Hunslet Carr Primary School

Hunslet Carr Primary School Woodhouse Hill Road , Leeds, LS10 2DN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Using their clear understanding of what pupils already know and can do, teachers provide well organised and stimulating lessons which move pupils’ learning along at a good pace.  Pupils behave well, show an enthusiasm for learning and take pride in what they able to achieve.  Support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is expertly managed and therefore these pupils achieve well.  Pupils attend regularly because they enjoy school and feel cared for by the staff.  Close attention is paid to pupils’ personal development and they grow into sensible and responsible young people.  The curriculum provides pupils with many interesting opportunities to learn and encourages them to think carefully about their own lives and those of others.  Pupils’ progress is checked very carefully and a wealth of information is available to staff to aid their planning.  At the heart of the school is a strong desire to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

do the very best for all pupils. Leaders, managers and governors are constantly looking for ways to make achievement and teaching even better. Consequently, the school is continually improving.  All staff feel involved and valued and they work closely as a team.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is only occasionally outstanding and a small amount of teaching requires improvement to bring it up to good.  Boys do not read and write as well as girls.  Although leaders and managers plan carefully for the school’s future development, how success will be judged is not always clear enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons of which two were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors made other short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils from Years 2 to 6, the Chair of the Governing Body and the leader of the finance committee, a representative from the local authority and school staff with management responsibilities.  Inspectors took account of the four responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), the 18 staff questionnaires and the views of parents they met informally in planning the inspection.  They observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records in relation to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Keith Bardon, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kathleen Yates Additional Inspector Jennifer Firth Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Hunslet Carr is larger than the average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is well above average. These pupils experience a range of difficulties including moderate learning, behaviour, emotional and social and speech, language and communication.  Approximately one in 10 pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  Almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching is at least good and increase the proportion that is outstanding by: - identifying clearly in lessons how activities will stimulate boys to learn and help them to close the gap on the girls, particularly in reading and writing - providing pupils with frequent examples of what good writing looks like - providing pupils with clearer information about how they can improve their work both during lessons and when marking their books - allowing lessons to flow without interruption when pupils are concentrating on their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sharpen the criteria for success in the school improvement plans.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When they first enter the Nursery, children’s skills and abilities are often much lower than those expected at this age. They often lack personal and social skills and some are not yet communicating effectively. Well planned activities, delivered within a colourful and stimulating environment, ensure that children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Good teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 builds on this secure start and pupils continue to make good progress. They learn quickly and by the end of Year 6 most attainment is average in English and mathematics.  Since the last inspection, higher-ability pupils have been set harder work and more pupils are now producing work of an above average standard.  The teaching of sounds and letters in Key Stage 1 is well structured and stimulating. Most of Year 2 are able to break down and sound out new and unfamiliar words.  By the end of Year 6 most pupils are reading with the skills and confidence expected for their

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The achievement of pupils is good

age. The most competent readers show an enthusiasm for books and express a liking for certain authors with Roald Dahl a particular favourite. Many of the less-able readers, who are often boys, only read when in school and lack the vocabulary of those who read for pleasure at home.  When they join the Nursery boys’ early learning often lags behind that of the girls. While this gap in achievement narrows in mathematics as pupils move through the school, it is only at the very end of Key Stage 2 that it starts to close in English. Consequently, although both boys and girls achieve well given their starting points, girls often leave at the end of Year 6 with better reading and writing skills than boys.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and pupils funded through the pupil premium receive carefully planned support which takes full account of their individual needs. Both groups make good progress and the attainment of pupils supported through the

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupil premium often matches that of other pupils.  Teachers and teaching assistants ensure that pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are included fully in all lessons and activities and as a result they make good progress and achieve well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A broad range of information, including the school’s own accurate monitoring records, shows that pupils benefit regularly from good quality teaching and occasionally outstanding teaching. Only a very small amount of teaching is satisfactory.  Relationships between pupils and adults are very good. Lessons are managed well and any minor behaviour issues are dealt with quickly and effectively.  Where the teaching is at its most effective, pupils are required to work together to solve challenging problems. In a mathematics lesson in Year 6, pupils were set a series of problems which required careful reasoning and the identification of patterns. Pupils were given the time and encouragement to solve them. They relished the opportunity and set about the task with a will, building and developing their skills at a fast pace.  Teachers encourage pupils to write at every opportunity. They teach spelling, punctuation and

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The quality of teaching is good

grammar clearly and systematically and help pupils understand how to vary their writing to suit different purposes. What teachers and teaching assistants do not do often enough is to show pupils examples of good quality writing.  Teachers give careful consideration to the needs of pupils of different abilities and often provide modified or additional tasks to challenge higher-ability pupils and extend their learning.  While teachers give considerable thought to the curriculum to ensure it will interest both boys and girls, they do not always pay enough attention to the needs of boys when translating the content of the curriculum into lesson activities.  Teachers interact with pupils frequently and positively, often giving praise for their efforts or asking well judged questions to aid their thinking. Occasionally, teachers interrupt too often with advice or additional information, breaking pupils’ concentration and slowing the pace of

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The quality of teaching is good

the lesson.  In the most productive lessons teachers tell pupils clearly how well they are doing and what is still to be achieved, but in others this important element is missing. Similarly, the amount of guidance teachers provide when marking pupils’ work is variable. The marking is clear and concise in some books but too vague in others.  Teaching assistants show a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and support pupils’ learning well. They check carefully that pupils understand what they have to do and help them sensitively over any difficulties.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Senior staff, class teachers, specialist teachers and support staff with a wide range of skills work cohesively as a team to promote pupils’ well-being and to ensure that they are in the best possible position to enjoy school and get the most from their education. This is a major strength of the school.  Parents, pupils, and staff share the same, positive, views of pupils’ behaviour. They are polite to adults and each other, listen carefully to their teachers and get on very well together. They readily join in lessons and welcome opportunities to share what they know and can do with others. Lunchtimes are described as ‘fun times’ when pupils and staff play together using the wide variety of equipment the school provides.  The school uses a wide range of effective strategies to encourage and promote pupils’ good behaviour. Most pupils need no reminders of what the school expects of them but a small

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

minority require help to behave well all of the time. Some pupils require direct support from adults while others benefit from periodic visits to the nurture group. Whatever the need, the school has a mechanism in place to meet it. Consequently, the school is calm and orderly and pupils learn without interruption.  Pupils show a good understanding of what constitutes bullying and have confidence in staff to deal quickly and effectively with the small amount of falling out that they say does occur. As a result, they feel safe and secure and will openly discuss any concerns they may have with their teachers or support staff.  Members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and explain confidently how they are helping others to lead a healthier lifestyle by setting up a community café and giving advice on the content of lunchboxes.  The breakfast club provides pupils with an enjoyable start to the school day. They enjoy a

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

healthy breakfast and opportunities to socialise with others in a warm and friendly atmosphere set them up well for whatever the day may bring.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers identify clear priorities for improvement and plan in detail how they will be met. As a result, the school improves at a good rate and is in a strong position to continue to do so. Improvement plans are comprehensive but details of how the school’s progress will be measured are not always sharp enough.  Systems for monitoring and improving teaching are well established and build a detailed picture of how teaching is influencing pupils’ learning. Areas in which individual teachers can make improvements are discussed constructively and openly. As a result, teachers are continually improving their lessons to the benefit of the pupils.  Teachers are set challenging but achievable performance targets which have to be met before the headteacher will consider an increase in salary. Further checks by members of the governing body ensure this policy is strictly adhered to.  Provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is very well

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The leadership and management are good

managed. Support is targeted exactly where it is needed and very careful checks made to ensure it is having the required effects on pupils’ achievement and development.  Very effective procedures are used to promote good attendance and the amount of time lost through absence has almost halved since the last inspection.  The curriculum is rich and varied and meets the needs of all pupils well. Themes such as ‘a sense of identity’ and ‘enterprise’ promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. For example, using the story of ‘The boy in the striped pyjamas’ as a focus, older pupils have carefully considered what can happen when people show intolerance and a lack of humanity towards others. This illustrates the way the school challenges prejudice and actively promotes equal opportunities.  The local authority provides mainly light touch support for this good school but has recently

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The leadership and management are good

provided the services of an advanced skills teacher which is helping to further improve teaching.  The governance of the school: - Members of the governing body visit the school regularly to observe its work, hold discussions with staff and talk to pupils. This thorough approach provides governors with a clear picture of how well the school is performing and enables them to ask challenging questions to help it improve further. - The money the school receives is spent very carefully. For example, part of the pupil premium funding has been used to employ a speech and language therapist because weaknesses in pupils’ speaking skills were seen to be holding them back. Although still quite new, this initiative is already benefiting the pupils. Governors check the progress of those pupils who are supported through the pupil premium carefully and are fully aware that the money spent is helping them to achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

- Working closely with the school, governors ensure that safeguarding procedures are firmly in place and that current requirements are comprehensively met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 107950 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 400952

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 370 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pam Reed Headteacher Paul Tyson Date of previous school inspection 15 March 2010 Telephone number 0113 271 3804 Fax number 0113 271 3859 Email address tysonmp01@leedslearning.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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