Southroyd Primary and Nursery School

Southroyd Primary and Nursery School Littlemoor Crescent , Pudsey , West Yorkshire , LS28 8AT

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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

 The progress made by pupils of all abilities is too variable. It is not always good, particularly in mathematics where standards are not as high as they should be.  The quality of teaching is not consistently good enough to enable pupils to make the progress of which they are capable.  Pupils’ work does not always accurately match their needs. This is especially true for the less-able pupils in mathematics who do not always make enough progress because teaching does not consistently provide sufficient guidance.  Teachers’ marking and feedback are not consistently precise across all subjects. Pupils, particularly older ones, are not made aware of the next steps they should take to improve their work, in this way improving the independence in their learning.  Leaders have not always given enough focus to the impact of change in Key Stage 2 and improvements have not been fast enough especially in mathematics.

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The school has the following strengths

 Improvements to teaching reading, using a clearly structured approach, are raising attainment in reading in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to their education and are well prepared for their entry to Year 1.  Teaching assistants contribute effectively to the success of good and better lessons.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in a school community of which they consider themselves a valued part.  The school’s curriculum offers wide opportunities for sport which contribute well to pupils’ health and physical well-being.  The headteacher, senior leaders and governors have accurately identified priorities for improvement. Actions are starting to move the school forward with improved teaching and pupils’ achievement especially in Key Stage 1.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 22 lessons including five joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors. There were meetings with members of staff including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities. Inspectors also heard pupils read in the course of their lessons and in invited groups.  Inspectors took account of 27 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and of the school’s consultation with parents.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documents. These included records on pupils’ progress, past and present; the school’s plans for improvement, the management of teachers’ performance, the use of pupil premium and new primary school sports funding and documentation relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Paul Copping, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Baljinder Khela Additional Inspector Susan Twaits Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are from White British families.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and qualify for support from the pupil premium is average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families and children who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is very low compared to the average primary school.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  There is an onsite children’s centre and day-care provision that was not inspected as part of this

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Information about this school

inspection and will be inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is at least consistently good and raises achievement for all pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2 and in mathematics by: - ensuring that, in mathematics, pupils’ skills are taught in a good sequence so that they build successfully from year to year - checking that work is set at the correct level and support is in place for pupils of all abilities but especially the lower-attaining pupils in mathematics - improving marking so that pupils know how to make their work better and are encouraged to do this independently.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management, including governance, by: - ensuring the focus on raising achievement given to Key Stage 2 is as strong as other key stages, especially in monitoring the progress in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because there is variability in the progress made over time and also between different year groups and subjects. This contributes to the extent that all pupils do not reach their full potential. Many make the progress expected of them from their individual starting points but this is not yet consistent, especially in mathematics.  Pupils reach broadly average standards in reading and writing by the time they leave at the end of Year 6 but they fail to do so in mathematics. In 2013, the results of national tests and assessments in Year 6 showed that achievement in reading and writing had increased but improvement was not as strong in mathematics.  Teachers are not yet secure in setting work at the correct level for pupils’ abilities and this leads to variation in progress of different abilities. Although there is no clear pattern of a group underachieving in mathematics it is often the lower-attaining pupils. Overall, the promotion of

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

equal opportunity is not yet fully effective.  Although many make the progress that is expected of them from Years 1 to 6, pupils’ progress is inconsistent between subjects and year groups. Pupils in Key Stage 2 have gaps in their skills and have not had the benefit of more systematic teaching (of reading, for example) that is now the case in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has risen in response to more focussed attention than Key Stage 2. Many pupils now make good progress in Key Stage 1 and attainment by the end of Year 2 overall is in line with national averages. This rise increased even further in 2013 and test results showed achievement is accelerating strongly in reading, writing and mathematics and attainment was above average.  Reading in Key Stage 1 is quickly improving in response to stronger teaching of letters and sounds. Older pupils show increased fluency when reading and talk enthusiastically about their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

books.  Teachers have effectively embedded writing in all subjects and for a wide range of purposes. Many examples of writing are often good. Where pupils’ progress is more limited it is because it is in the context of lessons where opportunities to practise writing are not created so frequently.  The school has identified mathematics as a priority because assessment shows pupils’ skills have not always been taught in a structured way. Pupils have not developed their skills in clear order so they lack confidence especially when selecting different methods of calculations to apply to solving problems.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are often below those expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. They make good progress so that when the time comes to join Year 1, a spirit of enquiry is shared by most children and many now reach the level expected of them.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The most-able pupils do not make enough progress in mathematics in Key Stage 2. The school has been successful in meeting the needs of most-able pupils by improvements in reading in Key Stage 1 with an increase in the proportion reaching above average levels. However, this picture is not sustained consistently across subjects in Key Stage 2.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress, when their starting points are considered, to their peers.  Although the gap in attainment in English and mathematics between pupils supported by the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, and national standards has not yet been fully closed, there are examples where their performance in the school is above than that of other pupils. Overall, their progress is similar to other pupils.  Pupils’ use of information and communication technology shows fluency, growing steadily as

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Inspectors saw many lessons in which teaching was good but the significant proportion requiring improvement is indicative of an inconsistency that is not enabling pupils to make the best progress. This is also reflected in the inconsistent impact of teaching over time in improving achievement.  Teachers do not always set work in which the level of challenge is judged with sufficient accuracy to enable pupils to make the best progress of which they are capable. In mathematics for example, some tasks were presented to less-able pupils and to middle-attaining pupils without the degree of explanation and support that they required in order to successfully achieve the goals set for them.  Although marking is generally regular and informative, assessment does not always make it clear to pupils how to improve. It does not yet involve pupils themselves, particularly older pupils, with sufficient regularity. They are not all aware of exactly how well they are progressing and in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

what ways they may, independently, improve their work.  Improvements in teaching are more evident for younger pupils as this has been a school priority. Success is clear in reading because teachers have received training in teaching letters and their sounds. In Key Stage 2, improvements to teaching are less evident especially in a lack of a structure to guide teachers in mathematics.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Teachers create a stimulating environment with imaginative utilisation of the outdoor space. They plan well to enthuse children and instil a spirit of enquiry. Children’s confidence is fostered successfully through the attractive options children are offered for learning and play. A number of children with more complex learning difficulties have their needs met well by the teachers through careful, individual attention to each child.  Teachers have secure subject knowledge of information and communication technology. Skills to

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

support learning are introduced effectively in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this extends across other years.  Teachers often direct adults supporting in the classroom well. Many teaching assistants are skilled and provide a valuable additional adult voice. They are good judges of the degree of support different pupils require at various points in a lesson. Pupils with additional needs are provided with carefully measured interventions that include them in lessons effectively without discouraging independence in their learning.  Homework generally supports learning well and is closely linked to the sequence of topics in class.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well and are supportive of each other in all aspects of school life. The school council makes a positive contribution to the sense of community that pupils feel.  Pupils feel safe. They are confident that bullying is rare and that if incidents occur they are quickly resolved by adults. They recognise different types of bullying and, appropriate to their age, pupils have a good grasp of issues of cyber-safety.  In a striking example of the sense of community that underpins good behaviour in the school, pupils in a class acknowledged that one pupil’s behaviour was sometimes poorer than that of others because of that child’s particular needs. However, this did not trouble them because they were sure that the adults around them were handling things in just the right way. The success of the school in working well with pupils who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour is the reason for the rareness of any bullying, including that with a racist dimension.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average and shows a trend of improvement.  Pupils enjoy school and even the younger pupils are keen to take any opportunities for responsibility.  Parents and staff indicated overwhelmingly that behaviour is good and that they have confidence in the school’s procedures for achieving and sustaining this.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although rapid improvements in Key Stage 1 show the good capacity of the school’s leadership and management to move the school forward, it requires improvement because changes have not yet led to standards in Key Stage 2 being consistently high enough. The school has made recent changes to the management structure in order to deliver necessary improvements more effectively and positive signs of improvement are already emerging.  The school’s rigorous self-evaluation identifies accurately aspects that need attention. Leaders link contrasts in the progress of different year groups to their different experiences in teaching. Decisive action has led to the headteacher and senior leaders becoming accurate judges of the qualities of teaching. They use this skill increasingly to address the inconsistencies in teaching that has hindered pupils’ progress, particularly in mathematics. Changes are evident in response

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The leadership and management requires improvement

to monitoring, although some weaker aspects remain needing more attention.  Performance management of teaching is linked to salary rewards. Targets set for teachers are linked to pupils’ progress and raising the quality of teaching. More accurate monitoring of pupils’ progress is leading to staff being more accountable for the progress pupils make.  The rapid improvements in Key Stage 1 illustrate the ability of leaders to tackle the required improvements identified in their school development plans. However, although the school has accurately identified key areas for development, particularly in teaching, leaders have not addressed Key Stage 2 issues with the same urgency as those in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.  There is an effective partnership between the senior leadership team and the governing body with a shared focus on clearly identified priorities. Members of staff demonstrate high levels of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

enthusiasm and motivation which they share with the governing body and are well placed to bring improvements. There is high confidence general among members of staff in all roles that the school is on an upward trajectory in terms of tackling identified priorities for improvement. Morale is high.  The local authority has provided support proportionate to the school’s needs and has given valuable training and support to governors.  The school’s curriculum is balanced and showing the benefits of recent developments, including enhanced opportunities for the improvement of literacy across the curriculum.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. The extent to which it is extended by clubs and a range of artistic and sporting activities valuably boosts the opportunities available to pupils and many are enthusiastic participants.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governing body shares fully in the school’s assessments of pupils’ progress and in the planning deriving from it. As a result, they are aware of the quality of teaching and how actions are in place to improve it. Their knowledge is also informed by focused visits to the school. Reporting to the full governing body is comprehensive. Governors have conducted a recent skills audit as part of an ongoing process of reviewing their own effectiveness. New governors are efficiently inducted so that they can quickly assume a full role in monitoring all aspects of school performance. Governors make use of a full set of school data to check on progress although this has not been fully effective in raising attainment, especially in mathematics. However, governors ensure that pupil premium and new primary school sport funding have both had an impact commensurate with the investment. Governors have appropriate oversight of the performance management of teachers and other members of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

staff. They ensure that any progression is rigorously linked to performance in the classroom. They check that safeguarding meets requirements.

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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 107847 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 425924

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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 447 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joanne Roebuck Headteacher Kate Prior Date of previous school inspection 15 May 2006 Telephone number 0113 257 0197 Fax number 0113 257 0197 Email address priork03@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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