Talbot Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Talbot Primary School East Moor Road, Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS8 1AF

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 January 2022

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Outcome

Talbot Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil to be a ‘knowledgeable, caring and active citizen’. Leaders, governors and staff work together to bring about continual improvements in pupils’ learning and wider development. Pupils love their learning at Talbot Primary School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad curriculum that includes all of the national curriculum subjects. Adults have very high expectations of pupils. Leaders have made sure that pupils have the right opportunities to develop their vocabulary and language. This helps them to learn well in all of their subjects. Pupils are proud to talk about what they know and remember. Their attitude to learning is excellent. They are keen to celebrate their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They are well looked after in school. Diversity is celebrated. Pupils have high levels of respect for others. Pupils learn how to manage disagreements. They say that they sometimes fall out, but they always ‘fix it’. Pupils care about and look after each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. Educational visits and events broaden pupils’ horizons. Pupils are able to develop leadership skills. They practise their organisational skills when looking after ‘the scrap shed’ at lunchtime. The before- and after-school club provides exceptional care for the pupils who attend.

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

Leaders and teachers have planned the curriculum to make sure that new learning builds on what pupils already know. This means that pupils securely build knowledge and skills over time. The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers check pupils’ understanding 12 and 13 January 2022

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throughout lessons and support pupils to keep up with the planned curriculum. This helps to make sure that pupils remember the most important subject knowledge.

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Younger children get off to an excellent start in reading. Leaders have invested in a new early reading scheme. Pupils who are not keeping up with the reading curriculum get the extra help they need. Reading for learning and pleasure is at the heart of the curriculum. High-quality books provide the basis for learning in most subjects. Teachers choose books that increase pupils’ knowledge of the world.

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In mathematics, leaders have sequenced the important knowledge that pupils need to learn in a logical order. This helps pupils build mathematical knowledge and skills over time. Teachers use mathematical models and images to help pupils to understand new concepts. They build learning gradually throughout each lesson. This structure helps all pupils, and particularly those with SEND, to develop independence in learning.

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Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn in every subject. This starts right from the earliest years. Teachers plan opportunities for children to explore and practise what they are learning. This provides excellent preparation for learning in Year 1 and beyond. For example, in early years, children were independently reconstructing the journey of ‘The gingerbread man’. This helped them to practise early geographical skills and learn important new vocabulary.

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Leaders ensure that pupils experience a wide range of activities outside their lessons. Although these activities stopped at times during the pandemic, they have been reinstated as soon as possible. Activities include creative, musical and sporting opportunities. Leaders make sure that additional opportunities enhance learning. For example, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed their residential visit to an outdoor learning centre. It enabled them to see the effects of erosion on rocks. Pupils related this to their learning about mountains and rivers in geography. Pupils use the knowledge and vocabulary that they learn in each subject exceptionally well. For example, pupils in Year 6 can explain and justify their opinions on the work of the artists Paul Nash and L S Lowry.

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Pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning. Pupils say that on the rare occasions that people shout out, teachers stop this straightaway. Pupils’ consideration of, and respect for, others are exemplary. Adults teach them to respect everyone. Pupils used the word ‘stereotypical’ when explaining that they would never judge a person by what they look like or their gender. There are strong links with families and the community.

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Staff are very happy to work at Talbot Primary School. Leaders make sure that their workload is manageable. Staff feel that leaders care about and support staff well-being. Staff say that they can always rely on colleagues for support and advice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils can name people whom they trust to look after them and to keep them safe. 12 and 13 January 2022

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All adults in school receive comprehensive training to help them keep pupils safe. This includes frequent reminders of different aspects of safeguarding. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about the risks that pupils face and are vigilant in keeping a close eye on their safety. Leaders are tenacious in making sure that they find the right support for every child who needs help.

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Keeping safe, including online safety, is woven through the curriculum. For example, the pupil digital ambassadors lead assemblies, reminding their peers how to stay safe online. This preventive curriculum helps pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

1 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school runs a before- and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and curriculum leaders.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also met with a representative from the local authority.  The subjects considered as part of this inspection were reading, mathematics and geography. The inspector 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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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The inspector also observed adults listening to pupils read. The inspector also looked at plans and pupils’ work for art and design.  The arrangements for safeguarding were checked. This included checks on the single central record, and discussions about staff training and safeguarding records. The inspector also talked to the designated safeguarding leads.  The inspector discussed the school’s records on attendance and behaviour with the headteacher.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at breaktimes. The inspector also met with groups of pupils.  The inspector looked at the school’s self-evaluation document and plans for improvement.  The inspector talked informally with pupils in lessons and at breaktimes and took into account the 152 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector took into account the 94 responses to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View.

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 The inspector met with a number of staff and took account of the 29 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Janet Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 January 2022

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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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