Pudsey Grammar School

Inspection of a good school: Pudsey Grammar School Mount Pleasant Road, Pudsey, West Yorkshire LS28 7ND

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Outcome

Pudsey Grammar School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pudsey Grammar is an inclusive school. The school is welcoming and pupils respect the differences in other people. Pupils get on very well with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum for pupils. It is broad and balanced. Staff have high expectations of all pupils. The vast majority of pupils rise to the expectations and work hard. Pupils benefit from the curriculum and are well prepared for their next steps. For example, pupils in all year groups benefit from a school careers event attended by over 50 local and national organisations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are members of one of the school’s eight houses. The house system plays a central role in the school and provides a sense of belonging. There is a wide range of competitive and good-natured house competitions that pupils participate in. Students in the sixth form develop their leadership skills as house leaders and support younger pupils with reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Safeguarding has a high profile across the school. It is very well led and pupils feel safe. Pupils learn about the risks they may face as young adults in society. They learn about dangers such as vaping and smoking. If bullying happens, pupils are confident that staff will deal with it quickly. Pupils behave well in lessons. At social times, there are a small number of pupils who do not always conduct themselves as well as the school would like.

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

The school has adopted a consistent approach to curriculum planning. To this end, leaders in individual subjects have thought about the most important content that needs to be taught and in what order. For example, in English, pupils are taught about communism before the teaching of George Orwell’s novel `Animal Farm’. 17 and 18 April 2024

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use this to introduce new content in manageable steps. Teachers provide pupils with the opportunity to review their learning through routine recap of the most important content. This helps pupils remember the most important information. For example, in physical education (PE), Year 7 pupils can demonstrate and explain the steps necessary to develop acceleration in starting sprints. However, in subjects where the curriculum is less well developed, some teachers are not yet as skilled in delivering the curriculum as the school intends. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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The school has prioritised supporting the pupils who need the most support with reading. Staff are well trained; they identify gaps in pupils’ skills and they provide targeted support for individual pupils. These strategies are having a positive effect in helping the weakest readers to read more fluently.

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The school has put in place new systems to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As part of improvements in this area, communication with parents of pupils with SEND has got better. Teachers use individual pupil passports to adapt teaching. However, there is more work to do in individual subjects to ensure that bespoke adaptations are made to the curriculums so that pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Typically, pupils behave well in lessons and the vast majority focus on their work. There are rewards and sanctions in place to support positive behaviour, and teachers apply these consistently. The school is aware that a small number of pupils do not behave as well during social times and when moving between lessons. Those who find coming to school difficult are monitored and supported well. The school has appointed new staff to strengthen its efforts to improve attendance.

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The opportunities for all pupils and students in the sixth form to develop their interests beyond the curriculum are well planned. The house system is the key driver of pupils’ participation in a range of competitions and activities from Years 7 to 13. Pupils, who earn house ties for their dedication to house participation, wear them with pride. Sixth-form students benefit from the leadership opportunities available to them as house captains.

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Pupils benefit from a well-considered programme for their personal development. It covers a wide range of areas, including physical and mental health. Pupils are taught how to stay safe online and in the local community. They talk confidently about the importance of developing healthy relationships. Pupils have a strong understanding of the importance of fundamental British values. They respect the differences that exist between people.

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Careers advice is an important part of the curriculum. Pupils from Year 7 upwards attend whole-school events that showcase the opportunities available for their next steps. Pupils spoke positively about listening to national and international employers and universities at a recent careers event.

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Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and where improvements are needed. Local governors work well with the school leadership team and challenge leaders appropriately. Teachers and support staff value the opportunities available for their 17 and 18 April 2024

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professional development and feel their workload and well-being are taken into consideration.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variability in the implementation and delivery of the curriculum. This means that some pupils cannot always remember the key knowledge and concepts as well as they should. This means they achieve less well in some subjects. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum is implemented and taught consistently in every subject so that pupils know more and remember more and achieve well across all subjects.  The support for pupils with SEND in individual subject areas is generic. As a result, provision for some pupils with SEND is not as effective as it should be. The school needs to ensure that leaders and teachers have a better understanding of personalised subject-specific support. This subject-specific support should be reflected consistently in curriculum plans to help ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2019.

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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. 17 and 18 April 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 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). 17 and 18 April 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,338

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form

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 April 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is an above-average sized secondary school.  The school uses seven registered alternative providers.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is below the national average.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school is a designated National Behaviour Hub Lead School. 17 and 18 April 2024

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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; 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at staff’s parents’ and pupils’ responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with staff responsible for the leadership of pupils with SEND, the sixth form and reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents.

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Inspection team

Julian Appleyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie McGrane Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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