Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: hcarnall@cfbt.com

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Mrs Margaret Broughton Headteacher Harehills Primary School Darfield Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS8 5DQ

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Leeds

Following my visit to your school on 5 December 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report on the findings of my visit. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Leeds

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in September 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Leeds

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. The school should take further action to:

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Leeds

speed up plans to review governance so that governors can move forward with greater confidence.

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Evidence

During my visit, I had conversations with you and other senior leaders, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. The schools’ plan for improvement was evaluated. A brief visit to all classrooms in the school and opportunities to speak with parents at the end of the school day were also undertaken.

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Main findings

You and your team have made a highly effective start to getting your school to good. This is because you, your senior leaders and staff have responded positively to the areas for improvement identified in the recent inspection and have taken prompt action to start to address them. Your drive and commitment to see the school improve before you leave, and the building of leadership capacity to ensure a smooth transition into future arrangements are contributing to the schools capacity to sustain recent improvements.

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Main findings

You and your senior leaders have established a commitment and understanding from staff and governors as to what is needed to do to get to good and beyond. This is because senior leaders have worked as a team to formulate and carryout a number of improvements since the recent inspection. These include bringing a sharper focus on tracking the impact of planned actions against the progress the pupils are making. You have reviewed your assessment and pupil tracking processes to make them more consistent across year groups and key stages. A review of the characteristics of effective teaching and learning has also been undertaken with all staff. This has informed new lesson observation criteria and heightened expectations of what should be happening in lessons. The school has also put in place a new support programme for pupils who do not attend as frequently as they should and early indicators suggest that this is beginning to work.

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Main findings

Your plans for improving the school are appropriate and challenging. They are known and understood by senior leaders and governors. This is because they focus clearly on those areas identified in the recent inspection report. The plan has been developed with senior leaders in school and shared with staff and governors. You have an appropriate allocation of key staff linked to actions and monitoring. This is a clear and realistic plan with set time scales for completion of actions and key short term milestones identified to help monitor the impact of the actions taken. Governors have a defined responsibility for monitoring the progress being made within the plan.

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Main findings

Teachers are clear about the next steps they need to take to improve their practice. This is because the school now has an effective appraisal process is in place for all staff. Targets are focused on the school improvement priorities and the progress that children make in their learning. You have now brought together the programmes that monitor the progress pupils are making and the evaluation of how well teachers are teaching to sharpen this focus.

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Main findings

The governing body have a clear understanding of what the school needs to do to get to good. This is because governors are knowledgeable about the actions being undertaken by you and the senior leaders. Since the inspection a new committee arrangement is in place that provides a sharp focus on the areas for improvement, each supported by a member of the senior leadership team. Meetings have already taken place to review plans for improvement and a data workshop has also been undertaken. Governors have started a recruitment process to replace the retiring headteacher. A planned review of governance has not yet been fully scheduled and now needs to be undertaken to help governors move forward with increased confidence.

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Main findings

Ofsted may carry out further visits and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

External support for the school is proportionate. The local authority School Improvement Adviser visits the school regularly to review progress and provide guidance. She has worked with you and your senior leaders to contribute to the planning for improvement. The level of this support is planned to increase over the coming year.

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External support

The capacity for the school to learn and share with others is well established. This is because the school works closely with other schools as part of local partnerships and arrangements are now in place to work more closely with these schools in supporting and challenging each other’s practice.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for Leeds.

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