Adel St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Adel St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School Long Causeway, Adel, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS16 8EX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe in this warm and friendly school. Relationships between staff and pupils are a real strength. Staff know their pupils well. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns. They know staff will deal with any issues well. Pupils feel listened to and supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Lessons have an engaging and purposeful learning atmosphere. Pupils enjoy the broad range of subjects they study. They share and discuss their work constructively with each other. Pupils do well in their end of key stage 2 assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time together at break and lunch times. They understand the strong routines around the school and are supported well when they struggle. Pupils are respectful, kind and inclusive. They want the best for each other and contribute to the calm atmosphere throughout the building.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a range of opportunities which nurture pupils’ interests and aid their personal development. These include forest school experience, different sports and singing opportunities. Older pupils enjoy the residential trips they take part in. Children in Reception get off to a positive start in their education.

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

The school has developed a curriculum with clear ambition for all and which meets the requirements of the national curriculum. Reading, writing and mathematics benefit from the careful thought given to what pupils need to learn and when. This starts in the early years where the curriculum is carefully designed to prepare children well for learning beyond Reception. Core subjects benefit from a consistent approach throughout the school. Pupils achieve very well.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to access the curriculum. They enjoy learning the full range of subjects alongside their peers. However, the school is still developing some subject areas. In these subjects, the knowledge that pupils need to learn has not been as clearly defined. This means that some pupils have not secured their learning as well as the school would like them to.

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

Teachers have a firm understanding of the subjects they teach. They use this to help pupils develop their understanding of key ideas and vocabulary and identify any gaps in their learning. This helps pupils to understand what they have learned and how it fits with what they already know.

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

The school makes sure that teaching pupils to read is central to the curriculum. Staff have the expertise they need to teach phonics well. Children in Reception enjoy learning to read and their love of reading is evident. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Teachers check that pupils are on track with their reading. If pupils fall behind, they 18 and 19 March 2025

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receive support to help them catch up. Pupils understand why reading is important and do so every day.

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The personal development curriculum is comprehensive and responsive to the needs of the pupils. Pupils learn about topics in an age-appropriate way in their weekly lessons. They expressed their enjoyment of these lessons. Children in Reception enjoy the outdoor space and play kindly together. The development of each pupil’s character is very well considered and demonstrated well, particularly by older pupils when they are supporting younger ones.

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Pupils are specifically taught the school values of love, serve, support and succeed. Staff help them connect these to fundamental British values and the protected characteristics. Pupils actively demonstrate their understanding of these. They self-regulate well at break and lunch times. The school has sought to enhance pupils’ experiences during the school day. Pupils appreciate this and know their voice is listened to. They enjoy coming to school and gladly attend. The school does all it can to remove barriers to attending well and help pupils to be active members of the school.

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Pupils are encouraged to contribute to the school community and beyond. Pupils of all ages take up an array of leadership opportunities. Through these, they actively contribute to the life of the school. For example, house captains and peer mentors lead on activities during the day.

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Governors understand the strength of the school’s provision and what needs to improve. They receive clear information about leaders’ actions. They share the same wholehearted focus on pupils’ development. Leaders at all levels engage with staff on workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the steps taken to support them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, the school has not developed the curriculum, and their summative assessments are not as they could be. Consequently, it is sometimes not clear how much progress pupils have made in these subject areas. The school should ensure that all subjects are sequenced towards clear curriculum endpoints and that assessment is used well to identify what needs to be done next. 18 and 19 March 2025

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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.

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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 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Leeds. The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2022.  The school does not use any 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 18 and 19 March 2025

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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.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, the local authority representative and the diocese representative.  Inspectors held discussions with members of the board of governors, including the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and design and technology. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors also visited the early years provision at various points during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed the extra-curricular activities with leaders.

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 Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to parents and carers and groups of pupils as part of the inspection.  Inspectors met with leaders in relation to the school’s approach to History and Geography. They reviewed a range of pupils’ work including the school’s approach to writing.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  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.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Davie Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 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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