Harehills Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Harehills Primary School Darfield Road, Harehills, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS8 5DQ

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Outcome

Harehills Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school where pupils feel safe and happy. Everyone feels part of a ‘big family’. They all work together to promote the school motto of ‘learn, laugh and love’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of every child. This helps pupils to do their best and to behave well. Bullying is rare. Pupils appreciate having a buddy to help them if things do go wrong. They know where to get help if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning because teachers plan interesting lessons for them. These include exciting experiences at the start of a new topic. Pupils enjoy challenges, especially in mathematics. They are proud to talk about everything they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of clubs and jobs are available for pupils. This helps them become ‘well- rounded citizens of the future’. The ‘food ambassadors’ make sure everyone has a healthy lunch. The ‘young interpreters’ help their friends who are new to speaking English. The school council does important work in school and the local community. Everyone in school is extremely proud that a Harehills Primary School pupil is the Leeds Children’s Mayor.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, staff and governors want all pupils to do well. They make sure that the curriculum covers all the national curriculum subjects. They provide pupils with experiences that bring the curriculum to life.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Subject leaders make sure that teachers know what they need to teach and when. This helps pupils to build up their knowledge over time. For example, some pupils spoke with confidence about the Stone Age. Others could remember many facts from their work about the digestive system. Teachers make sure that pupils learn carefully chosen vocabulary very well. This helps them to understand what they are learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils have many opportunities to practise their skills in reading and writing. Teachers 13–14 November 2019

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help pupils to be confident in mathematical calculations and problem solving. As a result, pupils do very well in mathematics and their writing is improving. They do not yet have the same opportunities to develop skills related to other subjects. Leaders have already made plans to help teachers address this.

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Reading is a high priority. Teachers show parents and carers how to encourage a love of reading at home. For example, in Nursery, staff take parents and children to the local library. Reading workshops are offered frequently. Children help to choose the books that teachers read to them every day. Younger children enjoy repeating parts of the stories they hear. Older children have enjoyed sharing books such as ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’.

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Children get off to a good start in reading in early years. In Year 2, teachers make sure that pupils remember the phonemes (sounds) they have learned. They help them use their knowledge to read new words. In Year 1, however, phonics teaching is not matched well enough to what pupils need to learn next. This means that not all pupils are building on the good start they have had in Reception Year.

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Pupils who need to catch up get the right help to do so. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) take part in all aspects of school life. They do very well because of the expert care and attention they receive.

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In early years, children particularly enjoy playing and exploring in the outdoor areas. The activities that teachers provide help children to be ready to read and write. Teachers use resources very well across all areas of learning. This meets the learning needs of each child. There is a strong focus on developing vocabulary. Children enjoy story time and join in by repeating parts of the story. Leaders make sure that there are strong links with families.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils are kind and respectful to each other and to adults. This is because adults show pupils how to get on well together. Pupils say that bullying is not tolerated. They are confident that it is sorted out on the few occasions when it does happen.

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Leaders make sure that pupils have a wide range of new experiences. These include trips, activities and visitors to school. Assemblies help pupils to learn about different cultures and religions. Pupils’ health and mental well-being have high importance. They enjoy taking part in mindfulness and yoga sessions.

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Staff are happy to work at Harehills Primary School. They appreciate the quality of the training and support they receive. They say that the headteacher makes time for everyone in school. Leaders help staff to manage their workload. For example, leaders have made some recent changes after listening to their staff.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding is a high priority for all staff. They have regular training so they understand their role in keeping pupils safe. Leaders act quickly on any concerns that are raised. Leaders work effectively with other agencies. They make sure that pupils and their families receive the help they need as quickly as possible.

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Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Adults teach them how to keep safe online and in the outside world. They know how to seek help from trusted adults. The school provides road safety training for pupils and parents. This helps them to keep safe on the busy roads around school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Standards in reading have improved in early years because phonics teaching is well organised, adults’ subject knowledge is strong and activities are well planned to help children learn and remember phonic sounds. In Year 2, teachers help pupils to consolidate what they have learned so they become more confident and fluent in reading. However, in Year 1, pupils do not keep up the pace of learning started in early years. Leaders should make sure that phonics teaching in Year 1 precisely matches pupils’ next steps in learning and that activities help pupils to learn and remember phonic sounds quickly.  Leaders have made sure that pupils have studied all of the national curriculum subjects since its introduction in 2014. They have continually refined their curriculum plans for each subject to make sure that learning is relevant for the pupils at Harehills. The teaching of knowledge and vocabulary across the wider curriculum is very strong.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders should continue the work they have already started to embed progression in skills in the foundation subjects from early years to Year 6. This will enable pupils to build on the skills they learn as they move up the school.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately. This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2015. 13–14 November 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 13–14 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10097547 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 November 2015

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Information about this school

 Harehills Primary School 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 school has 14 out of a possible 17 ethnic groups.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the start or end of the school year is above average.

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Information about this inspection

 We did deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and history. This involved talking to subject leaders, visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work, hearing pupils read and talking to pupils and teachers.  We met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the four assistant headteachers, the special educational needs coordinator and the subject leaders for English, 13–14 November 2019

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mathematics, history and science.  We checked the single central record and had discussions with those responsible for leading safeguarding, attendance and pastoral care.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors, the vice-chair of governors and six other governors.  The lead inspector talked to a representative of the local authority and a past representative of the local authority.  We talked to parents, pupils and staff. The responses to online questionnaires were also considered.  Pupils’ behaviour was evaluated in lessons, in the playground, in the dining room and while moving around the school.  We scrutinised a wide range of documents, including the school’s own evaluation and development plans, governor records and external reports.

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Inspection team

Janet Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald Ofsted Inspector 13–14 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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