Kippax Ash Tree Primary School

Inspection of Kippax Ash Tree Primary School Gibson Lane, Kippax, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS25 7JL

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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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 Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Amanda Campbell. This school is part of the Brigshaw Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Aidan Sadgrove, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Emma Jackson. 28 and 29 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this school ‘stride with pride’. They are proud to learn at this positive and welcoming school. Leaders have created a calm and purposeful environment for pupils to learn. Relationships between staff and pupils are caring and respectful. Pupils say they feel safe. They trust adults to help them if they have any concerns. Adults teach pupils to understand and respect the similarities and differences between them. Relationships between pupils are kind and considerate. They understand that some pupils need extra help with their learning and behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to follow clear routines when moving through the school building. In shared areas, such as corridors, staff have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Leaders have worked hard to improve the attendance of pupils. Despite this, too many pupils do not attend school as frequently as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the last inspection, leaders have made improvements to the curriculum. This is ambitious and well thought out. The school identifies and supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. These pupils benefit from the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. They receive the right support at the right time. The improvements to the curriculum are impacting positively on pupils’ progress. The outcomes from statutory assessments in 2023 are not reflective of the quality of education that pupils receive.

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better?

The curriculum for all pupils is both ambitious and rigorous. Leaders have made sure that, as pupils move through the school, it is clear what they will learn and why. In most lessons, pupils, including those with SEND, receive the support they need to be successful. In most subjects, staff check pupils’ learning both in the lessons and after a series of lessons. This helps to identify pupils who may need additional help with some parts of the curriculum. In some subjects, assessment of pupils’ learning is not used effectively to check the impact of the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have made recent changes to some subjects. Pupils speak about how much they enjoy their learning in these subjects. For example, pupils with SEND told inspectors they were enjoying their learning in modern foreign languages because they were being successful in these subjects.

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better?

Leaders understand that being able to read has a positive impact on pupils’ life chances. They ensure that teachers identify pupils who need help with reading quickly. These pupils receive the support they need to catch up. Staff deliver the phonics curriculum with consistency across school, beginning early in Reception. Leaders give personalised support and training to reading teachers to help them deliver the curriculum effectively. Pupils enjoy reading, and having read to them, a wide range of stories from different authors. 28 and 29 February 2024

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Children in the early years get a strong start to their education. Adults teach them how to follow routines and show positive learning behaviours. For example, children in Nursery and Reception learn how to show ‘star sitting’. Leaders have ensured that children’s learning in the early years prepares them well for their learning in Year 1 and beyond. For example, leaders have changed how children are taught to write so that they can write with more expression and creativity in the Year 1 curriculum. Staff skilfully identify the parts of the curriculum that children need more help with.

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Pupils’ personal development is reflective of leaders’ ambitions to give ‘voices, choices and opportunities’. Pupils’ experiences extend beyond the classroom. They access a variety of clubs and activities. Pupils are taught to understand what it means to be inclusive and understanding of others. All pupils benefit from the pastoral support offered by staff. Pupils who need more support to manage their emotions and behaviour receive the help they need to be ready to learn. Many pupils are given opportunities to have leadership roles. Pupils value these opportunities and undertake them enthusiastically.

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Leaders at all levels share the same ambitions for pupils. Decisions are made with children and pupils at the centre. The governing body has recently undergone significant changes to its structure. These changes are in the early stages. Trustees are ensuring that governors develop their systems and approaches to offer robust challenge to school leaders. Subject leaders in school benefit from the support offered by the trust. Most staff feel connected to the school’s recent improvement journey and welcome the support that leaders provide.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The assessment of the impact of more recently developed aspects of the curriculum is not as precise as it could be. This means that the school sometimes does not have the information it needs to see how well curriculum changes are impacting on pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that its evaluation of all areas of the curriculum provides it with the information it needs to continue to improve outcomes for pupils.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they miss valuable opportunities to build on their learning through the ambitious and skilfully taught curriculum. The school should continue to work with families to embed and refine systems to increase attendance. 28 and 29 February 2024

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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). 28 and 29 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 September 2021 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average primary school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The governing body is a joint governing body for this school and another school in the trust.

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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

 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 28 and 29 February 2024

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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 spoke to members of the governing body and representatives of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, early reading, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors evaluated responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey. They spoke with some parents dropping their children off at school.  Inspectors also evaluated the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys by staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Liam Colclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 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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