Low Ash Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Low Ash Primary School Wrose Road, Wrose, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD18 1AA

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Low Ash Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe in this caring school. Relationships across the school are warm and respectful, reflecting the school’s motto that pupils ‘learn, achieve, persevere and succeed’. As one pupil said ‘Everyone is welcome here, no matter what our differences are we all care for each other.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance is good. Pupils enjoy representing the school in events out of school. The pupils enjoy their work in the community. They develop relationships with elderly residents at the local church club and raise funds for a national charity, chosen democratically by the school council.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is aspirational for what it wants pupils to learn. However, this vision is not being fully realised for all pupils, including some of those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils develop secure knowledge and skills in reading and mathematics and achieve well. However, for pupils at the early stage of writing, the work they are given is not always adapted well to meet their needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are given opportunities to participate in a wide range of school clubs, including multi sports, crochet, cookery and gymnastics. These clubs are popular and well attended. Pupils are proud to hold positions of responsibility, including librarians and digital leaders. In their roles as buddies, pupils effectively and sensitively support younger pupils with their behaviour.

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

Reading at Low Ash is a priority. Staff have benefited from training and confidently teach pupils to read. Pupils are taught phonics using a sequenced programme. They read books 21 and 22 January 2025

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that ensure they gain a secure knowledge of the letters and sounds they need to learn. Any pupils who need further help with reading are identified and supported. Adults think carefully about the books they use. This exposes pupils to a wide variety of texts to develop their love of reading. Over time, pupils achieve well in phonics, despite an uncharacteristic drop in 2024 outcomes. The school knows why this happened and has taken swift action to address this.

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In mathematics, the youngest children understand important concepts, such as less than and more than. In other subjects, pupils achieve well as the knowledge pupils need to know is mapped out clearly. Teachers are clear about what pupils need to learn. Lessons are designed to build sequentially on what pupils already know. For example, in computing pupils understand how to use formula to create spreadsheets as teachers explain clearly what they need to do. Teachers make sure that pupils understand and use the correct vocabulary. This helps pupils to explain their thinking.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They are keen to learn and are proud of their work. However, the written tasks pupils at an early stage of writing undertake do not always show what pupils can achieve, as for some the curriculum lacks ambition. There is inconsistency in how well letter and number formation are taught. Errors in these important foundational areas are not consistently addressed by adults so pupils continue to make the same mistakes.

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Pupils with SEND usually access the same curriculum as their peers, often with support from adults. However, on occasions the activities that pupils undertake do not align well enough with what they can do or need to learn. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could independently.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, who need extra help and guidance with their behaviour get the help they require. Staff support these pupils to make the right choices. The school promotes the importance of being in school on time, ready to learn. Consequently, pupil’s attendance is good.

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Pupils’ personal development is well planned and is woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils talked enthusiastically about trips the school plans for them, including museums, places of worship and residential visits they make. They enjoy the wide range of clubs the school provides. The school give pupils opportunities to have leadership roles and school responsibilities. These include school prefect, student councillors and happiness heroes.

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Governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and also the areas to strengthen. Staff are committed and want the best for all pupils. Teachers at all stages of their careers are well supported and trained. Staff value the support the school give them managing their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 January 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not ensure that the learning needs of some pupils at an early stage of writing and for some pupils with SEND are met well enough. This means that these pupils do not achieve as well as they could, or only do so with the support of adults. The school should ensure that the activity choices are better adapted to support the pupils to learn independently.  Foundational skills in letter and number formation are not taught to consistent effect. Errors in these areas are not consistently addressed. The school should set clear expectations for pupils’ letter and number formation and help pupils to meet these expectations.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2016.

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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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club overseen by the governing body.  Since the last inspection, the headteacher who was previously a co-headteacher has been appointed the headteacher at the school.  Since the last inspection, 1 assistant headteacher and 12 teachers have joined the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the inclusion leader, the assistant headteachers and other subject leaders. The inspector also spoke with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to adults about their work in lessons.

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including at breaktimes, at lunchtimes and in lessons. The inspector also spoke to pupils about behaviour and after-school clubs. The inspector spoke with leaders, teachers and pupils about the school’s programme of personal development.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.

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 The inspector considered the responses from parents to Ofsted’s Parent View. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Nicola Shipman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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