Asquith Primary School

Asquith Primary School Inspection report

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132795 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 316018 Inspection number 19 °20 May 2008 Inspection dates Carmen Markham 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 215 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Stewart McArdle Chair Mrs Gill Austerfield Headteacher 28 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Horsfall Street School address Morley Leeds LS27 9QY 0113 3075550 Telephone number 0113 3075551 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 19 °20 May 2008 Inspection dates 316018 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

This new school opened in 2002 with an intake of Foundation Stage pupils. It is gradually phasing in new groups of pupils. It will complete its intake in September 2008 when it will have a Year 6 class for the first time. Currently, the school is a little smaller than average. It serves an area of mixed social and economic circumstances and the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The majority of pupils are White British and all speak English as their first language. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups or with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well below the national average. The school has an integrated child care provision within the Nursery and before- and after-school care provided by a private partner. These provisions were not inspected.

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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: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 2008

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Grade: 2

Asquith Primary is a good school with some outstanding features. The outstanding quality of both the Foundation Stage and the personal development and well-being of pupils provides a strong basis for the development of independent and mature young people who enjoy their learning and are proud of their achievements. The school has excellent partnerships with parents and outside agencies to promote pupils' well-being. Pupils are very well cared for and provision for vulnerable pupils is outstanding. Pupils' sense of responsibility towards each other in school and their understanding of the needs of the whole school community are very good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils behave exceptionally well and there has recently been a substantial improvement in school attendance. Their commitment to healthy lifestyles is superb. The good leadership and management team is lead by an outstanding headteacher who shares

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Grade: 2

her vision of an inclusive school where everyone will succeed very effectively with staff and governors. All work hard to implement this vision and develop a strong school ethos based on care, learning and enjoyment. The team has effectively established a new school by researching best practice in other schools and establishing very good procedures for school organisation and monitoring. Quality is maintained by frequent comparisons with other schools particularly in relation to standards because, as a new school, it does not have enough data of its own for comparison. The school's regular, effective evaluation of its performance enables it to grow successfully. This process recently identified the need for the training of subject leaders; sound progress is being made in this aspect already. The budget is well managed and the school provides good value for money. Pupils attain standards in line with national expectations in English, mathematics and science

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Grade: 2

in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. They achieve well in relation to attainment on entry to the Nursery, which is below the nationally expected levels for their age. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and vulnerable pupils make similar progress to other pupils in response to the good quality of support they receive. Good teaching enables pupils to learn well and make good progress, partly because their achievements are evaluated well. However, there is some inconsistency in the quality of teaching. It ranges from outstanding to satisfactory, so progress is some classes is better than in others. Furthermore, the quality of marking and the use of learning targets are variable. In some classes they are exemplary and help pupils to understand what they need to do to improve their work but in other classes marking and target setting are less helpful. Pupils' progress is well supported by a good, well constructed curriculum that develops a good

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Grade: 2

range of skills. The introduction of specialised programmes of work to teach letters and their sounds in the Foundation Stage is now working its way through Key Stage 1 and is producing significant improvements in all aspects of literacy. The school has made noticeable advances since it was opened and has a good capacity to improve even further.

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Grade: 1

Children make outstanding progress. They make large gains in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Meanwhile, the more recent emphasis on role play linked to number has enabled children to make similar progress in their mathematical skills. The first-rate leadership and 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 2008 management of the Foundation Stage together with very effective teaching and high quality provision also enable children to make very swift progress in relation to their personal, social and emotional development. By the end of the Foundation Stage they are confident pupils who enjoy talking about their achievements. Most attain the expected standards and a minority exceed them. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also make very good progress as they are extremely well supported because teachers make excellent use of the skills of teaching assistants and nursery nurses. Planning is thorough and the assessment and tracking

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Grade: 1

of children's progress is exemplary. The learning environment is stimulating and well resourced. The outdoor play area is very well developed and reflects the quality of the indoor area. It is very well used by children. Work is marked thoroughly and children have targets that they understand. They enjoy earning rewards for achievement and this motivates them to become involved in their learning and to develop their independence. They play happily together and keep the work areas tidy. Staff take exceptionally good care of children, so health, hygiene and safety are high priorities enabling them to learn in a safe and harmonious environment.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of some teaching so that it reflects the best practice in the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils, from Year 1 onwards, are made consistently aware of what they have achieved and what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The majority of pupils make good progress so that by the end of Year 2 they are just below the national average and by the end of Year 5 they are in line with the national average in English, mathematics and science. The school's very good assessment and tracking systems demonstrate the progress of pupils in Key Stage 2. The high quality support programmes for vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities ensure that they also make good progress. In line with the national trend, boys do not achieve as well as girls in reading and writing. However, the school has put in place a number of good strategies to interest and motivate boys in these areas, which are beginning to work.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being is outstanding. Their strong sense of responsibility towards each other in school is demonstrated well by the thoughtful ideas and endeavours of the school council that runs the healthy tuck shop and also through the introduction of a very effective buddy system in the school playground. Attendance has significantly improved since the last inspection and is above the national average. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. Relationships with adults and visitors to the school are excellent. The happy and smiling faces of pupils clearly demonstrate their sheer enjoyment of the daily 'wake and shake' sessions in the school playground. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They showed a growing understanding of world environmental issues in a Year 5 lesson, which challenged them to research the country of origin of different

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Grade: 1

varieties of fruit, and then to calculate the distance the fruit had to travel to the United Kingdom. The personal and academic skills which pupils acquire give them an outstanding sense of community and a positive start towards their future economic well-being. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 2008

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good so pupils make good progress and really enjoy their learning. Pupils' progress is systematically tracked and this information is used well to identify pupils who need additional help. Teaching assistants provide good quality support enabling pupils to play a full part in lessons and activities. Teachers manage pupils' behaviour effectively by establishing clear structures for learning and creating calm working environments. In the best lessons teachers plan lessons effectively with interesting tasks; they have high expectations of pupils and the pace of lessons is good. In these lessons pupils enjoy being challenged and are excited by their learning. However, there are examples of less effective lessons where the pace is too slow so pupils become distracted and progress is satisfactory rather than good. In these lessons the level of work is not always suitable for some pupils and too much time is spent on activities

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Grade: 2

that do not promote learning. However, all teachers plan practical sessions to promote independent learning and sometimes provide the opportunity to meet visitors. Good use is made of interactive whiteboards to engage and motivate pupils. Pupils enjoy working to their personal targets and being rewarded for their successes. However, the quality of target setting and the marking of pupils' work are variable so pupils do not always know what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum and other activities are good. Pupils enjoy the practical approaches to learning and the many opportunities to make choices and plan their own activities. For example, the 'My Healthy Body' theme during the inspection week was cross-curricular and provided pupils with many opportunities to learn through enjoyment and fun. Although there is a growing focus on the teaching of basic skills, the curriculum in Years 3 to 5 does not yet promote consistently good progress in writing, but the school has identified this and is working on it. Provision for pupils' personal, social, health education and citizenship is very strong. Consequently, pupils know how important it is to stay safe and be responsible members of the community, for example through the effective 'park and stride' system. After-school clubs such as creative arts, gymnastics, football and choir help pupils to nurture their particular interests.

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Grade: 2

Visiting artists and theatre groups inspire pupils' creative work, while visits to sites outside of school bring history, geography and religious education to life. Pupils' cultural enrichment is enhanced through the teaching of French in Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is good with many outstanding features. The school is particularly effective in meeting the needs of a number of vulnerable pupils and those identified with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This is due to the excellent quality of its very effective support systems, including a range of external agencies, which ensure very early identification of individual pupils' particular needs and a consequent and accurate match of appropriate provision. Current requirements for ensuring the safety of pupils through the vetting of staff, child protection and risk assessment procedures are met. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and know whom to turn to if they experience any worries or problems. Parents 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 2008 very much appreciate the detailed and friendly arrangements for their children to enter school.

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Grade: 2

The progress made by all pupils is very carefully monitored. Systems are gradually being put in place to ensure that pupils are fully aware of the next steps they need to take in order to enhance their learning and personal development but it is too soon to see the impact of this work.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. High quality teamwork creates an atmosphere of unified purpose in relation to putting learning and achievement first and ensuring that pupils get the most out of school. The successful development of this new school is attributable to the energy and enthusiasm of the headteacher, her very capable leadership team and good governance. The leadership team knows the school's strengths and areas that require development. The school's evaluation of itself is accurate. Monitoring is thorough and the progress of all pupils is carefully assessed and tracked. Good strategies are developed to address identified areas for development. This often involves looking at examples of good practice either inside the school or in other schools. Good quality training for staff is an important feature of the life of the school, for example for subject leaders. The leadership and management

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Grade: 2

team has high expectations, works closely with the local community and parents and constantly strives for the best for its pupils. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 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: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 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? 1 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: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 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: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

On behalf of the inspection team, I would like to thank you for making us so welcome in your school. You were all very helpful and polite and helped us to find our way around. We admired the beautiful displays of your work, particularly the displays for book week on 'super heroes'. We also enjoyed talking to you and finding out about your school council and the work you do in lessons. We think that your headteacher and the staff all work hard to make your school successful. We judge it to be a good school with some things that are outstanding. These include the Nursery and Reception class and your personal development and well-being. The staff look after you very well and most of you feel safe and happy in school. You make good progress in lessons because your teachers make sure that they involve you in a lot of interesting topics and activities. They also encourage visitors to school so that you can practise new skills and improve your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

understanding of the world. Most of you attend school regularly and arrive on time. You behave very well and so you are able to listen and learn. We noticed that you take particularly good care of each other so that you can all enjoy school a great deal. All the work you did during the inspection on the topic of 'my healthy body' showed that you know how to stay healthy and safe. We were very impressed by your healthy lunch boxes and healthy food choices at lunchtime. One of the reasons for our visit was to see how your school could improve. We have asked teachers to improve the quality of their teaching in some lessons to make sure that all lessons are as good as the best ones. We have also asked your teachers to improve their marking and to make sure that each of you has your own special targets so you know how to improve your work. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Asquith Primary School, 19 °20 May 2008

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