Ley Top Primary School

Ley Top Primary School

Address: Avenel Road, Allerton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD15 7PQ Unique reference number (URN): 107241

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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This school requires significant improvement

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. Overall attendance is consistently below national averages. Leaders analyse why some pupils do not attend school regularly. This supports them in making the necessary improvements. Further work is needed to ensure that this analysis is more precise and targeted to speed up improvement. However, leaders' initial actions are beginning to show some impact. Some pupils now attend school more regularly and are more punctual.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders challenge poor attitudes to learning and behaviour head on. Pupils generally follow the school's expectations. They build positive relationships with staff in school. This supports pupils, particularly those with social, emotional and mental health needs, to regulate their behaviour. Pupils and parents and carers appreciate this positive change. Leaders now track carefully incidents of bullying and discriminatory language, which helps them respond more effectively than previously. However, a small number of pupils report that these issues still occur occasionally.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

In lessons, pupils are increasingly able to learn without disruption. However, sometimes pupils do not actively participate in lessons. This is because the quality of teaching in some classes does not consistently support pupils to do so.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders are in the process of developing the early years curriculum. This now sets out most of the knowledge and skills children need to learn. However, some areas of the curriculum lack clarity. For example, it is unclear how children are supported to develop aspects of physical development, such as fine motor skills. This means that children have not historically left the early years with the skills and knowledge needed to be ready for Year 1. A number of changes have recently been made to the provision. These support children to engage positively with a wide range of activities that support their development. There is more work to do to ensure that pupils secure the important knowledge needed to be ready for their next steps. However, these changes are beginning to show improvements.

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Early years Needs attention

Children enjoy coming to school and positively engage with their learning activities. Staff build positive relationships with parents and carers. They place a focus on establishing clear routines for children to follow. This help children to settle well and develop secure personal, social and emotional skills. While staff speak warmly to children, they do not always use their interactions to extend children's language and speaking skills. Appropriate staff training is in place to improve this. Leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive suitable and effective support in the early years.

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Inclusion Needs attention

New leaders have implemented more precise systems than previously to identify pupils who face additional barriers to their learning. These systems ensure that leaders and staff accurately identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. While pupils are appropriately identified, they do not always receive the most effective support. This affects how well pupils learn from their starting points. Where support is less effective, this negatively impacts pupils’ achievement. Leaders have begun to take action to improve this. They have identified the appropriate actions to ensure pupils receive more effective support. It is too early to determine the impact of this work.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have identified appropriate strategies to support disadvantaged pupils. They identify the barriers these pupils face and have an appropriate plan that outlines how additional funding will improve their offer. This funding is used appropriately, including to assist with the purchase of school uniform and to enable equal access to educational trips and visits.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have recently developed more positive relationships with families, professionals and other agencies to enhance the school's inclusive provision. Specialist support is now provided for pupils who need it for areas such as speech and language advice and educational psychologist support. The use of alternative provision is appropriate.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school has experienced significant turbulence in leadership over recent years, including governance. Current leaders have support from the local authority to address areas for improvement and leadership is now stable. They have identified that there is still significant work to do in order to raise pupils' achievement. They have created an appropriate action plan and have started to check and evaluate their actions to ensure that these have the intended impact.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders want the very best for pupils here. They have begun making positive changes at the school. For example, leaders have improved behaviour and ensured that the school's safeguarding procedures keep pupils safe. Leaders have built stronger relationships with parents and carers to help them work together more effectively. Parents comment on the positive changes being made at the school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors are aware of their responsibilities. While many governors are new to the role, they have the appropriate skills and knowledge. Governors meet their statutory duties. They are developing more precise systems to ensure that actions can be addressed with urgency and rigour. This work is at an early stage.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Professional learning opportunities for staff are now regular and more focused than previously. Staff appreciate the investment in their development. The impact of this work is

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Urgent improvement

visible in some areas of school, but further work is needed to ensure pupils learn and achieve well. Staff workload is well considered, and leaders support staff as necessary.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils do not have a secure understanding of the fundamental British values and the characteristics that make people unique and are protected by law, such as race. While pupils know that it is important to respect differences, their understanding of concepts such as equality and tolerance is not as well developed. Leaders have recently implemented an appropriate strategy to address this, but this is in the early stages, and its impact is not evident. New leaders are committed to making these improvements rapidly and effectively to ensure pupils can develop these important skills.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders ensure that the personal, social and health education curriculum is fit for purpose and that statutory relationships education is included. Leaders have also made sure that pupils are taught about possible risks in the local and wider area. This supports pupils to reflect on real-life experiences and apply their knowledge to these scenarios. As a result, pupils understand how to stay safe in a range of different contexts, including online.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders have increased pupils’ access to extracurricular activities. For example, all pupils now take part in school trips. These experiences help pupils learn more about their local area and places beyond Bradford. The school also offers a range of clubs, such as sports clubs, to give pupils opportunities to try different activities. Leaders carefully consider how well pupils who face additional barriers access this provision, but participation in school clubs remains inconsistent.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pastoral support is increasingly effective and targeted to pupils' needs. A number of pupils benefit from regular check-ins and specific interventions to support them with a range of needs, such as managing emotions linked to bereavement. The introduction of weekly 'emotional regulation' sessions helps pupils understand how they feel and the emotions associated with these feelings.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, do not achieve as well as they should. At the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is consistently below national averages. Disadvantaged pupils achieve less well than disadvantaged pupils nationally. Pupils do not secure the essential knowledge and skills they need. This leaves them unprepared for their next steps.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils' achievement in phonics is variable. Pupils do not learn the vital skills they need to learn to read. Gaps in pupils' understanding of multiplication tables also limit their ability to complete more challenging tasks in mathematics efficiently. Work in pupils' books and conversations with pupils demonstrate limited understanding of the subjects they learn. Pupils do not develop a sufficient understanding of the intended curriculum. Pupils with SEND have gaps in their learning. They are not supported quickly or well enough to catch up.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Pupils’ experiences in lessons do not help them to progress well through the curriculum. Weaknesses in teaching mean that pupils do not secure the knowledge they need. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not regularly complete work that builds on what they already know. Learning tasks are often too hard or do not meet their needs. These pupils do not get the support needed to catch up. This creates gaps in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The curriculum is generally well sequenced across most subjects. However, teachers are not sufficiently trained to deliver it effectively. They lack the appropriate subject knowledge. For example, pupils are often taught incorrect phonics sounds. Often, teaching focuses on learning activities that do not help pupils practise and remember what is taught. Teachers do not always check pupils’ understanding effectively across subjects. This means that misconceptions and errors go unnoticed and persist. Leaders have introduced a focused professional learning programme to improve the quality of teaching. This is in the early stages and it is too soon to see the impact.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

In writing and mathematics, too many pupils move through the curriculum without securing basic skills. For example, pupils in key stage 1 do not master letter formation. Teachers do not help pupils use and apply their phonics learning in writing to help them spell words correctly. In mathematics, pupils make mistakes in number, such as adding and subtracting, which are not always addressed.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Older pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to read regularly, which affects their fluency. Leaders have recently sought external support and have an appropriate action plan to improve pupils’ reading skills.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at Ley Top have received an unacceptable quality of education over the last few years. Significant changes in leadership historically have led to inconsistencies in the way the curriculum is delivered. Pupils do not secure the important knowledge they need to communicate, read, write and use mathematics successfully. Too many pupils do not achieve well over time, including in national curriculum tests. Many pupils leave school without the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in secondary school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Historically, the school’s ambition and expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are too low. Pupils with SEND have not received a high-quality education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

A number of pupils do not enjoy learning. For example, many pupils do not like reading. Pupils do not appreciate the benefits of reading and have limited opportunities in school to extend their knowledge of high-quality texts.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

New leaders have clarity and vision about what is needed to improve the school. This is warmly welcomed by staff, pupils and parents and carers. They are deeply committed to making the improvements needed. Pupils are beginning to benefit from leaders' actions and this is evident in some areas of the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ behaviour now more regularly meets the school’s new rules of 'ready, respectful and responsible'. As a result, the school is generally calm. Bullying is increasingly rare. If it does occur, staff deal with it well. Pupils feel safe because they have positive, trusting relationships with staff.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Over time, pupils do not attend school as well as they should. There are signs of recent improvements in attendance and pupils feel encouraged to attend school more regularly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders are focused on ensuring that pupils' experiences continue to improve. Pupils enjoy experiences such as swimming in the on-site pool which helps improve their water safety skills. They also speak positively about the new ‘irresistible’ curriculum trips, such as a visit to a science museum, which are funded by the school to ensure all pupils can be included.

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Next steps

Leaders must ensure that teachers have the subject knowledge and skills needed to identify and address gaps in pupils’ essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics, and to plan learning that builds securely on pupils’ prior knowledge in order to raise attainment. Leaders should ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive consistently effective support to overcome any barriers to learning and make better progress from their starting points. Leaders should continue to implement and evaluate their attendance strategy to improve pupils’ attendance and reduce persistent absence. Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a clear understanding of equality and diversity, including their knowledge of fundamental British values and the protected characteristics. Leaders, including governors, should continue to develop a rigorous approach to

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Next steps

identifying weaknesses in provision and the underlying causes and use this information to make sustainable improvements quickly and effectively. Leaders should ensure that staff interactions with children, including modelling, scaffolding and extending vocabulary, are of a consistently high quality across the early years to develop children's communication and language skills more effectively.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Adam Byrnes.

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Team inspectors:

Lindsay Lomas, Ofsted Inspector Alixena Lubomski, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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What does this mean?

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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What does this mean?

Inspectors spoke with senior leaders including the headteacher, the governing body and representatives from the local authority during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with wider staff, and the virtual head for Bradford local authority.

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What does this mean?

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

The school currently uses one alternative provision, which is registered.

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What does this mean?

There have been significant changes in leadership since the last inspection. The headteacher started in post in April 2025. Other senior leaders are also new to the school.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Stuart Gawthorpe The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 69% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 66% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 39% 47% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 63% 63% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 64% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 63% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 50% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 57% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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