Whingate Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Whingate Primary School Whingate Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS12 3DS

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Outcome

Whingate Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Whingate is a friendly school. Pupils enjoy learning here. They are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has personalised its aspirational curriculum to include important themes. They include ‘communicate, live healthily, accept and respect, understand the wider world, dream big and explore’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. This begins in the early years, where children learn about their emotions. When pupils struggle with behaviour, the school supports them to be successful. ‘Chill out’ and ‘reflection’ zones help pupils take time to regulate their own behaviour. The four ‘Whingate Superhero’ characters encourage pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Pupils learn to be resourceful, reflective, resilient and responsible.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School life extends beyond the academic. Pupils work together on local projects. They join in with litter picking and raising funds for the children’s hospital. Pupils learn about different beliefs. They value the fact that they all have a voice and different views and can learn from each other. They say that all have equal opportunities. Visits from outside agencies, such as the St Giles Trust, support pupils’ learning. They help pupils to know how to keep themselves safe from local risks. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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

Pupils in Year 6 in 2022 did not achieve as well as they might have. Their learning was significantly interrupted by the pandemic. Time away from school coincided with important transition points. The school has adapted the curriculum and provided extra practice to close gaps in current pupils’ knowledge. This is improving outcomes for pupils. However, poor attendance continues to impact on these outcomes. The school is working with pupils and their families. It stresses the importance of good attendance. The school’s work in this area is beginning to have a positive impact. 11 and 12 October 2023

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The school has adopted a new phonics scheme to improve the teaching of reading. In a short space of time, this has become a strength of the school. Adults become experts through regular training and support from leaders. Phonics begins as soon as children start in the Reception class. Pupils use their phonics knowledge to read words in books that contain the sounds they know. Pupils who need to catch up do so because they are quickly identified and have extra sessions. Pupils who need to increase their reading fluency get extra practice. The school is building a culture of reading. Opportunities for older pupils to read with younger pupils are enjoyed by all. There are weekly visits to the school library and theme days. These help to raise the importance of reading books.

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In mathematics, daily practice with key facts, such as times tables, is improving pupils’ knowledge. Effective modelling by teachers means that pupils learn to talk about their learning and can explain if they have made a mistake with their working out. In the early years, a child could explain why the square was in the basket for the number ‘4’ as ‘It has 4 sides and 4 corners.’

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Pupils learn a broad range of subjects. The school has identified the knowledge that they want pupils to remember in foundation subjects. This knowledge is planned to develop over time. However, teachers do not consciously build on what pupils have learned previously. As a result, pupils do not develop the depth of understanding that they could.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Regular breaks and use of quieter spaces help pupils with concentration. Adaptations to the curriculum, such as providing regular verbal feedback, means that barriers to learning are removed.

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The school develops citizenship by giving pupils different responsibilities. This begins in the classroom and extends to wider school roles. Pupils can be school councillors, librarians, eco-councillors and sports leaders. They work on projects in the local community, such as planting trees and singing at the care home. Pupils support global issues through fundraising. The school provides pupils with a range of local and residential trips. They offer virtual experiences and after-school clubs, such as art and chess. These are well attended by pupils. School also provides for the wider well-being of families. They offer a breakfast club, help with family housing and mental health support.

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Governors work closely with school leaders. Governors provide support and effective challenge. They regularly visit school so that they understand where developments are needed. Attendance is a high priority. Staff, including those new to teaching, feel supported with their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 October 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teachers do not connect new learning with what pupils have learned before. This means that pupils do not deepen their knowledge of a subject over time. The school should support teachers to ensure that new learning builds directly on what pupils have learned previously.  A significant number of pupils have poor attendance. This means that they do not benefit from the education and experiences the school offers. The school must maintain a strong focus on improving pupils’ attendance and punctuality.

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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 February 2014.

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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' 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). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Samantha Stewart

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School details

Headteacher Claire Beswick and Karen Loney (Co- Headteachers) Website www.whingate.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger-than-average-size primary school.  The school does not use an alternative provision.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is greater than the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with a wide range of staff, including the co-headteachers and subject leaders. The inspector met with the chair of governors and representatives from the governing body. The inspector met with the local authority school improvement partner. 11 and 12 October 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke to pupils both formally and informally, including single-sex groups of pupils.  The inspector considered a variety of school documents, including the school evaluation plan.  The inspector took account of the views of staff and parents through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Lesley Sullivan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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