West End Primary School

Inspection of a good school: West End Primary School West End Lane, Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS18 5JP

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Outcome

West End Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and adults value being part of this happy and inclusive community. As one parent said: ‘The support, emotionally as well as educationally, for our children from the school is excellent.’ Pupils are proud to represent their school in leadership roles, such as digital leaders and climate crew.

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What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils. They encourage pupils to work hard in their lessons. This helps pupils to achieve well. Pupils leave the school well prepared for the next stage of education. Pupils are polite and eager to talk about the things they learn about in their lessons. The school has high expectations for how pupils present their work, although, at times, this high standard is not met. Leaders of individual subjects are knowledgeable and pupils are taught a wide range of important information in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful and kind to one another and bullying is rare. They know that if they have a problem, staff in school will support them. Pupils attend school regularly. At social times, pupils play well with one another. There is a wide range of clubs, including well- being, photography and cricket, that pupils enjoy attending after school.

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

The school has developed a curriculum which carefully sequences the important information that all pupils need to know. This is fully inclusive of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They are aware of the importance of high-quality teaching to meet the needs of all pupils in their care. All subject leaders review their subject areas regularly. This helps them recognise swiftly where any further improvements can be made.

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

It is evident that reading is a school priority. Pupils know that being able to read is important. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. The phonics programme is suitably resourced. All adults are well trained and deliver phonics effectively. Pupils read books containing sounds they know to help develop their 16 and 17 April 2024

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confidence. They practise reading daily. Additional sessions are provided for pupils who need extra help. Teachers have created reading areas in classes and developed a library at the heart of the school. Pupils use this space regularly. This helps to ensure that pupils develop a love of reading and learn to read well.

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While, overall, pupils achieve well, at times, there is inconsistency in how new learning is modelled by teachers. In some subjects, teachers’ explanations and examples lack precision. This leads to confusion for pupils in understanding how they can use, and build upon, what they already know and can do when presented with learning new information.

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The curriculum in subjects such as art and design is particularly ambitious. For example, pupils can demonstrate their understanding of how they use different shading techniques learned in Year 4 to move on to scumbling in Year 5 when creating work inspired by Claude Monet. Most pupils are proud of their work and, generally, take care with the presentation of it. However, this is not consistently the case. On occasions, pupils’ handwriting is illegible and poorly presented. In some classes, this is not addressed by teachers.

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Most pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers make sure that the curriculum is adapted and pupils are supported sensitively to meet any specific needs they might have. Staff are well trained to recognise and help those pupils who need any additional support.

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Pupils behave well and are respectful and polite to one another and to others. This view of positive behaviour is also held by staff and by the vast majority of parents and carers. Pupils are proud to be members of the school community and take part in many local events and shows, representing the school well. Pupils’ attendance at school is good.

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The school has introduced a personal development curriculum that ensures that pupils are well-rounded, knowledgeable citizens. This helps meet the school’s vision that all pupils will be personally, socially and environmentally responsible. Pupils learn about different types of relationships and how to keep themselves healthy. They have a growing understanding of fundamental British values, such as democracy and respect.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They say that their workload and well-being are well managed by leaders and governors. They recognise that, being a small school, there are additional roles that leaders and staff play, yet they are supported well to do so.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 With the introduction of the curriculum, sometimes the explanations and examples teachers give to guide pupils’ learning, in some subjects, are not as precise as they 16 and 17 April 2024

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could be. As a result, pupils are unable to use what they already know to support their new learning. The school needs to ensure that all new information is more consistently and precisely explained to pupils so that they can make the necessary connections to support new learning.  Teachers do not consistently address the quality of the presentation of pupils’ work. In some classes, pupils’ writing and letter formation is incorrect, which is not addressed. The school needs to ensure that teachers are clear about their expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work, including correct letter formation, and that these expectations and standards are applied consistently across all classes.

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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 March 2015.

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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). 16 and 17 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been a number of staffing changes, including a new deputy headteacher and five new teachers.  Due to increased pupil numbers in the local area, the school has an additional class in Year 2. This additional class will move up through the school until 2028.  The school provides wraparound provision for pupils under the age of five, including a breakfast- and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. 16 and 17 April 2024

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 Prior to the inspection, the inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  The inspector met with the headteacher, curriculum leaders and members of the governing body, and held a telephone conversation with a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. 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; looked at records and information; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The views of staff and pupils were considered from conversations and through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.  The responses to Ofsted Parent View, including written responses, were considered.

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Inspection team

Nicola Shipman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 April 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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