Seacroft Grange Primary School

Seacroft Grange Primary School Inspection report

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107928 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287961 Inspection number 18 °19 June 2007 Inspection dates Doug Lowes 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 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 166 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Terry Ayres Chair Mr Michael O'Grady Headteacher 22 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection Moresdale Lane School address Seacroft Leeds West Yorkshire LS14 6JR

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0113 2605385 Telephone number 0113 2605385 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 18 °19 June 2007 Inspection dates 287961 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

The school serves an area of extreme social disadvantage close to the centre of Leeds. Most pupils are White British: a few are from a minority ethnic background with a very small number learning English as an additional language. The proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well above average, while the number of pupils who join the school other than at the normal time are above average. The school has gained the Healthy Schools Award.

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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: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pastoral care is a core value. This is recognised by the overwhelming majority of parents. One parent commented, 'My son would be lost without this school.' The governors provide effective support which assists the headteacher and the senior leadership team in their mission and goals. The headteacher is committed to providing the best possible education for all pupils. His care and influence has created a very good ethos whereby staff work effectively together towards raising standards. Positive leadership and effective self-evaluation have resulted in clearly identified areas for improvement. As a consequence the school has made good progress since the last inspection. From exceptionally low starting points pupils make good progress through their Reception year. The achievement of most pupils continues to be good. National test data is analysed well and good use is made of information about pupils' performance, enabling the school to establish

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Grade: 2

an agenda for further improvement which currently is focussed on improving writing and mathematical skills. The most recent test results reflect an improving picture and the school predicts that the present Year 6 cohort will exceed average standards in mathematics and science and reach the national average in English. The school recognises that pupils can do even better, particularly in English, and through the 'intensive support programme' is working hard to this end. Raising expectations for higher attaining pupils to achieve the higher level in national tests and teacher assessments is also a priority. Teaching is good with the majority of lessons being well planned, interesting and carried out effectively. Furthermore, pupils' work is carefully marked and annotated to provide them with clear direction about how to improve. Teachers' use assessment very well and as a result most pupils' learning progresses well. However in some lessons, long introductions, unclear

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Grade: 2

expectations for higher attaining pupils and an over emphasis on behaviour management strategies, reduces the rate of progress. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. In this language-rich and stimulating environment work is exceptionally well matched to children's individual needs, enabling them to enjoy learning and make rapid progress. Good leadership from the special educational needs coordinator ensures that pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities progress well. Their progress is further secured through the consistent and positive impact of effective teaching assistants. Subject leaders demonstrate a good level of expertise and effectively support the work of colleagues. The curriculum is good. It is planned well to promote a range of essential skills and knowledge, with a strong focus on developing skills in literacy and numeracy. There is a good enrichment programme, including

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Grade: 2

visitors to school and educational visits, supported by after school activities that make a positive contribution to pupils' development of life-skills and understanding. Care, support and guidance are good and contribute significantly towards pupils' progress, enjoyment and well-being. Pupils' personal development is good. They like school, behave well and try hard.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise all levels of teaching and learning to that of the best in the school. • Raise standards further, particularly in writing, so that more pupils attain the expected levels by the end of Year 6. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Children start school with standards that are significantly below those typical for their age. By the end of the Foundation Stage, as a result of effective early intervention strategies, children make rapid progress and many achieve very well, working towards the expected goals by the end of the Reception year. In Years 1 and 2 pupils make good progress in reading and mathematics because phonics and numeracy are taught well. However, progress in writing is at a slower rate. Pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6 and by the end of Year 6, while they achieve standards that are generally below average, in recent years they are growing closer to those expected nationally. Despite an above average number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, projections for current Year 6 pupils are for them to exceed the national and local authority targets in mathematics and science and achieve average standards in English.

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Grade: 2

While pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress, the progress for the most able pupils is more variable and fewer pupils than nationally expected reach the higher levels in assessments and national tests.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Relationships are very good and as a result, pupils are well behaved, feel safe and are positive about their school. Pupils enjoy learning, developing new skills and taking part in the many good learning opportunities and activities that the school provides. This helps to explain the improving attendance figures, which have risen year on year and are now average. Pupils' spiritual and cultural development are good, while moral and social development are very good. As a result of these positive features pupils have respect for others, a clear understanding of the world around them and a strong sense of right and wrong. School council members are enthusiastic about their role and the opportunity to make decisions and represent the voice of pupils. The pupils know the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise and put this into practice by making healthy eating choices

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Grade: 2

and by participating in a variety of sporting activities. Community involvement is embedded in the school's work, for example, through the participation of the school choir in concerts and through the achievement of first place in the 'Leeds in Bloom' award. Pupils raise money to support well known local and national charities. Successful assemblies reinforce the school's family values and celebrate pupils' achievements. One parent reflecting the views of others commented, 'My child has only been at this school a short time but I have already seen improvement in his behaviour and learning.'

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Grade: 2

Teaching is mostly good and has a positive impact on accelerating pupils' progress. In the Foundation Stage work is exceptionally well planned to support the needs of young children. As a result of challenging and stimulating activities in this friendly and language-rich environment children make rapid progress from a very low starting point. Key strengths in teaching are identifiable in the many interesting and purposeful activities planned for pupils. For example, a group of Year 5 pupils enjoyed studying whales and explored the diet and habitat 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 2007 of these creatures in depth. Information and communication technology is used effectively by teachers to focus pupils' attention and to reinforce learning objectives. Assessment for learning strategies are consistently applied across the school and pupils' work is clearly marked, helping

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Grade: 2

them to understand what they need to do next to improve. The work of teaching assistants is a strength as they work effectively alongside teachers and contribute significantly to the quality of pupils' learning. In less effective, but overall satisfactory lessons, the pace of learning is slower. Here, long introductions and insecure behaviour management result in some pupils becoming disengaged. Additionally, expectations for higher attaining pupils are not always clear, resulting in inconsistent challenges for this group of pupils.

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Grade: 2

The school has a good curriculum, at the heart of which is literacy and numeracy. A growing number of cross-curricular activities are extending opportunities for pupils to apply their skills. Pupils enjoy their learning and their work is valued. The highly proficient school choir, for instance, produced a heart-warming sound during rehearsal. The range of accomplished artwork on display contributes to a stimulating learning environment. Effective personal, health, social and citizenship education provides valuable support to the curriculum, encourages pupils to respect others and raises their self-esteem. The curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well designed to meet their needs. The outstanding vibrant provision in the Foundation Stage provides the youngest children with the best possible start to learning. Good programmes of enrichment are available to pupils of all ages. The breakfast club is very

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Grade: 2

well attended and educational trips, along with visitors to school, add interest to pupils' learning. Good relationships exist with local schools, agencies and the wider community. The awards gained by the school, including the 'Healthy School Award' exhibit a high level of commitment by staff and rightly give pupils a sense of pride and accomplishment.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, support and guidance to pupils is good with some outstanding features, particularly in relation to the pastoral care aspect of the school's work. The school roll includes a wide range of pupils, a small minority of whom have very complex needs and low levels of self-esteem. Excellent internal and external support is provided for these vulnerable pupils, and, in some cases, their parents. The very strong and inclusive provision of pupils' care and welfare significantly underpins and supports their personal development and self-esteem. A wide range of visitors, in addition to the school's own staff, are utilised exceptionally well to make pupils aware of their personal health and safety. The school's vetting procedures for staff and visitors fully meet with the latest national requirements. Pupils are increasingly aware of their class based and personal targets for improvement. The development of assessment for

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Grade: 2

learning strategies seen across the school is helping to ensure that pupils consistently know what to do to improve their learning. Parents speak very highly of the care, guidance and support provided by the school. One parent encapsulated the school's caring provision as, 'always approachable with excellent relationships - a brilliant school'. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher's caring and positive leadership motivates staff and provides clear direction to the work of the school. Good self-evaluation procedures have enabled him to guide the next steps in the school's improvement journey. This has resulted in good progress being made since the last inspection. The headteacher is supported by a positive senior leadership team. They provide very good management assistance, resulting in all pupils, including the youngest children and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, making good progress. Subject and phase leadership have improved since the last inspection. Leaders demonstrate good levels of knowledge and expertise and use these effectively to support the work of colleagues. Members of the senior leadership team observe lessons and scrutinize teachers' planning and pupils' work. However, they do not yet critically appraise the impact of teaching

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Grade: 2

on raising standards and then use the information from monitoring to consistently raise the quality of all teaching to that of the best. Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and are active in its direction. They are well informed about school priorities and contribute well to school improvement, providing both support and challenge to the school leadership. The school provides good value for money. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 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: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 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? 1 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? 3 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 3 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: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 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: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave to us when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed seeing you take part in lots of exciting activities. In particular we enjoyed being in your lessons, seeing how hard you work, talking to you and finding out about all the interesting things that you do at school. We have judged your school to be a good one and the way you work in lessons has helped us make that decision. We could see that you like your teachers and really enjoy coming to school. We think that these are good things about your school • You help to make your school a happy and friendly place where everyone is welcome. • Your behaviour is good and you enjoy your work. • Your headteacher and staff help you to make good progress in your learning. • Your teachers and helpers really care about you and want you to do well. • The school is bright with lots of your good work on display for everyone to see.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Teachers plan work that interests you. • There are lots of activities for you to get involved in. Your headteacher and all the adults want you to do well so we have asked them to do two things to help: • to plan lessons that are always interesting and challenging in order to help you reach your targets, • find lots of ways to help you to improve your writing. You can help by always trying your best. The inspection team pass on our very best wishes to each of you. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Seacroft Grange Primary School, 18 °19 June 2007

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