Hawksworth Wood Primary School

Hawksworth Wood Primary School Inspection report

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107893 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 309530 Inspection number 20 °21 February 2008 Inspection dates Brenda Clarke 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 177 School The governing body Appropriate authority Chair Ms Andrea Padden Headteacher 17 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Cragside Walk School address Leeds West Yorkshire LS5 3QE 0113 2583984 Telephone number 0113 2583984 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 20 °21 February 2008 Inspection dates 309530 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

Hawksworth Wood Primary School is smaller than average and serves a local authority housing estate in the inner city of Leeds. Well above average numbers of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Around 20% per cent of pupils are from different minority ethnic backgrounds and 13% speak English as an additional language. There is a higher than average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are also an above average number of pupils with statements of special educational need. This is partly because the school is a speech and language resourced school with places for up to eight pupils. The school has gained an award for Healthy Eating and the Stephen Lawrence Standard Level 2.

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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: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Hawksworth Wood Primary is a good school providing good value for money. The school is a happy place where pupils enjoy their education and are keen to learn. A strength of the provision is the way in which the school includes and cares for all pupils. Parents understandably say, 'The school provides a secure, safe and very caring environment for all children.' Children achieve well from their low starting points in the Reception class, where they receive a good quality of education. They settle well and make good progress, particularly in reading and writing. However, by the time they reach Year 1 standards remain below those typically expected. All pupils achieve well overall as they move through Years 1 to 6 but their rates of progress vary from year-to year. This is because the quality of teaching and learning is not consistent and ranges from satisfactory to outstanding. In some lessons teachers do not provide

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Grade: 2

appropriate work that engages and challenges the differing abilities in the class. This means that the pupils, particularly the higher attaining pupils, do not always learn as well as they should. Pupils' achievements in mathematics and reading have improved since the last inspection so that they reach standards that are close to national averages by the end of Year 6. This is because the school has given priority to raising standards in these subjects. Initiatives are in place to raise pupils' standards in writing and science, but these are at an earlier stage of development. However, targets for the current Year 6 are more challenging than previously and pupils are working well to achieve them. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher provides good leadership and vigilantly ensures high standards of care for all pupils. Effective staff training is improving teaching and ensuring that new initiatives bring about sustained improvement. The headteacher keeps a

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Grade: 2

careful eye on pupils' progress. This has pinpointed the need to improve the standards of higher attaining pupils, particularly in science and writing. The school invests in an above average number of additional teaching and support staff. This provision, however, is not consistently used to best effect in all classes to support the needs of all groups of pupils. The school has a speech and language unit and shares its site with a Children's Centre. Effective links between these agencies are giving pupils the support they need to thrive and achieve well. The school's pastoral systems are outstanding and the academic guidance and support pupils receive is good. Attendance levels are broadly average and have improved since the last inspection. Pupils behave well because adults in the school encourage them to be courteous and polite. Relationships are strong, promoting a harmonious school. Pupils' personal

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Grade: 2

development and well-being are good because the school places importance on these areas. Pupils have a good awareness of the benefits of taking frequent exercise and eating healthily. The curriculum is good and is enriched by an interesting range of visitors and visits which add excitement to pupils' learning. Pupils achieve particularly well in information and communication technology (ICT), using the plentiful resources to support their learning in many curriculum areas.

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Grade: 2

The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is good, as are the leadership and management. Children start school with skills that are well below those expected for their age. Effective links 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 created with the Children's Centre enable children to settle quickly. High standards of care ensure that children are safe and happy. An effective programme for teaching letter sounds is leading to good achievement in children's reading and writing. Children are now better prepared in literacy skills and this is helping the school to raise standards in writing. The quality of planned activities is good, but learning is sometimes less effective when children make independent choices, for example, in the role play area. Children are enthusiastic learners and behave well. This is because the curriculum is interesting, with a good emphasis on investigation of the

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Grade: 2

natural world. Parents and carers have good opportunities to share in their children's learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in science and writing throughout the school, especially for higher attaining pupils. ■ Ensure that teaching is consistently good in all lessons to successfully engage and challenge pupils to improve their learning. ■ Make sure the additional teachers and support staff are used consistently and to best effect, across all classes, to support all groups of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good in English and mathematics and satisfactory in science. Current standards in mathematics and reading are broadly average. They are below average in writing and science. In English, pupils' overall attainment is reduced by their lower standards in writing. This is especially so for higher attaining pupils. A strong focus on writing is now ensuring that pupils acquire skills more quickly and current data held by the school shows good improvement in pupils' achievement. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those learning to speak English as an additional language and those with communication disorders achieve well due to the carefully targeted support they receive.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy coming to school and respond enthusiastically to their learning. Behaviour is good and pupils are polite to others. Pupils say that they feel safe and happy. Good spiritual, moral and social development ensures good attitudes to learning and strong relationships. Pupils' cultural development is especially good. Taking part in the acquisition of the Stephen Lawrence Award has given pupils a good understanding about how life and faith can differ in Britain today. As school councillors, pupils are proud of their roles and achievements. Frequent involvement in community activities is helping pupils to build confidence and self-esteem. Pupils show well-developed levels of maturity when working with their class talk partners or act as reading buddies at lunch-time. This, along with their good progress in reading, numeracy and computer skills, prepares pupils well for the future. The school has gained The Healthy

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Grade: 2

School's Award so pupils know the importance of healthy exercise and diet. However, some chose unhealthy options in their packed lunchboxes. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall and enables pupils to achieve well. Teachers have good behaviour management skills that result in orderly and respectful classrooms. Where teaching is good or better, teachers plan tasks that capture pupils' interest and engage and motivate them. A rigorous pace and challenging targets promote a sense of urgency so that pupils work hard for sustained periods of time. This good practice, however, is not seen in all lessons. In some lessons pupils' learning slows because teachers do not provide appropriate work for their differing academic abilities. This sometimes results in higher attaining pupils lacking challenge. Pupils sometimes lose concentration when lesson introductions are too long. Those with additional language requirements and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities generally receive good support from knowledgeable teaching assistants. Work is regularly marked and helpful

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Grade: 2

Some important steps have been taken to improve the curriculum. There is a strong focus on developing key skills in literacy with initiatives that focus specifically on developing writing skills and learning letter sounds. Provision for numeracy is good. In science, the school is beginning to revise the timetable to include weekly opportunities for pupils to investigate independently a range of scientific problems. Links between the different subjects are made to increase their relevance for pupils. Pupils use ICT very effectively to support their learning in other subjects. The curriculum is successfully enhanced with an interesting range of visits, visitors and additional activities such as line dancing.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The care aspect is outstanding and is strengthened by effective links with a range of outside agencies. Parents appreciate the high levels of care provided for their children. All aspects for safeguarding pupils are in place. Provision for pupils with acute communication needs is particularly well managed by specialist speech therapists. Vulnerable pupils and their families are supported well by the learning mentor. The inclusion manager is particularly effective in supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the learning mentor ensures that pupils attend regularly. Teachers make effective use of assessment information to set challenging targets for pupils. Tracking of pupils' progress is rigorous giving the school an early warning if any pupil is underachieving.

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Grade: 2

There is a strong sense of the school moving forwards. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are an effective partnership. They have successfully raised standards in mathematics and reading and have set a clear direction for further improvement in writing and science. Rigorous systems to track pupils' progress are used to set challenging targets. This data also helps the school to 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 accurately pinpoint its strengths and areas for improvement. The school has a good capacity to improve. The senior management team is successfully ensuring that staff work on new initiatives as a team so that a consistent, sustained approach to learning is developing. Management has invested significantly in additional teaching and learning support staff but does not consistently monitor this to ensure that provision is good for all groups in every class.

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Grade: 2

Governors are very supportive of the school and discharge their statutory duties satisfactorily. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 .

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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: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Hawksworth Wood Primary School, Leeds, LS5 3QE Thank you for giving us such a warm welcome when we inspected your school. We enjoyed talking with you and watching you working hard in your classrooms. I am pleased to say that yours is a good school and has many strengths, but there are some things it could improve. These are the things that are best about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your school is a happy place where you feel safe and well cared for.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You particularly enjoy the friendliness of the other children and your teachers and helpers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you behave well and work hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy the after school clubs and particularly like the family picnic!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are given good opportunities to say how you could make your school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your attendance is improving. Keep this up!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your teachers to improve some things to make your school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We would like your teachers to help you make better progress in writing and science and reach higher standards, especially the ones among you who find learning easier and do not always get hard enough work. ■ We want the school to make sure that all your teachers teach as well as the best ones so that you can achieve even better. ■ We would like your teachers to make sure that they use your additional teachers and assistants better so that you always make good progress in lessons. Thank you for helping us with the inspection. We wish you all the best in the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hawksworth Wood Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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