St Chad's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Chad’s Church of England Primary School Northolme Avenue, West Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS16 5QR

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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 Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Gina Marsland. This school is part of Abbey Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the co-chief executive officers (Co-CEOs), Helen Pratten and Catherine Garrett and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gefrin Price. 9 and 10 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Chad’s Church of England Primary School is warm, welcoming and inclusive. The school’s vision of ‘In the light of God, we care, we share, we laugh, we learn’ underpins every aspect of school life. All members of the school community are supported to flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are happy, safe and well cared for. They enjoy spending time with their friends. They enthusiastically take part in the many enriching learning opportunities the school provides. The relationships that pupils have with adults in the school are positive. Pupils say bullying is rare and they trust adults to help them if they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of interesting and meaningful opportunities to learn outside and beyond the classroom. For example, pupils learn important first-aid skills, including resuscitation. They speak positively about the growing number of trips and clubs available to help them learn. All pupils are encouraged to be active. Physical health and mental well-being are an important part of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Involvement with the local community is valued. Pupils take part in carol singing and hosting Fairtrade coffee mornings. Older pupils are proud to take on leadership responsibilities, such as Reception class buddies, eco-warriors and junior leaders.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have driven robust and rapid improvement. They have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum across all subjects. The curriculum is sequenced to ensure that that learning builds on previous knowledge and all pupils are appropriately challenged. The mathematics curriculum does this very well. As a result, pupils achieve well in mathematics.

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better?

The school ensures that learning meets the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Careful task adaptations, additional resources and adult support help these pupils to achieve well.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced strategies to implement the curriculum and to support pupils’ learning. Some elements of the school’s plans, such as the systematic checking of pupils’ understanding, are not applied consistently across school. Activity choices are not always well matched to pupils’ varying learning needs. As a result, some pupils lose interest in their learning and become distracted.

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better?

Pupils achieve well in reading. Early reading is taught consistently well by trained staff. Pupils’ phonics knowledge builds securely. Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly. They ensure that pupils get any additional practice they need. Older pupils who are not fluent readers are supported to catch up. Pupils enjoy reading. They talk about their favourite books and love to earn ‘reading keys’ based on the number of books they have read. 9 and 10 July 2024

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Children in the early years thrive. The early years setting is an exciting place to be. It nurtures children’s curiosity and imagination. For example, children and adults make magic potions and plant imaginary turnips in the mud. Children are taught how to form their letters in line with their phonics knowledge. However, they are not given sufficient opportunities to practise this skill. Some children’s writing contains errors, which are not addressed. This means that some children are not ready to embark on the Year 1 writing curriculum.

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Pupils behave very well. Routines are well embedded, including in the early years. At social times, pupils play happily and harmoniously. Pupils attend well. The school is tenacious in its work to support the most vulnerable pupils whose attendance is a concern. This work is having a positive impact.

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Pupils’ personal development is an important aspect of the school’s curriculum. Pupils learn about different cultures, religions and beliefs. They celebrate difference and understand the importance of treating others fairly. They know the importance of British values and the protected characteristics. Through assemblies and the school’s personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn about relationships, global issues and staying safe. Pupils visited a recycling centre and returned inspired to reduce waste and damage to the planet.

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Those responsible for governance have a strong oversight of the school. They challenge and support effectively. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and well- being. Staff feel well supported and are proud to work at the school.

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Parents are extremely positive about the education, the broader enrichment and care and support the school offers. They acknowledge the improvements made by leaders in a short space of time and welcome leaders’ endeavours to bring together the entire school community after a period of turbulence. One parent sums up the views of many: ‘St Chads is a wonderful school; its ethos and the sense of community is incredible.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s strategy for effective teaching and assessment has been recently introduced. This is not yet embedded across school. There is inconsistency in the way the curriculum is taught and assessed. This means some pupils’ learning is not as successful as it should be. The school should ensure that all teachers are clear about the school’s approach in order to teach and assess the curriculum effectively. 9 and 10 July 2024

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 In the early years, children do not get sufficient opportunities to practise the correct letter formation they are taught during phonics lessons. As a result, they make many errors in their writing, and these are not addressed. The school should ensure that children consistently form their letters correctly in line with the taught curriculum.

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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 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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of Abbey Multi-Academy Trust.  There has been a change in headteacher since the previous inspection. The headteacher was appointed in January 2024.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Leeds. The most recent section 48 inspection of St Chad’s C of E Primary School took place in January 2018. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school uses one alternative provider.  There is a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils who attend the school.

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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. 9 and 10 July 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders, school staff, some parents, representatives of the governing body, representatives of the board of trustees, other representatives of the trust, one of the Co-CEOs and a representative from the diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors 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.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.  The inspectors also looked at pupils’ work and discussed the curriculum with leaders in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and parents surveys, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Tracy Duffy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Carr His Majesty’s Inspector 9 and 10 July 2024

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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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