Southroyd Primary and Nursery School

Southroyd Primary and Nursery School Inspection report

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107847 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 324662 Inspection number 21 November 2008 Inspection date Keith Bardon 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 431 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 20 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Roebuck Chair Mrs J Poynting Headteacher 15 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Littlemoor Crescent School address Pudsey West Yorkshire LS28 8AT

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3–11 Age group 21 November 2008 Inspection date 324662 Inspection number 0113 257 0197 Telephone number 0113 257 0197 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 21 November 2008 Inspection date 324662 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. 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The following issues were investigated: standards and achievement, personal development and well-being, curriculum, care, guidance and support and leadership and management. Evidence was gathered from the school's self-evaluation, national published assessment data and the school's own assessment records, policies and minutes, observation of the school at work, interviews with senior members of staff and pupils and the parents' questionnaires. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This is a large primary school on the outskirts of Leeds. The area in which most pupils live has social and economic characteristics that are below average. While most pupils are of White British heritage, approaching one in ten are from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Some of these pupils speak English as an additional language, but very few are at an early stage in learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is a little above average, but the number with a statement for their special educational need is below average. The school has achieved a number of awards including Investors in People, Investors in Pupils, Healthy School (Advanced), International School, Activemark. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision is made up of a Nursery and two Reception classes. A before and after school club is available to pupils and this was included in the

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Description of the school

inspection. Since the school was last inspected, the accommodation has undergone major development and a children's centre has opened on site. With the exception of the Nursery, the children's centre did not form part of this inspection. The school also provides facilities for parental support.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with a number of outstanding features. As a result of the excellent quality of support and care staff provide, pupils' confidence and self-esteem develops rapidly and they achieve well in all aspects of their learning. Pupils of all ages make huge strides in their personal development, maturing into sensible and considerate individuals who value education and take considerable pride in what they are able to achieve. Pupils feel that theirs is a 'really good school' because they have teachers who 'will listen to any problems and help'. Most parents hold equally positive views, describing staff as very supportive, caring and approachable and the school as providing a motivating and nurturing environment. From a relatively low starting point on entry, pupils make good progress as they move through the school and by Year 6 standards match the national average. The school is continually looking

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Grade: 2

for ways to raise attainment and there are early, but clear signs that standards are rising with an increasing proportion of pupils attaining at an above average level. The school sets challenging targets for pupils' performance in the national tests and meets or exceeds them. The good levels attained in Key Stage 2 reflect the hard work done in EYFS and Key Stage 1 to provide pupils with the confidence and will to achieve. This takes time to build, but the school is relentless in its efforts to equip all pupils with the attitudes and skills they need to be effective learners. One of the keys to the school's success is the outstanding curriculum, closely tailored to pupils' needs and providing the motivation for pupils to do their best at all times. Pupils say that they find school highly enjoyable because 'teachers do all sorts of things with you' and 'work is fun'. They are clearly stimulated to learn by the opportunities provided

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Grade: 2

and in lessons levels of concentration, interest and enthusiasm are high. The curriculum provides pupils with a very wide range of experiences in lessons and beyond. Very productive and well organised links with a local sports college, for example, extend the range of physical activities available to pupils helping to keep them fit and healthy. Pupils recognise the benefits this brings and pay close attention to their own health and safety. Some act as junior road safety officers and under the guidance of a member of staff give regular advice to other pupils on how to keep safe while out and about. In lessons, around school and in the playground, behaviour is excellent. Pupils listen very carefully to what teachers are saying and join in activities readily at every opportunity. They willingly help others, with older pupils organising games equipment at playtimes and helping to support younger pupils around school.

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Grade: 2

These duties are taken seriously and carried out very conscientiously. On occasions, older pupils assess each other's work, providing thoughtful and sensible peer guidance to help each other improve. Safeguarding procedures are in place and as result pupils feel safe and secure in school. While they accept there is the occasional 'falling out,' they have confidence in staff and in the older pupils, who act as peer mediators, to resolve any problems quickly and effectively. Teaching and learning are good. Relationships between teachers and pupils are excellent and the atmosphere in classrooms is relaxed but busy. Pupils are set very clear objectives at the start of lessons and given understandable instructions about how to achieve them. Teachers give common messages and provide useful prompts which instil good practice, such as always reading through written work to make sure it says what it should. The teaching of English is

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Grade: 2

good in most respects, but the teaching of handwriting has inconsistencies and does not enable all pupils to develop a fluent and consistent style. Care guidance and support procedures are extremely well planned and matched carefully to the needs of the individual. All pupils are included fully in the life of the school and have equal opportunities to learn. As a result, pupils 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008 with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those from minority ethnic backgrounds maintain the same rate of good progress as other pupils. Teaching assistants work closely with class teachers, providing valuable additional support for pupils. Nuture groups are provided for those with low self-esteem or who need additional support for their social development. These do much for pupils' confidence and ability to learn effectively alongside others. Pupils' academic

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Grade: 2

progress is assessed and tracked rigorously, enabling support and guidance to be offered when and where needed. Teachers mark pupils' work carefully and give good guidance for future improvement. The manner in which community cohesion is promoted both within the school and local communities and much further a field is outstanding. For several years the school's highly productive links with one in India have provided pupils with a valuable insight into a community that is in some ways similar to their own, but in others is very different. As a result, pupils respect for and appreciation of other cultures and communities is highly developed. Now that the funding for this project has come to an end pupils have taken on the task of raising money so that it can continue. Such experiences give pupils an early appreciation of money management, which when coupled with a very good range of basic skills provides an excellent

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Grade: 2

platform for future learning and life. Supported by the deputy headteacher and a cohesive team of senior staff the headteacher leads and manages the school with vision and purpose. Since the school was last inspected it has made good improvement. The school's strengths have been built upon and new initiatives that enrich pupils' learning have been undertaken. Major building and development work has taken place quite recently. This has been managed well with a minimum of disruption to pupils' education. School self-evaluation is accurate and the school sets extremely challenging targets to raise standards and maintain the momentum of development. Governors carry out their statutory responsibilities well. They support the school conscientiously and play a full and active part in checking its performance. Capacity for further improvement is good.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the EYFS, including that for the small number of young children who attend the before and after school club, is good. When children enter the Nursery their attainment is often below that typical of the age group and in some instances well below. Many lack language skills and are not yet communicating or socialising with others confidently. Children make good progress in EYFS because they are well taught and cared for. Although the majority of children attain the targets for their age by the end of Reception, a significant minority are still below the expectations on entry to Year 1, particularly in writing and calculation. Children make very good progress in their speaking and listening. This is because adults are skilled at asking questions that encourage children to communicate their thoughts and ideas. For example, during an activity to bake a cake for the toys' birthday party, children sensibly reasoned why

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Grade: 2

they did not put jam in the cake before it was baked. Nursery children had huge fun on a 'bear hunt' out of doors, describing what they saw, heard and felt, 'squelching' through mud and 'trampling on crackling leaves'. Teachers plan their lessons conscientiously, but the activities in the Nursery are not always as sharply focused as those in the Reception classes. When this happens opportunities to extend and develop children's knowledge and understanding are missed because the steps in learning are too broad. Leadership and management of the EYFS are good. Despite an unsettled period during the construction of the Children's Centre, when the Nursery was housed in temporary accommodation, good quality provision has been 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008 maintained. Systems to ensure the welfare of children and adults are good, and the provision meets the new requirements. Links with parents and other professionals are good and the letter

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Grade: 2

sounds sessions, that enable parents to help their children at home, have achieved very positive results. Very good links with Year 1 allow the children to make a smooth transition into Key Stage 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure the teaching and learning of handwriting provides all pupils with the opportunity to develop a fluent and consistent style. ■ Ensure that activities planned in the Nursery have a clear and sharp focus and identify appropriate steps in children's learning. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 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

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/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: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 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: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, Pudsey, LS28 8AT Thank you very much for the very friendly greeting you gave the inspectors when we visited your school recently. Lots of you smiled and chatted to us which made us feel comfortable and welcome. We thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the work you do, and special thanks go to those who talked with us about the school. Yours is a good school and some things about it are outstanding. I understand fully why you enjoy it so much. The school has a very friendly atmosphere. Everyone is polite and very well behaved. We were particularly impressed by the way you help and support each other. This shows a great deal of maturity and a well developed sense of responsibility of which you can be very proud. You grow into very sensible and considerate young people and I think your personal development is outstanding. You make good progress because you are well taught and work hard. You told us that teachers

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make learning fun and when we visited lessons you were clearly enjoying the activities and keen to learn. The quality of the experiences the school provides is excellent and another important reason why you do well. By Year 6, most of you are producing work that is at least of the quality we would expect for your age, and some of you are working at an even higher level, all of which is good. One thing we did notice is while some of you use a neat style of writing all of the time, others do not write as fluently or as clearly. We have asked the school to look into this. You can help by trying to use a smooth and easy to read style all the time, whatever the subject. Staff take extremely good care of you and I know you appreciate the help they give you. It was good to hear that you feel able to turn to them easily if you are having any problems or anything you need help with. The recent building work that has gone on at school has provided some

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

lovely new facilities including much more space for the Nursery children. To make the very best use of the improvements the planning of activities in the Nursery needs to be further developed. Thank you once again for a very enjoyable day and best wishes for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Southroyd Primary and Nursery School, 21 November 2008

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