Keelham Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Keelham Primary School Well Heads, Denholme Gate, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD13 4HH

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Outcome

Keelham Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Be kind, persevere and succeed’ are the school’s values. They are central to everything that the school offers. When stepping into school, visitors are greeted in a polite, respectful manner by every pupil they meet. Pupils are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils know how staff expect them to behave. This can be seen in the positive behaviour shown by pupils in lessons and around school. Pupils say that bullying and poor behaviour are rare. They are certain that if any issues were to occur, adults in school would act immediately to support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff provide a high-quality education for pupils. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils learn a wide range of subjects from early years to Year 6. The school offers much more than an academic curriculum. For example, members of the school choir hold an annual concert and they recently sang at the local church for their tree light festival.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers feel lucky that their children can attend this school. They value the care and attention given to their children. They are very supportive of the school community, and school events are well attended. There are many fundraising events, such as the highly successful ‘bake off’ competition. Pupils are currently enjoying raising money for the school library by selling toast.

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

Following his appointment in January 2021, the headteacher planned how to develop and strengthen the provision at school. Leaders and staff have thought carefully about the qualities they want pupils to develop from the wider curriculum offer. Examples of these are to be confident, reflective and self-assured.

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

Subject curriculums are carefully planned in steps that make it clear to teachers what pupils need to learn and when. Teachers across the school deliver the curriculum 13 January 2023

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effectively so that pupils build their knowledge well. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning and can talk about the knowledge they have learned. During the inspection, pupils talked with confidence about their knowledge of mathematics and geography, for example. Leaders have ensured that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified. Teachers use this information to ensure that these pupils’ needs are met in classrooms and that they experience success across the curriculum.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Staff who teach phonics are well trained. They follow a structured programme and have a consistent approach. In lessons, well trained staff provide additional support for pupils with SEND and pupils who speak English as an additional language. Most pupils have good phonic knowledge and are keeping up with the pace of the programme. However, for those pupils who need more practice with phonics, reading books are not matched closely enough to their phonic knowledge. They rely too much on adult support to be able to read the books accurately.

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As they progress through the school, pupils read increasingly complex texts. Leaders select books that spark pupils’ interests and open them up to new ideas. Pupils genuinely like to read. They enjoy talking about the ‘love to read’ and ‘yearn to learn’ books that they take home to read. The school library is inviting to pupils, with well-stocked shelves and cosy reading areas.

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Children begin to lay the foundations for reading from the moment they start school. They enjoy songs, rhymes and stories in Nursery. From the Reception Year, children begin to learn phonics. This regular practice of reading words and sentences continues and builds through key stage 1. Teachers assess pupils’ progress carefully and regularly so that any children who find this more difficult are quickly identified.

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Pupils’ wider development is carefully thought out by leaders. They are committed to making sure that pupils have a voice in school and members of staff listen to them. For example, class ambassadors are positive role models in lessons and they show visitors around the school. Pupils have lots of opportunities outside of the classroom. They have residential trips in Years 3 to 6. Pupils attend after-school clubs. These are available for all pupils in school.

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Pupils behave sensibly in lessons. They know the classroom routines and that these help them to get on with their learning. Staff know pupils well. There are respectful relationships between pupils and staff. Parents agree that the school sets high expectations for behaviour.

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The governors and local authority adviser have a strong and supportive relationship with the headteacher. They know the school’s strengths and its next steps. Governors are well informed about the school. They know the school well because they take the time and care enough to find out. They are fully aware of all of their responsibilities. Leaders are mindful of staff well-being. Staff who spoke to us were positive about leaders’ efforts to reduce workload. 13 January 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders go ‘over and above’ to make sure that pupils are safe in school. Record-keeping, including employment checks, are managed vigilantly by leaders, staff and governors. Leaders make sure that staff receive regular training and know how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders respond quickly when pupils are identified as needing help.

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Safeguarding

Pupils told inspectors how safe they feel in school. They feel well supported and cared for by staff. Pupils learn about personal safety in assemblies and personal, social, health and economic education. They know how to keep themselves safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reading books are not matched closely enough to phonic ability for some pupils. This means that the younger pupils are unable to read independently without adult support. Leaders should support teachers to ensure that they are selecting the reading books which have the sounds that pupils know well.

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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 May 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. 13 January 2023

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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. 13 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255817 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in January 2021. This is a new appointment since the last inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. Meetings were also held with subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors looked at curriculum planning, conducted joint lesson visits with leaders, had discussions with teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at pupils’ books and samples of their work. For the reading deep dive, the lead inspector listened to pupils read. 13 January 2023

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at lunchtime. They spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. During the inspection, a range of safeguarding information was scrutinised, including the school’s policies and records. Inspectors spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. This included comments received via the free-text facility. They also talked to some parents in the school playground.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Jones His Majesty’s Inspector 13 January 2023

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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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