Low Road Primary School

Inspection of Low Road Primary School Belinda Street, Off Church Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS10 2PS

p.1

Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

p.1

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 11 and 12 October 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and safe. Staff create beautiful environments where pupils can thrive. They provide the care and nurture each pupil needs to do their best. Pupils are proud to perform the school anthem, which they helped to write. It represents the school’s vision that anything is possible.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for every pupil, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is broad and engaging. Enrichment activities, such as visits to outdoor activity centres, a living history museum, art galleries and a farm, help to bring learning to life.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful. They try hard in lessons and play happily together at breaktimes. There are no recorded incidents of bullying or of racist or homophobic name-calling. Pupils say that, occasionally, some pupils are silly in class and that bullying and inappropriate name-calling happen. They are confident that staff deal effectively with any issues.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Music is at the heart of school life. Every pupil learns to play a musical instrument and has voice coaching. They have many opportunities to perform for parents and carers and in the community. Staff provide a changing programme of after-school clubs for pupils to enjoy. These include craft, computing, multi-sports, choir and string band.

p.2

better?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. Adaptations help pupils study the full curriculum wherever possible. These include the use of additional adult support and physical resources. These adaptations help most pupils with SEND to achieve well.

p.2

better?

Teachers repeat and revisit learning to help pupils remember more. They check pupils’ understanding and help them to keep up. Over sequences of lessons, pupils build step by step on prior learning. For example, in a computing lesson, pupils created a drum and bass track. They used their knowledge of music technology learned in previous lessons. However, some pupils struggle to remember curriculum content over longer periods. For example, they are unable to remember important knowledge from personal, social and health education (PSHE). Some pupils struggle to remember number facts.

p.2

better?

The school values and promotes reading for pleasure. Teachers read to pupils every day. The school library is a welcoming and comfortable space to settle down with a book. High-quality books that interest and engage pupils are available around school. The school provides weekly stay-and-read sessions for parents of children in Reception. This helps parents to read with their children at home. Teachers have the expertise to deliver effective daily phonics sessions. They check pupils’ phonics 11 and 12 October 2023

p.2

3

knowledge throughout each session. They provide ‘keep-up’ support every day. Pupils who have fallen behind in reading receive regular help to catch up.

p.3

3

In early years, the curriculums for reading and number prepare children for the next stage of learning. Further work is under way to ensure that all areas of learning provide a firm foundation for learning in Year 1. The learning environment provides opportunities for children to explore and follow their ideas and interests. Adults support them in their play. Where high-quality adult interactions take place, the impact is visible. However, opportunities to help children develop their ideas, communication and language are sometimes missed.

p.3

3

Leaders and governors want every pupil to develop self-esteem and confidence. Visits by inspirational role models help to raise pupils’ aspirations. Pupils are able to become school councillors, eco-leaders and librarians. Assemblies, events, visits and visitors enhance pupils’ broader development. Pupils learn about other faiths, mental and physical health and diversity. The curriculum includes online safety, the dangers of knife crime and drug awareness. Pupils remember important facts about online safety. Their knowledge of different faiths, British values and healthy lifestyles is less secure.

p.3

3

Staff appreciate the opportunities they have for professional development. Colleagues from across the federation provide valuable support for each other. Staff say leaders and governors are mindful of their workload and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not remember prior learning consistently well across the curriculum. Leaders should check what pupils can remember and adjust the curriculum to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  Missed opportunities to extend children’s ideas in the early years influence how well they develop communication and language skills. Leaders should provide appropriate training in effective communication and modelling of language for staff.

p.3

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. 11 and 12 October 2023

p.3

4

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is in a federated partnership with Windmill Primary School and shares the same governing body, executive headteacher and leadership team.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school childcare.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 11 and 12 October 2023

p.5

6

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors had several meetings with the executive headteacher and other senior leaders during the inspection and met with members of the governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, computing and PSHE. They discussed the curriculum with subject 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 observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktimes.  Pupils talked to the inspectors, formally and informally, about their learning, their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school. The inspectors also considered responses received through Ofsted’s pupil survey.

p.6

6

 Records for behaviour and attendance were considered.  The inspectors spoke with a number of parents in the playground and reviewed the responses received through Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.  The inspectors considered responses received through Ofsted’s staff survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Janet Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Emily McCullagh Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7