Middleton Primary School

Middleton Primary School Middleton Park Avenue, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS10 4HU

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher fully understands the needs of the pupils and families the school serves. Her leadership has created an inclusive school where pupils’ social, emotional and learning needs are well met. Staff are highly motivated and work hard to achieve good outcomes for pupils.  Teaching is good. Staff plan work which is well matched to most pupils’ needs and interests. Pupils are interested in their learning and make good progress.  The quality of leadership, teaching and learning, and provision in the early years is good. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points.  Leaders make good use of induction, performance management and training to promote good teaching and raise pupils’ achievement.  The recently appointed deputy and assistant headteachers have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to be improved. They have put in place effective actions to develop their areas.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Behaviour in lessons and social times is good. There is a calm, orderly and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school.  Leaders and learning mentors provide very good pastoral support for pupils and their families. Their well-targeted approaches ensure high-quality provision for pupils’ personal development and welfare needs.  Governors know the school well. They provide a good balance of support and challenge to the headteacher and senior leaders. Their careful checking of the pupil premium spending ensure that this impacts well on pupils’ outcomes, attendance and social development.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

It is not yet an outstanding school because

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Not enough pupils achieve the expected standards by the end of key stage 1 or in writing by the end of Year 6.  Leaders’ approaches to checking the impact of actions to bring school improvements are not fully embedded.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of pupils working at the expected standard and at greater depth, particularly in writing, by: – making better use of the school’s criteria for working at depth to shape teachers’ expectations and to inform marking and feedback in line with the school’s policy – embedding the use of the recently developed pupil progress information system to accelerate further pupils’ progress and ensure that the most able pupils work at greater depth – teachers using questioning to deepen learning as well as to check for understanding – ensuring that teachers’ expectations for writing in other subjects match those in English lessons – improving the quality of pupils’ presentation and handwriting – more prompt assessment of Reception children’s phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) knowledge to enable adult-led teaching to be better matched to their needs.  Further develop the impact of leadership by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– sharpening the links between the school’s improvement plans and leadership approaches for checking the impact of actions – developing the skills of recently appointed deputy and assistant headteachers, particularly in relation to checking the impact of their actions, and strengthening their links with governors.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher’s ambition and determination are bringing noticeable improvements across the school, for example in improving pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics and pupils’ attendance. She has established a leadership team and staffing profile which is well matched to the needs of the school.  Effective approaches are in place to support teachers new to the school or who have moved to different leadership roles. This has helped to secure a smooth transition in leadership organisation and the quality of teaching, following a number of changes at the beginning of the year.  Recently appointed senior leaders have a good understanding of the priorities in their areas of responsibility. They take effective action to develop the quality of teaching and nurture pupils’ personal development and welfare. For example, pupils’ outcomes in mathematics have improved greatly following staff training. Leaders have promptly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

reviewed and developed approaches to the teaching and assessment of writing following the dip in Year 6 writing outcomes in 2016.  The assistant headteacher with responsibility for assessment has established effective approaches for checking and recording pupils’ progress. This is beginning to provide teachers and leaders with useful information to monitor pupils’ learning and to plan teaching which is better matched to their needs.  The leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils in vulnerable groups is good. Well-planned provision in classrooms and additional interventions enable these pupils to make good progress. Staff make effective links with specialist agencies to ensure that these pupils’ needs are accurately identified and the appropriate support is provided.  Effective performance management systems are in place. Leaders and governors

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

ensure that teachers’ pay progression is well linked to their performance management objectives. Staff value the training and support they receive to help develop their teaching skills.  The school has an effectively planned curriculum based around the national curriculum subjects. Personal, social and health education particularly meets children’s needs and is linked to regular assemblies. Pupils benefit from specialist teaching in physical education (PE). They also have access to a range of after-school clubs which enrich the curriculum.  The pupil premium funding is spent to good effect. The headteacher and governors carefully check the progress of pupils entitled to the pupil premium funding. As a result, these pupils show good progress in reading and mathematics, although their progress in writing in 2016 was not strong enough. Effective social and emotional support for disadvantaged pupils also impacts positively on their behaviour, including

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

good levels of attendance.  The additional funding for sport and physical education is used effectively to increase the opportunities pupils have to enjoy physical activities and participate in competitive sport. This is providing pupils with access to a wider range of sports, increasing participation and helping to raise their self-confidence.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Their wide range of roles and responsibilities around school, visits to a variety of places of faith, school council and eco-club are some of the examples of how the school develops pupils’ citizenship.  The school’s improvement plan addresses relevant priorities and there are structured systems to check the impact of actions on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes. However, the links between the plan and the monitoring are not sufficiently close and some timeframes are not specific enough.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are very supportive of the school and have a good understanding of the community it serves. They are well involved at a strategic level with the development of the school’s improvement plans and make leaders sufficiently accountable for the plan’s impact. Governors are reflective about their own strengths and development requirements. They regularly review the governors’ action plan to ensure continuing development of their skills.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Strong, robust systems and practice are in place. Policies are regularly reviewed and updated in line with national guidance. The school’s learning mentor team knows the needs of vulnerable pupils well and is active in seeking support for pupils and families. Staff and governors receive regular and appropriate training which has a positive impact upon their practice. Effective links are in place with families and other agencies.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching is good and this is why pupils are making good progress from their starting points.  Very positive relationships between staff and pupils create a constructive learning atmosphere in lessons. As a result, pupils respond well to instructions and demonstrate good learning behaviours.  Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in the quality of their explanations and the way they model learning for pupils. This helps pupils to grasp quickly key learning and provides effective frameworks to structure their responses in lessons.  Opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills are well used in lessons. This is helping to develop pupils’ understanding, communication skills and self- confidence.  Teachers make good use of regular assessments to plan lessons that are largely well matched to the needs of pupils. However, on occasions the most able pupils are not as

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

fully challenged as they could be.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in lessons. Teachers plan work which is well matched to their needs and they are strongly supported by teaching assistants where required.  Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning well both in lessons and through targeted interventions. They have a good understanding of what is to be taught and of pupils’ individual needs.  Staff use effective questioning to identify what pupils do not fully understand in lessons. However, sometimes they miss opportunities to deepen pupils’ learning by asking more challenging questions.  A well-structured approach to the teaching of phonics is adopted across the school. This is ensuring good continuity of the development of early reading skills through key stage 1. Phonics standards have improved over the last three years, although they remain below the national average.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 As pupils move through the school they read with increasing confidence. By the end of Year 6 the majority of pupils are reading at the expected standard or above.  Teachers set appropriate homework to support learning. Regular learning of spellings and reading at home support pupils’ progress in English. Pupils are motivated by online mathematics learning. This encourages pupils to become independent learners.  Parents are well informed about pupils’ progress. Good use is made of a range of meetings, newsletters and reports to keep parents informed of activities in school and pupils’ achievements.  There has been a recent focus on improving the quality of handwriting and presentation across the school. However, this aspect of pupils’ work is not yet strong enough.  The opportunities for using writing skills and teacher expectations of the quality of writing in subjects other than English are not well developed. As a result, the standards

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

of writing in these subjects do not reflect those found in English books.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. It is a ‘golden thread’ running through the life of the school. Very effective support is provided by the school’s learning mentor team for pupils and their families.  A well-planned personal, social, health education curriculum, including a range of visits and residential trips, supports pupils to grow in self-confidence as they progress through the school.  Pupils develop a good understanding of how to be a successful learner. This is because teachers provide them with regular feedback in line with the school’s policy and the approach is well understood by pupils.  Assemblies celebrate pupils’ achievements, both within school and at home. This helps pupils feel safe and valued as members of the school community and encourages self- belief and aspiration.  Pupils’ physical and emotional needs are well met by the school. For example, the well-

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Personal development and welfare

attended morning breakfast club and ‘the Hive’ provision provide opportunities to develop social skills and self-esteem. Links with other agencies are strong, which helps pupils receive specialist support such as counselling services, if necessary.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They understand the different forms of bullying and confirm that they are confident that bullying incidents will be dealt with appropriately by staff. Leaders and staff robustly follow the school’s approaches to recording and resolving any incidents of bullying or misbehaviour.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons pupils work hard, cooperate well in groups and are keen to share their learning with others. Pupils move around school in a calm and orderly manner.  During playtimes and lunchtimes pupils behave well, socialise suitably and engage in lively, friendly games. Well-supervised zones in the playground provide opportunities for organised activities, resources for independent games or quiet areas to sit and chat with friends. Consequently, pupils have a happy, safe, enjoyable time.  The importance of attendance and punctuality has a high profile in school. Effective measures support pupils and families where attendance needs to improve. As a result, rates of attendance are very similar to those found nationally and pupils understand that regular attendance and punctuality support their learning.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Outcomes for pupils are good because pupils’ progress from their starting points is good. Where pupils are currently working below the standards expected for their age, they are catching up quickly due to carefully targeted interventions.  In 2016, pupils’ progress in key stage 1 was below that found nationally. However, current pupil information shows an increased proportion working at the expected levels. Furthermore, evidence in pupils’ books shows good progress from their starting points.  Pupils generally make good progress by the end of Year 6. In 2016, overall pupils’ progress from key stage 1 to key stage 2 was significantly better than that found nationally in reading and mathematics. In contrast, pupils’ progress in writing dipped and was weaker than the other subjects. Current pupils’ progress information and their work in books shows that pupils make good progress across key stage 2 in reading,

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Outcomes for pupils Good

writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils are not achieving as well as they should be across all subjects in key stage 1 and in writing in key stage 2. This is because teaching does not typically challenge them to make good progress.  Disadvantaged pupils’ progress from key stage 1 to key stage 2 is above that found nationally in reading and mathematics. However, as with other pupils, in 2016 they did not make enough progress in writing. Current disadvantaged pupils’ books show that they are making good progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress, particularly in mathematics, from very low starting points. This is because appropriate plans and support are in place to match teaching to their learning needs.  Well-planned interventions delivered by staff with appropriate training are helping those pupils with low attainment to catch up and work at standards closer to those

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Outcomes for pupils Good

expected for their age.  From their starting points pupils make good progress in developing their phonics skills. The proportion of Year 1 pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieving the expected standard on the phonics screening test has improved over the last three years, although it remains below that found nationally. Year 2 teachers build effectively upon the phonics work in the previous year and by the end of key stage 1 almost all pupils have achieved the required standard.  In 2016, the school’s Year 6 writing results were significantly below those found nationally and the proportion of pupils in Year 2 working at the expected standard was weak. However, pupils’ progress from starting points has improved. Current pupils’ books and assessment information show that outcomes for current pupils across the school are good.

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Early years provision Good

 Children start in the early years with skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age, with some children well below that found typically. Many children have underdeveloped skills, particularly in literacy, number and personal, social and emotional development. From their starting points, children make good progress and some make rapid progress. An increasing proportion of children are working closer to the standards found nationally in reading and mathematics, although they do not achieve as well in writing.  Children learn successfully in a well-organised and vibrant indoor and outdoor provision. This inspires their curiosity and stimulates their learning. Staff carefully plan the activities to meet children’s interests and learning needs.  The strong teaching across the Reception classes provides an effective balance of teacher-led activities and opportunities for children to explore and learn by themselves.

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Early years provision Good

Staff use questioning effectively to reinforce and develop children’s learning.  Early years leadership is strong. The deputy headteacher has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the early years. For example, the well- planned development of outdoor learning opportunities has improved children’s self- confidence, independence and learning of basic skills. The focus on improving mathematics teaching has improved children’s outcomes in this subject.  Children’s personal development is a central focus for the school. In Reception classes expectations of children’s behaviour are high and staff provide clear guidance for children. As a result, children listen well, follow adults’ instructions carefully, cooperate with other children and take turns.  Children feel safe and secure in the school. Safety is paramount to staff. Children are well supervised in safe, secure classrooms and outside learning areas. Safeguarding is

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Early years provision Good

effective and all welfare requirements are met.  The early years the pupil premium has been appropriately targeted to enhance levels of adult support for children’s learning. The differences between the outcomes for disadvantaged children and others are diminishing.  Early years staff work well with parents. Staff support parents’ understanding of how to support their child’s learning through activities such as ‘stay and play’. Parents are involved with assessments of their children’s progress. For example, the ‘home stars’ board celebrates children’s achievements outside of school.  The school has good partnerships with the pre-school providers and staff complete home visits before children start school. This helps children to make a settled start at school. There are effective links with other professionals, for example the speech and language service, to ensure that all children’s needs are effectively met.

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Early years provision Good

 Children’s phonics skills are generally effectively taught through regular adult-led sessions and a range of activities from which children can select within the early years provision. However, the adult-led activities are not always well matched to children’s needs. As a result, the work is too difficult for some children and lacks challenge for others.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address samantha.williams@middletonprimary.net

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–15 September 2011

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportions of pupils both from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language are close to that found nationally. This has increased since the school’s previous inspection.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is well above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities support is well above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is similar to that found nationally.  The number of pupils who join the school other than in Nursery is well above the national average.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed a range of lessons and part lessons in most classes. The headteacher joined the inspector for all of the observations of lessons on day one of the inspection.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The inspectors observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtime.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy and assistant headteachers, teachers new to the school and two learning mentors. The lead inspector met with three governors.  A group of pupils discussed their opinions about the school and their learning with the lead inspector. Inspectors listened to a total of six pupils in Reception, Year 2 and Year 6 read.  The inspectors took account of the school’s most recent parent survey, and held discussions with a number of parents at the beginning of the school day. The

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Information about this inspection

inspectors considered the responses of 13 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also considered. The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in their books.

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Inspection team

Michael Reeves, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janis Warren 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 .

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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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.

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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 .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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