Kirkstall Valley Primary School

Inspection Report Kirkstall Valley Primary School

p.1

107887 Unique Reference Number Leeds LEA 277860 Inspection number 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr Robert Robinson CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Argie Road School address Primary Type of school Leeds Community School category West Yorkshire LS4 2QZ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0113 2756183 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0113 2306186 Fax number 209 Number on roll Mrs Muriel Greaves Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Beverley Clay Headteacher 27 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277860 5 June 2006 - 3 to 11 6 June 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This is an average-sized primary school. The pupils are mainly of white British or Asian backgrounds. A few pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The socio-economic circumstances of the area are below average as is attainment on entry to the Nursery. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average and a low number of pupils have statements to provide for their special educational needs.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Kirkstall Valley Primary School, 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

'A wonderful warm, learning environment for all'. 'Children are encouraged to reach their full potential'.'My child has come on leaps and bounds'. These parental comments sum up parents' positive view of the school. They also support the inspection findings and the school's judgement that its overall effectiveness is good. Standards are broadly average and pupils achieve well. This is because the leadership and management are good. The headteacher's leadership is strong and she is assisted well by staff and governors. The quality of teaching is good enabling pupils to make good progress throughout the school. The curriculum is effective with a strong emphasis on developing pupils' basic skills. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. Pupils really enjoy coming to school and they respond very well to the outstanding care, guidance and support they receive. Their behaviour

p.4

Grade: 2

and attitudes to learning are excellent. The school has a clear understanding of its strengths and areas for development. It has rightly identified the need to improve the recording of children's progress from entry to the school in the Nursery to the end of Reception so that attainment of individuals and groups can be efficiently tracked from entry to school to the end of Year 6. This will help the management to improve the monitoring of children's progress over time and assist target setting in order to raise standards even further. Improvement since the last inspection is good. The commitment of the staff and the effective leadership and management indicate that the school has good capacity to continue to improve.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

This good school knows what needs to be done. In particular it should focus on: • incorporating information about individual and groups of children's progress in the Foundation Stage into the established tracking system, in Years 1 to 6, in order to assist target setting.

p.4

Grade: 2

The achievement of all groups of pupils is good. Standards in Year 6 are about average, as has been the case since the last inspection. Pupils make good progress throughout the school because of good teaching and pupils' outstanding attitudes to learning. Children enter school with a very broad range of attainment. Overall, attainment on entry to the Nursery is below average. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage and reach close to expected levels in all areas of their learning by the end of Reception. In Years 1 and 2, pupils build well on their previous learning. By the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average, as was the case in 2005. Boys and girls continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 6 so that pupils attain in line with national expectations in English, mathematics and science in Year 6. In the 2005 national tests, standards were average. Pupils of different ethnic backgrounds and gender make

p.4

Grade: 2

similar progress. Challenging targets are met in English and mathematics. 2 Inspection Report: Kirkstall Valley Primary School, 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006

p.4

Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Behaviour is excellent. Pupils really enjoy learning, work extremely well together and take great pride in their school and each other. Attendance rates are satisfactory. Pupils are very well mannered and polite. They gain a good understanding of their own and other cultures. Pupils feel safe, and trust all the adults they deal with. Pupils' views are actively sought and acted upon. Older pupils take on responsibilities to help in the smooth running of the school and show great care and consideration for others. For example, they collect litter from the playground, help in assemblies and care for children who sit on the 'buddy' bench. Pupils very much enjoy extra-curricular clubs and attendance at these is high. They know very well how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are well prepared for future learning because of their

p.5

Grade: 1

sound acquisition of basic skills and their excellent attitudes to learning.

p.5

Grade: 2

The school quite rightly judges the quality of teaching and learning to be good. The good teaching enables the pupils to make good progress. Lessons observed throughout the school were mainly good or better. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well because of carefully planned activities that are taught skilfully by capable teaching assistants and teachers. Teachers use the interactive whiteboards well to help pupils to grasp new learning. The pace of lessons is generally brisk. Behaviour management is a strength and pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. A strong feature of teaching and learning is the way in which teachers encourage pupils to discuss and evaluate each other's work. In most lessons the questioning is effective. However, occasionally it is not directed sufficiently to individuals or linked to their level of attainment. Teachers mark pupils' work well and their comments both celebrate good effort and

p.5

Grade: 2

make helpful suggestions about how pupils can improve. This helps the pupils, particularly the older ones, to know whether they have achieved the objective of lessons and met their targets.

p.5

Grade: 2

The good curriculum effectively meets the needs and promotes the interest of all pupils. A strength of the curriculum is the way in which pupils are encouraged to employ different styles when writing about topics that particularly interest them. For example, when studying World War 2, pupils took on the roles of evacuees and reflected on their feelings in letters to their parents. In all subjects, there is a strong emphasis 3 Inspection Report: Kirkstall Valley Primary School, 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 on learning through investigation and discussion. Educational visits, including a residential experience, visitors to the school and a good range of extra-curricular activities, are used effectively to provide an extra dimension to learning. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. The integration of the Nursery and Reception is well advanced and learning opportunities throughout the Foundation Stage, including the

p.5

Grade: 2

outdoor area, are well thought out. In all classes, pupils' maturity and understanding of healthy lifestyles are developed well through good emphasis on personal, social and emotional development and citizenship.

p.6

Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support for pupils are outstanding. Child protection procedures are in place. Thorough risk assessments ensure that health and safety matters are very well organised. There is strong provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, with early diagnosis and intervention, and a high level of support from capable staff and outside agencies. Because pupils learning English as an additional language are given very good support, they make rapid progress. The breakfast club, with its associated ethos of care and encouragement, targets and helps those pupils in most need of support. High priority is given to the encouragement of healthy lifestyles throughout the school and this has been recognised through the award of the Leeds Healthy School Standard. Overall, there are good systems in place to check pupils' academic progress, particularly in Years 1 to 6. Currently, however, the tracking

p.6

Grade: 1

systems used in the Foundation Stage are not fully integrated with the rest of the school's procedures.

p.6

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The evaluation of the school's performance is well thought out and reasonably accurate. However, its judgements for personal development and care, guidance and support were too modest. The headteacher has built very well on the strengths of previous leadership and is ably supported by the assistant headteachers. A strong sense of teamwork is apparent throughout the school. Curriculum co-ordinators lead subjects and monitor standards effectively. The professional development of all staff benefits pupils' learning. Governance is good. Governors are very committed to the school. Staff performance is effectively and robustly monitored. Together with the headteacher, governors have not been afraid to tackle difficult staffing issues to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The school improvement plan identifies priorities well to drive this successful school forward. For example, the recording of pupils' progress is very well

p.6

Grade: 2

established in Years 1 to 6. However, the school has recognised the need to extend this system to incorporate data about children's attainment in the Foundation Stage. 4 Inspection Report: Kirkstall Valley Primary School, 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 Parents are very satisfied with the education provided for their children. The following parental comment encapsulated the views of others, 'I firmly believe that every child matters at Kirkstall Valley'. 5 Inspection Report: Kirkstall Valley Primary School, 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006 .

p.6

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Kirkstall Valley Primary School, 5 June 2006 to 6 June 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

p.10

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

p.10

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We enjoyed our visit and we want to share with you what we think about your school. What we liked most about your school - You are taught well so that you make good progress in your learning. - You are very polite and friendly. - You behave extremely well and work hard in lessons and all get on very well together. - You really enjoy school and understand about healthy lifestyles. - The headteacher, staff and governors look after you very well and know how to make your school better. What we have asked your school to do now - Improve the way that teachers record your progress from entry to the Nursery to the end of Year 6, so that they can make sure you achieve even higher standards. We appreciated talking to you about your work and watching you learn. We wish you well for the future.

p.11