Yeadon Westfield Junior School

Yeadon Westfield Junior School Inspection report

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Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 June 2012 Inspection number 377654 Unique Reference Number 107840 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 377654 Inspection dates 20–21 June 2012 Lead inspector Mark Colley

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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 Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Shain Wells Headteacher Andrea Eddison Date of previous school inspection 27 February 2007 School address New Road Yeadon Leeds LS19 7HW Telephone number 0113 2146504 Fax number 0113 2146504 Email address westfieldjuniors@leedslearning.net You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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

Mark Colley Susan Twaits Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors visited ten lessons taught to mixed age classes as part of the school’s two week cross curricular Olympics project. A total of nine teachers was observed and short observations were made of learning support assistants teaching small groups. Inspectors visited classes to look at displays and observe individual pupils and groups at work, and to listen to pupils read. Meetings with the headteacher, teaching staff, members of the governing body and pupils also took place. The inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning, the school’s systems for tracking pupils’ progress and documentation relating to management, curriculum and safeguarding. In addition, the inspector noted the responses to questionnaires from 81 parents and carers, 14 staff and 100 pupils.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than most junior schools. A large majority of pupils is of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average, although the proportion supported at School Action is well below the national average. The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

Since the previous inspection the school has achieved the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard Level 2, Revalidated Inclusion Charter Mark, Advanced Healthy School Award, Activemark and Investors in Pupils. 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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Key Findings

 This is a good school. Pupils benefit from rich curriculum experiences and good teaching so they make good progress throughout the school. The school is not yet outstanding because it has yet to ensure that a high proportion of teaching is outstanding so that pupils consistently make rapid progress.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ achievement is good. From generally above average starting points in Year 3, pupils attain well and achieve above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher levels for their age is well above the national picture. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress similar to that of others in the school.

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Key Findings

 The majority of teaching is good and there is some outstanding practice. Where teaching is most effective, it provides engaging activities that enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum and promotes their independence as learners. Lessons engage pupils’ interest, but assessment information is not always used effectively to challenge pupils or match work closely to their ability. The excellent target setting and monitoring of work carried out in English is not as effective in mathematics and other subject areas.

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Key Findings

 Pupils behave well, collaborate in shared activities and help each other. They are polite and courteous and bring enthusiasm and enjoyment to their learning. All parents, carers and pupils feel that the school is a safe place to learn because the school places a high priority on safe practices. Pupils’ rates of attendance are high.

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Key Findings

 The headteacher’s clear vision for the school is shared by the staff and the governing body. Arrangements for performance management and staff development provide clear direction, and staff morale is high. The outstanding emphasis on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development prepares pupils exceptionally well for the next stage of their education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, especially in mathematics by: - ensuring that teachers consistently set targets with pupils that identify clearly what they need to learn next - increasing teachers’ use of data in mathematics to set higher academic expectations and match work more closely to pupils’ ability - embedding the exemplary teaching and learning practices developed within English in the teaching of mathematics and other subject areas.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ achievement is good. The majority of pupils join the school with skills that are broadly above expectations for their age. Overall attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is above average and pupils make good progress, as shown in the school’s own tracking information, in pupils’ books and in lessons. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher levels for their age is well above the national picture. Pupils make better progress in English than in mathematics, but this gap is closing as a result of carefully selected strategies to improve intervention and the better targeting of pupils’ achievement in this area. Pupils’ progress in reading is carefully monitored and there are regular opportunities for pupils to read to teachers, one another and community volunteers. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they have read and demonstrate a good understanding of the works of a number of popular authors. They have good speaking and listening skills

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Achievement of pupils

and are able to hold articulate, interesting conversations with adults and their peers. This, along with a wide range of creative writing opportunities, is ensuring that attainment in writing remains above average.

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Achievement of pupils

In lessons, pupils show a passion for learning and they work with enthusiasm. They enjoy lively class discussions and working collaboratively and value sharing their ideas with their classmates. A strong example of this was observed when pupils from across all year groups worked in one class developing their instructional writing. Younger pupils made exceptional gains in their knowledge and understanding as a result of their discussions with pupils in Years 5 and 6. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good and sometimes better progress from their individual starting points. Their needs are quickly and accurately assessed and they receive a range of carefully planned and flexible support, both in and out of class. They are encouraged to develop their skills and confidence well. A very large majority of the parents and carers who replied to the inspection questionnaire is justifiably pleased with the progress their children make.

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Quality of teaching

Most teaching is good and there is some outstanding practice. All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire and the very large majority of pupils agree that teaching is good. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and teach a range of subjects well. Where teaching is most effective, teachers use a range of techniques to question pupils, testing their understanding and pushing pupils to extend their answers. Group and paired work form a central pillar to learning enabling pupils to support one another well. This was illustrated well in an information and communication technology (ICT) lesson. Pupils used very good computer skills to research charities that address issues of hunger in the third world. Pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 worked together to pick out key facts and information about their chosen charity. Because of skilful teaching all pupils worked on-line collaboratively and completed the lesson with a comprehensive understanding of the issues

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Quality of teaching

of poverty and hunger. Pupils were also given a good understanding of the part they could play in working to address this problem. Teaching assistants are deployed well and provide very effective support in class and in small teaching groups to support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils’ work is marked regularly. Marking both praises pupils for their efforts and guides them as to how they can improve their literacy. Targets are set in writing for pupils, and they know and refer to them in their lessons. Target setting in mathematics and some other subjects is not as consistent, as it is more generalised and occasionally means pupils are unsure how to make further progress. Teachers are adept at using information on pupils’ progress to set challenging work matched to the needs of all groups and individuals in English. In mathematics, this is not carried out with the same level of skill, although recent work to ensure that teachers’ practice in mathematics matches that in English is having a positive impact. Occasionally, the pace of learning and challenge for pupils is limited, particularly at the start of the lesson.

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Quality of teaching

Themed topics and a strong focus on using group and collaborative working, especially across age groups means that teaching makes an outstanding impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teaching links strongly into deepening pupils’ understanding of other cultures, being healthy, staying safe or making a positive contribution to society.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils meet the high expectations set by staff to behave in a kindly manner to each other. They understand what is right and wrong and how their behaviour affects others. As a result, playtimes are happy and harmonious and, in lessons, there is a lively learning ethos, which encourages pupils to work co-operatively. Through pupils’ work as ‘Fitbods’, ‘Playbuds’ and as school councillors, pupils show care for the whole school community and take an active role in helping one another to play and stay active. The questionnaire returns from a small minority of parents and carers, and from pupils, indicated that for some, behaviour was a concern. After careful consideration of the school’s records and monitoring of policies, inspectors found that behaviour is typically good. During the inspection, a number of pupils were consulted about behaviour and bullying. They have a good understanding that bullying can take many

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

different forms. They were unanimous in stating that their school was a happy place, and that incidents of name-calling and unacceptable behaviour were rare. One or two pupils can present challenging behaviour, but this is managed well by staff and any small incidents are dealt with quickly.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is high and pupils enjoy coming to school. One parent commented that, “My child thoroughly enjoys their time at school and asked if they could stay in year six forever”. There is an excellent school ethos about keeping safe and pupils have a very good understanding of how they do so. Pupils are known as individuals in school and the work of key staff such as the learning mentors helps children overcome any potential issues or barriers to learning.

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Leadership and management

Leadership and management are good. Leaders have the full support of staff and everyone plays their part in addressing areas for improvement identified within the school development plan. The headteacher provides clear direction, and is supported well by the deputy headteacher and senior team leaders, who provide excellent role models in teaching. The monitoring and evaluation cycle is fully embedded and is built around a team approach to monitoring activities. Systems are thorough and accurate so that all staff and the governing body have a clear understanding of the school’s performance. Staff have embraced well-targeted professional development with enthusiasm and teaching and assessment have improved, particularly in English, as a result. School leaders have a strong understanding of what they need to do further to become an outstanding school based on accurate self-evaluation and, as such, have a strong capacity to sustain improvement. They

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Leadership and management

recognise that the exemplary teaching and learning practices developed within English need to be further developed within mathematics and other subject areas.

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Leadership and management

Pupils thoroughly enjoy the range of subjects they experience. The good curriculum is broad and balanced, with many extra-curricular opportunities to enrich pupils’ experiences. The school’s recent work to develop a truly creative curriculum has enhanced the development of literacy skills across the school. Skills in mathematics and in ICT have yet to be developed as fully across the curriculum. The “Olympics Fortnight” which was under way during the inspection evidenced exemplary curricular practice. Pupils were highly engaged in Tri-Golf, the climbing wall, cycling and netball activities. These activities formed the foundation for a range of preliminary and follow up activities where pupils developed their writing, understanding of Olympic and personal values, as well as investigating the culture and social issues in a wide range of countries.

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Leadership and management

The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination very effectively. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are integrated into the main school well, while receiving specialist support where appropriate. The special educational needs co- ordinator monitors support carefully to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and those whose circumstances may make them vulnerable make good progress. Spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is promoted extremely well in lessons and across school. Pupils rise to teachers’ high expectations, displaying good social and leadership skills during collaborative working. They have a sophisticated understanding of moral issues and respect for cultural differences. The school’s strategies to safeguard pupils meet statutory requirements fully and include robust recruitment procedures and thorough assessment of risks.

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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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school 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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add up exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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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 Yeadon Westfield Junior School, Leeds, LS19 7HW

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave the inspection team when we inspected your school this week. A particular ‘thank you’ goes to those of you who read aloud to us and shared your views with us by filling in the questionnaires and telling us so much about your school. Please thank your parents and carers who also returned questionnaires.

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Inspection of Yeadon Westfield Junior School, Leeds, LS19 7HW

You go to a good school. There are many things we admired about your school and these are a few of them.  Your behaviour is good and you work together extremely well.  Your attendance is excellent and you enjoy coming to school.  Teaching is good and lessons are made enjoyable and fun.  You make good progress while you are at the school.  Your understanding of different faiths and cultures is fantastic and you understand clearly how everyone can help one another to make society a better place.  The headteacher provides good leadership and ensures that all aspects of the school are well led and that you are very safe and well cared for.  This is what we have asked your school to do to help it improve.  Make your lessons even better by asking your teachers to: - look at how well you are learning when planning your lessons and make sure work is not too easy or too hard - ensure that you understand clearly what you need to do next to improve

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Inspection of Yeadon Westfield Junior School, Leeds, LS19 7HW

your work - do some of the fantastic things they do to help you learn in your English lessons in all lessons and particularly in mathematics lessons.

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Inspection of Yeadon Westfield Junior School, Leeds, LS19 7HW

Mark Colley 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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