Methley Primary School

Methley Primary School Savile Road, Methley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS26 9HT

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school with serious weaknesses

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Across the school, too many pupils make insufficient progress from their starting points. There are too many gaps in pupils’ knowledge as they move through school.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is too low. Standards at the end of key stage 1 and 2 have fallen when compared to national standards, in each of the last three years.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low. Teachers do not use the information about how well pupils are doing precisely enough to plan learning that helps them to make rapid progress.  The quality of teaching has been too variable over time. Some teachers lack the subject knowledge needed to ensure that pupils, particularly the most able, receive appropriate challenge.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new headteacher has taken urgent and effective action to improve the school. She has an accurate understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.  Staff have worked effectively to improve the quality and accuracy of teaching in phonics so that outcomes in phonics are secure.  Over time, leaders have not been rigorous in checking the school’s work. This is changing, and new senior leaders, coached by the headteacher, are beginning to be effective in their roles.  Governors have not been rigorous enough in holding leaders to account for the school’s performance.  Disadvantaged pupils are not making the rapid progress they need to in order to catch up with other pupils nationally.  Leaders have created a safe and inviting environment for children in early years, but some activities provided lack appropriate challenge.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not good enough. This is often reflected in the poor

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders are successfully promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  The safety and well-being of pupils is very important to staff. Pupils’ attendance is high and pupils are happy in school.

p.1

Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently improve teaching, so that it is consistently good or better and pupils in all year groups make at least good progress in all subjects, by making sure that: – all staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve – teachers are equipped with strong subject knowledge that will support them in delivering high-quality learning – the school’s recently developed assessment information is used effectively to match work accurately to the abilities of pupils – teachers provide greater challenge to the most able pupils to enable them to excel.  Raise pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, in particular, by making sure that: – pupils rapidly acquire and deepen their comprehension skills in reading – pupils have frequent opportunities to develop and deepen their skills in writing in a range of subjects and genres – teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to apply their calculation skills to

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

investigate and solve more complicated problems in mathematics.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership at all levels, including governance, by ensuring that: – newly appointed senior leaders and subject leaders continue to develop and embed their skills so that they can monitor provision rigorously in their areas of responsibility and secure essential improvements – teachers’ assessments accurately reflect what pupils can do and inform subsequent planning – the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils is monitored more effectively so that those who are at risk of falling behind are identified quickly and given the help they need to achieve well – governors play a more active role in school developments and in checking that there is securely good achievement for all pupils.  Improve the provision and outcomes for all children in the early years, including the most able, by: – carefully planning teaching activities with greater awareness of children’s stage of

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

development – ensuring that all activities are planned, and appropriate resources provided, with a clear focus on learning – providing activities, both indoors and outdoors, for children to fully develop learning and independence in all of the early learning goals.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

A further external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The new headteacher has demonstrated strong leadership and taken swift action to improve the quality of teaching. She has quickly assessed the quality of education being offered and is successfully tackling issues in order of urgency. She has introduced new systems for checking on pupils’ progress and is stringently holding teachers to account.  Until very recently, the leadership of teaching has been weak. As a result, the standards pupils achieve have fallen over a prolonged period. Teachers have not been well prepared to teach to the demands of the curriculum. However, under the nurturing eye of the headteacher, the new assistant headteachers are beginning to have a positive impact in their roles to develop teaching.  Checks on the performance of teachers have not been effective in the past. However, the headteacher has quickly identified those teachers in need of help and has put plans in place to provide support. Senior leaders are playing an important role in coaching and

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

developing teachers. However, some teaching remains less effective despite ongoing support for individual teachers.  Pupil premium funding has been spent on providing additional support to disadvantaged pupils. However, disadvantaged pupils continue to make less progress than other pupils nationally, in both key stage 1 and key stage 2. Consequently, this funding has not been used well.  Leaders are monitoring carefully the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They ensure that funding is spent to help pupils make secure progress. Effective work with external agencies and pupils’ families is underpinning the care and guidance given to pupils, some of whom have complex needs.  Leaders have developed effective partnerships with local schools. The headteacher has sought the expertise and support of advisers and specialist teachers to help her to develop teaching at Methley. Staff have received many focused opportunities to develop

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

their practice over the last term and a half, helping them to improve learning.  The headteacher has engendered a sense of team spirit among staff. They and governors now have a clear understanding of the work that needs to be done.  Primary school sports premium is used effectively to provide additional swimming lessons for pupils in Year 4 and to enable participation in Leeds Active sports competitions. The school bolsters sports provision, with staff providing many additional clubs, including Pilates. As testament to the success of physical education, many pupils spoken to said this was their favourite lesson.  Pupils enjoy learning about a wide range of subjects. They talked excitedly about their learning in art and history. Certificates on display show that pupils learn to play a variety of musical instruments. Pupils’ books reflect learning across the broad curriculum, although the quality of pupils’ recording of this learning is not always to a

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

good standard. Until recently, pupils have not been able to deepen their learning because levels of challenge in topic work have been limited.

p.4

Governance of the school

 Governors recognise now that they did not have sufficient information to judge the effectiveness of the school well enough. They have taken too much information on trust and have not effectively held leaders to account, but governors were disappointed by outcomes in 2016 and are concerned about the number of pupils on track to achieve standards in 2017.  They are aware that teaching over time has been too variable  Governors are now confident that, through the joint review group, they are receiving the right kind of information that will enable them to better challenge leaders on the work of the school.

p.5

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Policies and procedures governing safeguarding are up to date and reflect the latest guidance.  Staff have received appropriate training in safeguarding, and designated safeguarding staff have attended higher-level courses. All staff are trained to recognise the signs of radicalisation of pupils.  The parent liaison officer provides vulnerable pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities with effective support. This has led to an increase in pupils’ attendance over time.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Weak teaching over time has prevented pupils from making enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Due to a lack of accurate assessment in the past, teachers have not precisely identified what pupils know and can do. Teachers’ planning for learning has not ensured that tasks have been carefully matched to pupils’ ability. Last year, this led to the underachievement of middle prior-attaining pupils. A similar pattern can be seen this year, with too few pupils on track to attain national standards.  Some additional tasks are given to pupils in some classes but these do not extend pupils’ learning well enough. Consequently, the most able pupils have not been challenged appropriately and have made insufficient progress.  Pupils read regularly both at home and at school. Pupils attack unknown words with confidence, using their phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) skills appropriately. However, over time, the teaching of reading has been too variable and

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

teachers have not prepared pupils well to understand and interpret deeper meanings in texts.  Pupils at both key stage 1 and key stage 2 do not write as well as they should because not enough emphasis has been given to developing basic skills. Teachers’ expectations of handwriting and presentation have not been high enough so that pupils, boys in particular, are less careful about completing work to the best of their ability.  Recent improvements in the teaching of mathematics are helping pupils to develop more secure number and problem-solving skills. However, currently too many pupils have gaps in their knowledge, hindering them from making rapid progress. Teachers’ ability to promote pupils’ fluency and reasoning in mathematics is held back by a lack of subject knowledge.  The teaching of phonics is effective. This is because teachers have good subject knowledge and are confident in delivering lively and interactive learning for pupils.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Pupils enjoy good relationships with their teachers and feel that their teachers are kind.

p.6

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  A structured programme of lessons and assemblies put in place by senior leaders has helped pupils to develop a secure understanding of what it means to live in modern Britain. Older pupils are reflective and articulate about the issues facing the world. In one lesson observed, pupils were very interested in the impact of preservation programmes on endangered species.  Pupils learn how to make healthy choices through an effective personal, social, health and citizenship programme. Through this, pupils have learned about the dangers of drugs, fire, roads and strangers, for example. Participation in additional fitness clubs, cycle and pedestrian training helps pupils to keep safe.  The learning mentor has been instrumental in supporting pupils and their families to remove barriers to learning. She supports pupils who may be less confident or ‘switched

p.6

Personal development and welfare

off’ to cope better with their learning.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is because some pupils do not show enough commitment to their learning and do not take sufficient pride in their work.  Senior leaders ensure that pupils have a say in all policies that affect them in school. The school council has recently reviewed the school’s anti-bullying policy, and pupils are quite clear about what constitutes bullying.  Pupils attend school regularly and on time. Attendance is higher than that seen nationally and persistent absence is rare.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 In 2014, outcomes for key stage 2 pupils in reading, writing and mathematics put the school’s performance in the top quarter of all schools. However, in 2015 results fell considerably, so that school performance was in the bottom 5%. This pattern of underperformance continued in 2016, because middle prior-attaining pupils made less progress than other similar pupils nationally.  Leaders are not accurately assessing the abilities of children as they enter the Nursery class. Children, overall, are clearly spoken, articulate and well prepared for school. They use full sentences, including words and phrases beyond those typical for their age. The majority of children maintain concentration for extended periods of time.  Around half of children enter the Reception class with levels of development above or broadly typical for their age. Very few children enter the setting with developmental levels well below the norm. Children make typical, but not rapid, progress. Even so,

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

well-above-average proportions enter Year 1 ready to learn.  Parents value the opportunity to check on their child’s progress using the online assessment system. Although information about the progress of children is regularly recorded, it is not used with precision to plan future activities.  Children’s behaviour is good across the early years. Children are willing and ready to learn, but some boys, in particular, lose concentration and their attention wanders when they have lost interest in an adult-led activity.  Leaders in the early years are clear about the priorities to improve activities at the setting. The headteacher has arranged support to develop provision inside the classroom further, to enable children to practise and develop their skills independently. Provision outdoors is varied and inviting. However, it is not always clear to staff what children are learning when participating in each activity.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The ‘key worker’ system ensures that all children have an adult they can go to if they need help or reassurance. Teachers provide an environment where children feel safe and are keen to learn. Suitable risk assessments are in place and statutory welfare requirements are met.  Teachers work closely with external agencies, particularly the speech and language service, to successfully meet the needs of vulnerable pupils. The learning mentor provides additional support for these pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged  Pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 1 has not been good enough. Last year, progress in reading, writing and mathematics was well below that seen nationally. Too few pupils achieved greater depth of understanding.  The school’s own assessment information shows that progress of current pupils has been too slow. Between a third and a half of all pupils in every class have made too

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

little progress and are achieving lower standards than might be expected in reading, writing and mathematics.  Overall, boys are performing slightly less well than girls in reading and mathematics. They are performing much less well in writing.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils, including more-able disadvantaged pupils, has not been strong enough and too few are on track to achieve standards expected for their age.  Proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check have improved over time and are above the national average.

p.7

Early years Requires improvement

or in danger of falling behind. As a result of this work, differences between the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others are diminishing in the early years.

p.8

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.

p.9

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.9

School details

Email address office@methley-pri.leeds.sch.uk

p.9

School details

Date of previous inspection 12  13 November 2013

p.9

Information about this school

 Methley Primary School is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The headteacher joined the school in January 2017.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is much lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds; 4% of pupils are from other minority ethnic groups.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics.  Children in the Reception class attend full time. Children in the Nursery attend part time.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Together with the headteacher, inspectors looked at pupil progress data, information about the performance of teachers, documents relating to behaviour and safety and documents relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books and observed pupils’ learning in parts of 31 lessons, some alongside the headteacher.  Inspectors listened to some pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 read, and observed pupils learning in small groups. They spoke with pupils in lessons, in a meeting, at lunchtime and at playtimes.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders and three members of the governing body. A meeting was also held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took into account the 90 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and they also talked to parents during the sports day.  The inspectors took account of 30 responses by staff to the school’s own questionnaire.

p.11

Inspection team

Lesley Butcher, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.11

Inspection team

Ian Clennan 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.11

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 .

p.12

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.12

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.12

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.

p.12

Inspection team

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 .

p.12

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 .

p.12

Inspection team

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

p.12

Inspection team

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

p.12