Leeds West Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Leeds West Academy Intake Lane, Rodley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS13 1DQ

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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Outcome

Leeds West Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Dan Whieldon. This school is part of White Rose Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrew Whitaker, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stewart Harper.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and inclusive school. The school’s values of care, commitment and community create an atmosphere of strong relationships in which pupils thrive. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Leaders have created a school where pupils can be themselves and feel valued as members of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. In lessons, pupils behave well and show respect to their teachers. Typically, pupils are motivated and interested. They are attentive and responsive and collaborate well to support each other’s learning. Pupils are encouraged to participate in lessons. Teachers create a culture where pupils are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils actively engage in extra-curricular clubs, such as debate club, climbing and football. The school organises a number of trips and visits, including excursions abroad, that help pupils to develop their understanding of the world around them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all of its pupils. Since the last inspection, changes made to the curriculum are leading to improvements in pupils’ achievement.

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

Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has worked at pace to identify all of the 15 and 16 October 2024

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important knowledge that pupils should learn and the sequence in which it is delivered. This is having a positive impact on the quality of education.

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Teachers are skilled at delivering the curriculum in their subjects. They have strong subject knowledge and explain basic concepts to pupils effectively. Learning activities are chosen carefully to help pupils acquire important knowledge in the order that helps them to understand. However, sometimes teachers do not ensure that pupils’ knowledge and understanding are secure before moving on to more complex concepts. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their deeper knowledge of topics.

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The school has a vibrant and inclusive approach to supporting pupils with SEND. The school ensures that staff know each pupil well and have the information and resources to meet their needs. Staff skilfully enable pupils to access the curriculum and achieve well. The school identifies pupils who need additional help with reading. The school has a well- organised approach to the teaching of reading. Staff check on gaps in pupils’ learning and provide support to help them catch up. The school encourages pupils to read widely and often.

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The school rules of ‘Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe’ spread through the school. Pupils are courteous to staff and to each other. They behave sensibly in school. The number of pupils who are subject to suspension is decreasing significantly. The school is supporting pupils into learning with the use of its own on-site alternative provision, Step Academy. Pupils who spend their time in this provision say that it has improved their attitude and engagement with school. They value their provision and care about their studies. Pupils in the Step Academy are contributing positively to the life of the school, partaking in a full curriculum offer and a variety of activities.

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The school has a strategy for attendance that is beginning to show an impact. While there has been a great deal of success, the school’s actions have not secured sufficient improvement in the attendance of pupils with SEND. This is having a negative effect on the achievement of some pupils with SEND.

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The school has an extensive personal development curriculum. Careers provision is strong. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. During the inspection, pupils were taking part in a Restart a Heart session, where they were being taught how to perform CPR.

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Trustees and governors have a strong commitment to the school. They have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas of development of the school. They are considerate of staff’s well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 October 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not ensure that pupils’ knowledge and understanding are secure before moving on to more complex concepts. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their deeper knowledge of topics. The school should provide teachers with the training and support that they need to identify complex knowledge more effectively.  The school’s attendance strategy is not securing sufficient improvement for too many pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils do not benefit from the good quality of education that their peers receive and do not achieve as well. The school should intensify its actions to increase the attendance of pupils with SEND.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in May 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. 15 and 16 October 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 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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,434

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provision

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the White Rose Academies Trust.  The school uses three registered alternative provisions for a small number of pupils.  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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 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 spoke with the principal, other school leaders and staff.  Inspectors spoke with representatives of the trust and of the local accountability board.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and their views of

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behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors considered the responses shared through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and for staff.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including minutes of local accountability board meetings.

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Inspection team

Marc Doyle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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