Weetwood Primary School

WEETWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr David Carrington

p.1

WEETWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 5 th December 2001

p.1

WEETWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

p.1

WEETWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Weetwood Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Marion McGowan

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 30 th June 1997 Weetwood Primary School - 4

p.3

Team members

15414 Mr David Carrington Registered inspector 9479 Mrs Christine Field Lay inspector 6752 Mrs Jenny Dickins Team inspector

p.4

Team members

Cherry Trees Wenlock Road Tasley Bridgnorth Shropshire WV16 4QB

p.4

Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

p.4

Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Weetwood Primary School - 5

p.4

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Weetwood Primary School is located in the Far Headingley district, about three miles north west of the centre of Leeds. There are 101 boys and 112 girls in the school, with another 37 children who attend the nursery on a part time basis. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average, though the proportion with statements of individual need is about average. A high proportion of pupils speaks English as an additional language, though the proportion entitled to free school meals is low. When children start school, their level of knowledge and skill is above average.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Weetwood Primary School is a very effective school. The quality of teaching and learning are good overall, with particular strengths in the junior classes and this enables all pupils to do well and reach their potential. The curriculum is broad, balanced and of considerable richness. The pupils develop into pleasant, caring children who get on well with each other and with adults. The headteacher gives very good leadership to the school and other staff and the governors form a strong team who are committed to improvement and can show much success in their work. There are two aspects of its work that the school is determined to enhance, but its prospects for the future are bright. Overall, the school gives good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective partnership to bring improvement. • The work is well planned to meet the needs of all pupils and staff value individual pupils very well. • The pupils become mature and sensible children who enjoy excellent relationships with other pupils and adults. • The quality of teaching and learning is good and the curriculum is rich and relevant. • Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good through the school.

p.6

What could be improved

• Assessment and its use to set targets for learning are not consistent. • Subject leaders do not have a full role in the monitoring and evaluation of standards and the quality of teaching and learning . The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Three key issues were set in the 1997 inspection report: 1. Complete the schemes of work for all subjects. 2. Improve systems of assessment and use the information produced in planning the next steps in learning. 3. Use the marking of work consistently to show how pupils can improve their achievements.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since then, the school has made good improvement. There are good curriculum guidelines in place for all subjects, assessment has been improved, though there are still aspects of this that remain for enhancement. Marking is much more informative about ways for pupils to improve their work. Standards have also been improved well during this period. The school in a strong position to maintain the good rate of improvement in the future. Weetwood Primary School - 7

p.6

STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests (SATs).

p.7

Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* English A* A A A well above average above average A B mathematics A A A B average below average C D science A* A* A A well below average very low E E* Similar schools are those schools with up to 8% of the pupils entitled to free school meals.

p.7

Key

The standards achieved by pupils in all three subjects in Year 6 were well above those found in most primary schools in 2001. When the same results are compared to those in schools where a similar proportion of pupils are entitled to free school meals, pupils at Weetwood Primary School did very well in English and science and well in mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving level 5 last year was very good overall.

p.7

Key

A similar picture was found in Year 2 in 2001. Standards were very high in reading and put the school’s results amongst the top five per cent of primary school nationally. Standards in writing and mathematics were very good and in science they were good. Comparisons against similar schools show that Weetwood pupils did very well in Year 2. Again, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 3 was very good last year. In all, standards have improved at the same rate in school over the last four years as found nationally.

p.7

Key

There were some differences in the performance of boys and girls in the 2001 national tests. Year 2 boys did better than the girls in reading, writing and mathematics but Year 6 girls did better than the boys in science. The school has worked hard to ensure that boys and girls both achieve suitably well. Inspectors found little difference in the effort and motivation of boys and girls during the inspection.

p.7

Key

Pupils in the nursery and reception classes make good progress because their needs are well understood, the curriculum gives good opportunities for them to explore and investigate and teaching quality is good. Inspection evidence shows a pattern of very good standards in all subjects in both the infant and junior classes and all pupils make good progress from their above average starting level of knowledge and skill.

p.7

Key

Pupils with special educational needs are supported very effectively and they make good gains in learning. Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make good progress because their needs are very well catered for.

p.7

Key

The school sets manageable targets for attainment and the commitment to improvement in standards is good. Weetwood Primary School - 8

p.7

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils want to come to school and they all enjoy their work. Pupils try hard, they produce a lot of very good work and they make the most of the learning opportunities provided.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Standards of behaviour are very good. There are one or two challenging pupils who are very well managed. Learning takes place in very orderly classrooms. There have been no exclusions during the last two years.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are excellent. Pupils’ development as independent and responsible learners who show initiative is very good.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attendance Very Good. The level of attendance is much above that found nationally. The school day starts punctually and time is used very well.

p.8

Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Good Good Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

p.8

Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The overall quality of teaching was good in the 33 lesson observations made by inspectors. There is no evidence of any unsatisfactory teaching and the proportion of very good or excellent teaching is much higher than is usual in primary schools nationally. The strongest teaching is in junior classes and all subjects, including English and mathematics are taught well. All pupils, regardless of background, share this good quality of teaching.

p.8

Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The scrutiny of pupils’ past work confirms this picture of good teaching. There are many more strengths in teaching than weaknesses. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, the teaching of basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT is very good and expectations are high The management of pupils, the use of time and resources and the contribution of support staff to pupils’ learning are all strengths.

p.8

Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Planning and ongoing assessment and pupils’ own knowledge of their learning, whilst satisfactory, could be enhanced.

p.8

Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Overall, the school meets the needs of all pupils very effectively. Pupils work very productively and show very good levels of independence and maturity as self-motivated learners. Pupils rise to the many challenges provided and use their initiative very well to advance their own learning. Weetwood Primary School - 9

p.8

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum gives all pupils very good opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and understanding across all subjects. All subjects meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. There are strengths in the arts subjects and provision in ICT has been improved very well. The school’s strategies for literacy and numeracy are very effective. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The school has made some important changes to the provision for pupils with special educational needs and these are having a very good impact on their work. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and they make good progress. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress because the support provided is very well focused on the development of their reading, speaking and writing skills.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent. The spiritual development of pupils is very good. Their moral, social and cultural development are all excellent. The pupils become sensible and mature learners who work together well and who appreciate the special qualities of their own culture and that of other people. How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school gives due concern to matters of pupils’ health, safety and welfare. Assessment procedures have been improved though the use of these to set, share and review targets with pupils could be more consistent. Behaviour and attendance are monitored effectively. Partnership with parents Good. Parents hold positive views of the school and they play a productive role in the education of their children. The school is striving well to improve the quality of information it provides about the progress of pupils.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher leads the school very well and shows great conviction and success. Other staff, including the deputy headteacher and senior managers, are united in their commitment to bring improvement. Together, they form a good team. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are very well informed about the work of the school and are influential in bringing improvement. They have good understanding of the school’s performance and they ensure that it is competitive by making good comparisons with other schools and by consulting carefully on what needs enhancing. In this way they ensure that the school upholds the principles of best value well. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. There is some very good analysis of performance data by the headteacher. Other staff are taking a greater role in this analysis, though the

p.9

Aspect Comment

role of subject leaders in monitoring the quality of education and standards could well be greater. The process of setting targets and the tracking of progress that pupils make could also be more consistent. The strategic use of resources Good. There are no shortages of staffing, accommodation or learning resources. Finance is managed effectively and additional finance for boosting standards and for the support of pupils with special educational needs is well spent. Weetwood Primary School - 10 Weetwood Primary School - 11

p.9

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• They feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or concerns. • The school expects their children to achieve their best. • Their children like school • Teaching is good and their children make good progress • The school does not keep them well enough informed of how their children are getting on. • The range of activities outside lessons is restricted. • Levels of homework are inconsistent.

p.11

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views of parents. It judges that the programme of activities outside lessons and homework provision is appropriate. School managers are working hard to improve the information provided to parents. Weetwood Primary School - 12

p.11

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

1. Weetwood Primary School is a very effective school because of the overall good quality of leadership and management. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the future of the school that is centred on the needs of all pupils. She knows the strengths and shortcomings of the school fully and has worked very well with the governors and staff to form a partnership that is focused on sustaining what works successfully and making continued improvement to those aspects of the school’s work that require enhancement. The headteacher gives very good leadership to the school and does this in a way that allows individuals to use their management talents well.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

2. The headteacher is supported effectively by the deputy headteacher who works successfully to fulfil her responsibilities. Senior managers, subject leaders and other staff are equal partners in the quest for improvement and all place the interests of the pupils first. There is a will to take the next step towards improvement and the staff are not afraid to submit their own work to scrutiny in order to identify what works well and what requires enhancement. All teachers have a responsibility for at least one subject or aspect of the school’s work and they work hard to make the necessary advancement. The role of senior managers and subject leaders has been developed well over the past two years and although there are still one or two things for refinement in their roles, individually and collectively, they are committed to improvement.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

3. Governors are key players in taking the school forward. They have very good understanding of what works well and what requires development and play a strong role in shaping the educational direction of the school. Governors make very good use of the available performance data to identify to what degree the school meets its aim of providing the best education for all pupils. They make the necessary checks and evaluations to ensure that the school achieves as well as schools with a similar intake of pupils, whether in Leeds or nationally. There is a competitive edge to governors’ appraisal of school performance, but this is well-founded in a happy ethos where all individual pupils are valued for their aspirations as well what they contribute. Governors and staff are determined that Weetwood Primary School should not become a conveyor belt to exam success but a school where pupils’ individual needs are catered for effectively.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

Governors, like the staff, hold high expectations of all pupils and they have developed very good systems to check that pupils rise to the many challenges set for them. The school is truly inclusive in educational, social and personal terms due to this concern for every pupil as an individual.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

4. The headteacher has monitored the work of staff in the classroom in order to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning. This is a well-managed process and has resulted in several improvements to the curriculum and the quality of teaching and learning. In addition, she analyses the data on pupils’ performance carefully. This enables a speedy response where pupils’ progress is less than expected and helps all pupils to achieve their potential. The systems in place to track progress and give due support to pupils ensure that pupils’ final level of performance is the cumulative work of all staff from the nursery through to Year 6 and is not over-dependent on boosts given in Year 2 or Year 6.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

5. The school’s budget is put to good use in the interests of the pupils. The school improvement plan is well focused on the core priorities of the school and the desired improvements to standards, the curriculum and the quality of education are all costed efficiently. Extra funding to help pupils achieve at their level of capability is also used well. Thus, pupils with special educational needs or those who speak English as an additional language are taught well and the progress that they make is no different from other pupils.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

6. The continuing successes of management can be detected easily by the visitor to school. It is not long before it becomes apparent that there is a bright, stimulating environment for learning that stems from everyone’s commitment to the pupils. Weetwood Primary School - 13 The work is well planned to meet the needs of all pupils and staff value individual pupils very well.

p.12

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

7. A walk around the school shows just what this commitment leads to. The quality of display is very good and this shows pupils what can be achieved and what to aspire to. It also shows the very good expectations held of all the pupils. The art work that graces the school would do credit to adult artists and craftspeople. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils were working on masks inspired by the study of original examples from India. All pupils paid particular attention to the finer details of the face as they decorated their masks and the quality of the finished product was high. Such work is an example of the breadth of experience that the curriculum offers and is testament to the achievement of pupils with particular needs.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

8. The school affords very good opportunities for all groups of pupils to do well. Teachers and non-teaching assistants, for example, give pupils with special educational needs very good support. The work for these pupils is carefully tailored to their individual requirements, the quality of their individual work programmes is very good and all staff know what is their next step in learning. Support assistants give quiet but very effective assistance, reinforcement and encouragement in lessons and this enables pupils to keep up with other pupils and to do well, given their starting point in learning.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

9. A similar situation exists for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Because the support for such pupils is very well focused on the acquisition of the key skills of speaking, reading and writing and the support staff teach very effectively, these pupils make good progress in their learning and many show very good levels of attainment by the age of eleven. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are represented in all ability groups and the progress that they make is fully the equal of the other pupils.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

10. The school can point to considerable success in the education of high attaining pupils. Early identification of such pupils is made and this enables staff to provide appropriate work to tax, extend and stimulate them. Pupils with special gifts and talents are also challenged well. The ethos for learning is charged by the many challenges provided for the very highest attainers. These pupils acquit themselves very well and show an eloquence and maturity in their work that demonstrates that their potential is tapped most successfully. The demands placed on the gifted and talented impact well on all other pupils because they too strive for personal best in what they do and want to participate in the challenges. The word challenge, when spoken by teachers, is invariably accompanied by enthusiastic responses from all pupils. The school’s track record in the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in National Curriculum tests (SATs) in Years 2 and 6 is

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

good. The school is not, however, complacent and is working to extend this proportion and to enable the top achievers to go on to level 6 at the age of eleven.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

11. Staff are adept at ensuring that amidst their focus on the extremes of the ability range, those in the middle are not discriminated against. Pupils of middle ability are equally well motivated and they work just as productively. Teachers’ planning gives careful focus on the needs of the range of ability within their classes and the activities provided are carefully graded to ensure that the middle attainers, for example, work from stimulating and challenging programmes of work. This has a profound impact on standards as the pupils of middle ability often do very well in their studies and achieve very respectable standards.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

12. Boys and girls do equally well in their learning. The school has identified a number of appropriate priorities to maintain the balance of achievement across the two genders. Girls’ writing, for example, is an ongoing priority that the school is pursuing very effectively. This focus arose from the careful analysis of SATs results that showed that girls were not achieving as well as the boys. Across the curriculum, opportunities are now planned carefully and provided effectively to enable girls to hone their writing skills, particularly in non-fiction writing. During the inspection, whether in lessons or as shown in the scrutiny of pupils’ earlier work, there was no significant evidence to show that one gender trails the other in the progress made in learning.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

13. Pupils of all ethnic backgrounds are expected and urged to do as well as each other. The cultures, traditions and faiths of all pupils are held in very high esteem and no opportunity is lost to promote recognition, appreciation and enjoyment of the contributions made by the diverse heritages in the immediate, city-wide and national arenas. The claim by parents that the school now engages more successfully with the wealth of Weetwood Primary School - 14 opportunity in Leeds itself is fully supported by the evidence of the inspection. The school is a place of total racial harmony where everyone can, and does, do well.

p.13

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

The pupils become mature and sensible children who enjoy excellent relationships with other pupils and adults.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

14. At the heart of this racial harmony is the very high quality of relationships. Staff form very good role models in the promotion of the excellent relationships in school. The pupils take their lead from such examples and work together most successfully. Their social and moral development is second to none and so lessons are sessions where pupils and staff share very good learning experiences, enjoyment is infectious and expectation is high. Thus, in a Year 1 English lesson where pupils were writing about sleepless nights, they learned very well together and showed high levels of independence and responsibility as they worked away from the adults in the room. The inspector observed a remarkable maturity amongst the pupils and a self- assurance that (was) well beyond their years . This lesson was just one of many where relationships in learning were the lynchpin of success.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

15. Another significant strength is the quality of behaviour. Very rarely during the inspection did teachers have to raise their voices or admonish pupils in other ways. There is a nucleus of pupils who present a challenging face to behaviour, but teachers and other staff deal with this most effectively and so learning is not affected and all pupils continue to do well. Behaviour is very good in lessons, around the school buildings and in the playground. Much thought has been given by staff and pupils alike, for example, to the design of the playground to encourage quiet, contemplative pastimes in some parts and more boisterous activity in others. Because the pupils’ know the expectation of behaviour and general response so well, they abide by the wishes of others, respect their rights and behave very well towards them.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

16. Confidence as learners and more generally, as people, is manifest about the school. Pupils talk expressively of their knowledge and interests and hold stimulating conversations with each other and with adults. Some pupils show particular gifts of loquacity! During the preliminary visit of the registered inspector, two Year 6 pupils treated the inspectors to a well-researched and thoroughly comprehensive guided tour of the school. These two pupils conversed with skill and interest on the school and their experiences as pupils. The inspectors were left in no doubt as to the inconvenience of some stock-rooms but also about the great gains made by having good computing facilities, a wildlife area and enclosed play space for the youngest children. The willow sculptures were a particular source of pride. As the inspection proper proved, these two young people were representative of the pupils as a whole and many others could have fulfilled this tour-guide role.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

17. It is very evident that the pupils are the prime strength of the school and that they are treated as so. Expectations are high of both academic and personal development.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

The quality of teaching and learning is good and the curriculum is rich and relevant.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

18. All evidence seen by inspectors, including 33 lesson observations and the scrutiny of a comprehensive range of pupils’ past work points to good teaching. That it is consistently so is a tribute to the determination and effectiveness of management. Past weaknesses have been overcome and there are now some very good features to teaching. Over four fifths of the lessons observed showed good or better teaching and learning – a very high proportion when set against the trend found nationally. Indeed, about forty percent of all teaching was very good or excellent. There is no evidence of any unsatisfactory teaching, whether in lessons or in the evidence of past work.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

19. The strengths of teaching very much outweigh the weaker elements. The teaching of basic skills and the level of expectation stand out as particular strengths. The quality and use of ongoing assessment is an aspect that the school has identified itself as needing enhancement and inspectors agree with this evaluation. This is tied into the school’s continuing priority to develop target setting and assessment as the prime means of ensuring that all pupils are doing at least as well as expected. A Year 3 English lesson to read and recite poetry shows the overall good quality of teaching in school. Here, because of very effective teaching, there was very good development of the skill of reading with expression during the course of the forty minutes observed. The inspector wrote that this very positive response arises directly from the quality of teaching, which is very confident…(the teacher) knows just how to capture the attention of the

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

pupils and is promoting both creativity and knowledge well . Weetwood Primary School - 15 20. Good learning arises from such effective teaching. Pupils acquire skills, knowledge and understanding most effectively. They work productively and show very good levels of interest, concentration and independence in learning. Because learning is motivating and fun, pupils work hard and do not fell threatened by the pressure that high expectation could place upon them. All pupils want to succeed, they want to share their learning and they are pleased when they do well. The Wizards and Superstars assembly for the whole school on the second day of inspection was a very effective vehicle for promoting hard work and celebrating achievement. The pride in achievement was not just to be seen on the faces of those with certificates – all other pupils, their parents and the staff shared the same sense of accomplishment.

p.14

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

21. Teaching and learning are rooted in a very good curriculum. All subjects are promoted very well and are held in good balance against each other. Thus, all subjects take their rightful place in the curriculum. The efficiency with which links between subjects are capitalised upon is one of the school’s strengths. Rarely do pupils study just English or just music, for example. Rather, opportunities are identified and incorporated into curriculum planning that draw upon other subjects to reinforce skills and knowledge, make the topic more appealing and broaden pupils’ understanding and appreciation of what they are learning. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a prime example of just how well the staff have related the skills and knowledge of one subject to those of another. During the two days of inspection, ICT was linked to English, mathematics, science, art and design, geography and history in different lessons. ICT is an emerging

p.15

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

strength of the school, and as in the cases of literacy and numeracy, the basic skills in the subject are taught very well, enabling pupils to make good progress and to achieve high standards.

p.15

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

22. There is very good focus on learning by doing within the curriculum. The practical investigations observed in Year 2 and Year 3 science are good examples of the way in which the curriculum and its interpretation spur pupils to inquisitive approaches to their work. In Year 3, for example, the pupils were investigating tooth decay by soaking eggshell in a vinegar solution. They had prepared one area of shell by coating it with toothpaste and they very carefully observed and recorded the effect of this. The enthusiasm of the pupils was very evident as they talked about the bubbles – which they identified as hydrogen – that escaped from the surface. Learning is fun, as well as a serious business in all classes.

p.15

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

23. Pupils’ learning opportunities do not stop at the eleven usual subjects of the curriculum. Because time is used wisely and links between subjects strong, the school can broaden pupils’ experiences effectively. Time is found for a programme of intensive modern foreign language tuition in all classes. The pupils relish this and many attend the after school French club, such is the interest generated. Standards of spoken French are good and there is ample evidence to show that the year groups who study German do equally well. The curriculum also makes a very valuable contribution to pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to reflect on their growth as human beings. This is often during lessons specifically focused on pupils’ personal development but also in other subjects. Year 5’s work on life in a Kenyan village not only gave insights into geographical differences between a Masai

p.15

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

village and the area around the school but also into different people’s expectations of what life offers and the contribution that they can make to the well being of others.

p.15

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

24. Children in the nursery and reception classes work and play very effectively because their curriculum is well planned to provide the necessary experiences in all six areas that comprise the early learning goals. Reception children, as seen during the inspection, are confident and cheerful learners who have many and varied opportunities to explore, investigate and talk about their learning. The development of children’s speaking and listening skills is a particular success story of the nursery and reception classes. This process starts young as the youngest children in the nursery are encouraged very successfully to share their ideas and thoughts in expressive ways. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is on the increase in school, particularly in the nursery and reception classes and the focus on speaking and listening serves them well. These children very quickly acclimatise to the demands placed on them and they

p.15

The school is well led and managed and all staff and the governors join the headteacher in an effective

join in the discussion with interest and skill. They, and the other children in the nursery and reception classes, make good progress in learning and this serves them well in their journey to build skills, knowledge and understanding as they progress through the school. Weetwood Primary School - 16

p.15

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

25. Standards of achievement have followed a very good pattern over the past three years. The school’s chart of SATs results at the age of eleven shows an impressive array of A and A* grades 1 . In 2001, Year 6 pupils achieved at levels that were well above those found nationally. In comparison with schools with a similar rate of entitlement to free school meals, the results were very good in English and science and good in mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving level 5 last year was well above that found across all primary schools.

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

26. The evidence of the inspection confirms this picture of very good standards. Lesson observations, the scrutiny of past work and discussion with pupils all indicate that standards in Year 6 remain at well above average levels overall. This is very much due to the factors outlined in previous sections of this report, namely accomplished teaching and learning, a wide ranging curriculum, the keen focus on all pupils’ individual needs and shared good management.

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

27. It is also evident that pupils make steady, and good, progress through the school. When children start in the nursery, their level of skill and knowledge is better than usually found. Because the quality of education is good, children in these two classes settle well to their work. For example, children in the nursery were observed making books about Christmas. They showed good knowledge and understanding as demonstrated by some of their comments: Miss…did you know the star can’t really fall from the sky...did you know that stars are made from gas…I’m colouring the trees green because they are evergreen trees… Opportunities such as this to explore the wider aspects of the topic are widespread in the nursery and pupils achieve well as a result.

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

28. Reception pupils continue to make good progress with their learning. In one mathematics lesson they had made measuring chains and were using them to measure different items around the school. In measuring things, they said that a trillion was the biggest number they knew and that zero was the smallest. They knew that 32 was smaller than 34 and some knew immediately the difference between the two. This flexibility with numbers is something that the school promotes very well in its numeracy work. The same holds true of the promotion of basic skills of literacy and attainment in reading and writing is well above the expected level. Good progress is maintained in Year 1 and 2 classes so that by the age of seven, standards are very good overall.

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

29. Last year, standards in Year 2 SATs were very high in reading and were amongst the top five per cent of all primary schools. Attainment in writing and mathematics was well above average and were above average in science. Year 2 pupils did very well when these results are compared with those in schools with similar proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 3 was well above average last year.

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

30. Junior pupils accelerate their learning because of the sure foundations established in the early years and infant classes. The evidence from inspection indicates that standards are very good overall and that pupils meet their potential effectively in the four junior years. Standards in science are very good by the age of eleven. A Year 4 lesson on insulation and refrigeration is an example of where good teaching and learning promotes the standards achieved. The problem of keeping things cold for a party was handled well by the pupils and the work came alive and real when the teacher asked them to sample warm and cold cola drinks. The pupils recalled their previous work on loss of heat as they began to tackle the challenge of keeping the cola cold. Some suggested putting the coke in a jug in the fridge, but other pupils rejected this idea because it would go flat. The learning was similarly effective during the rest of the lesson and by the end of the

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

session pupils were talking animatedly about insulation preventing energy loss.

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

31. Outside the three core subjects of English, mathematics and science, standards are also very good. In ICT they have improved well since the previous inspection and the opening of a dedicated computer suite has

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

1 Academic standards are judged on a seven point scale with A* representing very high attainment amongst the top five per cent of schools nationally, A showing very good standards and E representing those that are well below average. E* is very low and among the lowest five percent of all primary schools. C is average, or the expected level of attainment. Weetwood Primary School - 17 had a positive impact on standards in the subject because pupils have more intensive opportunities to use computers and staff enjoy the work, show greater levels of knowledge and confidence and provide work that is well structured to build skills and knowledge. The school has a good reputation for its work in arts subjects and some very good examples of achievement in music and art and design were observed during the inspection. Likewise, in design and technology, geography, history, physical education and religious

p.16

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

education there is ample evidence in past work that standards are better than expected and that pupils make good progress in building skills, knowledge and understanding.

p.17

Standards are very good overall, particularly in English, mathematics and science, and progress is good

32. The school sets appropriate and achievable targets for overall attainment. It is beginning the process of filtering these into the planning, assessment and evaluation of progress made by distinct groups of pupils. A good start has been made, but the school acknowledges that more work is necessary to sharpen the practice needed to track whether the progress made by pupils matches the expectations of staff.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Assessment and its use to set targets for learning is not consistent.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33. Staff know that assessment is a priority for enhancement in school. The school improvement plan sets this as a central priority for improvement and good work is afoot to bring greater consistency between subjects in the assessment of skills and knowledge acquisition and the use of the data thus collected. However, there are still things to do to produce a cohesive system of assessment and target setting to enable the tracking of progress against expectation.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

34. The process of establishing a consistent pattern of assessment across all subjects and in all years is still in the course of introduction. Assessment in English, mathematics and science is of good quality and the data produced is used well to follow the progress made by pupils and to eliminate under-achievement. A similar package of assessment to track the development of skills and knowledge in other subjects is less well developed. In some subjects, such as ICT, there is more consistent assessment of progress but in others the process is often informal and differs from class to class. The school knows this is the case and managers are very determined to make the necessary improvements. Because there is insufficient information, it is not yet possible for staff to set targets in all subjects and to track the progress made.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

35. Whilst the overall targets for attainment are known by all staff and all are instrumental in moving pupils towards these targets, their use to set targets for different groups or individuals in each year group is at an early stage of development. Teachers share the learning objectives with pupils at the start of many lessons but there are fewer opportunities for pupils themselves to review and evaluate their own progress at the end of the session. Marking of work does not always focus on progress against the targets and its use to show pupils how to improve could be more consistent.

p.17

Subject leaders do not have a full role in the monitoring and evaluation of standards and the quality of teaching

36. All staff work hard in the interests of their pupils and subject leaders guide the development and improvement of their subjects well. However, not everyone has had the opportunity to observe directly the curriculum, quality of education and standards in other classes. There are good informal systems to help subject leaders gain insights into the strengths and shortcomings of these things. In addition, the headteacher has observed lessons and given valuable feedback to staff in order to make improvement. However, there is not yet a consistent pattern of lesson monitoring and evaluation that subject leaders are party to. The picture of achievement, progress and teaching and learning is thus not as complete as it could be and this gives some scope for inconsistency of practice.

p.17

Subject leaders do not have a full role in the monitoring and evaluation of standards and the quality of teaching

37. School managers have included the enhancement of subject leaders’ roles as one of the central priorities in the school improvement plan and are working well towards its implementation. Staff are ready for the challenges that increased monitoring will bring, and very much see it as a vehicle for improvement in terms of quality learning experiences for all pupils. There is a will and determination to succeed in what remains for the school to advance. The prospects for improvement are very good. Weetwood Primary School - 18

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

38. Weetwood Primary School provides a very good education for its pupils and attainment levels are well above average. School managers are far from complacent and everyone in school works hard for improvement. Two aspects of the school’s work could be enhanced. These have been identified by senior managers and included in the school’s existing plans for improvement. Accordingly, the school should continue its best efforts to:

p.18

1. Complete a system of assessment in all subjects that assist the setting, sharing and reviewing of targets

2. Involve subject leaders more in the direct monitoring of standards and the quality of teaching and learning.

p.18

1. Complete a system of assessment in all subjects that assist the setting, sharing and reviewing of targets

See paragraphs: 36-37. Weetwood Primary School - 19

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 6

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than three percentage points.

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 18.5 213

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 1

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 15

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 27

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.19

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Weetwood Primary School - 20 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Weetwood Primary School - 21

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 16 30

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (88) 97 (97) 97 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 97 (88) 97 (97) 97 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 15 28

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 13 15

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (88) 89 (88) 100 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 12 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 14 15

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 93 (94) 93 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Weetwood Primary School - 22

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 7 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.5 Financial year 2000-1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.3

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 543 909

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6.0 Expenditure per pupil 2 310

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 162 Balance brought forward from previous year 22 000

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 4 049

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.0

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.5

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1.0

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Weetwood Primary School - 23 Recruitment of teachers

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Weetwood Primary School - 24

p.23

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My Child likes school 57 38 4 0 1

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

My child is making good progress in school 45 48 5 1 1

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

Behaviour in the school is good 42 53 5 0 1

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home 31 50 14 2 3 The teaching is good 46 47 4 1 3

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on 34 46 18 2 1 I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem 62 34 3 0 1

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best 59 33 4 0 3

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school works closely with parents 29 55 13 2 1

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school is well led and managed 28 49 14 1 8

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible 41 50 6 0 3

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons 23 55 16 3 4

p.24

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

Rows may not total 100 due to the effect of rounding.

p.24