Grimes Dyke Primary School

Inspection of Grimes Dyke Primary School Stanks Drive, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS14 5BY

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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 Requires improvement 29–30 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they are happy and feel safe. This is because lessons are fun and adults are friendly and look after them well. Everyone feels part of ‘Team GD’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors are ambitious for every child. They have high expectations of what each pupil can achieve. This has not always been the case. Many pupils have not been ready for the next stage of their education in the past. However, improvements have been made since the previous Ofsted inspection. As a result, pupils who are currently in the school are doing very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons, when moving around school and outside. Pupils are thoughtful and polite. They make sure that new pupils have someone to play with. A very small minority of pupils sometimes find it hard to manage their behaviour. Adults make sure this does not prevent other pupils from learning and playing. A few pupils told us that when bullying does happen, adults make sure it does not carry on.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to learn new skills. Some pupils were very excited about learning to play steel pans. They are looking forward to performing at the end of term.

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better?

Expectations of what pupils can do have risen significantly at Grimes Dyke. Leaders have changed the culture of the school. They have a clear and ambitious vision of what they want pupils to achieve. This has brought about substantial improvement in what pupils know and can do in all national curriculum subjects.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. Leaders have redesigned the curriculum, with reading at the centre. It is part of every subject. Teachers read to pupils every day. They choose exciting texts which help pupils learn more about the subjects they study. As a result, pupils enjoy reading and they are acquiring an impressive range of vocabulary.

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better?

The school has changed the way that phonics is taught. This has paid off. Children in the early years get off to a flying start. Teachers make sure that everyone keeps up. Children have reading books that match the sounds they already know. Adults are very good at helping children to use these sounds to read new words. There are a number of pupils in Year 1 who have gaps in their knowledge. These pupils are getting the help they need to catch up.

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better?

Leaders have chosen mathematics training and resources carefully. As a result, teachers plan activities that help pupils to learn and remember more. Pupils use the number facts they know and their mathematical skills to work out challenging problems. Those pupils who lag behind in mathematics have extra support to help them to catch up. 29–30 January 2020

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The curriculum is broad. Subject leaders have made sure that the curriculum helps pupils to build on what they already know. In history, the curriculum is sequenced in time order. This helps pupils to make sense of different time periods. They make connections between things that happened in the past and the present day. For example, they talked about the suffragettes and said that women have been able to vote for a long time now. In some subjects, such as art and design technology, plans are not as detailed as in other subjects. Leaders have plans in place to further develop these subjects.

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Teachers plan exciting activities and trips to broaden pupils’ experience and knowledge. For example, in science, pupils ‘travelled’ into outer space using virtual reality headsets.

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Some children join the Nursery class with speech and social skills that are low for their age. Staff are skilled in modelling language and developing vocabulary. As a result, by the time they join the Reception class most children are able to communicate confidently. Teachers provide opportunities for children to explore and learn independently. For example, in the ‘Elves and the Shoemaker shoe shop’ children were counting money and measuring feet.

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Pupils with SEND (special educational needs and/or disabilities) get the right support to help them take part in everything the school has to offer. As a result, they make good progress.

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Leaders work hard to make sure that parents and carers understand the importance of regular attendance. This has improved slightly this year. However, attendance rates remain below national figures.

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Pupils show understanding and respect for people who are different to them. They are keen to help others. They take part in many fundraising activities to help those in need. For example, a group of pupils were concerned about the fires in Australia. They made posters, led an assembly and collected money to help.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There are appropriate procedures in place to keep pupils safe. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They are vigilant and report any concerns immediately. Leaders take swift action and are tenacious in seeking help when it is needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about the risks they face and know who to go to if they need help. Year 6 pupils delivered a presentation to parents about online safety. 29–30 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans are not yet sufficiently detailed in every subject. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to develop the curriculum in some subjects that they are in the process of bringing this about. Current outline plans do show what must be taught in each subject in each year group. However, in some subjects, such as art and design technology, plans need to be expanded upon so that they give more detail.  Attendance needs to improve further. Leaders work hard to maintain the current level of attendance. They need to continue to remove the barriers that are preventing improvements in attendance. This includes helping parents to understand the importance of regular attendance and punctuality.

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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. 29–30 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121679 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Anthony O’Connell

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 October 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  There has been a change in governance since the previous inspection.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils who have speech, language and communication difficulties. There are currently three pupils accessing this provision through support in class.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for support from the pupil premium is much higher than the national average.

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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, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the curriculum leader, the phonics leader, the reading leader and some subject leaders.  The lead inspector spoke with a governor on the telephone.  The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority. 29–30 January 2020

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 The subjects considered as part of this inspection were reading, mathematics, science and history. We carried out deep dives in these subjects. This entailed meeting with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers, looking at curriculum plans, visiting lessons, speaking to pupils about their learning and scrutinising pupils’ work. An inspector also observed teaching assistants listening to pupils read.  We looked at curriculum plans and examples of pupils’ work for other foundation subjects. We looked at English writing books.  The arrangements for safeguarding were checked. This included checks on the single central record, and staff training and safeguarding records. We also talked to members of the school’s safeguarding team.  An inspector discussed the school’s records on attendance and behaviour with leaders.  The lead inspector analysed the school’s self-evaluation document and plans for

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improvement.  We talked informally with pupils in lessons and at breaktimes. We also took account of the 59 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire.  We talked to a number of parents as they dropped their children off at the start of the school day. We also took account of the 49 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.  We met with a number of staff and took account of the 27 responses to Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Janet Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy Millard Ofsted Inspector 29–30 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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