Meanwood Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Meanwood Church of England Primary School Green Road, Meanwood, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS6 4LD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 18 and 19 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff prepare pupils extremely well for the next stage of their education and for their future lives. There is an absolute determination that pupils will become active and positive contributors to society. One pupil, expressing the views of many, said, ‘we will be good when we grow up and we will help our community.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations for what pupils can achieve and for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond positively to these high expectations. They behave calmly and sensibly around the school building. Pupils play cooperatively at playtimes. Rare disputes are resolved swiftly, often by pupils who have been trained in restorative practice. Staff care deeply for all the pupils. This contributes to pupils feeling happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit hugely from the school’s exceptional provision for their personal development. They thrive in a variety of leadership roles and positions of responsibility. For example, reading ambassadors help to spread the school’s enthusiasm for reading. These pupils develop confidence through promoting books in assemblies and reading texts to younger pupils. School councillors contribute to improvements to the school environment, such as through planting in the school grounds to attract wildlife.

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better?

The school has designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Pupils learn to successfully apply their mathematical knowledge in meaningful contexts. Reading is promoted well. Learning is carefully planned in a sequence that runs from early years to Year 6. The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn across all subjects. Teachers ensure that pupils’ knowledge builds over time in different subjects. In lessons, pupils regularly revisit previous learning to ensure that they remember what they have been taught.

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better?

Teachers generally make effective checks to see if pupils have gaps in their knowledge and quickly address them. However, on some occasions, these checks do not identify when pupils make repeated mistakes with handwriting, punctuation and spelling. Some pupils do not then improve these aspects of their written work. Teachers plan engaging lessons based on their secure subject knowledge. On some occasions, tasks do not enable pupils to use learning time as effectively as they could.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported very well. These pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. When necessary, careful adaptations are made to ensure their needs are met.

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better?

The school passionately promotes a love of reading. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are taught the sounds that letters make in carefully structured ways. Older pupils are enthusiastic when discussing their favourite books and 18 and 19 June 2024

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authors. Adults read to pupils every day. In the Reception class, books are central to children’s learning, for instance to develop and broaden their vocabulary through the introduction of words such as ‘devour’ and ‘scavenging’.

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Children in Reception get off to a positive start to their education. There are well planned opportunities for children to develop in all areas of learning. Adults interact positively with children, helping them to secure and consolidate their learning. Children develop high levels of confidence and independence. They also cooperate and play together cheerfully. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop early mathematical knowledge, such as through creating repeated patterns using a computer. Children in early years also learn the importance of keeping healthy and through the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’ visit by local medical students. There is rich learning when children bring their own teddy bears in for checkups and treatment.

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Positive and successful relationships underpin the school’s approach to behaviour management. Pupils value the school’s restorative approach to helping them resolve conflict and make better decisions in the future. Pupils know that they are cared for. They know that they can speak to trusted adults or use worry boxes to share any concerns.

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Pupils benefit from a highly impressive personal development programme. The way in which the school develops pupils’ character is exceptional. This is threaded through all aspects of school life. Pupils respect differences between people. They have a deep understanding of protected characteristics. In ‘diversity week’, pupils learn about a range of disabilities, including those that are less visible, such as neurodivergence. There are high levels of participation in the wide range of extra- curricular activities, including by vulnerable pupils and those with SEND.

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Leaders and governors share an unwavering ambition that every pupil will be a positive citizen. The school keeps up with the latest educational research in developing the curriculum. There is a strong commitment to continually developing staff. Staff are united in their praise for leaders who have worked tirelessly to make continued improvements to the school. The majority of parents are similarly positive. Governors are highly skilled and have a good understanding of their role. They are supportive of the school but will challenge and take difficult decisions when necessary.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 There is some variation in the use of assessment. Misconceptions are not consistently addressed. The school should work with teachers to improve the use of assessment to enable pupils to produce better quality work.

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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). 18 and 19 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.meanwoodschool.co.uk/

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in June 2023.  The school is designated as having a religious character. It is part of the Diocese of Leeds. It was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in May 2019. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due within eight years of its previous section 48 inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 18 and 19 June 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. They also met with members of the governing body, representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, the pupils’ survey and the staff survey. Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.  During the inspection, inspectors met with groups of pupils, both formally and during less-structured parts of the day.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Michael Rowland Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 June 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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