Knowleswood Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management, by:
  • ensuring that systems are in place to accurately assess individual pupils’ progress from their starting points – demonstrating their rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics over time
  • measuring and evaluating the school’s performance accurately against national outcomes to raise expectations further
  • ensuring that the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning always includes its impact on the rates of progress that pupils make in their learning
  • continuing to identify and tackle issues that lead to low levels of attendance, so that fewer pupils are absent.
• Improve outcomes for pupils of all ages, by:
  • supporting and challenging teachers to raise their expectations even higher, enabling them to provide suitably challenging activities for pupils of all abilities to allow them to work at a greater depth
  • ensuring that teachers drive learning forward, allowing pupils to be productive and work hard
  • continuing to embed early reading skills so that a greater proportion of pupils meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check, and become fluent and expressive readers by the end of Year 6.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and his senior leadership team have been unwavering in their determination to secure an excellent standard of education for pupils in the school. Alongside governors, leaders have worked tirelessly to eradicate historic and embedded underperformance, improve the quality of teaching and accelerate the rates of progress that pupils make in their learning. The fruits of their hard work are now being seen across the school, but have not yet had sufficient time to impact on outcomes for pupils, as indicated by statutory assessments.
• The quality of teaching has improved rapidly and is now good. Leaders have worked tirelessly to rectify poor-quality teaching, and have made some astute decisions in recruiting new staff. Teachers work enthusiastically together, and share leaders’ ambition to improve the quality of teaching still further to allow all pupils to excel. Leaders know that further refinements to particular elements of teaching are required in order to secure significantly improved outcomes for pupils which are sustained.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate and thorough understanding of what the school does well, and what it needs to do in order to become even more successful. Their view of the quality of outcomes for pupils did not take enough account of the comparison between the school’s assessment results and those of all pupils nationally.
• The school holds detailed and accurate assessment on the proportion of pupils in each year group that are working at expected levels for their age. Currently, the school does not have in place an effective system to track pupils’ rates of progress in their learning from individual starting points.
• Procedures to check the quality of teaching are extensive, detailed and involve a number of different senior and middle leaders. As well as observing in lessons, checks are made on work in pupils’ books and on their learning environments and discussions are held with pupils. Leaders have not yet ensured that these checks closely identify the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress in their learning.
• The school’s curriculum is rich, broad and balanced. Care is taken to ensure that pupils have access to all subjects across the curriculum.
• Pupils’ excellent personal development is in part due to a curriculum that strongly contributes to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In lessons and in assemblies, the promotion of British values such as democracy and the rule of law prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Teachers have worked together closely to develop and rewrite the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs and interests of pupils in Knowleswood. It is much enhanced by a range of visitors to school and visits across the local region. Pupils reported that trips to a chocolate factory, Leeds City Museum, Cliffe Castle, the National Media Museum and a medical museum were particular favourites. After-school clubs support the curriculum well, activities including hockey, dance, cheerleading, Change4Life, athletics and basketball.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and make good progress. Consequently, the special educational needs funding is used effectively.
• Leaders have managed pupil premium funding carefully to provide targeted support for pupils through additional members of staff, including a diversity leader. In addition, funding has subsidised costs of visits, targeted support programmes and the work of ‘Roots and Wings’ in which a team of artists inspire groups of pupils to learn and innovate. The positive impact of these actions is seen through the good progress now made by disadvantaged pupils across the school, including the most able disadvantaged.
• Links with parents are very good, and the vast majority are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Parents know that the school promotes equality of opportunity and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. One parent wrote in the questionnaire, ‘A brilliant school that brings out the best in my children.’
• The physical education and sports funding for schools has been used well. A sports coach is employed to teach in lessons, delivering quality support and mentoring to school staff in their teaching of physical education lessons. The school has achieved a ‘Sainsbury’s Bronze Award’ due to the high proportion of pupils participating regularly in sporting activities. The school also competes in a range of inter-school competitions.
• The local authority has worked closely with the school to raise standards and improve performance, but now visits less frequently. It brokers support from other good schools.

Governance of the school

• Governance of the school is good and has improved since the previous inspection.
• Governors are passionate about school improvement, and most have appropriate professional skills that complement and enhance their role in school. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, partly informed by first-hand experiences in monitoring school performance alongside senior leaders.
• Governors provide robust and rigorous challenge to leaders, alongside effective support. Leaders are now held to account for the quality of teaching and learning, as well as for outcomes for pupils seen in assessment data. Governors are adept at helping to set priorities for the school, and are clear about how they can develop their own effectiveness as a governing body.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has a tangible ethos that is overwhelmingly positive and caring, putting the welfare of each pupil at the centre of all that it does. This is clearly seen in the friendly, happy and confident manner of pupils in Knowleswood Primary.
• All staff receive regular training, including teachers, administrative staff, teaching assistants and lunchtime staff. All documentation meets requirements and is thorough, up to date and complete. The new online procedure for reporting any concern, no matter how small, is highly effective.
• The excellent work of the diversity leader enables pupils to address any areas of worry or concern, enabling leaders to be vigilant regarding pupils’ welfare and safety.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is now consistently good, and its quality is much improved since the last inspection. The impact of teaching on learning, as seen on inspection, and in pupils’ books over time, demonstrates that most pupils are now making good rates of progress.
• Lessons are usually interesting and lively, capturing pupils’ interest and engagement. For example, in an English lesson, a group of Year 6 pupils were encouraged to use role play to demonstrate the personal qualities they thought a ‘spy’ would need, linked to their topic of ‘mission: impossible’.
• Teachers use good subject knowledge and structure learning effectively. Resources are very well prepared and are engaging, including slides for the interactive whiteboard. For example, in Year 4, pupils were motivated to write persuasively in an advert for an imaginary chocolate product after analysing clips from television adverts.
• Work is usually pitched well according to pupils’ abilities, providing the right amount of challenge to move learning forward. Occasionally, some tasks set by teachers are not challenging enough, especially for the most able pupils.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils and as a result most pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. Occasionally, a sense of urgency and drive can be lost, meaning that pupils produce too little work in the time available.
• In mathematics, basic skills are now taught well and consolidated regularly. Work in books shows that a range of areas are taught regularly across the mathematical curriculum such as measurement, shape and time. In Year 6, pupils were finding the perimeter of irregular shapes successfully, and in Year 5, pupils were solving more complex three-step problems involving division.
• Pupils write with enthusiasm, often because their writing is linked to the topic they are studying. Pupils in Year 1 retold a version of the story ‘The way back home’ by Oliver Jeffers enthusiastically and expressively, using a sequence of symbols to represent words in the story.
• Reading and the daily systematic teaching of phonics are now carefully planned and delivered from the early years into key stage 1. As a result, early reading skills are now being established effectively, and pupils are now beginning to get off to a fast start in their reading. Both less-able and most-able pupils in Year 1 and 2 read well to an inspector. Historically, this hasn’t always been the case, and some pupils in Year 6 were unable to read with any fluency or expression. Some children do not read frequently enough at home.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils show enormous respect and care for others. They value and listen carefully to their classmates’ opinions and work happily, cooperatively and enthusiastically in lessons. Attitudes to learning and to school are excellent.
• Pupils thrive in the caring and well-ordered school environment. The work undertaken by the diversity leader, the support offered by ‘Roots and Wings’ artistic group, and the bespoke learning offered to pupils in ‘Poplar’ class ensure that pupils’ physical and emotional well-being are exceptionally well-supported.
• The school works very hard to remove barriers to learning. As a result, the rates of progress made in their learning by disadvantaged pupils and those that lack confidence in their own abilities have improved and are now good.
• Pupils state that they feel very safe at all times – a view supported by parents. Year 6 pupils offer caring support to pupils in Reception. All pupils are fully aware of how to stay safe, including staying safe online.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff set high standards to which pupils respond well. Most pupils’ behaviour in the playground, in the dining hall and as they move around school is very good.
• Pupils are polite, sociable, and display excellent manners.
• Pupils are keen to succeed and the vast majority work hard in class. Occasionally, a very small number of pupils can lose concentration and unnecessary chatter distracts others. A very few pupils choose to run inside school.
• The school has worked very hard to improve rates of attendance, which have improved significantly since the last inspection, including the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Initiatives such as texting or visiting parents of absent pupils and providing rewards through collecting tokens have been effective, but rates of attendance remain just below average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ achievement over time has not been good enough. Attainment in key stage 1 in 2016 was just below provisional national averages in mathematics and writing, but lower in reading. The proportion of the most able pupils working at a greater depth was much lower than average. The legacy of low attainment, although fully addressed, has not had time to allow pupils to catch up.
• Evidence secured on inspection, including the school’s own assessment information and visits to lessons, shows that progress for current pupils is improving. Work in pupils’ books across both key stages confirms this. However, differences between groups of pupils are still evident, because work is not consistently matched to pupils’ needs and abilities.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check has declined year on year. In 2016, unvalidated data shows the overall proportion of pupils reaching the standard was still below others nationally, but was adversely affected by movement of pupils in and out of school just before the screening. Evidence gathered on inspection indicates that current pupils are now making better progress in early reading as a result of the good-quality, systematic teaching of phonics, beginning in the early years.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 2 has improved slightly in reading and mathematics since 2015, but has improved greatly in writing and is broadly in line with all pupils nationally. In 2016, differences between groups of pupils still remained as result of a legacy of weaker teaching.
• In 2016 provisional data shows the proportion of pupils of average ability reaching age-related expectations in reading and mathematics was lower than that seen nationally. These differences resulted in a combined reading, writing and mathematics outcome for key stage 2 pupils which was lower than the provisional national average.
• By the time the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, leave key stage 2, they have not caught up with their national peers. The proportions reaching the highest standards of attainment in all subjects have also been lower than others nationally over time, and unvalidated data suggests this remained so in 2016.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in key stage 2 in all subjects due to the good support they receive.
• Achievement for disadvantaged pupils has been variable. Over time the progress of disadvantaged pupils matched that of their classmates, with both groups of pupils underperforming compared to pupils nationally. Current pupils’ progress is now improving.

Early years provision

• Children are eager to learn and explore.

Good

• They enjoy the opportunities given to investigate and learn happily together. Children’s play is lively and imaginative.
• The vast majority of children start the early years with skills and knowledge which are below those typical for their age. As a result of good teaching and provision, careful observation and good questioning, children make good progress and are ready to make a fast start in Year 1. The proportion of children who leave Reception with a good level of development is improving significantly year on year. Although this proportion is still below that found nationally, it is accelerating rapidly.
• Children’s behaviour is consistently good as a result of high expectations of adults. Children learn essential social and emotional skills quickly, and are generally able to take turns, share and apply themselves to tasks. Occasionally, some boys’ play is a little too boisterous, which prevents them from concentrating on a task for any length of time.
• Children demonstrated some of the characteristics of effective learning: concentrating and being motivated to persist at a task. Working in a well-organised, stimulating and interesting indoor and outdoor environment, children are able to make choices and work independently, including in writing and mathematics activities.
• Basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics are promoted effectively; children now get off to a good start in their learning. Every opportunity is taken to help children to write, make marks and count. Adults observe children carefully and build on their interests – using questions well to stimulate their imagination and curiosity. Occasionally, some adults do not model standard English or correct grammar.
• Early reading skills are now developed very well through the good and systematic teaching of phonics. At the writing table, children were encouraged to use their phonics skills to write short words such as ‘on’ and draw pictures to show the position of the fictional character, Wilbur. Children’s progress in reading is hampered by poor speaking skills. Many children in one of the Reception classes were unable to pronounce ‘Good morning’ or the teacher’s name with any clarity.
• Leaders are vigilant in all aspects of safety, welfare and well-being. Judging by the confidence and fun with which the children play and learn, they clearly feel safe and secure.
• Links with parents are very good. They benefit from receiving high-quality learning journey books which give detailed and accurate assessments of children’s progress. The books also reflect the good-quality provision and rich, varied opportunities for children.
• The effective action taken to improve provision, including the training and development of staff, can be seen in much-improved achievement by children, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
• The early years leader has an accurate view of the strengths and areas requiring further development in the early years setting. Plans are comprehensive, but broad, and some actions lack a clear focus on children’s progress in learning.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 132183 Bradford 10023823 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 467 Appropriate authority The governing body Interim Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Chris Tolson Dean Tombling 01274 778177 www.knowleswood.co.uk office@knowleswood.co.uk Date of previous inspection 16–17 December 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Knowleswood Primary School is a larger than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding is well above average.
• The early years provision is part-time in Nursery and full-time in the Reception class.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons, including one lesson observed jointly with the headteacher and a deputy headteacher, and one with the other deputy headteacher. In addition, an inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1, 2 and 6 read, and reviewed a sample of pupils’ work alongside the deputy headteachers.
• The inspectors held meetings with governors, the headteacher, deputy headteachers and other members of the teaching staff. They also held meetings with some pupils from the school council and a representative of the local authority.
• The inspectors viewed a range of documents including information on pupils’ achievements over time, the school’s data on recent and current progress of pupils, and the school’s view on how well it is doing. Inspectors also reviewed the school development plan, documents relating to safeguarding and records of behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors took account of the comments made by parents online and responses to the online inspection questionnaire for staff. The school’s website was also scrutinised.

Inspection team

Phil Scott, lead inspector Sue Birch Larissa Thorpe

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector