Burley St Matthias Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Burley Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS4 2HY

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Reading and writing standards in Key Stage 2 in 2013 are well below those in other schools and pupils did not make enough progress in these subjects.  Not enough pupils reach the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics in either Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2.  The quality of teaching has not been consistent enough in the last year and there have been too many changes of staff.  Teachers do not provide activities that ensure that all pupils are stretched to learn more and reach the higher levels.  Pupils do not have enough opportunity to respond to helpful feedback from teachers.  Books used by pupils to read in class are not always at the right level for them.  There are not enough opportunities for pupils to improve their writing skills in different subjects.  Significant changes in the governing body and leadership of the school have contributed to inconsistency in the performance of the school

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils behave well with each other and always do what they are asked to do by adults.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the teaching is good.  Attendance has improved as a result of efforts by leaders and is similar to that in other schools.  Both headteachers have a clear understanding of the school’s performance. Recent changes are making improvements in the standard of teaching and the school is improving. Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 13 lessons including parts of lessons. All teachers were observed at least once. One lesson was observed jointly with one of the headteachers.  The inspectors met with staff, pupils and parents. They held a meeting with the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors. They spoke to a representative from the local authority and a national leader of education.  They took into account 13 staff questionnaires. They looked at information from previous surveys carried out by the school to gather views of parents and pupils. Eleven responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) were also considered.  The inspectors talked to pupils in the playground and classrooms, and held discussion with pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2. They listened to pupils read and observed them moving around inside and outside the school at different times of the day.  They observed the school’s work and considered a number of documents, including the school’s

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding arrangements, evaluation of its performance, its improvement plan and minutes from governors’ meetings.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Woodyatt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sandy Dixie Additional Inspector Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic backgrounds is high. While many nationalities are represented, the largest groups are of White British and Pakistani heritage.  There is a much higher than average proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Very few of these are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is higher than in other schools. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is much higher than average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is much higher than average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by

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Information about this school

the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school outside normal times is much higher than in the average primary school.  The governing body oversees a breakfast club which takes place in the dining hall.  Since the last inspection, the governing body has employed a second headteacher, and established a leadership structure around two co-headteachers. One also acts as the deputy headteacher.  There have been a considerable number of changes in staffing. Over the last year several teachers left and three new teachers joined last term. One of the co-headteachers left and a new deputy headteacher/co-headteacher started this term. There has been significant movement of teachers between classes over the last year.  Since the last inspection the Chair of the Governing Body has changed. Currently, the Chair at the time of the last inspection has stepped in to cover the role.

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Information about this school

 The school is supported by a national leader of education who is the headteacher at Morley Victoria Primary School.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In order to raise standards, increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching by:  ensuring that pupils always respond to the helpful comments made by teachers when they mark their work  providing pupils with activities in lessons that are closely matched to their skills and abilities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that reading books chosen by pupils are always suited to their levels.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the provision for pupils to develop their writing skills by ensuring that they have more opportunities to write at length in a range of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management, including governance, by raising the levels of understanding of the wide range of evidence collected on the school’s performance, to ensure that leaders can recognise more quickly where to make improvements and how well those improvements have been made. Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because not enough pupils made good progress to reach the standards expected in Key Stage 2 and not enough pupils reached the higher levels in 2013. Standards fell considerably from those in 2012. However, the school’s recent tracking data show that standards are improving and this is confirmed by lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils’ work.  In 2013, standards by the end of Year 6 were below those expected in mathematics and well below those expected in reading and writing. By the end of Year 6 the proportion of pupils that reach the nationally expected Level 4 in reading, writing and mathematics is not high enough.  The proportions of pupils who made expected or better than expected progress in reading and writing are lower than national levels and lower than in mathematics across the school. In 2013, the most-able pupils did not achieve well enough. The proportions of pupils reaching the higher

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Level 5 in all subjects are below those expected, although the proportion of pupils reaching Level 6 in mathematics is similar to that expected.  Between Years 1 and 2, pupils do not make enough progress towards the higher levels in all subjects, from their different starting points. However, they make better progress at the lower levels and reach standards that are close to or above those in other schools. This has been improving over time.  The attainment and progress of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium vary across the school. In 2013, Year 2 pupils did particularly well as a result of effective support by staff and their attainment was above that of all other pupils nationally by approximately two terms in English and mathematics. In Year 6 such pupils’ attainment was below national averages by approximately two terms.  Pupils with statements of special educational needs and those supported at school action plus do

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

well compared to those in other schools nationally. Pupils who are supported at school action do not do as well as others in the school or others nationally because the teaching is not sufficiently good at meeting their needs.  Most children start school with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. As a result of good teaching and a wide variety of activities offered in the Early Years Foundation Stage, they make good progress and develop early reading and social skills closer to those expected nationally at the start of Year 1.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are provided with good one-to-one support by teaching assistants in order to prepare them well for taking part in the next steps in their learning. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to providing equal opportunity and tackling discrimination.  In 2013, the national reading check of Year 1 pupils’ phonic skills (the knowledge of letters and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

sounds to help read unfamiliar words) showed that an above-average proportion of pupils exceeded the levels expected for their age. This is an improvement on the number that reached the expected level in 2012. All pupils who undertook the checks in Year 2 also reached or exceeded these levels.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it has not been good enough over time in reading and writing. Changes in teaching staff, especially in Year 6, in 2013 led to inconsistency in the teaching quality and, therefore, the standards reached by pupils fell. School leaders recognised this and recruited new staff in order to bring about improvements. Observations carried out by inspectors found that most teaching is now good and standards are rising, although there is still some way to go.  Teachers do not always plan tasks for pupils that fully match their skills in order to get the best Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

work out of them. Work is sometimes the same for all ability levels and there is not enough variety to ensure that all pupils, especially the more-able, can improve in order for more to reach the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils do not do as well as they should.  Teachers regularly ask questions about the learning in lessons and recent improvements to marking ensure that teachers provide helpful comments about aspects of work. However, pupils do not always have sufficient opportunity to make full responses to suggestions that teachers provide.  Reading books used by pupils, for example during guided reading sessions, do not always match their reading levels. Inspectors checked whether pupils could read some of the words in these books and they could not. This slows their progress and reduces their enjoyment.  Workbooks which contain pupils’ written work show that pupils make expected progress in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

writing. Some pupils have good writing skills. However, pupils do not write at length often enough to make consistently good progress.  Teaching assistants often provide support for pupils with different needs, such as those with less knowledge of English or those who have recently joined the school. They make a good contribution to the improvements for these pupils in their small group or one-to-one work because they provide clear guidance.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are polite to adults and each other at all times and respond quickly to the requests made by adults. This leads to a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school.  During lessons pupils are always attentive and keen to take part in the activities. They show positive attitudes and cooperate well with each other when carrying out tasks.  Pupils behave well when they are playing outside at break or at lunchtimes. While there were a number of staff around, inspectors did not observe any misbehaviour that required them to intervene.  Attendance levels are similar to those found nationally and have been rising over time. School leaders have worked hard to ensure that parents know the importance of ensuring that their children attend regularly and that there are consequences for them if they do not.  The needs of a very small number of pupils who have significant behavioural difficulties are very

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

well managed by the school. There are clear expectations and a consistent system of rules and rewards. Pupils told inspectors that there are very few incidents of misbehaviour and that teachers are quick to deal with any that do occur.  There have been no permanent exclusions for a long time. The school’s records show that last year it used a small number of fixed-term exclusions. It had not used them in the previous year nor has it done so since the start of this term.  The few incidents of racist behaviour are mainly name-calling. These incidents are one-off events and are dealt with well by the school. Parents and staff all agree that the school deals well with bullying.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management at all levels have been too inconsistent since the last inspection. The significant changes of staff, including senior and middle leaders, and their roles throughout the school, have led to inconsistency in making the necessary improvements, especially over the last year.  School leaders and governors have not always used the wide range of information that they gather on the performance of the school to make improvements quickly enough. The school’s performance dipped significantly in 2013 as leaders were not clear about the level of Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 6 of 9

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The leadership and management requires improvement

underperformance.  Although teaching requires improvement, standards of teaching have been rising as evidenced, for example, by lesson observation records and from the phonics checks. This is because the strong partnership between the co-headteachers has begun to secure improvements. They have put in place additional support and training to help teachers improve. The partnership with the national leader of education has helped to share skills and teachers have been able to work with other teachers from outside the school. Teachers say they are benefiting from the mentoring provided regularly by senior leaders.  While not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to improve their writing skills in different areas, the curriculum includes many enrichment opportunities which pupils enjoy, such as learning French in Key Stage 2. The school has an inclusive ethos and ensures that all pupils from all faiths, beliefs and cultures are fully valued.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The sports premium funding has been used to increase the amount of time provided for pupils to take part in sport. Since September, additional gymnastic, football and multi-sport activities are available after school and pupils can take part in supervised sport at lunchtime. As yet, it is too early to assess the impact of this.  The local authority has been instrumental in supporting the improvements in the school. It recognised that the school required a higher level of support and it enabled the leaders and governors to develop the partnership with the national leader of education.  The governance of the school:  Since the last inspection the governing body has put in place the co-headship roles, which governors passionately believe will lead to improvements in the school, although they recognise that this has not been the case over the last year. Their use of the information provided by the headteachers ensures that they have an accurate view of the school’s

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The leadership and management requires improvement

performance, although they recognise that they have not always acted quickly enough when standards have fallen. Governors are aware of the quality of teaching and say that it has not been sufficient over the last year. They use performance management of the headteachers to ensure improvements are being made and ensure that staff pay is also linked to targets. Governors are clear about the school’s evaluation of its own performance.  The governing body uses the pupil premium funding to make improvements, which is evident in Year 2. They also use the sport premium to increase sporting opportunities. They manage the school’s budget well so that there is not any deficit. They fulfil their statutory duties, including ensuring that the school fully meets its duties to safeguard pupils. Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Burley St Matthias' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5–6 November 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 108001 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 425990

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 171 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Winter Co-headteachers Kate Cameron, Debra Dettmar Date of previous school inspection 3 November 2010 Telephone number 0113 336 7401 Fax number 0113 274 4733 Email address mayhalj01@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

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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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