Aberford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Aberford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School School Lane, Aberford, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS25 3BU

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Outcome

Aberford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Aberford Church of England Primary School has high expectations of all pupils. These are realised. The school’s work is underpinned by its vision of ‘we are a family’. It is inclusive, nurturing and safe. Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes. They are polite and show respect to each other. Bullying rarely happens. If it does, adults sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from attending a range of extra-curricular clubs. These include gymnastics, choir and football. These clubs develop their talents and interests. Pupils say the clubs help them to get better and improve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school teaches the pupils how to stay safe in their locality and when working and playing online. This is strengthened by external professionals, who deliver focused sessions. These are effective. Pupils have a clear understanding around risks, such as knife crime and gang culture.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a range of educational visits to support their development and learning. These include visiting an art gallery to develop their understanding and knowledge of a range of artists and visiting an outdoor activity centre to develop their resilience and teamwork skills. These events are carefully planned to meet the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Reading is a strength of the school. Children in the early years are well prepared to learn to read with fluency and accuracy. This begins with listening to different sounds in Nursery before moving on to more formal phonics lessons in Reception. This consistent approach effectively develops children’s knowledge of sounds. Staff access high-quality training. They have the subject expertise to teach phonics well. Leaders regularly check 7 February 2024

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what the pupils know and understand. They use this information to successfully identify which pupils need more help and guidance. If pupils fall behind, they receive the extra support they need in an inclusive and sensitive way. This support is highly effective. Pupils take home books that are well matched to their reading ability. This gives them the opportunity to practise what they have learned with their parents and carers. As a result, pupils quickly become confident and fluent readers.

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In some subjects, leaders have designed a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum that begins in early years. This well-sequenced curriculum supports pupils to build on their understanding. This is most successful in reading and mathematics. In these subjects, pupils talk with precision about their understanding. Their understanding is also evident in the quality of work they produce. However, in other curriculum areas, including history, the tasks that pupils complete do not closely align to the curriculum content. As a result, pupils are not learning as much as they could. Some pupils struggle to remember what they have covered in lessons.

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Thorough systems are in place for identifying pupils with SEND. Staff provide effective support for pupils with SEND. They adapt teaching materials appropriately, so that pupils with SEND learn the same knowledge as their peers. This includes the use of word banks and sentence starters, which ensure pupils can record their understanding successfully.

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Children get off to a positive start in Nursery and Reception. The environment is well resourced. There is a sharp focus on children’s communication and language skills. Staff model effective use of language through clear instructions and the precise use of vocabulary. This supports the children well. Children use this language themselves when speaking with peers and sharing their understanding with adults.

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The school has ensured that the curriculum is designed to develop pupils’ understanding of tolerance and respect well. Pupils demonstrate their understanding of these qualities in their thoughtful and kind interactions. Pupils learn about how to stay safe online. This is effective. Pupils are clear about how to protect themselves when using the internet. The school teaches pupils about different faiths and cultures effectively. Pupils have an accurate understanding of different religions and religious celebrations.

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Pupils take on a range of leadership roles at the school. These opportunities encourage pupils to have a positive impact on school life. These include the ‘ACE’ committee who lead weekly celebration assemblies. Pupils understand how to be active citizens and contribute to the community. Regular school events raise money for local charities that are nominated by pupils. These include raising money for an animal welfare charity.

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The school carefully considers staff well-being and workload. It makes sure that checking what pupils learn is efficient and purposeful. The school ensures that staff access appropriate training. Staff welcome the support provided.

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Governors have the skills and expertise to fulfil their responsibilities. They know the school’s strengths and areas that require further development. Governors use this understanding well to challenge and hold leaders to account. 7 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In a small proportion of foundation subjects, the tasks that teachers set do not align seamlessly with the school’s curriculum planning. This means that some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. The school should ensure that the tasks that pupils complete match the ambitious curriculum content more closely.

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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 April 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. 7 February 2024

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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). 7 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make any use of alternative provision.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in May 2022.  The current headteacher took up post in June 2020  The school recently opened a Nursery provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in the team’s evaluation of the school. 7 February 2024

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 During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher and members of the senior leadership team.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, a representative of the diocese and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The team considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. An inspector spoke with parents to gather their views and opinions about the school.  Inspectors 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 inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and in lessons. They spoke with pupils to gather their views about behaviour and safeguarding in the school.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stu Mills Ofsted Inspector 7 February 2024

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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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