Moor Allerton Hall Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Secure consistency in the quality of teaching so that pupils make at least good progress over time by:
  • raising expectations and the level of challenge for all groups of pupils
  • ensuring that teachers make effective use of pupils’ progress information to plan tasks that are appropriately matched to the needs and abilities of pupils
  • improving teachers’ questioning skills to ensure that pupils clearly understand what is being asked of them.
• Improve the effectiveness of leaders, managers and governors in helping the school to become good or better by ensuring that:
  • all subject leaders are well trained and sufficiently thorough in monitoring the quality of teaching to bring about rapid improvement in pupils’ outcomes
  • accurate evaluation of the school’s performance information is used precisely to tackle inconsistencies across the school
  • priorities for improvement lead to improved outcomes for all groups of pupils, especially for middle-ability pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Changes to the senior leadership since the time of the last inspection have proved a significant barrier to the school’s efforts in securing good progress for pupils. Pupils’ outcomes have not risen quickly enough from their starting points.
• The headteacher’s return to the school has been overwhelmingly welcomed by the governing body, and by staff, parents and pupils. The headteacher is clearly demonstrating her positive vision and aspiration to improve the work of the school rapidly.
• Senior leaders and governors work closely with the local authority on key aspects of school improvement. Regular monitoring and review visits take place. Although reports on the school’s performance identify clear and accurate priorities for improvement, the overall evaluation of the school is overgenerous. Improvements have not yet had a significant impact on pupils’ outcomes in all year groups and subjects.
• Systems for recording and tracking the performance of individuals and groups of pupils have improved greatly since September 2016. They are now rigorous and are enabling the early identification of pupils in need of support. Monitoring of the performance of those pupils who join the school during the academic year, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged is particularly rigorous.
• Teaching is improving in English and mathematics, because these subject leaders work in effective teams and demonstrate rapid improvement in their ability to evaluate pupils’ achievement robustly.
• Currently, the monitoring of other subjects is not sufficiently thorough or systematic enough to bring about rapid improvement in the quality of teaching across the curriculum. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes vary too much across subjects, particularly in key stage 2.
• The excellent opportunities that were planned for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development at the last inspection remain a strength of the school. The school continues to build on the rich cultural diversity of pupils and is a cohesive community. Pupils’ work in personal, social and health education, including the recent visit by Year 6 to the Houses of Parliament, is particularly effective in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. Weekly themes such as ‘I can treat others with respect’ and the extensive opportunities for visits and residentials provide pupils with long-lasting memories and experiences which they record in their blogs and newsletters.
• Leaders listen to the views and opinions of pupils and parents, acting on these to improve the school. Pupils make good use of their ‘aiming high together’ assemblies to identify how they too can contribute to the school’s development plan.
• The school’s curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge and understanding necessary to accept and respect others, regardless of their culture, religious beliefs or family background. The range of extra-curricular activities has widened recently to include opportunities for pupils to participate in drama, musical and sporting activities. Although the school’s revised curriculum is broad, it is not always balanced across all classes because of the school’s significant focus on improving pupils’ basic skills.
• Leaders have transformed the teaching of reading since 2016 when too few pupils in Year 6 reached the required standard. Pupils’ progress in reading is improving rapidly and there is greater consistency in teaching across classes. There is a strong promotion of the love of reading across the school.
• The primary school physical education and sports funding is used effectively. Sports coaches develop the expertise and skills of teachers. The number of girls participating in physical activity is increasing as a result of the successful ‘mini-mermaids’ running club. The subject leader for physical education is working closely with teachers to improve teaching and this is used well to include the teaching of active mathematics. These initiatives contribute successfully to increasing pupils’ enjoyment of school and to developing their self-esteem and understanding about how to be fit and healthy.
• Additional money for supporting disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to enable the learning mentor, behaviour support worker and the teacher for the nurture group to provide regular social, behavioural and emotional support. This has contributed to the increase in attendance and improvement in the behaviour of some disadvantaged pupils. There is also good use of this funding to provide one-to-one and small-group sessions with teaching assistants, which is contributing to the recent improvement in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders, including governors, ensure that the additional funding for special educational needs has a positive impact on pupils’ progress. Leadership of provision for this group of pupils is very effective. The wide-ranging specialist support and intervention are having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.

Governance of the school

• Since the last inspection, there have been considerable changes to the membership and organisation of the governing body. Governors now have a clear understanding of their strategic roles and responsibilities in implementing the school’s improvement plans.
• Governors benefit from a wide variety of training to enable them to challenge leaders robustly, particularly about the progress all pupils are making. Governors scrutinise teachers’ performance information thoroughly.
• Governors visit the school regularly and they use this first-hand information to ask some insightful and challenging questions of leaders. Governors now have an accurate knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. However, their previous evaluations have sometimes been too generous. As a result, teaching is not consistently strong across the school.
• Governors ensure that additional government funding is used to improve the progress of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Governors ensure that the school’s sports premium funding is used effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Stringent checks are carried out prior to making any staff appointments. All staff and governors receive regular, suitable safeguarding training. This means that staff understand and carry out the school’s policy and procedures well.
• Staff work closely with other agencies to help support the needs of those pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable. There are good systems in place for working with the local authority and parents to support vulnerable children.
• There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school, including in early years. Pupils are kept safe and they feel safe. Pupils spoken to by inspectors said that they know whom they should go to if they have a concern.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching over time is not consistently good enough across the curriculum or year groups to secure good progress for all pupils by the end of key stage 2.
• Pupils’ rate of progress, particularly in key stage 2, is hindered because teachers need to compensate for previous ineffective teaching in order to fill the gaps in pupils’ learning in reading, writing and mathematics. Work in books shows that pupils are not given enough challenge to progress their learning across the whole curriculum. For example, pupils make slow progress in French because work is not demanding or frequent enough to enable pupils to make rapid progress.
• Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve, especially middle-ability pupils, are not high enough. In some classes, teachers do not use information about pupils’ progress effectively; consequently, work is not always at the appropriate level and progress is not strong enough for some pupils based on their starting points.
• In some classes, teachers do not take sufficient account of the needs of middle-ability and lower-ability pupils. They were observed to be struggling with tasks and they produced incomplete or inaccurate answers which slowed their rate of progress; on another occasion, pupils lost interest in their learning and they became distracted, producing untidy or little work.
• The teaching of English and mathematics is improving, particularly for the most able pupils, but this is not consistent across the school. In some classes, pupils are given the same tasks to complete, even though the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, already understand how to complete it. This slows the progress of these groups of pupils.
• In classes where teachers accurately assess pupils’ work, they quickly identify pupils’ misconceptions and provide targeted support for those pupils who need it most. This rapid intervention and use of carefully designed tasks are successful in developing pupils’ skills and understanding as well as their mastery of topics in mathematics, particularly in Year 1 and in Year 6. The work in pupils’ ‘final product’ literacy books is of a high standard and is very well presented.
• Inspectors observed some teachers and their assistants making clear what they expected, which enabled pupils to gain a secure understanding of some challenging concepts. For example, a teaching assistant’s specific instructions enabled lower-ability pupils in Year 2 to perfect their use of the bar model when solving fractions.
• The impact of teachers’ questioning varies. Some teachers, for example in English, use their good subject knowledge, probing questions and assessment skills well to design precise tasks which challenge pupils’ understanding and enable them to make good progress. However, teachers spend too long posing questions to the whole class that only a minority of pupils respond to. Consequently, pupils do not always understand what is being asked of them or they are not stretched sufficiently, which slows their learning.
• Leaders have provided an effective programme of training to enable all staff, including those who are new to the school, to have a more accurate understanding of the revised age-related expectations of pupils across the curriculum. However, the quality of teaching is inconsistent both between and within subjects. The amount of work produced by pupils varies greatly across subjects and classes. As a result, the progress of current pupils is also variable.
• The teaching of phonics is good. There is consistency in the quality of the teaching of phonics in the early years and in key stage 1. Teaching of reading across the school is improving strongly and is highly effective. Pupils have the confidence to use their phonics skills to read unfamiliar words. Parents and staff work well together to help pupils make good progress and develop effective reading strategies.
• Some inspiring teaching leads to an enthusiastic response from pupils and so they make good progress. There is some strong teaching in English, mathematics, physical education, personal, social and health education and science. Pupils enjoy being challenged, and in these subjects, pupils are keen to tackle the work that requires them to think deeply. A number of pupils are learning British sign language and they are proud of their ability to communicate and work alongside those classmates who have impaired hearing.
• Teaching assistants have received specialist training to enable them to provide effective support to pupils in lessons and in small groups. Teaching assistants are used well and deployed effectively to support pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Resources, such as vocabulary lists and examples of accurate grammar, are used well to prompt pupils’ use of complex language. Pupils who speak English as an additional language find these aids particularly helpful as pupils are able to make faster progress in lessons.
• Staff from the specialist resource provision for pupils who are deaf and hearing impaired provide highly effective support to ensure that pupils who attend the provision participate fully in lessons and small group sessions.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• All staff care a great deal about pupils’ personal development and working relationships between staff and pupils are strong. The school works hard to support the social and emotional needs of all pupils. Pupils told inspectors that they know that adults will look after them if they feel unhappy. Parents agreed and many gave specific examples of how the school staff have helped their families during difficult times. Having experienced some personal family circumstances, one parent said, ‘I will be forever grateful for the care that they provided.’ The school’s work to support the learning and welfare needs of pupils whose circumstances may make them feel vulnerable is very effective.
• Most pupils are confident and self-assured and show positive attitudes through the school’s development of their ‘six learning muscles’: enquiry, resilience, reflection, independence, collaboration and managing distractions. There are occasions when pupils lose concentration and become distracted in lessons because work is sometimes not at the most appropriate level for them. On these occasions, pupils’ attitudes and willingness to learn can slow their progress.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, such as when using the internet or mobile phones. Pupils say that bullying is not an issue at the school. All who were asked felt confident that if there was ever a concern, adults would be able to quickly sort it out. From their entry into the early years, pupils are taught to value and celebrate the similarities and differences they have with others.
• By the time they reach Year 6, pupils relish their roles of responsibility. They are mature in house teams, the school council and when caring for and supporting younger pupils. Pupils are taught from an early age to listen to each other’s ideas, weighing up what they have heard and responding with thoughtful arguments. This is demonstrated clearly by the success of the schools’ representatives in the local debating competition in Leeds.
• Pupils have a clear understanding of how to keep healthy and fit. They are taught to make sensible choices about food and calorie intake.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are typically pleasant and happy and this is reflected in their behaviour around the school. Records show that there are very few incidents of misbehaviour. Senior leaders swiftly take appropriate action should there be any poor behaviour.
• The school’s values are used well by staff to encourage pupils to celebrate their achievements, raise aspirations and increase pupils’ respect for each other. As a result, the school is a happy, friendly place. Pupils say that they enjoy school and they talk with enthusiasm about their learning and experiences.
• The school has successfully established productive relationships with parents to enable them to gain a greater understanding about how they can help to improve their children’s learning. Leaders have taken a firm stance on attendance and have implemented a range of effective actions to improve this. As a result, school attendance is now around the national average. The proportion of persistent absence is falling, including that of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with an education, health and care plan.

Outcomes for pupils

• Outcomes for pupils are improving. However, the progress of pupils is too variable across subjects, groups and classes. The current progress across key stage 2, while not

Requires improvement

as poor as it has been in the past, is still not good. This does not prepare pupils well for their entry into secondary education.

• The school’s own evaluation of outcomes indicates that the progress of current pupils in all year groups continues to show a mixed picture. Gaps in achievement between groups and across the curriculum persist. Pupils do not develop secure knowledge, understanding and skills in a wide range of subjects.
• With the exception of reading, writing and mathematics, assessment of pupils’ progress is not sufficiently rigorous. Current progress information and pupils’ work indicate variable rates of progress, and an inconsistent quality of work over time being produced in different classes.
• Pupils’ progress by the end of key stage 2 in 2016 was well below the national average for reading. It was in line with the national averages in writing and mathematics. Standards achieved at the end of key stage 1 and by Year 6 pupils were below national averages in reading and mathematics.
• The proportion of Year 1 pupils who achieved the required standard in the phonics screening check continues to improve and remains above the national average.
• The school’s own assessment information shows that more pupils than in the past are reaching age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. The work in pupils’ books confirms this for some classes. However, there is still too much variation in the achievement of pupils across the school, particularly for middle-ability pupils.
• A high proportion of the school’s pupils are disadvantaged. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to monitor and support disadvantaged pupils, including the most able. Published results, information supplied by leaders and inspection evidence all show that their progress is improving in line with that of other pupils in the school. However, their progress generally remains below that of other pupils nationally, reflecting the complexity of the needs of this group of pupils.
• The progress of pupils who speak English as an additional language is similar to that of all pupils by the end of Year 6. Despite this, the attainment of these pupils is still below national figures at the end of key stages 1 and 2.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress by the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Currently, provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, particularly those with an education, health and care plan in the resource unit, is effective because of the high-quality specialist support, improvements in reviews of pupils’ progress and greater involvement of parents.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with skills that are below those typical for their age. Communication, language and aspects of literacy skills are particularly low on entry. Leaders accurately assess children’s starting points and they design stimulating activities to meet the diverse needs of individual children. Hence, children get off to a positive start and make at least good progress in the early years. Over the last three years the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development has continued to improve and is now around that seen nationally. Children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Parents are very supportive about the welcoming and supportive provision. They say that their children are helped to settle down quickly and that routines are quickly established. Parents particularly like the fact that they can discuss any concerns or queries with staff on a daily basis. Staff provide numerous opportunities for parents to be actively involved in their child’s learning, for example by making contributions to their child’s section of the ‘hopes and aspirations tree’.
• Teachers ensure that they promote the values of the school from the time children start attending. The culture of care that is present throughout the rest of the school begins here and is evident in children’s thoughtfulness towards each other and adults. The children show great pride in their ‘wow wall’ and they enjoy identifying their six ‘learning muscles’ from well-designed pictures. Safeguarding is effective and all statutory duties are met.
• The leader of early years ensures that activities and learning themes run throughout the high-quality learning environment, indoors and in the outdoor area. These promote children’s development in all key areas of learning well, and enable children to be happy, resilient and self-confident learners.
• Staff plan activities that successfully build on children’s learning needs and interests. In one session, a discussion with children about where they would love to travel to in the world was used creatively by staff. Exciting activities involving a travel agency, large world maps and a variety of vehicles were quickly assembled and used very effectively to motivate children to improve their use of language.
• Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve, and challenge them effectively to develop early skills in literacy and numeracy. Imaginative teaching, including in phonics, enables children to improve their ability to read and write words and sentences rapidly.
• Teachers deploy other adults well to support pupils of differing abilities and developmental stages. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged make good progress because of the particularly effective specialist support provided for them.
• Staff record a wide range of evidence to help them to judge accurately the progress of individual children. Assessment information, however, is not used so effectively to report on the progress of specific groups of children, such as boys.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107915 Leeds 10024063 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 467 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Pat Heron Lesley McKay 01133 368350 www.moorallertonhall.leeds.sch.uk lesley.mckay@moorallertonhall.leeds.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17–18 October 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• There has been significant change in staffing and in the leadership of the school since the previous inspection, including the unavoidable long-term absence of the headteacher.
• The school hosts Leeds City Council’s specialist resource provision for nine pupils who are deaf and hearing-impaired. These pupils come from across the city of Leeds.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is higher than the national average.
• The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than that seen nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with the national figures.
• Increasingly across the year groups, a number of pupils enter the school at different times throughout the year.
• The school provides full-time places for children in the Reception classes and part-time places for children in the Nursery group.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards (the minimum expected of pupils’ attainment and progress).
• The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on Key Stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• The school gained the Primary Silver Award quality mark for science in 2016.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors undertook a series of short, focused visits to classrooms and longer lesson observations in each year group. A number of these were conducted jointly with the senior leaders.
• Formal and informal discussions took place with senior leaders, including governors, subject leaders, pupils, parents and a representative from the local authority.
• Documentation relating to the school’s website and safeguarding, including the single central record of recruitment checks, was scrutinised.
• The school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress were evaluated.
• Alongside senior leaders, inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in different subjects.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during break and lunchtimes was observed by inspectors.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read individually.
• Inspectors took into account the 64 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, 62 pupil responses and 34 staff responses to the online survey.

Inspection team

Cathy Morgan, lead inspector Marianne Young Elizabeth Lawley Ella Besharati Chris Campbell Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector