Co-op Academy Oakwood

Oakwood Primary Academy North Farm Road, Leeds LS8 3LZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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

 The headteacher, governors and key leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils. They constantly communicate high expectations about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievements.  Almost all pupils start school with skills below those typical for their age, and many with skills well below those expected. The vast majority make good progress and achieve well.  Most pupils who join the early years provision, and who attend throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, attain overall average standards by the end of Year 6, particularly in reading and writing.  The early years provision is good. Outdoors and indoors, children enjoy stimulating and well- planned learning experiences.  Teaching is good because most lessons capture pupils’ interests and encourage them to think for themselves.  The high proportion of pupils from different cultural backgrounds, including those at an early stage of learning English, achieve well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupil premium funding is used successfully to promote the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well. Adults understand individual pupils’ needs and provide timely support.  The most able pupils are challenged appropriately and make good progress.  Pupils behave well, enjoy their lessons and are proud of their school.  The many visits and extra-curricular experiences support well pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Arrangements to keep pupils safe and secure are good. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves and others safe.  Co-operative Trust representatives and governors are well informed about the school’s work. They are adept in holding school leaders to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough pupils who attend throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 make good progress in mathematics to reach average standards by the end of Year 6.  Occasionally, teachers do not check systematically the progress that all pupils make in lessons and adapt activities to meet some pupils’ changing needs.  A small minority of pupils are insufficiently motivated in a small number of lessons to give of their best. Not all respond readily to teachers’ comments about how to improve their work.  Not all middle leaders pay enough attention to the understanding and skills that pupils develop in lessons, and in their work, when making judgments about the effectiveness of teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in a range of lessons, of which two were joint observations with senior leaders.  Pupils’ work was sampled informally in lessons in a wide range of subjects. In addition, mathematics work from Years 2, 4, 5 and 6 was sampled separately by inspectors.  Inspectors also reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own data relating to pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, minutes of meetings of the governing body, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents pertaining to safeguarding.  Meetings were held with pupils in Years 3 to 6, governors and school staff, including those with management responsibilities. A discussion also took place with a representative from the Co-operative Academies Trust.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents responding to the school’s own questionnaires, but there were too few responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to consider. Inspectors also took

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Information about this inspection

account of the views of 19 members of the school’s staff through the inspection questionnaires they returned.

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Inspection team

Andrew Swallow, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Over half of the pupils are from different minority ethnic groups. Over one third of all pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported through the pupil premium funding is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support those known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above the national average.  A large number of pupils join and leave the school during the school year. A large proportion of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English.  Part-time Nursery and full-time Reception provision is made in the early years.  In 2014, the school did not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum

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Information about this school

expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school converted to academy status in September 2013.  Since the school became an academy, there have been changes in middle leaders and governors.  The school receives support from the Co-operative Academies Trust, the local education authority, and from the Inner East Leeds family of schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by: - ensuring that all lessons engage pupils fully in their learning so that they achieve consistently well - giving pupils opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments about how to improve their work - ensuring that all teaching systematically checks pupils’ understanding in lessons and adapts activities accordingly - honing the skills of some middle leaders in checking the effectiveness of teaching over time by paying more attention to how well different groups of pupils acquire knowledge, show understanding and develop key skills in lessons and in their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics, by:  providing more challenging problem-solving work and developing the confidence of pupils to explain the reasoning that lies behind their answers  providing opportunities for all pupils to develop and apply their mathematical skills in all subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is led by an extremely committed headteacher. She has high expectations of all pupils and is highly regarded by parents and by all who work alongside her.  Since the school became an academy, the headteacher has improved significantly the quality of the school’s work and pupils’ achievements. Under the headteacher’s skilful guidance, staff have become a cohesive team who work well together.  The headteacher is supported well by senior and middle leaders. They achieve a good balance between providing support for colleagues and checking the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning.  Not all middle leaders are rigorous enough in making judgments about the quality of teaching. This is because they do not all pay sufficient attention to the impact of teaching over time on individual pupils’ progress and achievements when they visit lessons and look at pupils’ work.  A range of training opportunities are provided and are generally matched well to the needs of individual

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The leadership and management are good

members of staff. Much of the training comes from the Co-operative Academies Trust, the Inner East Leeds family of schools and the local education authority. This training has supported good improvements in the quality of teaching and governance, and has resulted in consistent gains in pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding.  Key leaders, including governors, communicate increasingly high expectations. Systems for the management of teachers’ performance are robust. They are focused sharply on holding teachers to account for their work to improve pupils’ achievement. Governors are appropriately informed of, and included in, all of this work.  The school has an accurate picture of its strengths and areas for development. Leaders and managers produce detailed plans to improve the school’s work further. For example, they have identified the work still to be done to improve some pupils’ progress and attainment in mathematics. Leaders have good plans

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The leadership and management are good

to improve teaching and to develop the skills of the new middle leaders.  Teachers know their pupils well. They make good use of the school’s arrangements to check the progress of all pupils, pinpointing early any underperformance and addressing shortfalls in achievement. As a result, the school makes sure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to do well.  The well-planned curriculum is enhanced by regular sporting, musical and drama opportunities, and visits to museums, libraries and local places of interest. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the developing links with schools in Mexico and Madrid, the recent visit to Ilkley to discover local history, and opportunities to join the choir and sing in local schools and festivals. Leaders recognise that there is scope to provide more opportunities to reinforce pupils’ mathematics skills in other subjects.  The school’s motto ‘be the best you can be’ and the Co-operative values that permeate all of the school’s

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The leadership and management are good

work underpin pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Through the daily formal and informal learning experiences, staff help all pupils to become confident citizens of the future.  The school promotes equality of opportunity adequately and there is no evidence of discrimination in any form. Appropriate use of additional government funding has successfully helped to close gaps in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.  Good use is made of the primary school sport funding. Pupils enjoy good experiences in physical education and sport. They participate in a wide range of activities, competitive and informal, funded from the primary school sports initiative.  Safeguarding arrangements are very effective and meet requirements. School leaders are highly skilled in identifying any pupils at risk of harm. They engage with the local children’s safeguarding board and other partners to respond appropriately, when necessary.

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The leadership and management are good

 Partnerships with parents are particularly strong. Staff work hard to forge links with families that are sometimes reluctant to come to school and to encourage parents to support their children’s learning at home. Increasingly, parents express confidence in the work of the school and the impact that it has on their children’s lives.  Through the work of the school council, visits from the police and from people in positions of authority within the local community, the school promotes the fundamental British values of freedom, law and equality of opportunity successfully. Well-planned assemblies, circle time and effective promotion of the Co-operative values of respect for diversity and equality also contribute effectively. Staff promote the concept of good relations at all times.  The Co-operative Academies Trust Board knows the school well. It provides and commissions good support from other schools and consultants to enhance the quality of teaching, the work of the governing

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The leadership and management are good

body and to help to moderate the school’s own judgments about its overall effectiveness.  The governance of the school:  Governors are effective in providing a good balance of support and challenge for the school’s leaders.  The governing body receives detailed information and data about the school’s work, which is presented in a helpful and accessible way. Consequently, governors have the necessary information and understanding that help them to hold the headteacher and senior leaders to account for the impact of actions to improve pupils’ achievement.  Reviews commissioned by external consultants help governors to understand how well the school compares to local and national schools on a range of performance indicators.  Governors have detailed discussions about major spending decisions, in particular the allocation of pupil premium and sport funding. For example, they have authorised additional staffing and resources to

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The leadership and management are good

support teaching literacy and numeracy in small groups. They have appointed sports coaches to improve the teaching of physical education.  Governors have been thorough in the arrangements that they have put into place to review annually the performance of the headteacher. They receive appropriate information about the performance targets set for teachers, and check potential links with salary progression. They know that teachers only receive financial reward if pupils reach their challenging targets.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The vast majority enjoy positive relationships with one another and all of the adults who work with them. Pupils seek to involve everyone, including those who are newly arrived, in all of the school’s many activities.  Pupils are welcoming to visitors and proud to talk about their school and its values. They enjoy learning about the different cultures and backgrounds that pupils come and emphasise how important it is to treat everyone fairly and courteously.  Pupils are keen to talk about each other’s achievements. They are keen to acknowledge their friends’ successes on the ‘Be the Best You Can Be’ notice board, in the school’s ‘Golden Book,’ and to celebrate them in the special assemblies.  Pupils take seriously their responsibilities as class representatives on the school council, as reading leaders and as dining hall assistants. They are proud of the Co-operative Trust awards gained for democracy,

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Behaviour

equity, solidarity, equality, self-help and self-responsibility. These examples demonstrate a strong school community.  Pupils know of the different types of bullying, particularly racist, homophobic and cyber bullying. Records show that the rare incidents of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with effectively and quickly by staff.  In lessons, most pupils enjoy working together and support each other well. On occasions, a small minority of pupils lose concentration and do not persevere with planned activities. This is particularly the case where their needs and interests are not always met.  Staff work hard to make parents more aware of the importance of regular attendance. Leaders are increasingly vigilant about discouraging parents from taking their children on holidays during term time.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. In their responses to the school’s questionnaires, all parents feel that their children are happy and kept safe.  Outdoors and indoors, pupils work and play sensibly, and are well supervised. On rare occasions, pupils can be unkind and fall out. These disagreements are skilfully dealt with by staff and soon forgotten.  Training keeps staff up-to-date with child protection and safeguarding procedures. The school’s ethos encourages pupils to share openly their thoughts, and to value each other’s views and ideas.  Pupils say they feel safe at school. They are confident that there is always someone with whom they can share a problem. They know about organisations such as Childline, and who to contact should they have worries away from school.  Pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe when learning outdoors and during visits. They have

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Safety

a good understanding of the different kinds of bullying and know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and mobile phones.  Governors regularly visit the school. They carry out safety checks, ensure that pupils are well looked after, and confirm that pupils are well prepared to live in the increasingly diverse and multi-cultural local community.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is improving strongly. Staff readily share ideas about their teaching with other staff in school, and in local primary schools that form part of the Co-operative Academies Trust and the Inner East Leeds family of schools. As a result, pupils learn and achieve increasingly well.  Most teachers plan interesting experiences to motivate pupils and encourage enjoyment in learning. For example, in a Year 6 literacy lesson, pupils were immersed in a writing a description about a character’s personality. They used thought-provoking language to ignite the reader’s curiosity and sequenced their ideas well to paint vivid pictures of the characters in question. Similarly, Year 4 pupils concentrated very well to differentiate between obtuse and acute angles in their mathematical work on recognising the size of angles in different objects.  The teaching of reading, in particular of phonics (the connections between letters and the sounds they

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The quality of teaching is good

make) is good. A high proportion of pupils indicate how much they enjoy reading. They read regularly at home and in school and show good levels of understanding of fictional and non-fictional texts.  The teaching of writing is also effective. Increasingly, teachers provide time in lessons for pupils to practise the spelling of new and adventurous words, use a range of punctuation and grammar for effect, and develop confidence in writing complex sentences.  The school has already drawn up an action plan to improve the teaching of mathematics, in particular to ensure a better balance between pure calculations and problem-solving challenges. Some teachers miss opportunities to reinforce pupils’ mathematical skills in subjects other than mathematics.  Relationships with pupils are good in almost all lessons. The atmosphere is one in which most pupils spontaneously help and encourage each other. The skills of teaching assistants are particularly well

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The quality of teaching is good

developed. They make a real difference in supporting individual pupils to succeed.  Most teachers know their pupils well. Overall, teachers plan carefully to meet particular pupils’ needs. In a small minority of lessons, teaching does not motivate all learners or check carefully whether all pupils understand sufficiently what they are learning before moving on to new activities. At times, some teachers are not flexible enough to adapt activities to meet some pupils’ changing needs.  Increasing opportunities are provided by most teachers for pupils to respond to marking that invites them to improve their initial written work. However, not all teachers insist that pupils take advantage of these opportunities fully to stretch themselves and improve their work further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 One in five pupils leaves or joins the school during term time in Years 1 to 6. The school’s information shows that, of the 45 pupils who joined the school since the start of the present academic year, over one quarter of them have special educational needs and eight out of ten are at an early stage of learning English. Records indicate that this is a typical pattern. This results in uneven progress across Key Stages 1 and 2, and overall below average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of both key stages.  Individual pupils make good progress. The school’s information, supported by inspection evidence, on those pupils who remain in the school for most of Years 1 to 6 shows that they achieve well. The vast majority of these pupils attain standards in reading and writing that are increasingly in line with those usually expected for their age.  Standards in mathematics are not as high for all pupils. This is because some pupils spend too much time

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The achievement of pupils is good

practising basic calculations before moving on to more challenging work, including opportunities to apply what they have learned to solve problems in different scenarios. Opportunities are sometimes missed to reinforce pupils’ basic calculation and measuring skills, and their abilities to interpret information provided in a range of charts and graphs in other subjects.  The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2014. This was due to a minority of pupils who joined the school late in Key Stage 2 with particularly complex problems, including limited fluency in English and who made expected, rather than good, progress.  Progress in lessons and in pupils’ books is good. The vast majority of pupils take pride in completing their work in all subjects and show high levels of perseverance and concentration.  Present attainment in all years is rising, especially in Years 2 and 6 where it is approaching overall national

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The achievement of pupils is good

averages in reading and writing.  Progress across the school is particularly strong in reading. Pupils are taught to read effectively, and with growing confidence and understanding, regularly in school and at home. In the phonics screening check, carried out at the end of Year 1, increasing numbers of pupils reached above the national expectations for six-year-olds in 2014.  Progress is also good in writing. Most pupils are competent writers. As early as Year 2, pupils try out new vocabulary when they write riddles about a parliament of owls, for example, and describe the differences between old and modern-day toys. As they move through school, they experiment confidently with a wider range of language and punctuation for effect, and express ideas in increasingly complex sentences and more fluent paragraphs.  In mathematics, many pupils achieve increasingly well, benefiting from the daily practices in manipulating

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The achievement of pupils is good

times tables and in calculating mentally.  Pupils from the wide range of cultural backgrounds make good rates of progress. Those who speak English as an additional language, including the many at an early stage of learning English and who often join the school late in the academic year, also make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs also make similar progress to their peers. This is because all of these pupils benefit from targeted support from adults who are well trained successfully to meet their needs. This shows the school’s good and effective commitment to equality of opportunity.  The most-able pupils also achieve well. The school’s information and pupils’ work show increasing numbers making more than expected progress, especially in reading and writing.  The attainment and progress of disadvantaged groups are rapidly improving. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils at the end of Year 6 were typically eighteen months behind in their attainment in reading, writing

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The achievement of pupils is good

and mathematics compared to other pupils nationally, and eight months behind their classmates. Senior leaders have taken effective action through daily, targeted one-to-one activities and small group work to reduce these gaps. The school’s information and inspection evidence show that Year 6 attainment gaps in reading and writing are set to close this summer to less than eight months when compared with other pupils nationally, and to less than sixteen months in mathematics. In school, gaps in attainment are very close in all three subjects.  Rates of progress made by disadvantaged pupils have similarly improved and are increasingly approaching those of other pupils nationally in all three subjects. In school, their rate of progress is at least in line with and often faster than their classmates in all years.  Pupils enjoy good experiences in physical education and sport. They participate in a wide range of

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The achievement of pupils is good

activities, competitive and informal, funded from the primary school sports initiative.

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The early years provision is good

 Almost all children join the early years provision with skills and understanding below, and over half well below, those typical for their age. A high proportion has special educational, behavioural or emotional needs and is at an early stage of learning English.  Many children do not complete both Nursery and Reception years. A high proportion of children join the early years provision during the Reception year or leave before the start of Year 1. As a result, their rates of progress are uneven.  Individual children’s achievement across the early years is good and an increasing proportion reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception year. The vast majority develop self-confidence and self- awareness, and learn how to make positive relationships. Nonetheless, the communication and mathematical skills of many children remain below what is expected of them by the time they enter Year

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The early years provision is good

1.  Teaching is consistently good. Adults constantly ask searching questions, regularly make informal and formal observations, and record frequently in each child’s learning journey how well they are doing.  Early years staff know individual children’s needs well. They are successful in building children’s self- confidence and social skills, especially of the many who have special educational, behavioural and emotional needs, and of the very high proportion at an early stage of learning English.  Adults plan experiences and activities that draw carefully on all children’s interests. As a consequence, all children enjoy the daily activities thoroughly.  Children from different cultures and heritages happily play together, indoors and outdoors. They co- operate well, sensibly share resources and equipment, and display overall positive attitudes to their learning, such as when they play skittles games to practise numbers and to recognise key letters.

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The early years provision is good

 Well-organised induction procedures ensure that children settle quickly, particularly the high numbers that arrive during term time. These include parental visits to school which help to provide detailed pictures of each child’s needs.  The early years provision is expertly led and managed by a knowledgeable member of staff. Teamwork is good and ensures that all children are well cared for and safe at all times.

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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 139077 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 450033

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 467 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Nicholl Headteacher Rebecca Ingram Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected as an academy Telephone number 0113 240 2526 Fax number 0113 249 6642 Email address headteacher@oakwood.coop 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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