Iveson Primary School

107886 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 324669 Inspection number 18–19 November 2008 Inspection dates Andrew Swallow 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 205 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 96 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Alun Ellis Chair Mrs Elizabeth Benfield Headteacher 27 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Iveson Rise School address Leeds West Yorkshire LS16 6LW 0113 225 6868 Telephone number 0113 225 6767 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 18–19 November 2008 Inspection dates 324669 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: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized primary school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. A slightly below average number of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. About two thirds of pupils are of White British heritage, with the remainder coming from a wide range of different minority ethnic groups, the largest being from Middle Eastern countries. A small, but increasing, proportion of pupils is learning to speak English as an additional language and receives additional support. The school works in partnership with the Leeds North-West Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (SILC). It provides a base for the centre and the opportunity for pupils on the roll of the SILC to be taught in a mainstream setting. The school does not have responsibility for the centre and therefore it was not inspected on this occasion. The school also makes provision for before and after school care during term

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Description of the school

time, which was inspected as a part of this inspection. Since the last inspection there have been many staff changes, with some prolonged staff absence. The school has the Healthy Schools and Activemark Gold awards.

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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: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school that provides satisfactory value for money. The headteacher has successfully tackled the challenges arising from significant changes in staffing, which have slowed pupils' progress across Years 3 to 6 in English, science and, particularly, mathematics. Staffing is now stable and the senior leadership team has been empowered to address recent underperformance, particularly in mathematics, and to raise standards quickly. Early indications show that this work is bearing fruit. Standards reached by the end of Year 6 are now broadly in line with nationally expected levels and achievement is satisfactory, although there is room for even more improvement. Effective care of pupils lies at the heart of the school's work. Adults are very supportive and keen to involve all pupils at all times. This is especially so for pupils with particular learning difficulties and/or disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language. The

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Grade: 3

quality of the care provided before and after school, is good. Parents recognise this good work and are highly supportive of the school. They say that Iveson primary is 'a safe, encouraging and happy place to learn'. Most children start school with skills that are below those typical for their age. They get off to a good start in the Nursery, with many working within the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception year. Pupils' progress is uneven across Years 1 to 6, because some pupils still have gaps in their learning as a result of the disruption to teaching brought on by the number of teachers leaving and joining the school in the last two years. Nevertheless, pupils' achievement is now satisfactory in English and science due to a much more settled teaching team and specific strategies to develop pupils' writing skills. Standards are rising quickly and are, by the end of Year 6, broadly average, though standards in mathematics are lower.

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Grade: 3

Achievement in mathematics is satisfactory but pupils' calculation and problem solving skills are still below average. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some which is good, and enables pupils to make satisfactory progress overall. Many teachers increasingly encourage pupils to think for themselves and to work independently. However, in some lessons pupils spend too much time listening, rather than doing, and activities are not as stimulating as they might be. As a result, on these occasions progress is slower. This variability in the quality of teaching prevents pupils' progress from being better than satisfactory overall. Pupils' personal development is good. Pupils enjoy school and their attendance is mostly satisfactory, although not as high as the school would wish. The sense of community in school is good. The vast majority of pupils behave well and are very supportive of each other. Through

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Grade: 3

their links with schools abroad and with the local community, they develop a good appreciation of the qualities required to take their part in society. Most have a good understanding of how to keep safe and healthy. Their improving information and communication technology (ICT) and literacy skills and their growing understanding of the world of work, prepare them adequately for their future lives. The curriculum is satisfactory. There is a good range of enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities. Self-evaluation has identified the right priorities to move the school forward, although procedures to monitor and analyse the impact of teachers' work on pupils' learning are not sharp enough. The governing body is supportive and fulfils its statutory responsibilities. The committed leadership by the headteacher and determination of the senior leadership team are 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008

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Grade: 3

improving the work of the school. These factors ensure that the school has satisfactory capacity for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Parents say they are pleased about the way the school welcomes new children. Although there is a spread of attainment, the majority enter the Nursery with skills that are below those typical for their age. Overall, they make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), so that by the end of Reception, most children are working within the Early Learning Goals. A strong team, led by a skilled and enthusiastic EYFS leader, knows the children's needs well and ensures they get off to a confident start. Furthermore, those children who attend the before and after school care facilities receive good support in their personal development. A good range of activities, in a stimulating and safe environment, results in happy, confident children, who thoroughly enjoy their learning. For example, Sidney the spider's amazing eight legs captivated children's imaginations as they counted together. Good progress has been made

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Grade: 2

since the last inspection in ensuring that assessments of children's progress are regular and accurate and used effectively to support individual's needs. A good balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities develop well children's creative and physical skills and their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Many make especially good progress with their personal, social and emotional development, but are less confident in writing for a purpose and carrying out simple calculations.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise achievement and standards particularly in mathematics.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure all teaching matches the best practice in the school to increase the rate of progress for all learners. ■ Refine systems to monitor more rigorously the impact that teaching has on pupils' learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

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

Standards are broadly in line with national averages and this represents satisfactory achievement. Pupils' progress is better in English and science than in mathematics because, in this subject, pupils have more gaps in their knowledge. Pupils make good progress across Years 1 and 2 to reach average standards by the end of Key Stage 1. A number of pupils have not made enough progress in recent years, largely due to prolonged staff absences. These issues have now been fully resolved and standards are picking up, as well as the rate of progress made by pupils. Pupils with individual learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those whose first language is not English, make satisfactory progress, because work is suitably matched to their needs. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe and are encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. The daily 'Wake up, Shake up' routine is a particular favourite. Pupils enthuse about taking part. They understand the importance of healthy eating and are regular visitors to the healthy snack tuck-shop. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They talk enthusiastically about their links with other schools in different countries and are proud to attend their own school where cultural differences are celebrated. Most pupils behave well, have a good understanding of what is right and wrong and clearly enjoy school, as reflected in their positive attitudes to learning. Older pupils who attend the before and after school care provision willingly take responsibility for supporting younger peers. Members of the school council take seriously their work and others relish opportunities afforded to them to raise funds

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Grade: 2

for charities and act as 'playground buddies'. Attendance is satisfactory and improved since the last inspection. Staff continue to work hard to improve attendance, particularly that of a small group of pupils who are persistently absent. Most pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the world of work and develop overall skills which prepare them adequately for their future lives.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching is improving as a result of greater stability in staffing. In some classes it is good, but has not yet had time to address fully all of the historical deficits in pupils' personal learning and thinking skills. Relationships are positive and most children are ready to learn. Pupils say they enjoy their lessons because they feel well supported and do interesting things. In the best lessons, skilful questioning enables teachers to determine how well pupils are learning and what they need to do to make even better progress. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to find out things for themselves. Activities are often linked to 'real-life' situations so that the pupils see relevance in what they are doing. However, some teachers spend too long explaining and showing, at the expense of pupils becoming involved sooner in their learning. Activities are not always as engaging as they might be. Consequently, some

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Grade: 3

pupils still do not make as much progress as they should. The marking of pupils' work is regular and celebratory, but not always helpful in enabling pupils to understand what to do next. Teaching assistants provide well focused support for pupils who have additional needs, including those for whom English is not their first language.

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Grade: 3

Teachers have begun to establish links between different subjects to ensure that pupils steadily develop key understanding, whilst retaining an emphasis on literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). These arrangements are starting to impact positively on pupils' reading and writing skills and on their confidence in using computers, although much of this work is still at an early stage. An increasing use of the local community and links with schools abroad adds relevance and purpose to learning. The school recognises that significant improvements are needed to improve pupils' mathematical competencies through more practical and meaningful experiences. Pupils' achievements in music, dance and drama are good and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008 help to develop their creative talents. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have just begun to learn Spanish.

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Grade: 3

The learning of a foreign language, together with the range of international contacts, ensures they have a growing understanding of other cultures and global issues. Visitors to the school and visits out-of-school enhance pupils' personal and social development. A good range of enrichment activities, including keep fit, first aid, gardening and art clubs, all help pupils to broaden their horizons and develop varied lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

Parents and pupils appreciate the strong pastoral support provided. Safeguarding procedures meet requirements. Every care is taken to ensure that the school is a safe and healthy environment and regular checks are made to minimise risks. Child protection arrangements are effective and links with external agencies are strong. This quality work is mirrored in the good provision made in the before and after school sessions. There is particularly good support for vulnerable pupils and the increasing number of pupils entering the school from overseas, especially those who speak little or no English. The learning mentor works hard to provide one to one and small group support, including a daily breakfast club which pupils love. They also appreciate the guidance that many teachers provide to prepare them for their next steps in learning. Staff strive to ensure that pupils understand what they should achieve and how they

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Grade: 2

can make better progress, although the quality of marking does not always indicate clear targets for improvement. The local authority provision for autistic pupils based at the school works successfully with the team at Iveson, to promote a thoughtful approach by all pupils towards each other.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has led the school well through a recent unsettling period. There is now a much sharper focus on raising pupils' achievement. Good links have been forged with local schools and outside agencies, and exciting international partnerships developed, to promote pupils' well-being. These links enable pupils to appreciate the values of belonging to a society in which there are positive relationships and promote good community cohesion. The senior leadership team is committed to quality education and care. Senior leaders have been given more responsibility recently for raising standards faster. Refined tracking procedures are enabling earlier and more effective intervention, particularly where individual pupils may not be achieving as well as they should. Appropriate arrangements are in place for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning, although the analysis of the impact of teaching on pupils' learning is

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Grade: 3

not always sharp enough. Whole school self-evaluation is sometimes over generous, although the school does have an overall accurate understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement. Governors are supportive and involved in the work of the school. They receive regular and general information to enable them to carry out most of their statutory duties and are developing a clearer picture about how well pupils are achieving. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 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? 3 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: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Iveson Primary School, Leeds, LS16 6LW Thank you very much for the welcome and help you gave to the inspectors when we came to your school recently. We liked how you talked to us in such a friendly way and were impressed by how you all get on so well with each other. It is good to see how ready and willing you are to learn. Now that the staffing of the school is more stable, most of you concentrate on your work and make satisfactory progress overall. I was particularly impressed with how much you know about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and how enthusiastically you take on responsibilities in the playground, and work so thoughtfully alongside other children. Many of you broaden your horizons by becoming involved in projects about the local environment, links with schools abroad and fund-raising for worldwide charities. I think that these experiences are really useful in preparing you for your future lives.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I was pleased to hear how much you enjoy your lessons, particularly music, drama and sport. The children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a good start in their learning. Overall, I think that your school takes good care of you and provides you with a satisfactory standard of education. But, I know that this could be even better. I am asking the headteacher, staff and governors to do the following things to make sure that you all get the best out of your time at Iveson.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you reach higher standards in English and science, and especially in mathematics, by the end of Year 6. ■ Improve the quality of all your lessons so that you make the best possible progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure senior leaders concentrate more on finding out whether teaching enables you all to learn as well as you might. I am sure you will work hard and do your best to help your teachers bring about the improvements we think are necessary. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Iveson Primary School, 18–19 November 2008

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