Stanningley Primary School

Stanningley Primary School Inspection report

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107966 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 309552 Inspection number 23 °24 January 2008 Inspection dates Kathryn Dodd 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 232 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jennifer Kerry Chair Mrs Jackie Reid Headteacher 10 February 2004 Date of previous school inspection Leeds and Bradford Road School address Stanningley Pudsey West Yorkshire LS28 6PE 0113 2146108 Telephone number 0113 2290800 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 23 °24 January 2008 Inspection dates 309552 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

Almost all the pupils at this average sized school are White British, but a few are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A very small proportion of pupils speaks English as an additional language. The school serves a mixed locality that includes an area of social and economic disadvantage. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is average, as is the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award, Activemark and Inclusion Chartermark.

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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: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 2008

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Grade: 2

This good school has an accurate view of its effectiveness and provides good value for money. Some aspects are outstanding, such as pupils' personal development and well-being. The way in which every child is cared for and nurtured, in a very warm and caring setting, underpins all aspects of school life. This is why making sure that pupils enjoy learning, are safe and healthy, and play an active part in the community is a high priority. Consequently, pupils achieve well, and they make very good gains in their confidence and self-esteem. Parents think very highly of the school. They recognise that it is going from 'strength to strength' and appreciate that staff go 'beyond what is reasonably expected' to enable their children to become confident learners who are well placed to be responsible young citizens of the future. Pupils across the school, including in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes),

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Grade: 2

pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language, make good progress from their below average starting points. Standards by Year 6 are average and achievement is good. Recently, the rate of pupils' progress has accelerated, and standards by Years 2 and 6 are rising. Contributing to this improving picture is that pupils are set challenging targets and their progress towards them is tracked rigorously. Between Years 1 and 6, staff use this information very well to enable them to meet the varying learning needs of all pupils. In the Foundation Stage, however, systems for doing so are still developing. Nevertheless, pupils' good progress across the school reflects the good quality of teaching and learning and curriculum provided. Recent changes to teaching practices are improving the quality of teaching and learning even further, so that within the picture of good teaching and

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Grade: 2

learning, there are examples of outstanding teaching. The outstanding leadership of the headteacher is a key factor in the school's success. Making sure that every pupil can achieve well in a very caring and supportive environment is her passion. This is why she has forged outstanding links within the locality and promoted a strong sense of common purpose, vision and determination amongst staff. Well focused and clear plans for further improvement are in place. There have been a number of recent changes to the roles and responsibilities of senior leaders and subject leaders. These teachers are keen to make a greater contribution to finding out how well the school is doing, so that they can have more influence on planning the way forward. The skills they need in order to do so, however, are insufficiently developed to enable them to make the contribution they would like. Nevertheless, the school knows itself well. It has a clear picture of what action needs to be taken to bring

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Grade: 2

about further improvements. There is no sign of complacency, but rather, a clear sense of striving to achieve even more. The good improvement since the previous inspection, as evidenced, for example, in rising standards, accelerated pupils' progress and pupils' outstanding personal development, demonstrates that the school has good capacity to improve in the future.

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Grade: 2

When children start Nursery, their skills and knowledge are below what is typical for their age. Aspects of their communication skills are sometimes weak. Staff place high priority on children's personal, social and emotional development, and this ensures that children settle quickly into school routines and develop an early love of learning. Adults provide good support to help children to learn to get along together, talk about their learning and behave well. Children enjoy learning in a bright and lively setting. They have access to a good range of stimulating 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 2008 activities and are taught well. Staff keep a watchful eye on how well individual children are doing, so that daily activities take account of their learning needs. They do not yet make fullest use of the information, however, in order to find out where or how teaching, learning and the

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Grade: 2

curriculum might be fine-tuned to speed up children's progress even further. Nevertheless, many recent changes, including the accommodation, curriculum, teaching and leadership, are all having a positive impact. An increased emphasis on improving children's communication and language skills, for example, is already paying dividends. Children's good progress means that when they transfer to Year 1, their skills are in line with those expected nationally.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make increased use of the information collected about children's progress in the Foundation Stage in order to highlight where refinements to teaching and the curriculum are needed. ■ Extend the skills of leaders and managers, so that they can play an increased role in finding out how well the school is doing and influence its way forward.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and standards by the end of Year 6 are average. Between Years 1 and 6, pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. Setting challenging targets, raising standards and speeding up pupils' progress have been a recent school focus. Staff have been keeping a very close eye on how quickly pupils learn in order to match work more closely to their varying learning needs. These efforts have paid dividends. The results for the Year 2 national assessment in 2007, for example, although average, are much higher than in previous years. This represents good progress from pupils' below average starting points. Similarly, in the last three years, pupils' progress between Years 3 and 6 has been speeding up. The 2007 national test results for pupils in Year 6 show that they made particularly good progress since they were assessed

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Grade: 2

at the end of Year 2. Current school data indicate that the trend of improvement, of both standards and the rate of pupils' progress, is continuing to rise.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils really enjoy all that the school has to offer; this is reflected in their good and improving attendance. Pupils are extremely polite and their behaviour is excellent. There is little need for rewards and sanctions because pupils respect one another and adults. Pupils are very proud of their school. They welcome visitors and new pupils, so that they feel a part of their school community. It is no surprise, therefore, that the pupils learn in a very calm, supportive and peaceful environment, in which they are very happy and safe. Pupils relish opportunities to make their school happier, safer and healthier. The 'wake up and shake up' activities are extremely popular and fun. Pupils understand that this helps them to keep their bodies and minds healthy and makes them ready for learning. Pupils' outstanding personal development means they are well placed to improve

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Grade: 1

their academic achievement even further. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 2008

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress as a result of good teaching and learning. Good organisation, purposeful activities that excite pupils and very positive relationships are strong features of lessons. As a result, pupils are attentive, behave extremely well and are open to learning. Between Years 1 and 6, teachers use the assessments they make of pupils' attainment particularly well to provide work that tightly matches pupils' varying abilities. Consequently, pupils who are capable of reaching higher standards than expected for their ages are challenged to achieve more. Similarly, pupils whose learning needs an extra boost receive good quality additional support. Staff have embraced with enthusiasm the recent changes aimed at improving the quality of teaching even further. Improvements in marking, sharing of learning objectives and involving pupils in assessing their own learning, for example, are all contributing to an improving

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Grade: 2

picture, with some outstanding lessons. Following a number of recent changes of teaching staff, these very best teaching practices are still to be applied consistently across all classes.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum enables all pupils to make good progress. A very good emphasis on promoting pupils' personal development ensures that they can benefit fully from their academic education. Contributing to this success are the outstanding partnerships with external agencies, which ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils experiencing social and emotional difficulties very well. Pupils really enjoy taking part in the good range of interesting lessons and activities on offer; for example, opportunities to take part in sporting and art activities are a particularly strong feature. A good range of specialised programmes helps pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and pupils who speak English as an additional language to make good progress. There are particularly good opportunities for the more able pupils to feel challenged and to extend their learning. Recent initiatives, for example, 'Time to Write', are

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Grade: 2

helping to close the gap in standards between reading and writing. Opportunities for practising basic skills in other subjects are not always fully exploited.

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Grade: 2

Making sure that every child is nurtured and cared for is at the very heart of the school. High quality pastoral support is evident in day-to-day practice. Parents praise the dedication and commitment of staff to their children's welfare. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. Pupils say that they feel safe and that someone is always on hand to help them to overcome difficulties. Keeping a close eye on pupils' progress between Years 1 and 6 ensures that staff are quick to spot where changes are needed. In the Foundation Stage, however, the approach is not as rigorous, and opportunities for speeding up children's progress are sometimes missed. Good communication between teachers, support staff, the inclusion manager and the learning mentor ensures that pupils have the support they need to avoid falling behind or to catch up if they do. While older pupils have a good understanding of what they still have to

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Grade: 2

do to reach their challenging targets, the picture for younger children is inconsistent. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 2008

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Grade: 2

Leadership, management and governance are good. A key factor in the school's success is the inspirational leadership of the headteacher. In pursuit of excellence, she is driven to ensure that all children achieve as well as they possibly can, within a safe and caring setting. This is why standards have improved and pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. The deputy headteacher provides very effective support and the recent appointment of an inclusion manager has strengthened the senior leadership team further. Together, they have pinpointed well chosen and carefully planned priorities for future improvement. They are aware that the next priority is to ensure that children's progress in the Foundation Stage is tracked as rigorously as elsewhere in the school. Staff who have recently taken on leadership responsibilities are keen to develop their skills, so that they can make a greater contribution

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Grade: 2

to identifying strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility and planning the way forward. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 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: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 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: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Stanningley Primary School, Pudsey, LS28 6PE Thank you so much for the very warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. You were extremely polite, very keen to talk to us and answered our questions thoughtfully. Your behaviour was really good, and it was pleasing to hear that you feel very safe and happy in school. All adults care about you a great deal. I particularly enjoyed joining in the `wake up and shake up' activity led by Year 5 in assembly, and seeing everyone - staff, pupils and visitors - all smiling and having great fun together. I was impressed with how much you know about keeping your bodies healthy and how this helps you to learn. You get lots of chances to take part in extra activities outside your lessons. The Lexia Club is helping many of you to improve your literacy and your computer skills even more quickly. You become more and more confident as you move through the school and this is

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

helping to prepare you well for going to secondary school. It is easy to see why you told me you enjoy school so much and why your parents say they are pleased with it, too. Everyone is very proud of your achievements. Your school is a good school. By the time you leave at the end of Year 6, your standards are average. The rate at which you are learning, however, is faster than in many other schools and, recently, it has been speeding up. This is because your headteacher, staff and governors have been working very hard together to make good changes. There are a few things that can be even better still. I have asked your headteacher, staff and governors to help you further by:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ keeping a closer check on how quickly you are learning in the Nursery and Reception classes, so that the school knows whether or not you might be able to do even better ■ making sure that all the adults who are responsible for checking how well the school is doing learn how they might find out exactly where and how things might get even better for you. You can help your school by making sure that you ask your teachers how well you are getting on and what you still have to do to reach your learning targets. Of course, you should continue to try your best in everything that you do. I wish you all the very best for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Stanningley Primary School, 23 °24 January 2008

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