St Luke's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Luke’s CofE Primary School Fagley Lane, Eccleshill, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 3NS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21–22 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a family feel at St Luke’s because everyone looks after each other. Pupils are happy and get on well together. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Pupils do not always understand what bullying is. However, they are confident that staff will always sort out any issues or concerns they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want every pupil to enjoy school and do well. Staff are improving the range of lessons on offer. Pupils say this is making the curriculum more interesting. Children enjoy the range of clubs and activities on offer at the school. Things like visits to London, gardening clubs, Viking days and sporting activities are all carefully thought out to widen pupils’ horizons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders strive to involve all parents and carers in their children’s learning. Staff visit every pupil at home before they start school. The school provides opportunities for parents to understand more about what their children learn. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that all children attend school regularly.

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better?

Leaders have continued to improve the school since the previous inspection. In some subjects, such as English, physical education (PE) and mathematics, the curriculum is carefully mapped out. This helps pupils to build their knowledge over time. For example, mathematics leaders worked with experts to identify how to improve the curriculum. Now more attention is given to what pupils need to learn and the best ways for teachers to get this across. This could be seen in the Reception class where children were solving and recording complicated mathematics problems. These improvements are successfully deepening pupils’ understanding of mathematics.

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better?

Leaders are developing a new curriculum. This means that not all subjects have been as carefully planned as mathematics at this point. In some subjects, long-term plans are not detailed enough to ensure that pupils’ knowledge grows over time. Planning leaves too much to the discretion of individual teachers. For example, in history plans do not make clear how teachers should develop pupils’ understanding of ideas such as continuity and change. In subjects where plans are more detailed, staff are not always identifying gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The Reception curriculum is not yet fully joined up with the learning that children will encounter later in the school. For example, not all pupils in the Reception class are given the help they need to form their letters and numbers accurately. Leaders are aware of these issues and it is clear from their actions that this work is under way. Because of the work so

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better?

far, pupils are already learning more and, importantly, attending school more regularly. 21–22 January 2020

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Leaders are determined that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, will succeed. Their efforts can be seen in the drive to improve the curriculum for all pupils. Leaders understand how important reading is and have prioritised it for the youngest pupils. Daily phonics sessions happen from the start of the Reception class for all children, including those with more complex needs. As a result, most pupils meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Almost every pupil reaches the standard by the end of Year 2. If pupils fall behind in their reading they get extra support: this helps them catch up quickly.

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Leaders make sure that younger pupils regularly read books that match their phonics knowledge. Children have daily phonic sessions from the start of Reception that are closely linked to writing and spelling. However, the focus on reading in key stage 2 is not as strong as it is for younger pupils. While most older pupils are able to read with fluency, they do not always have the vocabulary they need to understand the meaning of the words they read. Although plans are in place to develop pupils’ vocabulary, it is too early to see any impact.

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Pupils’ behaviour is good across the school. Pupils have regular opportunities to think about important aspects of life. This allows them to reflect on notions such as mutual respect, tolerance and the rule of law. Pupils’ attendance has improved and is now at least in line with the national average. Pupils work hard and cooperate well. They are keen to learn new things. Parents say their children feel safe and happy in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding, with strong systems to keep pupils safe. There are rigorous checks in place to assure the suitability of staff to work with children. Staff are well trained in safeguarding procedures. They know what to do if they have a concern. School records show that the school responds immediately if staff have identified a problem.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum includes opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes being safe when pupils are online, crossing the road or in the water.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not planned well enough in some subjects. In these subjects, the curriculum is not mapped out with enough detail to help teachers know how to build pupils’ knowledge more effectively over time. Leaders must devise effective plans for every subject and ensure that these are implemented throughout the school. They must also ensure that all pupils have the prior knowledge they need to access this new, more demanding, curriculum. For this 21–22 January 2020

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reason, the transition arrangement has been applied in this case. It is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken that they are in the process of bringing about the necessary changes. However, there remains much more work to do.  The teaching of early reading has improved since the last inspection. Leaders should now make sure that older pupils develop the vocabulary they need to read and understand more complicated texts.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 21–22 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121754 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 4–5 May 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher has been promoted from within the school. She was appointed after a period of being supported by an executive headteacher as head of school. There have been few changes to staffing since the school was previously inspected. There have been considerable changes in the school’s governing body, with most governors new to post within the last year or two.  St Luke’s is a Church of England voluntary controlled school. The school received its last section 48 inspection in June 2016. The next inspection will take place by June 2021.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, senior leaders, special educational needs coordinator and subject leaders. Meetings also took place with five governors, including the chair, and a representative of the local authority. 21–22 January 2020

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 We carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, PE and history. In each subject, inspection activities included: lesson visits; discussions with staff and pupils; meetings with subject leaders; and work scrutiny. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading.  We considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement.  We spoke to parents on the playground at the start of the school day.  Many activities gave inspectors the chance to consider the culture of safeguarding in the school. Child protection records and the single central record of checks on the suitability of staff to work with children were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Phil Minns, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mary Lanovy-Taylor Ofsted Inspector 21–22 January 2020

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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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