Ley Top Primary School

Inspection of Ley Top Primary School Avenel Road, Allerton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD15 7PQ

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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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 Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants the best for its pupils and to help them to succeed. However, this ambition is not yet realised. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve well enough. Pupils do not gain the knowledge that they need to build effectively on and make connections to their previous learning. Teachers and subject leaders do not have the subject knowledge needed to teach the curriculum well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ley Top Primary School is a happy and welcoming school. Adults care about every pupil. There is a strong commitment to supporting pupils’ emotional needs. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils know that staff care about them. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and they are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made sure that the school’s three rules are central to school life. Pupils know they must ‘be ready, be respectful and be responsible’. Pupils understand and follow these rules. Staff are quick to praise them when they do. Pupils value the rewards that they receive. They rise to the school’s expectations and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans opportunities to prepare pupils for their life outside of school. Pupils learn from assemblies about fundamental British values and diversity. Pupils have a clear understanding of equality. One pupil said, ‘If you treat everyone the same, you get the same respect back.’ Pupils benefit from attending a variety of clubs, including football and sewing.

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better?

The school is building a curriculum that is increasingly broad and balanced. However, curriculum developments are at an early stage. The school has not yet identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. In mathematics and reading, staff have had training to help them teach the curriculum well. This is not the case in other curriculum subjects, such as history and science. As a result, sometimes, teachers do not choose resources or activities that are well matched to what pupils need to learn. This leaves gaps in pupils’ knowledge and impacts on their achievement.

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better?

Pupils with SEND get the support that they need to access the full curriculum. The strategies that are identified on support plans are used well in lessons. The school ensures that adults who support pupils with SEND are well trained. However, the limitations in the curriculum mean that pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

There is a consistent approach to teaching phonics. This starts in the early years. Strong routines that link to the school’s chosen phonics programme are embedded in all lessons. Pupils respond well to these routines. The school regularly checks pupils’ phonic knowledge. Pupils who are not keeping up with the pace of the programme are given the support that they need to catch up. For some pupils, 26 and 27 September 2023

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reading books are not matched closely enough to their phonic knowledge. Some pupils rely too much on adult support to be able to read books accurately. Adults do not use the routines of the phonics programme to support pupils to read well. As a result, some pupils are not reading with fluency as quickly as they might.

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In the early years, there is a strong focus on developing routines. Children respond well to these routines and settle quickly. The school prioritises children’s language and vocabulary development. Adults use questioning well to determine children’s understanding. However, the early years curriculum does not identify how children will build their knowledge in all areas of learning. The school has not identified the most important knowledge that it wants children to learn. Adults are unsure how new learning builds on what children already know. Children do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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The school has recently introduced a new behaviour policy. This has had a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour. As a result, pupils behave well. Staff have welcomed this change. Adults use the same language when talking to pupils about behaviour. The rules, rewards and consequences are applied consistently and fairly. Pupils move around school in a calm and orderly way. They respond well to instructions from adults. In lessons, pupils are focused and engaged.

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Historically, pupils have not attended school regularly enough. The school is taking more rigorous actions to address this. This work is having a positive impact on pupils’ attendance.

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The school recognises the importance of pupils’ wider development. Pupils are taught to be responsible and respectful citizens. Pupils know how to look after their physical and mental health. The personal development curriculum is adapted to respond to the risks identified in the local community. For example, the local police community support officers introduce pupils to the importance of keeping safe through regular workshops.

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The school has implemented procedures that are starting to bring about improvements. However, there is more work to be done to ensure that the quality of education provided is good. For example, although the school’s use of pupil premium funding is well intended, it has not established a clear rationale for its use or evaluated if it is having the intended impact. This limits governors’ ability to hold the school to account. Staff say they feel well supported with their well-being and that leaders are approachable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In most subjects, the school has not identified the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn. This includes the curriculum in the early years. This means that, across the school, pupils are not able to build effectively on what they already know. The school must set out clearly the important knowledge that pupils of all ages need to learn. The school should provide training so that teachers and subject leaders have the subject knowledge needed to teach the curriculum well.  Activities and resources are not matched well to the knowledge the school wants pupils to learn. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure that staff are given the training and support that they need to select resources and activities that will help pupils build their knowledge step by step in each subject.  Reading books are not matched closely to the phonic ability of some pupils. This

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slows pupils’ reading progress and makes it difficult for them to develop their confidence and fluency. The school must ensure that pupils read books that contain the sounds that they know. They should ensure that all staff have the training and expertise needed to support pupils to read well.  The school does not have a clear rationale for how pupil premium funding is spent or its intended impact. The school needs to review how pupil premium funding is used to ensure that it equips disadvantaged pupils with the knowledge and experiences that will help them to succeed in life.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 May 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The substantive headteacher named in the report was not present when inspectors visited the school. The deputy headteacher was the acting headteacher from June 2023 and was in post at the time of the inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.  There is a breakfast club run by the school on site.  The school has a nursery for three- and four-year-old children.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 Inspectors met with the acting headteacher, acting deputy headteachers, the school business manager and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, including comments received via the free-text facility. Inspectors also talked to 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

Elaine Watson Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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