Green Meadows Academy

Inspection of Green Meadows Academy Back Lane, Leeds LS20 8LS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive principal of this school is Shona Crichton. This school is part of Wellspring Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Mark Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Cheryl Hobson. 24 and 25 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is friendly and nurturing. Staff know pupils well. Pupils feel safe here. They develop effective ways to communicate their needs and feelings. There are positive and respectful relationships. Pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are understood and met well by skilled staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils attend well. They enjoy school. Staff help pupils to understand and manage their emotions and behaviour. Most pupils behave well. They learn the importance of being, ‘ready, respectful and safe’. Staff promptly deal with inappropriate behaviour or bullying. Pupils learn to understand how their behaviour affects others. Routines around the school are well established. Pupils develop their social skills and engage increasingly well in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school’s aspiration for pupils to ‘grow, thrive and succeed’ is central to its ethos. Staff want pupils to flourish. However, expectations for what students in the sixth form can achieve are not high enough. Learning is not consistently well matched to students’ needs and abilities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s enrichment activities help pupils to develop their independence and prepare for adulthood. Pupils enjoy sailing, cooking, swimming and sporting activities. Sixth-form students attend college one day a week. Key stage 4 pupils enjoy adventure days at Leeds Beckett University.

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better?

The school has undergone significant changes since it opened. The environment has been refurbished and is welcoming. Leadership has been restructured. Leaders have established an ambitious vision for pupils to be empowered, nurtured and supported to thrive.

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better?

The curriculum is well sequenced across the school’s three learning pathways. The important knowledge and skills are identified clearly. Teachers break learning down into small steps. Most pupils experience learning that is tailored to their individual requirements. Staff provide skilled support to help pupils to engage in lessons. Curriculum themes help pupils to make connections and revisit learning across different subjects. For example, key stage 3 pupils use the knowledge they gain from reading the book, ‘Home’ by Benjamin Zephaniah to explore Jamaican culture. The curriculum for students in the sixth form is not implemented as well as it is across other classes across the school. Leaders recognise that this means that some students do not achieve as well as they could. Their plans to improve the implementation of the curriculum in the sixth form are in the early stages of development.

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better?

The teaching of effective communication and interaction skills is high priority for the school. Pupils learn how to use a range of communication resources. These include signing, pictures, symbols and objects of reference. Pupils with high anxiety and 24 and 25 April 2024

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sensory needs learn in a way that is appropriate for them. Pupils enjoy using the school’s sensory and movement rooms to help them calm and be ready to learn.

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Staff assess pupils’ needs carefully. Their assessments inform pupils’ individual learning plans (ILPs). The ILPs identify targets for pupils based on their education, health and care (EHC) plans. External professionals, including therapists, work with staff to ensure that pupils’ needs are met well. Leaders make sure that pupils’ targets for learning are achievable.

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Pupils relish listening to stories and appreciate reading for pleasure. They enjoy learning phonics. Phonics is taught well. Leaders choose texts to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world. Regardless of the curriculum pathway pupils follow, they enjoy the same texts but in different ways. Staff are skilled in delivering sensory stories and story massage. Younger pupils particularly enjoy opening out and exploring their colourful fabric 'spaceship' while reading 'Aliens Love Underpants'.

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Pupils’ personal development is promoted well. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum contains suitable topics of learning. Pupils learn about protected characteristics and fundamental British values. They receive age- appropriate relationships, sex and health education. They learn about potential risks to their safety and the importance of good mental and physical health. Pupils have opportunities to visit the theatre, places of worship and museums. Older pupils enjoy learning to sail and taking part in activities such as bushcraft and climbing. Pupils of all ages like participating in the ‘sing and sign’ choir.

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The school provides pupils, including sixth-form students, with appropriate careers information and guidance. They receive independent advice to help them to make informed choices about their next steps. Sixth-form students enjoy applying their mathematical and cookery skills when running the school’s café.

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Governors and trustees maintain effective oversight of the school. They understand the aspects of the school that need further improvement and have suitable plans in place to do so. Staff speak positively about the work and support of the trust. Leaders are considerate of the workload and welfare of staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The sixth-form curriculum is not consistently well matched to the needs of the students. Students may not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should intensify their actions to improve the provision for sixth-form students so they can achieve their best and be successful in their next steps. 24 and 25 April 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). 24 and 25 April 2024

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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sixth form

Principal Shona Crichton (Executive principal) Victoria Paver (Associate principal) Website www.greenmeadows.org.uk

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sixth form

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has two sites. Primary-aged pupils are educated at Bradford Rd, Guiseley, Leeds LS20 8PP. Secondary pupils and sixth-form students are educated at Back Lane, Leeds LS20 8LS.  The school operates partnership provisions within four schools across Leeds. These schools are Benton Park School, Rawdon St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Allerton High School and Brudenell Primary School.  The school opened as part of Wellspring Academy Trust on 1 May 2021.  Since the school opened, several new staff have been appointed. A new associate principal joined the school in October 2023. A new executive principal was appointed in March 2024.  The school provides education for pupils with autism spectrum disorder, social, emotional and mental health needs, communication and interaction difficulties 24 and 25 April 2024

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and a range of associated and complex learning disabilities. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider of education.  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.  There are currently no children in the early years.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive principal, the associate principal, the designated leader for safeguarding who is also an assistant principal, the office manager, several members of the senior leadership team and some curriculum leaders. They met with some leaders for other schools within the trust and some members of staff and some pupils. The lead inspector met with the director of learning for the trust and met virtually with the chair of the governing group and chief executive officer of the Wellspring Academy Trust.  The lead inspector visited two of the school’s partnership provisions. An inspector

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Information about this inspection

also met with leaders for the other two partnership provisions.  An inspector spoke on the telephone with a leader for the alternative provider used by the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, communication and humanities. Inspectors met with curriculum leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teaching staff and spoke to some pupils about their learning. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects, including physical development and PSHE.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single 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.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for parents and carers,

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Information about this inspection

pupils and staff. An inspector spoke with some parents at the school gate and spoke to some parents on the telephone. 24 and 25 April 2024

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Angela Spencer-Brooke Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 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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