Robin Hood Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that all teaching is consistently good and raise the proportion of outstanding teaching by: − sharing the best practice evident in the school so that all teachers can improve their skills − providing frequent opportunities for pupils to apply reading, writing and mathematical skills in a range of subjects.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management in the foundation subjects by: − making sure that senior and subject leaders keep a close check on progress to ensure that pupils build on specific subject skills − ensuring appropriate coverage and balance of subjects across the curriculum − strengthening pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other faiths and cultures.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The newly appointed headteacher has brought about rapid improvement to address weaknesses in provision that had arisen since the previous inspection of 2011, when the school was judged to be outstanding. When she took up her post, she quickly recognised that a major overhaul of systems around teaching, learning and assessment was needed to meet the demands of the new curriculum.
• Initially this work was hampered by some staffing turbulence but, with additional leadership capacity and a settled staff in place, school improvement gained momentum. As a result of concerted staff and pupil development, the provision is now good and outcomes for pupils are rising.
• The headteacher has had a comparatively short time in her role to make a difference but has a clear view of the school and she knows where further work is required. She and governors have an ambitious vision for the school and have recruited a strong team of staff with the potential to drive up standards further. She has the confidence of staff and parents.
• New assessment systems are now embedded. Leaders analyse these systems well to steer strategic thinking about teaching quality and the need for additional pupil support. All teachers have a good understanding about the progress of different groups of pupils in English and mathematics.
• Senior leaders check on the quality of teaching through a well-targeted combination of observations, assessment analysis, scrutiny of work in books and discussions with pupils. Staff feel well supported, especially several recently qualified teachers who have joined the school over the last two years and are making a valuable contribution.
• Subject leaders in English and mathematics are growing into their roles, and their work in leading curriculum teams is helping to drive better progress. Leadership in other subjects is also developing well but has yet to show such strong impact.
• New initiatives are in place to support those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities or who may have low self-esteem. Leaders are able to demonstrate the impact of the afternoon nurture sessions and the morning sensory circuit on pupil progress. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) liaises closely with teachers and parents to check on pupils’ progress and welfare. Her work is extremely effective and widely appreciated.
• Leaders and governors work well with the local authority school improvement adviser and schools within the St Anthony’s Teaching Alliance. The local extended cluster of schools provides exceptionally good support to families in challenging circumstances.
• The primary sport grant is used well. A specialised teacher, employed by the school, works with class teachers in physical education lessons to help them develop their expertise and confidence in the subject. He coordinates an impressive range of extra-curricular activities and inter-school sporting events. The school is therefore fully meeting the government’s expectations around this funding.
• Pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils has not been used to maximum effect in the past. However, leaders and teachers are tracking the progress of this group more closely and evidence over the last two terms shows that outcomes are improving for most pupils. Leaders accept that there is more work to do in identifying individual pupil misconceptions in learning and to introduce a more refined system of measurement to demonstrate smaller progress steps for pupils with more complex needs.
• The headteacher has tightened arrangements for reviewing staff performance and staff know that pay progression is closely linked to improved pupil outcomes. At present, the headteacher is shouldering this responsibility for teaching staff single-handedly. However, she recognises that a next step is to devolve responsibility in this respect to senior leaders.
• Leaders work hard to forge positive links with parents and the great majority are supportive towards the school. A few parents commented that, sometimes, information about school life and events was not communicated in a timely way. The headteacher is keen to improve this aspect.
• There are opportunities for pupils to learn about other beliefs and cultures but these are limited and pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. Similarly, while pupils have heard about British values, they are not yet confident enough to explain what they mean.
• Although the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics has improved greatly over the last year, work in the foundation subjects is still developing and some inconsistency remains. Work in pupils’ books shows variable coverage and depth in some subjects, such as religious education.

Governance of the school

• Governors recognise that the school experienced a period of leadership and staffing turbulence. They accept that this was a factor in disappointing outcomes for pupils in 2016. They had, however, provided appropriate challenge and worked closely with the local authority to make a number of telling appointments that have proved successful.
• Governors are well placed to provide good support because the quality of information they now receive from leaders is detailed and in an accessible format. This supports their strategic planning and enables them to ask challenging questions of leaders. The work of sub-committees is thorough and well managed.
• Governors take their responsibilities seriously and know the school well. They join in with staff training sessions, visit the school to view teaching, look at pupils’ work and meet senior and subject leaders. New governors have taken full advantage of governor training opportunities provided by the local authority. The introduction of a structured governor day when all governors visit the school is testament to their commitment and enthusiasm.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Recruitment and induction procedures are watertight and those staff with responsibility for child protection go the extra mile in making sure that records of concerns are detailed and organised correctly. Concerns are reviewed frequently and actions are evaluated thoroughly. The electronic child protection recording system is fully understood and used to full effect. Leaders ensure that they update staff on policy and practice through staff meetings and annual training events.
• A named governor with extensive safeguarding knowledge is proactive in meeting designated staff. Together they ensure that frequent system reviews take place and that staff are alert to the needs of pupils who may be at risk of harm. For example, they are immediately aware when attendance patterns change. These meetings are carefully minuted and the named safeguarding governor reports findings back to the governing body.
• A governor also visits termly to assist staff in making site safety and condition checks. His extensive knowledge of health and safety issues means that potential hazards are spotted at an early stage and that governors can build in planned expenditure strategically.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• As a result of staffing and leadership changes, the quality of teaching had declined following the previous inspection. Teaching had not fully adjusted to the heightened challenges of the new curriculum and the assessments of 2016 exposed this. However, targeted training, effective recruitment and higher expectations by leaders have got teaching back on track.
• Most teaching is now securely good. On the rare occasions when this is not the case, leaders are quick to provide appropriate support. There is evidence of some outstanding practice in both English and mathematics and this exemplary work can be spread across the school to move teaching even further forward.
• Pupils are engaged in lessons and say that teachers make lessons fun, often through good humour or by capturing pupils’ imagination. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, an ‘evacuation day’ inspired some thoughtful writing about the Second World War.
• Teachers use assessment information well. Within the lessons, they adjust their questioning to probe any misunderstanding or widen vocabulary. From analysis of pupils’ work, teachers plan next steps to respond to pupils’ misconceptions. One Year 5 pupil explained, ‘Teachers plan lessons for us so that they help you with difficulties.’
• Teaching assistants support learning effectively. They liaise with teachers to clarify next steps in learning and work unobtrusively in lessons to encourage pupils to complete their work. They know the pupils well and good relationships abound.
• The teaching of writing is consistently good across the school. Most pupils are able to spell common words accurately and, with just a few exceptions, pupils’ handwriting is well formed and developing in style. Pupils have a growing awareness of sentence structure and punctuation and, by Year 6, their writing flows well.
• Mathematics teaching is also good across the school. Teachers provide appropriate arithmetic practice before moving pupils on to reasoning and problem-solving tasks. Where learning is most effective, teachers encourage pupils to explain their strategies and demonstrate the steps toward finding the solution. This was seen in Year 5, where pupils were explaining their thinking about decimals.
• In just a few instances, where learning is less effective, the tasks sometimes lack purpose or repeat earlier work without introducing new elements. Occasionally, pupils are too reliant on drawing dots to aid calculation and do not maximise the use of table facts. In a minority of groups, expectations about presentation are variable.
• Leaders and teachers have tried to support weaker readers through the reciprocal reading programme. This provides opportunities for more fluent readers to share books with those less confident, in developing expression and understanding. Pupils enjoy helping one another and making a difference.
• The teaching of phonics is generally well organised and pitched at the right level for different groups. Resources include books with a strong phonic basis and other reading books are carefully organised to assist staff in charting pupils’ reading fluency skills.
• Leaders know that comprehension has been weak so have introduced additional resources and approaches to help pupils gain a deeper understanding of what they read. There are some missed opportunities, however, to extend higher-order reading skills through research tasks in a wide range of subjects, such as science, history or religious education.
• Homework is set on a weekly basis to support work previously covered in lessons. Pupils say that most of them are conscientious in completing this but that limited opportunities are presented to do projects drawn from a wide range of subjects.
• Teaching in English and mathematics is stronger than in other subjects, where expectations of how pupils present their work are not quite as high. It is unclear how subject skills are systematically extended over time and opportunities to apply key reading and mathematical skills are less in evidence than writing tasks. Sometimes activities in these subjects do not challenge the most able pupils sufficiently.
• There are some missed opportunities in music to demonstrate basic notation, while the change from Spanish to French as the chosen modern foreign language is yet to be fully embedded. By contrast, pupils have welcomed the recent increase in opportunities to engage in practical science work. The quality of work in art, computing and physical education is good.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils feel safe and know the adults will look after them well. They mix well and treat each other kindly. They are very polite to adults and visitors and even the younger pupils remembered to step aside and hold doors open for others.
• Pupils are adamant that there is hardly any bullying but, if it does occur, then ‘people would be in serious trouble’. They say it wouldn’t matter if someone joined the school with a different sort of family or maybe from a different background – they would be welcomed.
• Pupils relish the challenge in their learning. They know that if they stick at a task, they will be able to achieve success. One said, ‘Work is actually simple if you push yourself.’ Another pupil was proud that she was becoming more confident in mathematics, saying, ‘It is because the teacher pushes us.’
• The school runs a breakfast club that gets the day off to a good start. It is well attended and pupils are able to enjoy a variety of healthy snacks and opportunities to play games or be creative with friends.
• Pupils take on a variety of responsibilities, such as food ambassadors, reciprocal reading buddies, school captains and digital leaders. Some serve on the school council and are pleased that leaders and teachers respond to their ideas and suggestions on how to make the school even better. Pupil voice is strong.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online. This is a recurrent theme in teaching. For example, in Year 3 the teacher emphasised the need for caution around using search engines and email. Leaders and governors are increasingly alert to any concerns about the misuse of social media.
• Leaders promote physical well-being through a wide range of activities that include netball, cricket, dodgeball and tag rugby. Pupils have opportunities to try out additional sports during Healthy School Week and lots of competitive events are held within school. Leaders’ tracking of attendance demonstrates growing participation, including that by disadvantaged pupils. Pupils and parents appreciate the scope of this provision.
• Residential visits for Years 2, 4 and 6 add spice to the school year and offer opportunities for pupils to develop confidence and independence.
• Pupils have a good knowledge of the importance of diet in a healthy lifestyle. They were very critical of the inspector’s planned evening meal, saying that the chips and fizzy drink were likely to contribute to heart disease, diabetes and other conditions. ‘Try more vegetables or salad and a drink of water as replacements. Cut down on the carbs,’ they counselled.
• Although pupils had heard about some role models from other cultures and countries, their knowledge and understanding of other faiths were limited. One pupil knew that the term British values referred to special aspects about this country, but pupils were unable to recall what those special aspects were.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils in lessons is good. This is because teaching engages pupils and there is a clear and fair behaviour policy in place that everybody understands. Effective classroom and pastoral support staff help individual pupils who struggle to interact positively. Learning time is hardly ever lost through disengagement, even when a small minority of lessons may be lacklustre.
• Pupils move around the school in a calm manner, show patience when popping coats back into their lockers, and move quickly but sensibly into school from the playgrounds at the end of breaktimes. Outside, they play cooperatively and often the older pupils help younger ones. Pupils really enjoy playing on the new wooden activity centre.
• Leaders have worked hard to create a culture of positive attitudes and a willingness to make the most out of school. The RHPS abbreviation for Respect, Honesty, Pride, Safety provides a useful reminder to pupils about expectations.
• Attendance has been above the national average over time and is so currently. Leaders and pastoral staff go to great lengths to secure good attendance and are very quick to identify erratic patterns. There have been very few fixed-term exclusions but where a small number did occur last year, parents were fully engaged and supportive of the school; with additional input from external agencies, there have been no repeat occurrences.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• After consistently high outcomes over time, there was a dip in 2016 at the end of key stage 2. However, following swift action by leaders, there was a significant increase in progress in 2017 and this momentum has continued. A high proportion of current pupils is on track to comfortably meet age-related expectations. More pupils are also likely to reach higher standards. Progress for disadvantaged pupils is now picking up pace. This positive picture stems from improved teaching and pupils’ good learning attitudes.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2017, progress in writing and mathematics had greatly improved to be broadly in line with national progress rates. Proportions reaching expected standards in these subjects were above the national average. Proportions reaching higher standards were comparable to those nationally. In reading, progress also accelerated, although not quite as fast as in other subjects. Proportions reaching expected and higher standards in reading were close to the national average.
• At the end of key stage 1, outcomes in reading and mathematics were above the national average in 2016, although a little below in writing. In 2017, proportions reaching and exceeding the expected standard were close to the national average.
• At Year 1, the proportion of pupils successfully meeting the phonics screening check has been similar to, or above, the national average over the last three years. For pupils who struggle with the early mechanics of reading, ongoing support is in place throughout key stage 2.
• School assessment information indicates that for nearly all cohorts, more pupils are on track to meet and exceed expectations of their age group in reading, writing and mathematics. This is also borne out from scrutiny of pupils’ work in books. These show that pupils are producing a significant amount of good-quality work at appropriate levels of difficulty. The quality of written work on display around school is high.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils has lagged behind that of other pupils nationally but better targeted support and closer tracking of their learning is now bearing fruit. Current assessments for disadvantaged pupils show that they are starting to catch up with their peers. Leaders and governors know there is more work to do in identifying individual barriers to learning but a good start has been made.
• More most-able pupils reached higher standards at the end of key stage 2 in 2017 than the previous year and this upward trend is set to continue for current pupils. At key stage 1, most-able pupils outperformed their peers nationally in 2016 in reading and mathematics and were close to national averages in 2017.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support. Some of these pupils have complex needs and leaders use a range of assessment approaches to demonstrate small steps forward.
• Reading resources in lessons are generally set at the right level for pupils’ abilities and most of the pupils who read to inspectors were able to talk enthusiastically about books and stories they enjoy. The school has invested heavily in new book stock after involving pupils in a fundraising drive through a sponsored spelling bee.
• The positive learning attitudes and responsible conduct of older pupils are likely to serve them well when they move on to senior school.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is good because leadership and teaching are good, provision is stimulating and there are very good lines of communication with parents. Children settle into routines quickly and thrive.
• Effective transition arrangements, including visits to other pre-school settings, help to smooth the children’s start into Nursery. Staff are determined to make sure every child is known well. Children are subsequently supported through to Reception and then to Year 1. One parent explained that her child had lacked confidence in moving to the main school but that adults had ‘brought him out of his shell’.
• Children join the early years with broadly typical abilities and make good progress from their starting points. At the end of their time in the setting, proportions reaching a good level of development are at least in line with the national average. Leaders are alert to any additional support needed for disadvantaged children, for example by providing extra reading support.
• Parental engagement has a high focus and parents who spoke with inspectors were highly positive about the school. They particularly liked the online recording system and appreciate the efforts staff make to suggest how learning can be extended at home. ‘They will always come and find us if we miss them,’ one parent said.
• Assessment is accurate and staff have tried to set a higher challenge this year to try to prepare children better for the start of the new curriculum in Year 1. Records of achievement in the learning journals show consistent approaches across classes with a relentless emphasis on the key skills of reading, writing and number.
• Staff carefully observe children at work and plan activities to meet children’s needs. For example, boys’ attainment in number improved significantly after activities to promote deeper understanding were introduced. The few children who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support from adults who know their needs well.
• The new early years leader provides effective support for other adults and works closely with senior leaders to review and improve provision. She, in turn, has been well supported in her role by the headteacher. There are frequent opportunities for early years staff to share their good practice with other schools and the local authority.
• A speech therapist, from the local authority, is bought in to support children whose development in this area is delayed. This proactive work is having a positive impact on progress for these children.
• Welfare requirements and safeguarding arrangements are securely in place. There are clear procedures for first aid and medicine administration and children access suitable clothing independently for outdoor work. Children were hard at work outdoors and, even in cold and damp weather, they wrapped up well and enjoyed the fresh air.
• Children make strong progress in their phonic development because the programme of teaching is systematic with a good balance of practice and new sounds. Children extend their skills through writing, laying the foundations for spelling acquisition. Adults keep a careful eye on the development of good pencil grips and letter formation.
• Indoor provision offers plenty of stimulating opportunities for children to develop language and mathematical skills. In the Nursery, the teacher gave the children small icebergs to float in the water tank containing a toy polar bear. One boy announced after handling the ice, ‘In the Arctic it is very, very cold!’ Another boy confidently counted 10 animals sitting on a dough island. The Robin Hood veterinary role-play corner sparked lots of imaginative play.
• Work outdoors is less effective in Reception because activities do not offer such rich opportunities to develop language and number. Some activities are monopolised by boys and do not promote collaborative and investigational work effectively.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107831 Leeds 10025486 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 416 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Cllr Lisa Mulherin Mrs Sara Harris 0113 282 3444 www.robinhood.leeds.sch.uk office@robinhood.leeds.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 April 2011

Information about this school

• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. There are 12 single-age classes in the main school and three in the early years.
• The school has moved from a one-and-a-half form entry to a two form entry school over the last four years and the number of pupils on roll has consequently increased.
• Most of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of current pupils known to be eligible for support funded by the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is lower the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is broadly average.
• The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2016, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Significant changes in staffing and leadership have taken place since the time of the previous inspection. There have been two changes of headteacher. The current headteacher took up her post in 2016. Since then, additional deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher appointments have been made to strengthen the leadership team and manage across respective key stages.
• A new and experienced SENCo has also joined the school. Subject leadership has been restructured and some appointments are very recent. There has been a considerable turnover in staffing and additional teaching posts have been created as the school has expanded.
• The governing body has remained fairly stable and has worked hard to ensure that any new governors have appropriate skills and expertise to make a full contribution to the school.
• The school runs a daily breakfast club, Friendly Faces, providing healthy snacks and opportunities for pupils to play team-building games.
• The school works in partnership with the St Anthony’s Teaching Alliance and with the Rothwell extended cluster of schools.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information on its website about the terms of office or attendance records of governors.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 29 lessons or part-lessons across classes to assess teaching and learning. The headteacher and deputy headteachers viewed many lessons jointly.
• The inspectors listened to a selection of pupils reading from Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
• Inspectors sampled work from all year groups in English, mathematics and a range of subjects.
• Inspectors conducted meetings with the local authority school improvement officer, middle leaders, subject leaders and members of the governing body.
• Inspectors analysed information from a scrutiny of school documentation. This included published data about pupils’ progress and attainment, the school’s report on its own effectiveness, school improvement plans, the school website, previous inspection reports and the school’s latest assessment information.
• The inspectors viewed school monitoring information about the performance management of teachers. They also examined safeguarding documentation.
• Inspectors took the views of parents into account through several informal discussions with parents at the start of the school day and by analysing responses from the 104 parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• The inspectors took the views of pupils into account through two planned meetings with groups of pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2. Inspectors also met groups of pupils informally at playtime and lunchtime.

Inspection team

James Reid, lead inspector Alison Ashworth Marianne Young Melissa Milner

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector