Chapel Allerton Primary School

Chapel Allerton Primary School Harrogate Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, L37 3PD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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

 Teaching requires improvement because it is not securing good enough progress for all pupils in mathematics. In a significant proportion of mathematics lessons in Years 5 and 6, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough, so work is not sufficiently challenging and does not closely enough match the needs of all pupils.  Pupils’ overall achievement requires improvement because they are not reaching the expected standards and do not make good enough progress in mathematics.  Not all teachers consistently check how well pupils are doing in mathematics lessons and, where this occurs, the most able pupils spend too long on tasks that they find too easy and the less-able pupils are not supported properly.  The checks made on the quality of teaching lack some rigour because they are not closely enough focused on pupils’ learning and progress in lessons and overtime.  The marking of pupils’ work in mathematics is

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

not consistently effective in helping them to understand how to improve further.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils in Key Stage 2 do well in English. There is improvement evident in Key Stage 1 pupils’ acquisition of basic skills.  Leaders have worked successfully to improve attendance and pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. Pupils behave well and are respectful and courteous to one another. This helps to create a calm atmosphere in which pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 lessons, taught by 16 teachers. Inspectors also made shorter visits to other teaching activities.  The 70 responses to the online survey (Parent View) and the 23 responses to the staff questionnaire were taken into account.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on recent and current progress, performance-management procedures and outcomes, pupils’ books, planning and monitoring information and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Fiona McNally, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Brenda Clarke Additional Inspector Mark Hilton Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average size primary school.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage; the proportion of pupils from other minority ethnic backgrounds is above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average and there has been a steadily decreasing number of these pupils in the school over the past three years.  A higher than average proportion of pupils is eligible for support through the pupil premium. This is funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children of service families and children who are looked after by the local authority. This number of pupils has increased each year over the past three years.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement for special

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Information about this school

educational needs is slightly below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, most particularly in mathematics, so that it is at least good throughout the school with a proportion that is outstanding by:  ensuring teachers regularly check pupils’ progress in lessons and adapt their teaching to suit pupils’ needs in order to help move pupils’ learning on more rapidly  using assessment more carefully to ensure lessons are planned to challenge all pupils, in particular the most-able pupils, and to better support those middle- and lower-ability pupils who find learning difficult  ensuring marking and feedback is consistently used to show pupils what they need to do next to help them to improve  ensuring all teaching assistants have sufficient subject knowledge to effectively support groups of pupils in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and accelerate progress in mathematics, especially in Years 5 and 6, by:  ensuring pupils are more secure in their basic skills and knowledge  creating more opportunities for pupils to apply their numeracy skills in other subjects  using the available resources properly and planning lessons which challenge pupils and match their needs closely, including the needs of those pupils for whom the pupil premium funding provides support.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  ensuring that the quality of teaching is judged against national standards and that teachers receive more specific pointers about how to improve their practice  focussing more on pupils’ progress in lessons and over time, particularly in mathematics, when checking on the quality of teaching  improving the accuracy of the school’s view of its own performance and using more detailed plans for improvement which have success criteria closely linked to pupils’ outcomes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement is not good because pupils do not make enough overall progress in mathematics through Key Stage 2. In addition, standards in mathematics are below average in Key Stage 1 and, although they are improving, this is not rapid enough. In Key Stage 2, attainment by the end of Year 6 in mathematics is well-below average. Too few of the most-able pupils reach the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Equally, too few lower- and middle- ability pupils make good progress in mathematics through Key Stage 2, particularly in the latter stages. This is because in mathematics teachers do not ensure pupils’ basic skills are securely established, such as their times tables, which results in the pupils being unable to apply multiplication skills to other aspects of their learning, for example, finding the area of a shape.  Children start school in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below the levels

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

typically expected for their age. Overall, the children make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage because the quality of teaching is good and matches the children’s needs well. Adults participate in activities with the children and encourage the youngsters to explain what they are doing and why they have chosen a particular way to do things. Progress in outdoor learning in youngest children is not as strong but overall children make good progress at this stage of their learning.  Pupils continue to make expected progress in Key Stage 1 in reading and writing and this improves in Key Stage 2 where pupils’ progress in English is good.  The teaching of letters and sounds in the Reception class and Key Stage 1 effectively provides pupils with a secure start to their reading. Pupils confidently apply these skills when tackling unfamiliar words in their reading and spelling. Reading has a high priority and this helps pupils

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

to read widely and to be passionate about reading as they move through the school.  In mathematics, the pupils supported through the pupil premium do not make progress in line with other pupils in the school or nationally. The school is not yet ensuring that the gap in attainment in mathematics between those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are not eligible is narrowing over time and, as a result, these pupils’ progress in mathematics requires improvement.  In English, pupils’ progress is good. Pupils of all abilities make better than expected progress in the school, seen in the pupils’ outcomes at the end of Year 6; their writing skills are particularly strong. This is reflected in the progress made by pupils in English lessons and in the pupils’ work, where teachers’ written feedback helps pupils to understand what they have done well and how they could make their writing even better.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In English, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make progress in line with their peers and any gap between their attainment and that of other pupils is closing quickly. Additionally, pupils who have special educational needs make progress in English in line with their peers. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to their peers.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Not enough teaching is consistently good and there is a disparity between the teaching of mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2, where teaching is weaker, and in the rest of the school. Equally, there is a marked difference between the quality of teaching over time in English and mathematics.  In too many mathematics lessons, there is too little challenge for pupils, which prevents them from progressing well. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils and plans do not consistently take into consideration the pupils’ different levels of ability. This means activities do not closely enough match individual pupils’ needs.  Teachers do not effectively check pupils’ mathematical knowledge and understanding regularly enough. Because of this, there are times when learning is moved on too quickly before pupils have a secure understanding of basic mathematical facts. Equally, there are too few

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in other subjects or to develop these skills through enrichment activities.  Also in these lessons and in some other subjects, teachers do not regularly check how well pupils have understood the learning and do not adapt the lesson to ensure that pupils’ learning is moved on at the right pace. Teachers do not consistently plan lessons which build on what pupils already know and this slows their progress.  The use of teaching assistants is not always effective enough in mathematics because their subject knowledge is not always secure, meaning that support and challenge for pupils lacks effectiveness.  The best quality teaching is in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in Key Stage 1 and in the lower end of Key Stage 2. There is also stronger teaching seen in English lessons in Years 5 and 6, which is reflected in pupils’ good progress. In the stronger lessons, teachers have effective

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

strategies to keep pupils interested and focused throughout the lesson with varied activities, which are well matched to pupils’ different levels of ability and, as such, progress is stronger in these lessons. Equally, in these lessons, pupils’ behaviour is at least good and they display positive attitudes and real enthusiasm for learning.  The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. It is effective in English, in particular in the marking of writing. In pupils’ literacy books, there are more examples of teachers clearly identifying what the pupil has done well and where improvements are needed. There is also direction given to the pupils to support these improvements. However, the marking of pupils’ books in mathematics and topic books is less strong. Often, there is little guidance offered to the pupils to show them what they need to do to improve and occasions where errors are not identified,

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

which means pupils continue to make the same errors.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has made concerted and successful efforts to improve pupils’ behaviour and safety in recent years. There are now clear and effective systems to promote good behaviour involving well-established routines which pupils follow well in lessons and around the school.  Pupils enjoy learning and want to do well. They listen attentively and contribute confidently in lessons. However, occasionally, when lessons do not hold their interest, some pupils lose their enthusiasm for learning, become distracted and do not achieve as well as they could.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are polite, friendly and respectful. They enjoy trusting relationships with staff and know that if they have any worries or concerns staff will help them. For example, a pupil told inspectors, ’I know who I can talk to when I don’t feel happy.’ Pupils understand what bullying is and that it can happen in a range of ways, including through mobile phones.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

They say that whilst bullying does occur in the school it is rare and dealt with immediately by staff.  Parents are mainly positive about the school and how much their children like being there. Pupils enjoy a range of activities that enrich their learning, particularly the visits and events the school organises. Through working with a range of visitors, pupils show respect for the different communities and lifestyles in the world beyond school.  Pupils’ attendance is above average and has improved each year for the past four years. The school has effectively addressed issues of persistent absence and poor punctuality in the school through work they have done with both the pupils and their parents. Pupils told us, ‘It is important for our learning that we are in school every day.’ a comment which reinforces the change in culture around attendance in the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management are not yet good because pupils’ progress and attainment in mathematics are not as good as they should be. There is evidence of small improvements in pupils’ progress in mathematics lower down the school but it is not consistent or rapid enough currently.  The headteacher, supported by governors and both senior and middle leaders, understands that raising pupils’ achievement, most particularly in mathematics, is the priority and have started to promote improvement in Key Stage 1. However, leaders accept that actions to improve pupils’ outcomes in Key Stage 2 have yet to have the desired effect in improving mathematics performance.  There is some improvement required in the effectiveness of the checks made on the quality of teaching and on pupils’ learning. Although leaders have taken strong action to eradicate any inadequate teaching and weak leadership and to strengthen the leadership team, their view of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

provision and outcomes are sometimes over generous and not fully linked to national teaching standards. There is also too little focus on how well pupils learn, both in lessons and over time, particularly in mathematics.  Although there has been some effective training for staff, the development and deployment of teaching assistants has not always been effective, meaning that not all have sufficient skills to support pupils in mathematics.  Leadership in English is strong with good systems in place to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to read widely and write often. As a result, the outcomes and teaching for pupils in English are good. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed and, as a result, children get off to a good start across the different areas of learning. Leaders in the Early Years Foundation Stage rightly identify areas for further improvement, for example, in the outdoor provision for the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

youngest children.  The school uses the Primary School Sport funding to provide expert sports teaching. Coaches come into school provide effective training in physical education. The teachers and teaching assistants observe and support these lessons so that they can learn from the coach and so further develop the sports provision in the school. In the physical education lessons seen, the progress of the pupils was strong due to good teaching, and was the one area in which pupils could apply their numeracy skills effectively.  The curriculum provides a full range of subjects and, in the better lessons, encourages enthusiasm for learning. However, teachers’ planning in mathematics is not consistent enough to ensure that skills are securely established. Equally, whilst there are many enrichment opportunities for pupils to develop a passion for reading and writing, this is not the case for mathematics. This view is reinforced by parents, who say there is a disparity between the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

prioritising of English and mathematics, with English given a lot more status in the school. The curriculum promotes well pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the opportunities they have for visits and fundraising events.  The headteacher, along with the senior leadership team, has implemented much stronger systems for managing pupils’ behaviour, with clear routines and incentives for good behaviour, as well as clearly understood sanctions. This has meant that there has been rapid improvement in pupils’ behaviour and safety. The school has used funding provided through the pupil premium to employ a family support worker who works closely with families, for example, to improve attendance. This work has several foci, one being the improvement of attendance where there has been historical issues of persistent absenteeism.  The local authority has worked closely with the school since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school ensures safeguarding procedures are in place and meet current statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors are extremely committed to the school and the community and are well informed about the school’s performance. They are realistic about the strengths of the school, as well as what requires improvement. They are supportive of the headteacher and have worked with him to restructure the senior leadership team last year to ensure there was appropriate status given to the right areas in the school. They are aware of budget limitations and use funding appropriately. For example, they talk clearly and in detail about how the Primary School Sport funding is used to increase the quality of teaching and coaching in physical education in the school. They ensure that the pupil premium funding is used to benefit the pupils for whom it is intended, whilst acknowledging that its impact on improving these pupils’ achievement in

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The leadership and management requires improvement

mathematics has yet to have the desired effect.  The governing body has effective arrangements to ensure that pay awards are linked to teachers’ and leaders’ performance and that the procedures to measure performance are thorough. This has meant governors have had occasion to make tough decisions and not award staff pay increases when pupils’ performance has not been strong enough.

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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 107903 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 425767

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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 448 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simeon Perry Headteacher Nicholas Sykes Date of previous school inspection 16 January 2012 Telephone number 0113 2624851 Fax number 0113 2374797 Email address sykesn01@leedleaning.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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