Wykebeck Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in key stages 1 and 2 so that it is consistently good by:
  • ensuring that all staff have equally high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve
  • increasing the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6
  • ensuring that staff consistently apply the school’s policy for the expectations of quality of pupils’ presentation and handwriting
  • providing pupils with a wider range of opportunities to write at greater length in subjects other than English
  • ensuring that the application of problem-solving and reasoning in mathematics is embedded across year groups
  • ensuring that all staff challenge pupils in their learning, particularly middle-prior-attaining pupils and boys, so that more meet expected standards and achieve at greater depth, particularly in key stage 2
  • improving the quality of communication between teaching assistants and teachers so that pupils, particularly those who have additional needs, are well supported
  • developing pupils’ subject-specific skills across the wider curriculum.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes towards their learning by:
  • reducing persistent absence with more urgency and improving pupils’ attendance so that it is in line with the national average
  • developing pupils’ resilience and independence in their learning
  • continuing to reduce incidents of low-level disruption.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • further developing the skills of middle leaders so that they review the impact of strategies to improve teaching and learning and pupils’ progress more effectively
  • regularly providing governors with more detailed information about pupils’ welfare, behaviour and attendance so that trends can be identified and leaders can be challenged further to improve
  • ensuring more explicit opportunities and experiences for pupils to develop their understanding of British values
  • developing stronger links with parents and carers so that they are more informed about the curriculum and the importance of good attendance
  • ensuring that the outdoor provision in Nursery matches that seen indoors. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced turbulence in staffing. This has contributed to a decline in the quality of teaching and learning in the school. In the past, leaders and governors have not acted quickly enough to stem the decline in the quality of teaching and learning.
• Previously, leaders have not ensured that the expectations of the new national curriculum have been fully implemented. As a result, since the previous inspection, there has been a decline in pupils’ outcomes.
• The recently appointed headteacher, supported by her leadership team, shows a determination and clear vision to improve the school. As a result, leaders have now halted the decline in standards and staffing is more stable.
• Senior and middle leaders, have an overgenerous view of the quality of teaching and learning. However, senior leaders and governors are accurate in their evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the school.
• The new leadership team has accurately identified the key priorities for improvement. Middle leaders are increasingly accountable. For example, middle leaders now demonstrate a more secure understanding of judgements about pupils’ current outcomes.
• The leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is increasingly effective after a period of turbulence in staffing. The SEN coordinator monitors the progress of pupils well. Improved training and advice for teachers and teaching assistants are improving the quality of provision. Although communication between teaching and teaching assistants is improving, this is not yet consistent. As a result, while the majority of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making better progress, there remain some pupils who are not always well supported in their learning.
• The school’s action plans accurately identify the key priorities for improvement. Leaders evaluate and monitor action plans regularly. However, the pace of change has not been quick enough to improve some aspects of the school’s work. For example, leaders have not checked the impact of changes introduced to improve reading in Year 5 quickly enough. As a result, pupils’ reading comprehension and inference skills in Year 5 are not of the standard expected for their age.
• Leaders are outward-looking. They seek support from other schools to complete the priorities identified in the school improvement plan. Increasing accuracy of moderation is leading to more accurate assessment of pupils’ work.
• The school receives effective support from the local authority. This is helping to develop middle leaders’ skills to monitor the quality of teaching more effectively. Consequently, the quality of teaching and learning, although variable, is improving. Leaders acknowledge that there is more work to do to develop the skills of middle leaders so that they review more quickly the impact of new strategies on pupils’ learning and progress.
• Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. A range of extra-curricular activities, including trips and visits, supplement this. This ensures that pupils have wider experiences beyond their own locality. For example, the ‘empty classroom’ day provides pupils with opportunities to increase their enjoyment of the outdoors and develop their problem-solving and teamwork skills.
• Although the majority of parents, in response to the Ofsted online questionnaire, would recommend the school, some parents expressed concern about instability in staffing and pupils’ behaviour.
• Leaders are providing more opportunities for parents to come into school, for example the recent parents’ evening on online safety. However, attendance at these events is often low. Leaders and governors are aware of the need to develop stronger links with parents so that they are more informed, especially about the curriculum and the importance of good attendance.

Governance of the school

• Governors acknowledge that they have not acted quickly enough to halt the decline in standards. In the past, governors have accepted school leaders’ views of the school that have been too generous. Governors are now challenging leaders more effectively to improve all aspects of the school.
• Governors are now well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are fully committed to improving the school. They are not complacent. They have challenged leaders over the decline in standards and pupils’ outcomes. Governors regularly visit the school to monitor the impact of leaders’ work.
• Leaders and governors have commissioned a review of how the school uses the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Governors have ensured the implementation of recommendations from the review. Governors are committed to equality of opportunity. For example, governors ensure that every pupil in Years 3 and 4 has the opportunity to learn to play the violin.
• As a result of a more effective action plan to support disadvantaged pupils, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is improving. However, governors understand that there is more work to do to reduce the persistent absence of this group of pupils.
• Governors ensure that additional funding to develop physical education and sports in school is used effectively. As a result, sport now has a higher profile in school. Governors ensure that school clubs are free so that all pupils can participate.
• Governors acknowledge that although they receive an overview of pupil welfare, behaviour incidents and attendance figures, they do not receive enough detailed information from leaders so that they can evaluate trends over time.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that safeguarding training is up to date. ‘One minute’ guides, provided by the local authority, help keep staff updated with safeguarding information throughout the year.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community. For example, they learn about water, fire and bike safety.
• Pupils who have experienced trauma in their lives are well supported through ‘Nurture’, additional small-group support and provision.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils told inspectors a range of ways to stay safe when using the internet.
• Governors ensure that the legal checks for the recruitment of staff are carried out.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

• Although the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years is good, in key stages 1 and 2, it requires improvement because it is too variable. Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils could and should achieve.

Requires improvement

• When staff expectations are high, pupils rise to the challenge. They grapple with their learning. However, some pupils told inspectors that they find the work too easy. Inspectors observed occasions where pupils were not actively engaged in learning because they had completed their work easily. This is particularly evident for middle-prior-attaining pupils.
• Expectations of pupils’ presentation and handwriting are not high enough. The school’s policy on presentation and handwriting is not consistently applied. However, pupils take more pride in their work in Year 6.
• Pupils do not have enough opportunities, other than in English, to write at greater length. Leaders have identified writing as a priority for improvement across the school.
• In some lessons, teaching assistants provide effective support for those pupils with additional needs. However, this is not consistent across the school. As a result, some pupils with additional needs are not supported effectively. This can lead to low-level disruption.
• Teachers place increasing importance on the development of pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics. This is leading to improvement in pupils’ progress and attainment in mathematics, particularly in Year 6. However, this is not as well developed in other year groups.
• Although pupils are given opportunities to explore other interesting subjects through their topic work, teaching does not develop in sufficient depth pupils’ subject-specific skills in subjects such as history, geography and science.
• Leaders place high importance on the professional development of staff. As a result, staff are sharing good practice with other schools. This is helping to raise standards in teaching and improve the accuracy of teacher assessment.
• An inspector listened to Year 1 and Year 2 pupils read. Pupils can use their understanding of letters and sounds to help them with reading. They are able to use strategies such as ‘think, mend, blend’ to help them read difficult words.
• Effective teaching of phonics in the early years and in Year 1 is helping to improve the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.
• There are increasing opportunities for most-able pupils to develop their wider skills, for example project work with Leeds University for the most able disadvantaged pupils. This is helping to raise aspirations. Most-able pupils in Year 6 support younger pupils in Year 2 with reading. This is helping to improve pupils’ engagement in reading.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• The school provides pupils with a range of opportunities to prepare themselves for life beyond school. For example, Year 2 pupils visit Lincoln Green Mosque. Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to go on a residential visit to London. Pupils learn about diversity through activities such as ‘diversity month’. However, too many pupils, when spoken to by inspectors, were not clear enough about what constitutes British values.
• Although leaders place high importance on developing pupils’ understanding of how to be a successful learner, pupils are often too reliant on teacher support.
• Pupils told inspectors that bullying does not happen often. Most pupils know who to talk to if they experience any issues or concerns. Pupils can explain different types of bullying. However, pupils are less clear about homophobic bullying.
• The school’s own records show a decline in the number of bullying incidents. However, a small number of parents who inspectors talked to during the inspection did not feel that the school deals with bullying effectively enough. A small number of pupils told inspectors that bullying can sometimes persist.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. Most parents in response to the Ofsted online questionnaire said that their child is happy and feels safe in school.
• Breakfast club is well attended by pupils from all year groups. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to read, complete mental mathematics, practise their spelling and engage in sporting activities. Pupils also enjoy the computer activities available.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Although pupils are generally well behaved, inspectors observed incidents of low-level disruption during the inspection. Sometimes, the behaviour of a few pupils can disrupt the learning of others. Some parents and staff express concern about behaviour. Some staff do not feel well supported to deal with incidents of poor behaviour. However, the school’s own records show that behaviour incidents are declining over time. Pupils in some year groups also told inspectors that behaviour has improved recently.
• In some lessons, pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous to each other. They engage in their learning. This occurs when teachers set high expectations.
• Although leaders have more effective systems in place to improve attendance, too many pupils do not attend school regularly. Pupils’ absence rates are higher than the national average. Parents taking their children abroad during term has a negative impact on attendance. Leaders’ work to reduce the amount of absence is beginning to show some impact for individual pupils. Pupils talk positively about the new initiatives to improve attendance. However, despite leaders’ efforts, persistent absence remains stubbornly high.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Standards of attainment have declined since the previous inspection. In 2017, the proportion of pupils in Year 6 who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined was well below the national average. Consequently, too few pupils were well prepared for secondary school.
• Despite attainment being low in Year 6 in 2017, from their low starting points these pupils made progress that is in line with that of similar pupils nationally. This is an improvement on the overall rate of progress made by pupils in Year 6 in 2016, especially in reading.
• Current pupils’ attainment and progress are continuing to improve. In the early years, children are making strong progress and are, therefore, increasingly well prepared for learning in Year 1. However, between Years 1 and 6, although improving, pupils still do not make strong progress across a range of subjects. Differences also exist between year groups. Pupils’ books show that pupils make variable progress over time.
• Currently, in key stage 2, pupils’ progress is not rapid enough to close gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills from key stage 1. However, inspection evidence shows that current Year 6 pupils are making better progress in reading, writing and mathematics compared to previous years.
• Pupils’ achievement in reading across the school is variable. Effective teaching of phonics in the early years and in Year 1 supports the younger pupils to make a good start in learning to read. A recently introduced strategy to improve reading is now showing some impact across key stage 2. However, currently, in Year 5, there are too many pupils working below age-related expectations. The comprehension and inference skills of some pupils are underdeveloped. Leaders are aware of this and are already taking steps to address this to boost their achievement.
• In writing, standards of attainment currently are too low. In key stages 1 and 2, pupils are not making good progress from their starting points. In English lessons, pupils are provided with opportunities to write at length. Although this is helping to improve pupils’ writing skills, their progress continues to be hampered because they do not have the opportunities to write at length when completing work in other curriculum subjects. The quality of pupils’ presentation of their work and handwriting is also too variable and requires improvement.
• Progress in mathematics is inconsistent. The strong focus on the development of reasoning and problem-solving skills in Year 6 is paying off. Progress is stronger in Year 6 compared to some other year groups. Opportunities for pupils to solve mathematical problems and develop their reasoning skills are not embedded across all year groups.
• The progress between different groups of pupils varies and is not consistently good. In Year 6 in 2017, for example, boys’ attainment lagged some way behind that of the girls, especially in writing. A higher proportion of boys currently in Year 6 are on track to achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics this year, but standards of attainment of boys still require improvement, especially in key stage 2.
• Disadvantaged pupils make similar, and sometimes better, progress than other pupils. Provision to support disadvantaged pupils has been strengthened and so their progress is now starting to speed up. However, some disadvantaged pupils are absent from school too often and this prevents them from making better progress.
• The progress of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is also improving. Leadership of this provision has been strengthened, and as a result more appropriate plans to support pupils are in place. However, communication between teachers and teaching assistants is not always effective to ensure that these pupils are continually well supported in their learning.
• Expectations of what pupils could and should achieve are sometimes too low. This prevents pupils, especially middle-attaining pupils, from reaching their full potential, especially in key stage 2. Very few pupils reach the higher levels of attainment by the end of Year 6 as a result.

Early years provision Good

• Outcomes in the early years have shown improvement over the last three years. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception is now closer to the national average. Children in the early years make good progress from their low starting points.
• Parents are positive about their children’s experiences in the early years. They told inspectors that teachers are approachable. Parents have regular opportunities to discuss their child’s progress.
• The early years leader provides strong leadership. She ensures that teachers and teaching assistants monitor children’s progress closely and accurately. The early years leader regularly holds teachers to account to ensure that provision is meeting the needs of children.
• Effective arrangements between Reception and Year 1 teachers ensure that children are well supported in their transition from Reception to key stage 1.
• A strong focus on developing children’s language skills, including the effective teaching of phonics, ensures that children quickly develop their speaking, reading and writing skills.
• The environment is used well to develop children’s independence, curiosity and imagination. For example, during the inspection, an inspector observed children using magnifying glasses and whiteboards to go on a ‘mini beast hunt’. They could identify and write the names of insects successfully. A group of boys acted out the story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. Most were able to retell the story well, with all of the main events.
• Teachers plan activities that are varied and appealing. This sustains children’s interests and their attention. Children demonstrate good behaviour because adults model their high expectations effectively.
• Leaders ensure that welfare requirements are met. Children in the early years appear happy and enjoy their learning.
• Leaders acknowledge that the outside area in Nursery is not as rich in opportunities for children to develop their language skills as that provided indoors.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107933 Leeds 10042202 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 453 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Canon Kathryn Fitzsimons Georgina Sykes 0113 249 1525 www.wykebeckprimary.co.uk office@wykebeckprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 15 July 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average primary school.
• Since the last inspection, a new senior leadership team has been appointed, including a new headteacher and two new deputy headteachers. The new senior leadership team has been in post since September 2017.
• There has been a high staff turnover since the previous inspection. Staffing is now more stable.
• The school has commissioned a number of reviews since the previous inspection, including a review of how the school uses the pupil premium funding, a SEN and/or disabilities review and a review of teaching and learning.
• The school runs a breakfast club every morning before school.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.
• There are 15 ethnicities represented in the school.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is more than double the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is higher than the national average.
• In 2017, the school met the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum performance expectations for primary schools.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors gathered a wide range of evidence during this inspection, including through lesson observations, many of which were undertaken jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also looked at a wide range of pupils’ work in every year group and across a range of subjects.
• Inspectors held meetings with school staff, including middle leaders, members of the senior leadership team, the leader of the early years, the special educational needs coordinator and staff new to the school.
• Inspectors visited two assemblies.
• An inspector met with two representatives from the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. An inspector held a telephone conversation with the chair of the teaching and learning committee.
• An inspector met with a representative from the local authority.
• An inspector listened to four pupils from Years 1 and 2 read.
• Inspectors talked with pupils both formally in meetings and informally during breaks and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors took account of the 52 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 32 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire for staff.
• Inspectors talked to a number of parents dropping their children off at the start of the school day on both days of the inspection.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation relating to the school’s work, including the self-evaluation document, the school improvement plan, minutes of governing body meetings, middle leader monitoring documents and documents relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

Inspection team

Michele Costello, lead inspector Mike Tull Ella Besharati

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector