Fieldhead Carr Primary School

Fieldhead Carr Primary School Naburn Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 2EG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Ambitious school leaders with a strong desire for improvement ensure that all aspects of this school are good and improving. This has resulted in most pupils making consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children get off to a good start to their education in the Nursery and Reception classes where the good quality of teaching ensures that almost all children are ready for work in Year 1.  The quality of teaching across the school is of a good standard. Teachers think about how to improve their teaching, resulting in innovative and exciting teaching found across the school.  Pupils behave just as well during breaks, lunchtimes and around the school, as they do in lessons. They are well-mannered, polite and courteous. They respect each other equally, as well as other adults. Safeguarding procedures are robust and children say that they feel safe in school.  From their starting points, pupils make good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress so that by the time they leave the school in Year 6, their attainment is broadly average.  Subject leaders have a sharp understanding of their areas of responsibilities and check on the quality of teaching in their subjects rigorously. This is because the excellent leadership of the headteacher enables leaders to share a wide range of leadership responsibilities, around the school.  The effective governing body has an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development for the school. Its systems of checking on the quality of teaching and leaders are robust.  The school provides an interesting and stimulating curriculum that promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. This ensures that children are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement is not yet outstanding because the most able pupils are not always given the challenge they need to attain the highest standards at the end of Key Stage 2.  The good quality of work seen in English, mathematics and science, is not yet matched in other subjects.  For younger pupils, feedback is not always given in a way they can understand or respond to.  Leaders do not check on the progress of pupils who are given additional support closely enough to ensure that this support has maximum impact.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 12 lessons or parts of lessons, of which three were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and reviewed the work in their books.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, pupils, parents, members of the governing body, members of the teaching staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took into account the results of the school’s recent parental surveys, the 38 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and 38 responses from staff to the inspection questionnaire.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including plans for improvement, records of the school’s checks on pupils’ and teachers’ performance, safeguarding and attendance documents, minutes of meetings of the governing body, and school policies.

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Inspection team

Faheem Chishti, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fieldhead Carr Primary School is a smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The headteacher is a local leader of education and is currently leading a cluster of schools to develop a preferred approach to assessment following the removal of National Curriculum levels.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs 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 high.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is funding from the government for pupils eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is much smaller than that found nationally.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it raises standards further by:  providing more opportunities to practise effective writing and mathematics skills across all subjects  ensuring younger pupils are given written and oral feedback in a manner that they understand and can respond to  ensuring that the most able pupils in school are sufficiently challenged to achieve the higher standards that they are capable of, by the time they leave the school in Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all leaders check on the progress of pupils who are given additional support in a sharp and robust manner.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is led extremely well by the headteacher and senior leaders, who have an accurate understanding of its strengths and areas for development. Responsibilities of leadership are shared very well amongst skilled staff who, in partnership with senior leaders, ensure the school maintains and improves on good standards for all its pupils.  Subject leaders use a variety of creative ways to ensure that pupils achieve good standards in their behaviour as well as with their learning. 'Children's University' and ‘circular lining up’ are examples of initiatives that motivate and inspire children.  Checks on the quality of teaching are robust. Leaders have a clear focus to their lesson observations and ensure teachers are given clear feedback on how to improve their teaching further. These areas for improvement are carefully followed through into future observations and scrutiny of pupils' books. The

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The leadership and management are good

swiftness of actions to address areas for improvement is impressive.  The checks on the quality of extra support given to the less able pupils are not of the same high standard as other checks in school. Although their progress towards their behaviour and individual targets is checked well, not enough rigour is brought to ensure that the additional support provided for them has the maximum impact.  The curriculum meets the needs of pupils well. An annual cycle of topics based on first-hand experiences usually excites most pupils, who say they really enjoy the curriculum. This is equally so for boys as it is for girls. Significant advances have been made recently to raise the profile and understanding of other cultures and religions, which now ensure that most pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. As a result the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is extremely good. Pupils really enjoy their

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The leadership and management are good

time in school, take great pride in their work and have an excellent understanding of morals and a sense of fairness.  The school is well on the way to identifying its preferred approach to assessment following the removal of National Curriculum levels, with the headteacher leading a cluster of schools in undertaking a pilot of a preferred approach.  Primary sports funding is used effectively in largely purchasing the services of a specialist coach to manage extra-curricular sporting activities as well as providing assistance during physical education lessons. This has resulted in increased participation of pupils in sport and improved teaching skills of class teachers. The checking of this by school leaders is rigorous.  The sharply focussed appraisal system for checking teachers' performance has been instrumental in ensuring that there is good teaching across the school. Individual targets are used very well by the

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The leadership and management are good

headteacher and the governing body to determine whether pay rises and promotion are justified by results.  Overall, the school promotes equal opportunities well through whole-school assemblies, a variety of charitable ventures and a range of opportunities for all pupils to be involved in the running of the school. The care and support offered to pupils to ensure that they are ready for learning is meticulous. The good achievement of disadvantaged pupils is evidence of this. Parents speak highly of the school and are heavily involved with their children's learning as they are often invited into their child's classroom to share their learning. During the inspection, a high proportion of parents attended the 'Gold Book Assembly' in school.  The governance of the school:  Although the governing body has had some changes in membership since the previous inspection, it is now settled and governors have a clear purpose and drive to improve the school. Knowledge and skills

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The leadership and management are good

are shared amongst a range of governors with particular expertise and skills. The governing body has the relevant skills to provide sufficient support and challenge to school leaders, and members carry out their statutory duties well. Members have up-to-date knowledge of pupils' achievements and have a good understanding of the key areas for improvement. They are aware of the progress made by different groups of pupils in school. They make good use of school data such as found in the data dashboard and are provided with support in analysing further aspects of school data. They are aware of the quality of teaching and the use of performance management to reward good teaching and to tackle aspects of weaker teaching. Named governors take an active role in checking the progress of pupils in their subjects. The governors are aware that further training, particularly in the area of special educational needs, is required for all governors.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors make appropriate use of information to plan the use of funding such as the pupil premium and the primary sports funding. They ensure that pupils benefit from the impact of such funding. The promotion of tolerance and respect for people of all faiths is effective and ensures pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain, as evidenced with an array of activities, visitors and celebrations throughout the year.  The governing body ensures that safeguarding procedures are robust and meet current requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy coming to this school, including to the breakfast and after- school club. Their enjoyment of school can be seen in the increased attendance year on year, the great pride they show in their school and their eagerness to learn.  During lessons, pupils work well together, discussing their ideas and talking about what they need to learn next. Outside of lessons, they are equally respectful to other adults as they are to their teachers.  On occasions, when pupils are not fully engaged by the teaching, they can become distracted or display examples of low-level misbehaviour such as fidgeting. However, this is uncommon and does not affect the learning of others.  Pupils have a range of leadership roles around the school, often competing to vie for the same position as others. 'Fab Friends' (Fieldhead against bullying) and 'Anti- Bullying Ambassadors' are two such groups

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Behaviour

who take great pride in their work; they are clearly visible with their bright red fleeces and often go out of their way to make sure other children are kept safe and always have someone to play with.  The school's work in its 'Green Room' is extremely effective in ensuring pupils have the right attitudes and are ready to learn when they return to their normal classes. Their emotional, social and behavioural progress is carefully checked by school leaders.  Behaviour during lunchtimes, break-times, and around the school is polite and orderly. Pupils are equally well behaved outside their classrooms and with other adults as they are in their normal classrooms and with their class teachers.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are cared for very well and they say that they feel safe in this school.  Pupils have an excellent awareness of different forms of bullying, including physical, mental and cyber- bullying. They understand the dangers and risks of the internet. For example, the school organises the effective system of 'Let’s Talk Slips' and the 'friendship benches’ ensure that all children are able to discuss their problems with trained peers or with other adults.  Attendance has risen year on year over the past three years such that it is now above the national average. This is because the school has employed more rigorous strategies to ensure parents are more careful about their children's absence, as well as ensuring pupils want to come to school and attend all week.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work seen in last year's books, as well as the work completed this term, shows that the quality of teaching over time is consistently good across the school. This matches the school's own checks on the quality of teaching.  Teachers are reflective and are constantly looking at ways to make their teaching even better, and to learn from each other. For example, short 'teaching surgeries' at the end of each staff meeting, provide staff with the opportunity to share ideas about best practice and learn from each in a planned and systematic way.  Teachers have a good understanding of pupils' individual needs and are able to set work at the right level for each pupil. This is because they use a range of strategies to help them understand pupils' needs and what their next steps are in learning. For example, in a Key Stage 2 lesson, pupils were clearly able to set their own challenging target following a 'circle time' session (when all come together to discuss aspects of

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The quality of teaching is good

personal and social development) at the end of a literacy lesson.  The teaching of reading is effective. Most pupils have opportunities to read to adults in the school often, and they have a wide selection of books to choose from in class, and in the school library. Pupils are beginning to take home more than one book, including non-fiction books, and are beginning to read books of their own choice more often.  Computer devices are used quite routinely by both adults and pupils as a tool to help with their learning. For example, in a Key Stage 1 lesson, pupils were able to readily display their understanding of The Great Fire of London using visual and text tools to represent buildings that were easily flammable during those times.  Although teachers plan extensive opportunities for writing and mathematics in a variety of subjects, their expectations of the quality and quantity of work in these subjects is not as high as in English and

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The quality of teaching is good

mathematics. Planning for what is to be learnt in these subjects is also unclear at times, which results in threads of learning becoming somewhat disjointed.  Mathematics is taught in an effective and creative manner. The use of a variety of means and a particular focus on problem solving help to make mathematics relevant and fun for most pupils.  The quality of support provided by teaching assistants is usually very effective. They provide good care and attention, particularly to support pupils who have behavioural and emotional needs. This support is strong and supports the effective attention given to their skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers mark work frequently and follow school guidance efficiently and effectively. Pupils often respond to their teachers’ comments and try to improve their work, particularly in Key Stage 2. This is not always reflected in the books of younger children in Key Stage 1 where some children are not able to understand

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The quality of teaching is good

what is written, or how to respond to comments.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many children begin school with skills lower than those typical for their age but leave Year 6 with attainment that is usually comparable to national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Many pupils make better-than-expected progress at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading.  Reading skills are taught well using phonics (learning letters and the sounds they make) and pupils use these skills successfully in their initial efforts in reading and writing. Pupils perform well in the phonics screening check in Year 1, attaining above the national average. Although attainment fluctuates slightly in reading, it is broadly average at the end of Key Stage 2.  The achievement of the most able pupils in school is good, particularly in the progress of reading because they are provided with a good level of challenge. Not enough pupils consistently achieve the highest standards however, particularly in mathematics, because on occasions they are not given enough

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The achievement of pupils is good

opportunities to tackle harder work.  The achievement of pupils in mathematics is becoming stronger. Although most pupils attain standards expected of them at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of Key Stage 2, not enough pupils go on to attain the highest standards.  The attainment of pupils in writing is similar to that found in reading and mathematics. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is average. The current progress of pupils across the school with their writing is good and so standards are set to rise.  By the end of Year 6, the achievement of disadvantaged pupils is good. Their current progress in Key Stage 2 is similar to other pupils in reading, writing and in mathematics. In 2013 their attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading was above that of other pupils in the school by about half a term, similarly in writing but they were around two terms behind in mathematics. This performance is mirrored largely

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The achievement of pupils is good

when comparing their achievement in 2013 with other pupils nationally. Their current attainment is now similar to all pupils nationally in reading and writing, but around one-and-a-half terms below all pupils nationally in mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make mostly good progress but occasionally the work that is planned for them does not allow them to make most rapid progress in reading, mathematics and particularly with their writing. However, their social, emotional and behavioural needs are very well met through additional support.

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The early years provision is good

 Many children start the school in the Nursery class, but a significant proportion leave at the end of Nursery to join other schools because the school is over-subscribed. A large proportion of pupils therefore start the school at the beginning of the Reception class.  Most children begin the Reception class with skills and knowledge below that which is typical for their age. Children of all abilities, including the most able and those with special educational needs, usually make good progress. The vast majority of children leave the Reception Year working above the level expected of them in many areas. However, not as many reach the expected levels with their reading, writing and number skills. Overall, most children are prepared well for their next stage of education in Year 1.  A small group of children access learning through the 'Rainbow Room' where their personal, social and emotional developments are given focussed attention by skilled teaching assistants. This ensures that

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The early years provision is good

when they return into the setting in the afternoons, they are better prepared for learning on their own.  Teaching is good and teachers have a good understanding of how young children learn and provide a good range of activities to capture children’s interest and develop their learning. Staff manage children well and behaviour is good. They feel safe because relationships with staff are friendly and welcoming.  The leader of the early years is effective and has trained other adults well in the use of systems to assess children's progress. This information is efficiently organised and allows practitioners to plan the next steps in learning for children throughout the setting.  Parents' opinions about their child's learning are valued alongside those of teachers with regular discussions between parents and staff about children's progress.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 107945 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 448340

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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 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Graham Curling Headteacher Nicholas Edensor Date of previous school inspection 9 February 2010 Telephone number 0113 2930226 Fax number 0113 2930227 Email address fhcschool@fieldheadcarr.leeds.sch.uk 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 and 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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