Moortown Primary School

Moortown Primary School Inspection report

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107916 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287956 Inspection number 25 °26 April 2007 Inspection dates Clive Petts Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 192 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Elizabeth Waller Chair Mrs Angela Charlton Headteacher 4 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Shadwell Lane School address Leeds West Yorkshire LS17 6DR

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0113 2685915 Telephone number 0113 2698852 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 25 °26 April 2007 Inspection dates 287956 Inspection number .

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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.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average primary school situated to the north of Leeds city centre. About a third of the pupils are from White British backgrounds; the remainder are from a number of minority ethnic backgrounds and many have English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average, as is the proportion with a statement of special educational need. The proportion of pupils eligible for free schools meals is well below average. The school has gained the Stephen Lawrence Award for its work supporting pupils and families in the community.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007

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Grade: 2

'My child really enjoys school' is a regular response from parents. They speak of 'a safe, caring environment' in this good and improving school. Pupils are happy because of the good care, support, and often imaginative, lively teaching they receive. This adds to their feeling of being safe and secure. Pupils are caring and considerate and respond well to responsibility as a matter of routine. Pupils have a very good range of opportunities to contribute to school life which allows them to grow in confidence and maturity. Their behaviour is good overall. Pupils enter Reception with skills and experience below average for their age. Overall their achievement is good. By the end of Year 2 standards are broadly average and by the end of Year 6 they are above average. In English standards are now well above average. Yet, while the majority of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an

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Grade: 2

additional language make the same good progress as others, a small minority of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities do not. Management of their needs does not ensure that their achievement matches that of other pupils. Teaching is good and has some outstanding features that motivate pupils to learn. However, in the Foundation Stage the teaching of basic learning habits and writing skills is not challenging enough and hinders the rate of progress in both Reception and Year 1. Overall, achievement is improving. This is due to effective strategies to improve writing and changes to the curriculum which provide thought-provoking approaches which capture pupils' interest extremely well. Classroom and corridor walls are 'alive' with high quality displays of pupils' work and stimulating learning resources related to current topics. This also provides a strong basis for pupils' good personal development by promoting the value of healthy lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a very good understanding of other cultures and what it means to live in a multicultural society. For this reason new arrivals from abroad settle incredibly quickly. One pupil summed up this positive aspect by saying 'We are not racist here!'. Pupils are keen to learn and this is seen in all their work, especially the good quality of presentation in books and the pride they take in their work. Pupils feel that staff take good care of them and add that their views are listened to and taken seriously. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher, effectively supported by the local authority, have maintained a sharp focus on raising achievement and standards. They have established an atmosphere where all staff are involved in contributing to the school's continual improvement. Governors are committed to school improvement and bring much expertise to ensure that the school continues to move forward. Since the headteacher's

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Grade: 2

appointment three years ago, staff, governors, the local authority and outside agencies have worked together extremely well to develop a good capacity for improvement and ensure that all aspects of provision and achievement improve. Through its careful monitoring the school has recognised the need to improve the management of special needs provision and is taking appropriate action. Self-evaluation, although cautious in judging achievement, standards and teaching and learning, is accurate and reliable and as a consequence the school offers good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the management of provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to ensure that all these pupils' needs are fully met. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007 • Improve the teaching of basic skills of learning and writing in the Foundation Stage in order to speed up progress in Reception and Year 1.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. Children enter Reception with standards that are below nationally expected levels overall. Currently just over half of the pupils speak English as an additional language although only new arrivals lack fluency in English. Children make satisfactory progress and most reach the goals set for their learning by the end of Reception, except in writing and in linking sounds and letters. In the 2006 national assessments, standards at the end of Year 2 were only average with weaknesses in writing and a trend of declining standards in mathematics. The school's management has taken successful action to improve achievement and the quality of teaching writing. As a result, Year 2 pupils are making good progress to reach standards marginally above average in reading and mathematics and well above average in writing. Similarly, last year, Year 6 national test results revealed a pattern of declining standards.

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Grade: 2

Rigorous monitoring and tracking of progress and challenging teaching have led to substantial improvements in all subjects, reversing the decline. The school's data show that pupils in the current Year 6 are on course to reach above average standards. This matches inspection evidence. Taken as a whole, pupils are making good progress, with particularly good progress in Years 4 to 6.

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Grade: 2

The supportive family atmosphere is seen by both pupils and parents as a strength. Pupils discuss maturely and sensitively how they can help support each other, for example through the lunchtime buddy scheme. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good because the school uses the context of a multicultural world extremely effectively. Most pupils behave really well but a small number of younger pupils can cause minor disruption in lessons, for example talking out of turn or calling out. Pupils' good attendance and punctuality reflect their high level of enjoyment of school life. Pupils value the opportunities they have to develop a healthy lifestyle, for example participating in swimming, dance and sport. They understand what they need to do to stay safe and are confident approaching staff with a concern or worry. Pupils take pride in their role on the school council and the responsibility this brings. As a result,

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Grade: 2

pupils are well prepared through these experiences and well-developed skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) for the next stage of education.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. In the best lessons, enthusiastic teachers challenge pupils with stimulating activities based on a clear assessment of their prior learning. As a result, pupils enjoy lessons, have fun, make rapid gains in their learning and know exactly how to move on in their work. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, an imaginative and inspiring approach to the teaching of writing used the plight of the homeless to stimulate a creative response from pupils. Assessment information is used effectively to plan work that builds on what pupils already know, understand and can do, although not enough use is made of data to match tasks closely 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007 to pupils' needs in Reception and Year 1. Most lessons have clear success criteria and targets which are shared with the pupils. However, there are some inconsistencies in the level of

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Grade: 2

challenge, mainly for some younger pupils and for a small minority of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has a group of well-qualified and skilled teaching assistants who are well directed and have positive impact on most pupils' learning.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good with some outstanding features. Good emphasis is given to the development of pupils' literacy, numeracy and ICT skills throughout the school, while at the same time providing exciting opportunities to link subjects in the curriculum in a lively and creative way. Pupils spoke excitedly about the many activities during the recent 'Numeracy week' and they thoroughly enjoy the excellent opportunities to celebrate cultural diversity. This has a very positive impact on their personal development. As one pupil said, 'The best thing about our school is we all get on together. We're a multicultural school.' An outstanding feature of the curriculum is the stimulating programme of creative arts, which makes learning fun and challenging. In one lesson teachers successfully linked dance and persuasive writing. It is these experiences that enliven learning and promote higher achievement for pupils. The

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Grade: 2

curriculum is further enriched by a wide range of educational visits, visitors and school clubs. However, provision in the Foundation Stage does not always provide sufficient opportunities for children to develop their skills fully.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Pupils' desire to learn and their enjoyment of school is a direct consequence of school values that demand mutual respect and promote pupils' happiness. This is well supported by a systematic and robust approach to child protection with all requirements in place. The effective monitoring and tracking of pupils' performance is now making a major contribution to raising achievement. Pupils know their individual targets and when they have reached them. Successful use is made of a system of rewards and celebration assemblies. Very good use is made of outside agencies to help the school meet the range of pupils' needs but there is some inconsistency in using this expertise to meet the individual learning needs of a small minority of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils, child protection and risk assessment are in place and

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Grade: 2

The strong leadership of the headteacher, supported by a committed and knowledgeable governing body and senior leadership team, has been crucial in implementing a range of initiatives since her appointment. These have transformed the school's environment for learning and ensured the development of rigorous systems to monitor the school's effectiveness. The right priorities for improvement are identified and action taken to move the school forward. Provision has been improved and is quickly driving up achievement and standards. The period of rapid change, extensive building refurbishment and turnover of staff has inevitably caused some disruption to the school. Nevertheless, parents greatly appreciate the many positive 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007 changes made. However, the management of provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities does not ensure that the needs of all these pupils are met well enough. The

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Grade: 2

monitoring of progress made by these pupils is not rigorous enough. Overall the school has made good progress since the last inspection. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Moortown Primary School, Leeds, LS17 6DB Thank you for the very friendly welcome to your school and for being so polite and helpful when you met with us. We had a very busy two days and thoroughly enjoyed talking to you about your work, speaking with your staff and joining you in lessons. You go to a good school in which there are many things that are far better than we usually see in schools. This is what we found to be good about your school. • The dedicated way your headteacher is improving the school for your benefit. • The way you enjoy your lessons, are really keen to learn and are very happy to attend school every day. • The way your teachers make sure you do as well as you can to reach high standards. • Your knowledge of how to lead healthy lives and stay safe. • The quality of care and support from staff to help you learn, and the way they listen to any worries and concerns you may have.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Nevertheless, we think that some of you could do even better. We have asked the headteacher and teachers to make sure that: • when you arrive in Reception your learning and classroom routines are even more demanding so that you learn more quickly • the work for some of you who find learning difficult is carefully planned to stretch you in all lessons. I hope that you will continue to enjoy school, work as hard as you can and do as well as you can. I wish you well in the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Moortown Primary School, 25 °26 April 2007

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