Argyle House School

Ninelands Primary School Ninelands Lane, Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS25 1NT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The strong leadership of the headteacher has ensured the school has maintained and built upon the good achievement, teaching and leadership and management noted at the previous inspection.  There are rigorous procedures for checking how well the school is doing and how it could do better. The governing body is supportive and fully involved in helping leaders and managers to move the school forward by sustaining improvements to the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Pupils achieve well and make good progress. Consequently, their attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is broadly average.  Teaching is good overall and the amount of outstanding teaching is increasing. Teachers expect the best of pupils’ behaviour and of what they should achieve.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and their attendance is above average. They have a thorough understanding of how to keep

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Pupils’ ability to use increasingly complex sentences and apply their mathematical skills to solve number problems is not well developed.  There are not enough opportunities for pupils to use their writing and mathematical skills in different subjects.  Not all teachers consistently provide pupils with work that gets the best out of them.  Marking and discussion are not always used effectively to show pupils how to improve.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 15 teachers.  Discussions were held with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, parents, staff, pupils and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school's work and looked at school documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, records of meetings of the governing body, assessment information and curriculum planning. Work in pupils’ books and displays around the school were examined. Inspectors listened to groups of pupils read.  Account was taken of the 116 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning and carrying out the inspection.

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Inspection team

Melvyn Hemmings, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Barbara Martin Additional Inspector Maria McGarry Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Ninelands is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  A below-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils whose parents are in the armed forces, and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The privately managed before-and-after-school provision is subject to a separate inspection and the report is published on the Ofsted website.  The school has gained a number of national awards, including the Active Mark, Inclusion

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Information about this school

Chartermark, Basic skillsMark, ICT Mark, Artsmark and holds Healthy School status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Raise pupils’ attainment, particularly in writing and mathematics, by:  improving pupils’ skills in creating increasingly complex sentences to express their ideas  improving pupils’ ability to use their mathematical calculation skills to solve number problems  increasing opportunities for pupils to apply their writing and mathematical skills in different subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Improve the consistency of teaching by:  ensuring all teachers consistently give pupils work that gets the best out of them  making sure that marking and discussion are always used effectively to guide pupils to improve.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well from their skill level on entering school, which is generally below that typical for their age. They make good progress and their attainment is broadly average in English and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2. As the amount of teaching that is outstanding is increasing, so is the proportion of pupils making exceptional progress.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children grow in confidence as they are encouraged to make choices for themselves. They work and play happily together and show enjoyment in everything they do. Children particularly like using the outdoor area, as observed in the role-play area set up as a builders’ yard when they were planning a new building.  Through the rest of the school, pupils show interest and enthusiasm in their activities. They have good powers of concentration and persist when faced with difficulty. Pupils collaborate well to complete tasks and are keen to take part in group and class discussions.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 At the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time they leave school, pupils’ attainment in reading is broadly average. Increasing numbers are reaching the higher levels, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils read widely and talk with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors.  Pupils enjoy writing and confidently use a variety of styles, including poetry and narrative writing. Basic punctuation and grammar are accurate but their ability to use increasingly complex sentences to put their ideas across is not well developed.  Pupils’ mathematical calculation skills, including quick mental recall, are sound. However, they are not proficient in applying these to solve number problems in real-life situations.  There is no significant difference between the achievement of different groups. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because of the well-targeted

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The achievement of pupils is good

extra support they are given.  The funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium has been used wisely to narrow the gap between their achievement and that of other pupils. It has enabled individual and small group teaching to be provided, which has been particularly beneficial in improving pupils’ literacy skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults work well as a team to provide a variety of practical, first-hand experiences for children. There is a good balance between activities led by adults and those chosen by children themselves. This contributes effectively to their development as independent learners.  In Key Stages 1 and 2, teachers have good subject knowledge and so are able to explain and demonstrate new ideas clearly and confidently. They use questioning well to find out what pupils know and to deepen their understanding. Classroom management is good and activities are engaging, which leads to pupils getting on with their work well.  Teachers effectively use information about how well pupils have learned to help plan future lessons. This enables pupils to use what they already know and understand to support their current learning.  Not all teachers consistently plan their lessons to make sure all pupils are given work that gets

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The quality of teaching is good

the best out of them. At times, the work set for some pupils is too hard and for others too easy. Marking and discussion are not always used effectively to show pupils how they could do better.  The expertise of teaching assistants has been furthered by a variety of good quality professional development made available by the school. They provide valuable support to all pupils, particularly disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and pupils eligible for the pupil premium.  Where teaching is outstanding, pupils are given imaginative and stimulating activities that are very effectively tailored to meet individual need. As a result pupils make exceptional progress. Some examples of such teaching were observed in a literacy lesson for pupils in Year 4 on analysing persuasive text and in a ‘Forest School’ activity in which Year 3 pupils were making sculptures out of willow.  Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual and moral development well by encouraging them to explore

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The quality of teaching is good

the world around them and by providing opportunities to discuss moral issues. Social and cultural development is fostered through opportunities to collaborate in pairs and small groups and to learn about different cultures.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ exemplary behaviour contributes well to the progress they make as it ensures that lessons run smoothly. They are very polite, courteous and show a great deal of respect for others. Pupils are very eager to get on with their work and are highly considerate and very supportive of each other in lessons.  Parents, staff and pupils say that behaviour is excellent and has improved in recent years, which is confirmed by the school’s behaviour logs. Pupils have a thorough understanding of the different types of bullying, including cyber and physical, and say any such instances are rare. They are confident that staff would promptly deal with any bullying that occurred.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. The curriculum effectively extends their awareness of the dangers associated with roads, railways and water and how to react if approached by a stranger. Pupils say they feel very safe and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

secure in school and on visits.  Attendance is above average and pupils arrive at school on time, which reflects their enjoyment of coming to school. Part of the funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium has been used successfully to improve their attendance. This is one of the reasons behind their increasing rate of progress.  Pupils’ willingness to take on a variety of responsibilities enhances the life of the school very effectively. The Harmony Council lead and involve pupils in developing anti-racism and anti- bullying campaigns and, in so doing, promote high levels of acceptance, tolerance and respect for all. School councillors have confidently led a variety of initiatives, including new playground markings, friendship benches and lunch-time behaviour routines.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has delegated responsibility wisely to increase the number of staff with leadership roles and ensures they are accountable for their performance. Senior leaders and governors are highly ambitious for the school and lead by example. They inspire staff to do their best and morale is high.  The management of staff performance and the training of teachers and other adults are effective in meeting whole school and individual staff needs. Of particular note is the way the expertise of teaching assistants has been improved so they play an important role in pupils’ learning. There is a strong link between the performance of teachers and their salary progression.  There are good procedures for gaining an accurate view of how well the school is doing and what requires further development. The action taken to bring about improvement is assessed regularly to see if it is proving successful. The school’s leadership has shown it is capable of

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The leadership and management are good

continuing to make improvements.  The promotion of equality of opportunity and tackling of discrimination are good. Leaders carefully check the progress of different groups to see if any of them require extra support. This is shown in the way the funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium has been used effectively to raise their achievement.  The local authority has confidence in the school’s leadership and provides light-touch support.  The curriculum is exciting, makes pupils interested in learning and effectively promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is enhanced by extracurricular activities and educational visits, such as to Captain Cook’s Museum in Whitby as part of the Robin Hood’s Bay residential trip. However, it does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their writing and mathematical skills in different subjects.  Staff show high levels of respect and courtesy for pupils and others. The school engages well

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The leadership and management are good

with parents and ensures they are well informed about their children’s progress.  The governance of the school:  The governing body knows the school’s strengths and weaknesses and is fully involved in helping it improve. Governors take part in regular training to maintain their effectiveness. They manage the budget effectively and hold the school to account for the way the funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used to raise their achievement. Governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and know how the management of performance is used to improve staff expertise and reward good teaching. The governing body ensures safeguarding requirements are met so that staff and pupils are safe.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 108873 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 395663

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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 Foundation School Age range of pupils 3  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 450 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robbie Turner Headteacher Jillian Sabourn Date of previous school inspection 14 March 2007 Telephone number 0113 3368678 Fax number 0113 2876000 Email address ninelandsoffice@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, please

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School details

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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