us about the school. Yours is an outstanding school and we understand fully why you enjoy it so much. There is a lovely atmosphere and we were very impressed by how hard you work in lessons. This shows an excellent attitude to learning and does you a great deal of credit. Your behaviour is excellent and you can be very proud of the way you grow into sensible, caring and responsible young people. Staff take extremely good care of you and it was very pleasing to hear how you value all the help and support they provide.

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Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Leeds, LS9 7SG

The progress you make is outstanding because you are taught extremely well and approach everything you are given to do with the same high level of interest, enthusiasm and desire to learn. We thoroughly enjoyed looking at your work because the things you had written were carefully put together and extremely interesting to read. The amount you learn, the confidence you show and the skills you develop, put you in a very strong position to do well in the future – well done! We discussed some things with your teachers which we felt would help this excellent school become even better. While teachers give you very clear help and advice in class, their marking is not always as helpful and we have pointed out ways it can be improved. You can help by always looking closely at what teachers have written in your books and trying hard to make the improvements they have suggested as soon as you can. We have suggested to governors that they need to collect a little more information

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Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Leeds, LS9 7SG

about the school for themselves to help them in their work. Thank you once again for a very enjoyable two days and best wishes for the future

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Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Leeds, LS9 7SG

Keith Bardon Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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