Harehills Primary School

Harehills Primary School Darfield Road, Harehills, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS8 5DQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a good school

 Outstanding leadership at all levels has driven rapid improvement in all areas of the school.  The governing body provides insightful and effective challenge and support.  The strong leadership of teaching and learning has improved the quality and consistency of teaching, learning and assessment in every key stage.  Pupils say they feel very safe and well looked after by adults at school. They say that behaviour is very good almost all of the time.  Pupils work and play together very harmoniously regardless of their background, heritage or gender. Pupils are proud of their school and very well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupils are friendly and polite. Their behaviour is often exemplary. Pupils work very hard. They are keen to do well and this has been a key factor behind the marked improvements in their work.  This is a school that really does go the extra mile in the care and support provided for its pupils.

p.1

This is a good school

 Children get off to a good start to their learning in the early years. Staff are very supportive and caring. Children settle in well from the outset and love many of the activities on offer.  Many pupils make better than expected progress in every subject throughout school.  Standards have risen since the previous inspection at every key stage.  The proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching the age- expected levels in mathematics, reading and writing combined matched the national average in 2015.  Parents, who made their views known to a member of the inspection team, are overwhelmingly positive about the school.  Pupils also thrive in scientific, creative and sporting activities. Indeed, the school has been the Yorkshire cricket champions for the past two years!

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Standards in writing and reading are below average overall. Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise and improve their literacy skills thoroughly enough.  The teaching of phonics and reading is variable and so pupils do not always do as well as they could.  Most-able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently in reading and writing activities and so they do not always reach their full potential.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards at every key stage in reading and writing, particularly among the most-able pupils, by: ensuring that pupils read and write more widely and more often, so they can practise and improve their literacy skills more thoroughly ensuring that pupils’ work is challenging and that it improves rapidly continuing to improve the teaching of reading and phonics.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 This is a school that is going from strength to strength. It has improved rapidly since the previous inspection and it continues to do so.  All leaders have successfully communicated the school’s vision. Indeed, staff questionnaire responses about the school were almost all entirely positive about every aspect of the school’s work.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide inspirational leadership. They form a very strong partnership and are very well supported by the wider senior leadership team. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They have robustly tackled the areas requiring improvement at the time of the previous inspection. They are utterly determined to ensure that discrimination is not tolerated and every pupil has equal opportunities to succeed.  Although there is still some way to go before all pupils reach their full potential in writing and reading activities, the school has improved markedly since the previous inspection.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, now make much faster progress. Teaching is almost always consistently good. Attendance rates have risen quickly to match the national average. Behaviour has improved. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and heritages learn and play together very well.  Middle leaders too have played a key part in improving provision and pupils’ outcomes. They help to ensure that progress accelerates at every key stage. The leadership of all key aspects of the school’s work is very well thought out and very effective. Roles and responsibilities and lines of accountability are very clear.  An exciting curriculum is being developed around the school motto: ‘Learn, Laugh, Love’. Leaders believe that pupils learn best when they have fun and enjoy their learning. Discussions with pupils during the inspection and observations of learning in the classroom show that they clearly do! Pupils’ learning

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

activities are carefully tailored around themes that interest the pupils and pupils enjoy taking part in many visits and practical activities. They speak very positively about the after-school clubs on offer, ranging from netball and juggling to Zumba!  The school prepares pupils very well for life in modern Britain and fosters their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well. It actively celebrates the wide range of heritages and cultures represented in its school community and this helps pupils develop empathy and respect for others.  Leaders successfully engage and motivate staff. The leadership of teaching is strong. Leaders monitor teachers’ performance and pupils’ work regularly and robustly. They observe learning in the classroom, look at work in pupils’ books and review the progress made by pupils. Staff are provided with clear guidance on how well they help pupils learn. Many members of staff regularly hold ‘learning

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

conversations’ about how well pupils are learning and how they can help them do even better.  Pupil premium funding is used very effectively and provides additional teaching and support for pupils’ welfare. As a result, disadvantaged pupils often make better progress than other pupils, relative to their individual starting points. The school carefully identifies any factors that cause pupils to fall behind and carefully plans how pupils can be helped to catch up.  The physical education (PE) and sport premium is used very well. Staff have received additional training and support to improve their skills to teach PE. There has been a significant increase in pupils’ participation in sporting activities and a marked degree of success in sporting competitions.  Safeguarding and pupils’ welfare are given very high priority. All staff are committed to creating and maintaining a safe culture. The school does much to engage with parents and carers to make sure that all

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

pupils are supported and safe.  The school’s leadership is significantly strengthened by its strong collaborative practice with other schools, such as within the teaching school alliances.  The school welcomed the very effective support provided by the local authority following the previous inspection. Local authority personnel played a key role in helping to restructure and improve leadership skills: for example, by coaching new leaders and training governors to increase the level of challenge they provide. The local authority has full confidence in the school’s maintaining such a rapid pace of school improvement and considers it now only requires a light-touch level of support.  The school engages very well with parents and carers to make sure that all pupils are supported and safe. Responses to the school’s own questionnaire and the discussions held with parents show that the school is very well regarded by most parents.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The governance of the school The structure and membership of the governing body has changed since the previous inspection following an external review of governance. Governors are knowledgeable and are gaining an in-depth understanding of pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching. A governor is linked closely to each phase of the school and carefully checks the progress of different groups, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching. Governors also have a clear understanding of performance management procedures. Governors bring some strong community partnerships and a very wide range of professional expertise in areas such as safeguarding, education, human resources and finance, as well as how to protect pupils from extremist views. The governing body has the skills to hold leaders stringently to account. It continually checks that pupils benefit from any new developments and funding. For example, governors checked the benefits

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

of moving towards a ‘family service’ approach at lunchtimes and they regularly meet with the attendance team to check that attendance continues to rise. Governors monitor pupil premium funding carefully. For example, they checked how the expenditure on outdoor equipment in the early years helped to close the gap in outcomes between disadvantaged children and other children. Governors ensure that they receive regular external checks on the school’s work and so are not just reliant on what they are told by senior leaders. Representatives from the governing body are regularly involved in school life. For example, a governor attends the weekly parent ‘drop-ins’ and also attends school council meetings.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection.  Teachers and teaching assistants respond positively to the support and feedback they receive from senior leaders. They are encouraged to reflect on their work and actively support one another, helping the quality of teaching become much more consistent.  Most learning activities interest pupils and motivate them to try their best. Topics have been developed around themes such as toys, knights and castles, robots and rainforests, which add enjoyment to learning and particularly encourage boys to work hard.  Relationships are very positive and many members of staff use humour well to help pupils learn. For example, in Year 1, pupils were really inspired to improve their handwriting by using ‘shrinking powder’ and ‘cuddling up’ their letters!  Work is typically well marked. Pupils are often provided with clear feedback on how to improve their work.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Senior leaders are also developing some innovative approaches to feedback. For example, the ‘moving-on boards’ and the ‘move and improve monster writing targets’ are being developed to clarify feedback even further.  Teaching assistants help improve pupils’ outcomes. They make a significant improvement to pupils’ work and their behaviour.  Teachers and teaching assistants alike make effective use of probing questioning, which gets pupils thinking hard.  Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge in mathematics. Mathematics lessons are typically well structured and pupils are skilfully taught new mathematics processes and vocabulary. For example, in lower Key Stage 2, pupils explored the properties of two-dimensional shapes, using terminology such as perpendicular and parallel. Key Stage 1 pupils are helped to understand key mathematical concepts through the use of stories. Pupils really love learning about how to add with the help of ‘Sir Addition’ and

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

how to subtract with the help of the ‘Black Knight’!  Plenty of opportunity to talk is helping extend pupils’ vocabulary and language acquisition skills. For example, pupils in upper Key Stage 2 came up with some imaginative phrases, such as ‘lurching suspiciously’ and ‘ominous sidestep’ in their writing about Theseus and the Minotaur.  There is some strong teaching of reading and phonics, but senior leaders are aware that this can be rather variable at times. Plans are already in place to ensure that the teaching of reading and phonics is of a consistently good or better quality throughout school.  At the start of this term, personalised theme books were introduced to ensure that pupils have more opportunities to read and write more widely across the curriculum, and more opportunity to practise and extend their literacy skills further. However, it is too soon to see the full impact of this initiative.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers use assessment information particularly well in mathematics to check what pupils know, understand and can do, and to analyse pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. However, senior leaders acknowledge that reading and writing activities are not always challenging enough for most-able pupils to reach their full potential in every class.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. They are confident they would find someone in school to speak to if they had any worries or concerns at all.  This is a very welcoming school. Over a hundred pupils regularly attend the ‘Rise and Shine’ breakfast club. It provides a warm and caring start to the school day.  Pupils’ physical and emotional well-being is given a very high priority. All staff are fully trained in the school’s safeguarding procedures. In addition, members of staff ensure that they receive up-to-date specialist training to help keep them fully informed about key aspects of pupils’ welfare. For example, staff are involved in training and projects about issues such as tackling domestic violence, addressing homophobia, providing support for more vulnerable girls, as well as helping to protect pupils from

p.5

Personal development and welfare

extremist views.  The school has a strong team approach and staff meet very regularly as a team and with outside agencies to discuss how to keep pupils safe and to evaluate the effectiveness of their own procedures.  Pupils know how they can keep themselves safe. They are extremely well informed about the potential dangers when using the internet, mobile phones and social media sites, and also know what they can do to protect themselves.  Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are very much aware of the different forms of bullying. The school keeps stringent records of any concerns and helps to ensure that no trends develop.  Systematic checks are carried out on new members of staff and regular visitors to the school.  Pupils’ families are also very well supported. For example, the ‘family learning group’ helps a group of parents and children who have little or no English. During the inspection, parents and children worked

p.5

Personal development and welfare

together to create weather gauges and then learnt the related vocabulary and concepts. Parents say the group not only supports their English language acquisition but helps them support their child’s learning too.  The school does all it can to raise attendance. Prominent displays, celebrating good attendance, are regularly referred to by adults in school. The school has developed some innovative strategies to help ensure unnecessary absences are avoided as much as possible. For example, the school has currently launched an ‘Every day counts in November’ initiative because they recognised that attendance rates had historically tended to dip in the month of November, and the school minibus is used to transport some pupils to school each day.  Attendance has risen significantly since the previous inspection. Attendance is currently broadly average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils has historically been poor. However, actions to improve their

p.5

Personal development and welfare

attendance have been highly effective and currently the attendance of disadvantaged pupils matches that of all pupils nationally.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The school’s behaviour management strategies are highly effective. Pupils typically conduct themselves extremely well in and around school. They show high levels of respect for others. They listen politely to adults in school. They work very sensibly in groups with others and respectfully listen to other people’s views.  Pupils who find it more difficult to manage their own behaviour are supported very well. For example, pupils who attend the ‘Nurture Room’ grow in confidence and learn to cope more effectively in a classroom environment. Pupils who might resort to overboisterous play in the school yard are taught how to play well with others just prior to a breaktime and so quickly learn how to play well with others.  Pupils’ extremely positive attitudes to learning are a key factor behind their accelerating rates of progress. Classrooms are calm and orderly. A scrutiny of pupils’ work books from this year and last year, and

p.5

Behaviour

observations of learning in each classroom, confirms that pupils typically work very hard and strive to do their very best.  Pupils carry out numerous roles of responsibility in school with confidence and self-assurance.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development flourishes at Harehills. During the inspection, every member of the school community from the age of three upwards held hands in class circles, as they respectfully and reverently shared a two-minute silence to commemorate Remembrance Day.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make good progress in most year groups and in different subjects across the curriculum.  Although standards remained below average in reading and writing in 2015, the work in pupils’ books and the school’s own performance information show that rates of progress are improving strongly in every subject. In 2015, many pupils made more than expected progress relative to their individual starting points and they continue to do so.  Disadvantaged pupils are now making much better progress than at the time of the previous inspection. In most year groups, the progress disadvantaged pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics matches that of other pupils in school and often it is even better.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs typically make good or better progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. Work is carefully tailored to pupils’ particular needs.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils are good

Staff work closely with families and specialist agencies to help pupils learn as well as they can.  Attainment at Key Stage 1 has risen significantly since the previous inspection in reading, writing and mathematics. However, standards remain below average overall.  At Key Stage 2, standards in mathematics have risen significantly since the previous inspection. In 2015, standards at the end of Year 6 were broadly average. The mathematics work of current pupils shows this rising trend is set to continue. Most-able pupils are challenged to achieve well and make good progress in mathematics. In 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level in the Year 6 mathematics tests matched that found nationally.  Pupils clearly enjoy reading. They read widely and often. The proportion of pupils passing the national phonics (letters and their sounds) check in Year 1 is rising, but remains below average. Standards in

p.6

Outcomes for pupils are good

reading have also risen since the previous inspection, but remain below average overall at the end of Year 6.  Most-able pupils are not always challenged enough in every class in reading and writing, and so sometimes fail to reach their full potential. In 2015, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels in Year 6 reading and writing tests was less than that found nationally.  A sharp check is kept on pupils’ progress. Any pupils who are falling behind with their learning are quickly identified and helped to catch up with their work.  The work in pupils’ books shows that pupils across the school are now making much better progress. They achieve well across the curriculum, in science, the arts and in sporting activities, as well as in mathematics and English. All in all, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education by the end of Year 6.

p.6

Early years provision is good

 Children’s starting points when they enter the Nursery are generally below those typical for their age and often significantly so in most areas of learning, but particularly in their language development.  Despite having only been at school for a few weeks, children in the Nursery stayed fully absorbed as they explored the activities on offer. They had beaming smiles as they climbed on the outdoor apparatus, practised their writing and jumped into hoops. Resources are very carefully selected to interest and motivate children, while helping them learn.  Children in the Reception classes enjoy a good range of stimulating activities, adapted to move their learning on.  Children make good progress from their starting points. Teachers and support staff are knowledgeable about children’s abilities and plan activities to help them move on with their learning.  Adults in the early years skilfully question children and get them thinking hard, particularly focusing on

p.6

Early years provision is good

extending their communication, language and literacy skills as well as their personal and social skills.  Most children make good progress through the Nursery and the Reception classes.  The proportion of children reaching levels that are broadly typical for their age has risen year on year since the previous inspection, although it still remains below the 2015 national equivalent.  Leadership of the early years is strong. The early years leader and team have an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development. They thoroughly plan carefully thought out strategies and actions to bring about improvement and have had a marked degree of success. For example, they are successfully closing the outcomes gap between disadvantaged children and other children.  There is effective liaison between the Nursery and the Reception classes. Partnerships with local schools and children’s centres are well developed.

p.7

Early years provision is good

 Leaders ensure that children are safe. Safeguarding policies and procedures are thorough and robust.  The school has developed very strong partnerships with parents, providers and other agencies.  In the warm and nurturing environment, children quickly develop positive attitudes to learning. Although some still have some catching up to do, such positive attitudes to learning help to get them ready for learning in Year 1.  Parents who spoke to an inspector appreciate the positive start to school life and typically comment: ‘Everything is good here.’

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 107925 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 10002104

p.8

School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

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 727 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julia Shemilt Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Joanne Summerfield Telephone number 01132350539 Website www.harehills.leeds.sch.uk Email address info@harehills.leeds.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 September 2013

p.8

Information about this school

 Harehills Primary is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those who have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years and children in the care of the local authority.  The majority of pupils are of Pakistani heritage. Other pupils come from a range of minority ethnic heritages.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the start of the school year is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for

p.8

Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

p.8

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in a range of subjects and heard pupils read.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, in the playground and around school.  Discussions were held with pupils, senior leaders, staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  A number of documents were examined. They included the school’s view of its own performance, records of the checks made on teaching and learning, the school improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents through informal discussion with parents, analysis of the school’s own questionnaire to parents and the 89 responses to Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire (Parent View).  The 58 staff responses to the inspection questionnaire about the school were also considered.

p.9

Inspection team

Fiona Gowers, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Dominic Brown Ofsted Inspector Elaine Watson Ofsted Inspector Mujahid Ali Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspection team

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.

p.10

Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.10

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.10

Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10