Hugh Gaitskell Primary School

Hugh Gaitskell Primary School Inspection report

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107959 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 309549 Inspection number 24–25 September 2008 Inspection dates Alison Thomson Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 488 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Geoff Sharpe Chair Mrs Margaret Beesley Headteacher 4 July 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection St Anthony's Drive School address Beeston Leeds West Yorkshire LS11 8AB 0113 2716963 Telephone number 0113 2719705 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 24–25 September 2008 Inspection dates 309549 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Hugh Gaitskell is a very large primary school. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for a free school meal is much higher than average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who do not speak English as their first language is very high. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much higher than average. This includes a group of pupils who have moderate learning difficulties and a group of pupils who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. A significant number of pupils are admitted to the school throughout the year. The school makes provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The school has many awards, including Investors in People and the National 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: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Grade: 3

Hugh Gaitskell School is providing a satisfactory and rapidly improving standard of education. Pupils' personal development is good and their achievement is satisfactory. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the following comments sum up the views of many of them, 'all the teaching staff and everyone who works in the school are very approachable and always willing to help and advise us' and 'There have been many positive changes - the head and her team must take pride in seeing the results of their hard work'. Good leadership and management have been central to the improved success of the school and have successfully reversed a declining trend. The headteacher has provided the school with a clear vision and direction that is now coming to fruition. She has reorganised staffing so that the senior leadership team has been in place in its current format for just under a year. The role of each

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Grade: 3

member of the leadership team is clearly defined and middle leaders welcome their increased responsibility. Leaders have worked hard to instil a common purpose amongst the staff of self-reflection, accountability and a determination to drive up standards. They are bringing about effective changes to the curriculum, assessment, teaching and learning and in promoting the health and well-being of pupils and adults. Governors know and challenge the school well. The school has a very good partnership with the local authority and is aware of what it needs to do to improve further. There are many new strategies in place with clear plans to help raise achievement further. Some of these strategies are too recent and are yet to be fully embedded to ensure they have a sustained impact on raising pupils' achievements. Pupils too say that there have been improvements. They report that behaviour has improved and the work they

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Grade: 3

do is more interesting - 'even the handwriting'. They describe their school as, 'hard work, but enjoyable' and one that, 'welcomes all nationalities'. They understand well what it means to be healthy and they say that they feel safe in school. They report that bullying is not tolerated and that any that does occur is dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Pupils feel valued and are proud of the part they play in school life. They enjoy helping younger pupils through their work as 'Buddies' and in the 'Manners Group'. One pupil remarked that when he helps in the Nursery, 'you leave there with a good spirit'. Children enter the Nursery with knowledge and skills well below the expected level for their age. They develop well and make good progress in the EYFS due to the good provision for their welfare and learning. Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout their time in the main school. They enter Year 1 with standards that are below

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Grade: 3

average and by the time they leave Year 6, their steady progress results in satisfactory achievement and standards that are just below those seen nationally. Teaching is satisfactory and improving. However, pupils are not yet fully involved in the assessment of their learning in lessons and consequently they do not always have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve their learning. Focused support for pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities has resulted in their progress matching that of their peers. The curriculum is satisfactory and care, guidance and support are good. The marking of pupils' work means that older pupils know their targets, the levels at which they are working and what they need to do to improve their work. They say that the 'steps for success' used in their books is helping them to learn better. The recent changes which have been made and pupils' improving achievement

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Grade: 3

indicate clearly that the school has a good capacity to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Grade: 2

Provision in the EYFS is good and helps children to achieve well. On entry to Nursery, the children's skills and understanding are overall much lower than those expected for their age. Not all children continue through to Reception and a significant percentage of new children join, some with little or no pre-school experiences. Staff have high expectations, provide well planned and purposeful activities and promote good social skills. As a result, children gain positive learning attitudes, develop co-operative learning skills and confidence. At the beginning of the day children arrive ready to participate. They quickly become engaged in experimenting and learning. They respond well to the warm welcome provided by the staff in a relaxed and calm atmosphere. Teachers' planning is thorough and takes account of the multiple needs of children, including those with English as an additional language and those with learning

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Grade: 2

difficulties and/or disabilities. In Reception, carefully selected and varied activities secure children's interest. Teaching and learning are good partly because staff ensure that learning is fun, from counting in a 'dinosaur' voice to having number hunts in the quadrangle. The good quality care and welfare is provided by committed, diligent staff and children are safe and feel secure. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to children's learning and personal development, taking time to listen to children and to sustain good relationships. The EYFS is well led and managed and a there is a strong and genuine team spirit present.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of teaching, particularly in involving pupils in the assessment of their learning. ■ Ensure that the recent changes which have been made are embedded to maximise their effect on raising pupils' achievement. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout Years 1 to 6. This includes pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who do not speak English as their first language. Most pupils start Year 1 with standards that are below average. From 2003 until 2006 standards at the end of Year 2 fell. Since 2006, standards have risen rapidly and are now just below those seen nationally. Changes in senior leadership, with a greater emphasis on target setting and assessment, have resulted in significant gains. The school's most recent information about the standards reached by pupils, supported by the progress seen both in lessons and in pupils' work, indicates that their achievement is now satisfactory across Years 1 to 2. The improvement in achievement in mathematics is particularly strong. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress across Year 3 to Year 6. By the time they leave Year 6, standards are just below average

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Grade: 3

and achievement is satisfactory. This is also true of older girls who were previously underachieving relative to boys. Some pupils who enter the school part way through the year do not progress quite as well as those who have been at the school for a year or more. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Grade: 2

The good provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident in the school's harmonious, diverse community. Most pupils are well behaved in class and around school and show respect for each other. They have a good awareness of keeping safe and healthy. Pupils make a full contribution to the life of the school and are involved in a range of activities with the local community and the city of Leeds. Pupils enjoy their time at school and develop positive attitudes to learning and good relationships. They feel safe and valued and say, 'School is good fun we are like a big family'. Attendance is satisfactory and improving because of the effective work of the learning mentors. However, holidays taken during term time remain a cause for concern. Through effective work in personal, social, health and citizenship education, pupils have a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities. In

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Grade: 2

addition, they gain confidence and work well as part of a team. They particularly enjoy working together in mathematics. All of this prepares them soundly for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 3

There has been a concerted drive to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Although the proportion of lessons in which pupils make good progress has increased, the school acknowledges this is still not high enough. There are good relationships between pupils and teachers, and pupils show respect for each other. Teachers are enthusiastic and pupils describe their lessons as 'fun' and 'exciting'. They say that they learn best when working together. Planning is strong, particularly in Years 1 and 2. Generally the work is well matched to the needs of all the pupils and teaching assistants support learning well. As a result, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language make progress equal to that of their peers. Teachers share with pupils what it is they should be learning in lessons, but sometimes they do not understand this easily. As a result, some pupils

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Grade: 3

do not make as much progress as they might do in lessons, and opportunities for them to assess how well they have done in the lesson are missed.. Teachers mark pupils' work regularly and inform pupils of the next steps to improve their work. In a particularly good Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils worked very effectively with each other to solve challenging problems. In addition, they were encouraged to assess how effective their learning had been.

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Grade: 3

The school has rightly focused on developing the key skills of literacy and numeracy to raise standards. The curriculum is currently under review and useful links are starting to be made between subjects. The school recognises it is now well placed to enrich provision further to make a curriculum specifically tailored to match pupils' needs more effectively. Work is well underway, although the impact in terms of the standards pupils reach is still to be seen in full. The curriculum promotes pupils' personal development well and there are good opportunities for pupils to learn about safe and healthy practices in their daily lives. The provision for English, mathematics, science, and information and communication technology (ICT) is helping pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils of all capabilities thoroughly enjoy the range of imaginative clubs and exciting activities that take place during the day. Pupils look forward to residential

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Grade: 3

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008 visits and visits out of school which make their learning interesting. Effective links have been made with other countries and this enables the pupils to have a greater understanding about the world around them.

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Grade: 2

The school provides good care, advice and support within a supportive, family atmosphere. The high levels of commitment shown by all staff ensure that children's welfare is promoted well. Good systems for ensuring the health and safety of the pupils are in place, including the government's requirements for safeguarding. There are very good tracking systems to identify any pupil who is underachieving and to address their needs with well thought out strategies. Pupils' progress is checked regularly and the guidance they are given ensures that they know what they need to do to improve their work over time. This is especially true for older pupils. Effective partnership working with parents and other agencies and the tailored support available ensures that vulnerable pupils receive the help they need to make progress equal to their peers. Support for pupils who speak English as an additional language is well organised and effective.

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Grade: 2

The positive benefits of the care and support in the 'Oasis' can be seen in terms of pupils' improved learning, emotional maturity and behaviour. Parents acknowledge the strong links the school has with them in their overwhelmingly positive responses received during the inspection.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has provided the school with a clear vision and direction that is now coming to fruition. She has reorganised staffing and made some very good appointments that are resulting in significant improvements. The internal appointments of two assistant headteachers, for example, are bringing about effective changes to the curriculum, assessment, teaching and learning and in promoting the health and well-being of pupils and adults. The whole staff share a clear commitment to raising standards and achievement. It is currently too soon for this strong impetus and the impact of recent strategies to be seen in sustained success. It is clear, however from all that has been achieved so far, that improvement has been rapid. The school clearly knows its strengths and what to do to improve academic achievement. Team spirit is robust and everyone's contribution is valued. The needs of the pupils remain at the heart of everything

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Grade: 2

the school does. The effective partnerships with other organisations, such as the local authority, have played a major part in the school's improvements. There are many strong links with the community that allow pupils to engage with, and develop a better understanding of, UK and global communities. Governors are well informed and both support and challenge the school effectively in its drive towards further improvement. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 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: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

On behalf of the inspection team thank you very much for the very warm welcome you gave us when we came to inspect your school. We enjoyed talking to you and seeing all the interesting work that you do. We found that your school is satisfactory and improving quickly. These are the things that we found about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you make satisfactory progress because of the satisfactory and improving teaching you receive ■ you work well with each other in lessons and you look after each other well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you enjoy school and most of you behave well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you know how to be healthy by eating the right food and by exercising

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ adults in school ensure that you are safe and well cared for

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you have many interesting lessons and opportunities to go to clubs and on visits

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your headteacher and her team have made changes which are starting to improve the school for you. I have asked your headteacher to do two things to help the school be even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ improve the quality of teaching further, particularly in involving you more in lessons in checking how well you are learning ■ make sure that the recent changes which have been made continue in order to raise your achievement further. You can help by working with your teachers to check how well you have understood your work. I enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you once again. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hugh Gaitskell Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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