Atlas Community Primary School

15–16 October 2019 Inspection of a good school: Atlas Community Primary School Lincoln Close, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8DL

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Outcome

Atlas Community Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they are safe in school. Parents agree. Pupils say that bullying is definitely not an issue in their school. They know to raise any concerns by speaking to an adult or by posting a card in the ‘worry box’. They are confident that adults will listen and take appropriate action. Behaviour is well managed in a very positive way. Pupils respond to adults’ high expectations and get along well together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and are keen to learn. Learning is often brought to life through educational visits and visitors to school. Year 3 and Year 4 pupils enjoy learning to play the ukulele. Some pupils in Years 5 and 6 choose to extend this learning by playing the guitar.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lots of work is done to raise pupils’ awareness of the different opportunities open to them. Pupils are encouraged to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions. This work has helped to raise their aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities. Some pupils have been elected to represent their classmates on the school council or as head pupils. Year 6 pupils were keen to explain how they run the library and a wide range of lunchtime clubs for other pupils.

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

Leaders have recently redesigned the curriculum. They call this their ‘POWER’ curriculum. This is because it aims to promote passion, opportunities, well-being, expression and reflection. Plans show what pupils need to learn in each year group in each subject. Leaders have made some useful links between subjects and work in different year groups. However, in some subjects, it is not clear how pupils will develop their knowledge and skills year on year. 15–16 October 2019

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Most pupils want to learn and do their best. They are curious and eager to find out more about the topics their teachers introduce. They respond well to the many opportunities they have to work independently. They cooperate well together to share resources and to help each other with their work.

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Work on promoting pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. A lot of effective work is done to make sure that pupils can confidently share their opinions. Staff help pupils to discover new interests and talents by giving them lots of different experiences.

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Leaders know that standards in reading need to improve. They have made sure that books are at the heart of everything in school from the nursery upwards. The adults that work with pupils are well trained in phonics. This helps them to make sure that most pupils quickly learn the skills they need to read fluently. Those that struggle get extra help. Leaders have tried to make sure that the books pupils use to practise their reading are well matched to their phonics knowledge. They know that there is further work to do to get this right. The effectiveness of work to help pupils to understand what they are reading varies. Pupils are sometimes given things to read to help them learn about other subjects. These texts are sometimes too difficult.

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Leaders are also working to improve the teaching of mathematics. Recent improvements mean that pupils now have more opportunities to use their knowledge and skills to solve problems. Teachers are being given support to help them to make sure that pupils’ work is well sequenced. Leaders know that more pupils need to be given effective support and challenge to help them to achieve higher standards.

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The quality of teaching varies. Some teachers are very skilled in adapting their teaching to match the needs of their pupils. They use questioning well to provide both support and challenge. They are quick to spot and deal with errors and misconceptions. They give pupils work which is not too easy or too hard. However, in some classes, this is not the case.

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Children settle quickly in the early years. They develop good relationships with the caring staff. They respond well to routines and expectations. Leaders have carefully designed the early years curriculum. It is constantly adapted to make sure that it meets the needs and interests of the children. Books are used well to make learning fun. This is supporting work to help pupils to understand more words. Adults encourage children to explore and to be independent. Parents appreciate the support they get to help their children with their learning.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Teachers make sure that these pupils are given the help they need to be able to learn alongside their peers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have made sure that all staff are well trained and understand their role in keeping children safe. Staff keep a lookout 15–16 October 2019

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for signs that may suggest that pupils are not safe. They report and record any concerns. The headteacher seems to leave no stone unturned in seeking the right support for vulnerable pupils. The curriculum teaches pupils to recognise potential dangers and how to seek help. Parents are confident that their children are safe and well looked after. One parent summed up the views of many saying, ‘This school goes above and beyond to look after pupils and their families.’

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum planning does not show a clear progression of skills in some subjects. Leaders need to make sure that plans show how subject-specific skills are built upon, year on year.  Attainment in reading needs to improve. Leaders need to make sure that books that pupils use to practise their reading at home and in school are well matched to phonics ability. Texts that pupils are given to research the topics they are working on in foundation subjects need to match pupils’ reading ability. Staff need to be given more training to make sure that they all have the skills to help pupils to understand the texts they read.  Too few pupils reach the greater depth standard in key stage 1 and the higher standard in key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because the tasks pupils are asked to complete are not pitched at the right level. Leaders need to make sure that pupils are given more challenging work that will allow them to reach these higher

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

standards.  Leaders need to make sure that where the impact of teaching is less than good, effective coaching is put in place to make the necessary improvements. This will help to ensure that all pupils benefit from consistently good teaching.

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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.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Atlas Community Primary School to be good on 20 April 2016. 15–16 October 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. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined The Priestley Academy Trust in December 2016.  The current headteacher was appointed as interim head of school in September 2017. She was appointed as headteacher in September 2018.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, an assistant headteacher and some subject leaders.  I met with the chief executive officer of the trust, the headteacher of another school from the trust and a representative from the local authority.  The subjects considered as part of this inspection were reading, mathematics and history. I 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. I also listened to pupils read and observed teachers listening to pupils read.  The arrangements for safeguarding were checked. This included checks on the single central record, staff training and safeguarding records.  I discussed the school’s records on attendance and behaviour with leaders. 15–16 October 2019

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 I analysed the school’s self-evaluation document and plans for improvement.  I looked at curriculum planning.  I met with three members of the governing body.  I talked informally with pupils in lessons and at breaktimes.  I talked to a number of parents as they dropped their children off at the start of the school day. I also took account of the 21 responses to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View.  I met with a number of staff and took account of the one response to Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Chris Cook, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 15–16 October 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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