Ireland Wood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ireland Wood Primary School Raynel Gardens, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS16 6BW

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2022

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Outcome

Ireland Wood Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto of ‘Immerse, Inspire, Include’ sums up the school’s vision well. Inclusion is at the heart of Ireland Wood Primary School. Staff care deeply about their pupils and families. Pupils with any physical, learning or emotional health needs receive high levels of support. This has created a caring and nurturing environment that permeates throughout the school. One parent said, ‘We are so lucky to have our children in this school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe, are happy and enjoy attending school. They appreciate the support they receive from adults. Pupils behave well and they are polite. Pupils understand the behaviour policy well and it is fairly applied by staff. Bullying is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to participate in extra-curricular activities. Staff encourage all pupils to take part, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, all pupils take part in competitive games. Pupils particularly enjoy archery and football clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to achieve well. Pupils try hard in class. However, in subjects that are not as well developed, design technology and computing for example, there are gaps in curriculum design. Leaders are working to address these weaknesses by refining curriculum plans.

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

The school continues to provide a good education. Staff and governors share high aspirations for their pupils, including those with SEND. Staff value the leadership of the headteacher. They recognise his determination for all to succeed. Staff said that senior leaders have an ‘open door’ and are approachable. They appreciate how leaders carefully consider staff’s workload and well-being when planning further improvements to the school. 23 and 24 November 2022

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Pupils have a love of reading. They readily recall their favourite books and authors. They enjoy reading on a daily basis. Pupils talk eagerly about the texts they share in their classes and look forward to their visits to the new school library. Pupils start learning the letters and the sounds they represent as soon as they start school in Reception. The school’s chosen phonics programme is providing a systematic approach to teaching phonics and early reading. Younger pupils are reading books that match the sounds they know. Reading assessments take place throughout key stage 1. This allows staff to provide pupils with extra help when needed so that they do not fall behind in their reading. Older pupils read a wide variety of books and use these to improve and develop their writing.

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The special educational needs coordinator keeps a close eye on the provision for pupils with SEND. Staff understand pupils with the most complex needs well. Teachers adapt learning so that pupils with SEND take part in lessons fully. Pupils who attend the resource base are very well supported to ensure that their physical and learning needs are met.

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In most subjects, leaders have developed a curriculum that is well thought out. This allows pupils to achieve well. In mathematics, knowledge builds over time. As pupils progress through school, they develop confidence and fluency in calculations. They use correct mathematical vocabulary and can talk about their previous learning. Pupils enjoy mathematics.

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Leaders know that a small number of subjects, design technology and computing for example, need more work. The knowledge and content that pupils should learn in these subjects are not detailed enough. Leaders have started to refine these curriculum plans.

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Pupils enjoy their immersive learning days. They say they help them to remember their learning. Pupils recalled teachers setting model houses on fire so that they could see how villages had burned quickly in the Great Fire of London.

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Children make a strong start in the early years and settle quickly into school. Staff plan interesting learning activities that develop children’s language skills. From the start of Reception, children learn how to hold a pencil and form letters correctly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well aware of the individual safeguarding needs of pupils and potential threats to their safety in the local area. Leaders make sure that the school acts to protect pupils from these dangers. Staff receive regular training and understand the systems for reporting any concerns. There are robust systems for the safer recruitment of adults who work in the school. Leaders work well with other agencies to make sure that pupils are safe. The school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils are regularly checked by the governing body.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have a secure knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, including when online. 23 and 24 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have begun to develop a sequenced curriculum. However, in some subjects, such as design technology and computing, leaders have not identified the subject- specific knowledge that pupils need to acquire well enough. This creates uncertainty in teaching which contributes to gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should ensure that these small steps of knowledge are clearly identified so that pupils learn well across all subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013.

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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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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. 23 and 24 November 2022

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Leeds North West Education Partnership, which consists of three primary schools, one secondary school and three associate member primary schools.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  The school has a resource base for 15 pupils with complex physical difficulties and medical needs.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff at the school. The inspector also met with governors and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 23 and 24 November 2022

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to pupil, parent and staff surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and considered safeguarding documents and records. These included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.

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Inspection team

Gerry Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 November 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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