Kippax Ash Tree Primary School

Inspection of Kippax Ash Tree Primary School Gibson Lane, Kippax, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS25 7JL

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education at this school is not good enough. Pupils do not achieve well in all subjects. Recently introduced curriculum plans in subjects such as history do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can learn. These plans do not enable pupils to deepen their knowledge. However, achievement is improving in some areas, such as reading, writing, mathematics and physical education (PE).

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school. Pupils are well looked after and say that they feel safe. Leaders strive to ensure that pupils’ social and emotional welfare is a priority. As an example of this, two therapy dogs work alongside the school’s pastoral team to support pupils in this nurturing environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful and care about one another’s feelings. They have good manners and were keen to talk with the inspection team. Pupils told inspectors that bullying rarely happens. If they have worries, they trust and confide in members of staff. Pupils behave well in school. However, in some classes, they can be slow to start working and, at times, talk over their teachers’ instructions without this being checked.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have now been able to reintroduce an eclectic mix of extra-curricular activities. This includes yoga, baking and many opportunities for physical activity.

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better?

Leaders promote a love of reading. Leaders prioritise reading because they believe that it develops important language skills and opens a world of learning. Staff ensure that, from the very earliest start in Nursery, readers practise their phonics knowledge daily. Similarly, older pupils practise their reading skills each day. Teachers are quick to identify those pupils who have fallen behind with reading. These pupils receive additional help from well-trained and skilled staff. Pupils respond well to the school’s rewards system, which encourages them to read regularly at home.

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better?

Some aspects of the curriculum, such as phonics, reading, writing and PE, are ambitious, well designed and thoughtfully sequenced. Carefully considered plans and effective teaching ensure that pupils know more and remember more. In these subjects, teachers check what individual pupils know and can do. They use this information to plan next steps and share these successes with pupils.

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better?

However, most subjects in the wider curriculum, including history, are not planned effectively. The curriculum is not designed to give pupils the opportunity to revisit and deepen their learning. They cannot build on what they already know and remember. As a result, pupils experience superficial and often shallow learning. These broad plans do not enable teachers to design meaningful lessons. Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ knowledge and understanding is not helpful. It does not help 14 and 15 September 2021

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teachers plan for next steps in the wider curriculum. Leaders have not ensured that the quality of the curriculum is consistently strong.

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Plans for what children will learn in early years are clear. Because of this clarity, children in early years experience a haven of curiosity that is carefully designed to promote all aspects of learning. Children are encouraged to explore their interests and develop their language and communication skills. Staff engage in purposeful dialogue with children, knowing what their next steps are.

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Leaders offer many opportunities for pupils to realise the ‘Ash Tree’ values. Staff support pupils to become respectful and well rounded. The school’s ‘pupils’ parliament’ enables pupils to experience British values in action. Pupils thrive by taking on extra responsibilities, such as leading sports activities. This enhances their social skills and encourages them to be active citizens. Before the pandemic, the school offered a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. Many of these extra activities have now resumed.

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Pupils say that they get on with one another and that bullying is rare. School rules are clear, and pupils were able to explain these to inspectors. A minority of classrooms are quite noisy, making it difficult for pupils to concentrate. Occasionally, pupils talk over teachers and this means that they and others miss valuable instructions. Staff have worked hard to improve pupils’ attendance. However, some pupils still do not attend often enough. The school is working with these families to address this.

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The additional funding the school receives to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is used effectively. The recently appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has been effective in making sure that carefully focused actions are put in place to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, including children in early years. This is monitored effectively. As a result, these pupils access the full curriculum and are learning more and remembering more. Communication and partnership with the families of these pupils are strong.

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Governors give strong support to school leaders. They visit the school regularly and check on its work. Governors have attended training and are supported by the partnership of schools to help them carry out their roles effectively. They understand their duties around safeguarding and well-being. The school is supported effectively by the trust. Leaders work closely with other schools in the trust to share expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding leaders are well trained and ensure that staff fully understand their safeguarding responsibilities. All staff engage in regular training. Effective strategies, such as weekly briefings and mini quizzes, help keep this knowledge fresh and at the forefront of adults’ minds. Leaders ensure that appropriate safeguarding checks are made on all adults who work at the school. 14 and 15 September 2021

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These are recorded efficiently. Leaders work closely with external agencies, where necessary, to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families are given the support that they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ curriculum planning for subjects in the wider curriculum, such as history, is not ambitious. Teachers are unable to use these plans to ensure that pupils develop sufficiently deep knowledge and understanding in these subjects. This holds pupils’ learning back. Leaders need to ensure that their curriculum plans have high expectations and clearly set out what pupils should learn and when.  Assessment within wider curriculum is not effective. The assessment system in place focuses on pupils’ knowledge of specific facts. This is checked using a multiple-choice questionnaire. This does not allow pupils the opportunity to show how much they know and gives an inaccurate view of a pupil’s knowledge. Leaders must use effective strategies to assess what pupils know, what they remember and what they can do.  Not all curriculum leaders have a deep enough understanding of the subjects they lead. They are not all able to check that curriculum plans are being implemented

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

effectively. Senior leaders need to make sure that curriculum leaders develop subject expertise and the ability to check the quality and impact of the curriculum in their subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 14 and 15 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200631 Type of school Primary

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Date of previous inspection

Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Kippax Ash Tree Primary School converted to become an academy school in April 2017. When its predecessor school, Kippax Ash Tree Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. They also met with members of the governing body and the chief executive of The Brigshaw Learning Partnership.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: history, mathematics, PE, personal, social, health and economic education, and reading. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at dinnertime. They spoke with pupils about their learning and their experience of the school. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work across a range of subjects to see how well the curriculum is implemented.  Inspectors met with subject leaders and the SENCo. An inspector also met with the early years leader to discuss the curriculum.  Inspectors looked at the school’s safeguarding records and procedures. An inspector scrutinised the checks that leaders make on staff prior to them starting at the school. Inspectors reviewed pupils’ attendance. They also discussed safeguarding and behaviour when meeting with pupils and teachers.  An inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body.

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 Inspectors talked to 12 parents on the first day of the inspection. Inspectors considered the 60 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also considered the 11 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Marcus Newby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pritiben Patel Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2021

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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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