Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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107986 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287985 Inspection number 26 °27 February 2007 Inspection dates Ross Parker 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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Town Street School address Primary Type of school Rawdon, Leeds Voluntary controlled School category West Yorkshire LS19 6PP 4 °11 Age range of pupils 0113 2504201 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0113 2504201 Fax number 295 Number on roll (school) Mr M Drye Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Helen Kirwin Headteacher 5 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287985 26 °27 February 2007 4°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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. Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves a popular residential area on the northwest outskirts of Leeds. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. Very few pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds or speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. There is a partnership with a local special school to provide nine of its pupils the opportunity to experience and learn from mainstream education. The headteacher joined the school in April 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February

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Grade: 2

Rawdon St Peter's C of E Primary School provides a good standard of education. Parents particularly value the secure, enjoyable environment it provides for their children. Although achievement in the recent past was satisfactory, it is now stronger. Pupils achieve well. They get a good start and make good progress because of the good quality teaching and provision in the Foundation Stage. The majority of pupils come to the school with above average standards. Until recently they sustained but did not improve on these so that by the end of Year 6, standards remained above average. However, pupils are working hard now and standards and achievement are stronger. Teaching is of good quality overall, although in some classes there is more to be done to raise pupils' achievement further as some of the most able pupils could do better. Pupils' personal development is outstanding. They show an outstanding awareness of

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Grade: 2

how to be healthy. Their enjoyment of school is very obvious and this is strongly helped by the school's support for their emotional well-being. Pupils say they feel very safe in school. Class and school councils give them a genuine voice in school affairs. Buddies and play leaders give real support to other pupils. This is because they are very appreciative of other people's needs and values, including those, which are different from their own. They are clearly aware that they are being well prepared for secondary school and for their economic well-being as adults. The school cares for its pupils extremely well. The teachers and support staff have established excellent relationships with pupils and have very clear expectations of them. As a result, pupils feel very secure and are very appreciative of the time and effort that adults put into caring for them. Good quality support and guidance is provided for most pupils to ensure they meet their targets and know how to improve.

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Grade: 2

However, not all pupils know how to improve their work. The curriculum is good, with strong support for a healthy approach to life, and for broader personal development. The wide range of extra-curricular activities is very well supported. Leadership and management are good. Governors know and support the school well. Senior managers have a very clear picture of how well each pupil is doing. This is updated regularly and it shows that pupils in all years, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, are making good progress. The headteacher has a clear grasp of its strengths and weaknesses. Together, the senior and middle managers are working hard on the right priorities for improvement. Good improvement has been sustained since the previous inspection, and the school provides good value for money. All of the staff are strongly committed now to challenging pupils to do their best. The

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Grade: 2

school has good capacity to keep on improving. 2 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that the most able are challenged effectively to achieve well and that pupils know how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The majority of children enter Reception with above average skills. They make good progress towards the nationally expected learning goals so that nearly all move into Year 1 above average. Pupils continue to make good progress overall throughout the rest of school although this was not the case until recently. In national tests in 2006, pupils attained above average standards overall by the end of Year 2 and also by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. At this time, achievement was satisfactory. Improvements now mean that teachers are using assessment effectively so that most pupils are provided with the right level of challenge in their work. As a result, standards are climbing further and pupils achieve well. This is an improvement from previous years, where there were some pupils who did not reach their full potential. It is clear, however, that there is more that can be done to raise some pupils'

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Grade: 2

achievement further. Work is not yet consistently challenging enough in some classes to ensure the good achievement of a minority of the most able pupils who could do better.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' excellent personal development creates a positive atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Behaviour is excellent and attendance is above average. Pupils are polite and considerate to others in lessons and in the busy playground. They enjoy taking responsibility for others, for example, acting as 'Red Hats' who befriend others who are feeling lonely or sad. They show great initiative in raising funds for charities or the school. The pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities from the resourced unit integrate very well into the main school because of the high regard shown towards them. The pupils' spiritual development is particularly good as they respond thoughtfully to acts of collective worship and periods of prayer and reflection. This also shows in their high self-esteem, mature attitudes and the articulate and thought-provoking way in which

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Grade: 1

they express their love of school and learning. 3 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February

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Grade: 2

The majority of teaching and learning is of good quality overall. Teachers manage behaviour well and make lessons fun. They maintain a brisk pace, switching rapidly from one focus to another so pupils can access ideas from different perspectives. Teachers make very clear to pupils what they expect them to learn and achieve. Most assess their progress carefully, with clear feedback about how well they have managed each task and what to do to improve. However, in some lessons throughout the school, including the Foundation Stage, more able pupils cope too easily with tasks designed to meet the needs of others in the group. This is because teachers have not identified the appropriate next step for each individual. Teachers sometimes spend too much time teaching the whole class and allow too few opportunities for pupils to work independently.

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Grade: 2

The school places strong and effective emphasis on developing basic literacy and numeracy skills and is developing ways to promote these even more effectively across a range of subjects. This is enhanced by a wide range of additional activities, visits and visitors which broaden pupils' experience and appreciation of cultural diversity. Activities linked to gaining Investors in Pupils status enable pupils to recognise each others' positive qualities and know how to help each other. Teaching French in Years 3 to 6 adds another interesting dimension to the curriculum. It was a delight to see pupils in Years 3 and 4 enthusiastically describing a monster in French. Provision for information and communication technology has greatly improved and is now good. There is good provision for pupils with identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and a strong partnership with a local special school which is successful in supporting

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Grade: 2

pupils to fuifill their potential. Facilites for active play make a good contribution to pupils' healthy lifestyles, but facilities for outside learning and play are more limited for children in Reception.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good overall, with the school showing outstanding commitment to all its pupils' personal development, safety and well-being. It has successfully achieved a high standard in national and local awards for healthy living and environmental awareness. The planning for personal, social, health education and citizenship is exemplary and the high expectations for pupils to behave well and act with maturity and compassion are evident throughout the school. Procedures for child protection and for safeguarding pupils are in place. The school's system to manage staff appointments meets current requirements. Health and safety procedures are very 4 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February thorough and all aspects of school life are considered through regular risk assessments and audits. The headteacher and governors ensure that resources are readily made

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Grade: 2

available to address any identified concerns. Although most pupils get good guidance about their progress, not all have sufficient understanding of how to improve.

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Grade: 2

The new headteacher and the leadership team have a very clear view of the school's strengths and areas to develop. The inspectors agree with the school's self-evaluation. The achievement of individual pupils is tracked carefully and there is a commitment to ensure learners achieve as well as they can. Governors are knowledgeable, supportive and challenge the school in its quest for improvement. Teamwork is a characteristic of the leadership and management and is seen throughout the school in the shared commitment to continued improvement. The learning mentor ably leads the team of support staff who make a significant contribution to the high quality of pastoral care and extend the opportunities for learning in lessons. Parents are supportive of the school and describe a 'friendly, relaxed, hardworking atmosphere'. 5 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February

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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? 2 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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. 7 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February 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? 8 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you all for the very friendly welcome you gave us when we came to visit your school recently. We really enjoyed meeting you and having the chance to talk to you. The school gives you a good education. Here are some of the really good things about your school. • We were impressed by your considerate behaviour and by the friendly atmosphere in the school. • You have lots of opportunities to help each other and use them well. • You make your views clear about how the school can be improved. • You understand well how the right food and the right amount of exercise will keep you healthy, and you throw yourselves into both work and play with great enthusiasm. • You also really appreciate the great efforts that the teachers and other adults make to ensure that you are safe and enjoying yourselves. What we have asked the school to do to make it even better. • Teachers need to make sure that each one of you has really challenging work to do all of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the time. • You can help by always doing your best. 9 Inspection Report: Rawdon St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 26 °27 February 2007

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