Seven Hills Primary School

Inspection of Seven Hills Primary School Appleby Way, Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS27 8LA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff at Seven Hills Primary School feel like they are part of one big family. The school lives up to its motto, ‘a place where everyone is valued’. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported. Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils rise to meet these expectations well. Behaviour in lessons is calm and purposeful. At social times, pupils play well together. Bullying is very rare. Pupils feel confident about reporting concerns. Teachers address behaviour issues quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders work with external providers to enhance the school’s extra-curricular offer. For example, Leeds United Football Club, visit the school and work with pupils. Leaders understand the importance of supporting pupils’ mental health. The school is a recognised ‘Mindmate’ champion. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to lead in school. For example, a working group look at food waste management and plan menus with the kitchen team. Pupils are very proud of taking on leadership responsibilities. They rise to the challenge well.

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better?

Staff are well trained in teaching reading. Pupils regularly read one to one with an adult. Staff identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They provide support to quickly fill the gaps. The books pupils are given to read match the sounds they know. This helps pupils to practise reading and become fluent readers themselves. Pupils enjoy listening to adults read to them. It helps them to learn what expert reading is like.

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better?

Curriculum planning is sequenced so that pupils’ learning becomes more complex over time. There are aims for what pupils should know and by when. These sometimes lack detail. Leaders have not consistently broken down the small building blocks in learning or identified what the most important knowledge is. As a result, staff are not sufficiently clear about what to assess. Staff are expert in thinking out loud to help pupils understand how to think through tasks and make connections. Where staff identify misconceptions, they address them effectively.

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better?

Pupils with SEND, including those who have complex communication difficulties or struggles with mental health, get the right support. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to their teaching where necessary. Teaching assistants know pupils and the curriculum well. Leaders and staff have created a truly inclusive school.

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better?

Children in the early years engage and learn well. The curriculum is effective in getting pupils ready for Year 1. Teacher-led sessions are well planned and delivered. Activities are purposeful and help children to learn the intended curriculum. Leaders have identified the important vocabulary that children should learn. Staff make sure they help children to learn and use new vocabulary until they become confident.

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better?

The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is carefully planned to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils remember some aspects well. 16 and 17 May 2023

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They understand how to look after their mental health and keep fit. Pupils know it is important to treat people from all backgrounds with the same respect. However, some parts of the curriculum for religious education are not remembered as well. Pupils do not know enough about other religions and cultures. Leaders have ensured that there is a range of clubs available for pupils to attend, including sports clubs and the youth choir. There is a range of educational visits to help pupils learn more about the subjects they study in school. For example, a visit to the local science museum builds on what pupils learn in their science lessons. Members of the community, including governors, visit the school to talk about their occupations and roles.

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Governors are very supportive of the school. They carry out their statutory duties willingly. Governors do not check some aspects of the school’s work, including curriculum design, rigorously enough. Teachers describe a supportive ethos. Teachers’ workload is well managed. There is a clear focus on training, especially around supporting pupils with SEND. There are regular opportunities for staff to work together on planning and assessment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe and they are safe. They will talk to staff if they are worried about something. Staff understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe. They know how to report concerns. Leaders act swiftly and effectively. They involve other agencies, for example child and adolescent mental health services, to support pupils when needed. Leaders’ record-keeping is detailed.

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Safeguarding

The PSHE curriculum helps pupils learn to stay safe, including online. They learn about healthy relationships and about local risks, including water safety.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out checks to make sure that staff and visitors are safe to be in school and around children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not broken down the small steps in learning or made clear which aspects are the most important for pupils to remember. Pupils do not make links across the curriculum as effectively as they could. Leaders should make sure that the small steps are clear and that the most important knowledge is identified and assessed.  Pupils know it is important to respect everyone in the community and wider world. However, they do not remember enough about other faiths and cultures. Leaders should develop strategies to help pupils better remember this aspect of the curriculum. 16 and 17 May 2023

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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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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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255681 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 December 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a Nursery. Children attend the Nursery from age three.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector held regular meetings with the headteacher.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where appropriate, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school.  An inspector spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at the school gate.  Safeguarding documentation and records for behaviour and attendance were checked.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school.  Inspectors reviewed parents’ responses received through the Ofsted online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and the responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.  The lead inspector met with two governors.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Robinson Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 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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