Chapel Allerton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Chapel Allerton Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 18 December 2018 with Joan Hewitt, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2015. This school continues to be good.

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Your calm, considered and collaborative leadership ensures that pupils at Chapel Allerton Primary School are making good progress. You and your committed team of teachers are passionate about the school ...and the diverse community it serves.

Leaders, including governors, have high expectations of both staff and pupils. You are resolute in your determination to raise aspirations and as your vision statement says, you are committed to 'nurturing a life-long love of learning'. Chapel Allerton Primary School is a vibrant and engaging community.

The vast majority of pupils are keen to learn and apply themselves well in lessons. Pupils have a 'can do' attitude. They challenge themselves to achieve and they keep trying even when they find work difficult.

As you stated in our meeting, 'At this school, we want the pupils to bounce back stronger from difficulties and mistakes.' As a result of your work on pupils' well-being, they are developing a love of challenge and an ability to persevere when faced with problems or difficulties. You ensure that your governors receive accurate and detailed information.

As a result, governors are well informed and have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors are not complacent. They meet regularly with you and other leaders to test the veracity of the reports you make.

Governors have a range of skills and are highly committed to the school. They ensure that each governor is confident in their role and make certain that they access high-quality training in order to maximise their effectiveness. Governance is strong.

At the last inspection, inspectors highlighted the many strengths of the school. They also set out some areas for improvement. There has been a very positive response to the improvements needed.

Inspectors asked you to provide younger pupils with more opportunities to use their numeracy skills well. Leaders carry out a detailed analysis of the needs of each cohort before they enter the Reception class. Through your Nursery provision, contact with other providers and visits to the family home, leaders gather detailed information.

Consequently, you can adapt your approach to help to meet the needs of each child. Since the last inspection, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of their time in the Reception class has increased year on year. However, there is still work to be done to ensure that more children, especially boys, reach this standard in preparation for Year 1.

Inspectors also asked you to make sure that, across the school, pupils develop good skills in using correct punctuation and accuracy in spelling. The work that you and your team have undertaken to improve pupils' skills in writing is impressive. Starting in the early years, you provide numerous opportunities for pupils to practise their writing.

Children in the Reception class are encouraged to write with chalk on the floor. However, attention is also given to support children to develop good posture while writing on paper at tables. The clear link you make between the teaching of reading and the teaching of writing is helping pupils to make good progress.

Teachers skilfully use structured activities and incisive questioning to support pupils' writing across a range of subjects and in a variety of forms. However, leaders need to ensure that the required subject knowledge in the wider curriculum is not lost. Safeguarding is effective.

Leaders, including governors, have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are clear, effective and fit for purpose. Your safeguarding welfare officer has a clear understanding of the needs of your pupils. She provides support to you in your role as designated safeguarding leader and also provides support to pupils and families.

Records are focused, detailed and meticulous. Governors and staff are well informed and supported through high-quality training, so that they can recognise the signs and symptoms of various types of abuse. At your request, the local authority recently carried out a safeguarding audit.

The outcome of this review was very positive. The review also challenged leaders to work to keep your safeguarding knowledge and training current. As a response to this, you have introduced regular update quizzes for your staff.

These have been positively received. They have generated a healthy sense of competition among the staff. In addition, they continue to raise their awareness of current safeguarding issues, such as peer-on-peer abuse and child sexual exploitation.

Older pupils greatly value the additional support they can access through the 'Talk Shop' sessions. Pupils also appreciate the 'Class Voice Boxes'. These allow pupils to access support, express worries or even praise other pupils by dropping a note in the box.

The fact that the message can be about a variety of different things encourages pupils to use this system without fear of what others may think. Pupils know about the various forms that bullying can take. They know how to stay safe, including when using the internet or social media.

They speak positively about how they learn about safety. However, pupils in Years 5 and 6 raised concerns about bullying and racist comments in school. This concern was not shared by the younger pupils, but the older pupils were very clear that from time to time some pupils experience bullying.

Leaders are aware of the need to be constantly vigilant about this and respond effectively when issues are raised. Pupils know that there are adults that they can approach when they experience unkind or bullying behaviour. Despite this, older pupils do not always have the confidence to raise their concerns with their teachers and leaders do not always record the concerns that pupils raise.

Inspection findings ? Leaders have placed a strong emphasis on improving the teaching of writing across the school. You have provided focused support and training in writing. As a result, staff have a greater knowledge and understanding of English grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Teachers take a more creative approach to the teaching of writing, not only in English, but also in the wider curriculum. Pupils' writing has, therefore, improved. The quality of writing is maintained across topic work, where pupils are taught to write in detail and at length.

Pupils talk positively about writing. They particularly value the opportunity to edit their work, where, as they put it, editing is about 'adding, removing, moving or substituting'. As a result, in 2018, Year 6 pupils' attainment in writing was above the provisional national average, both at the expected and the higher standard.

In 2018, progress in writing was also much stronger than it has been historically. ? You provide clear and targeted support for disadvantaged pupils. The introduction of enrichment clubs such as the 'Gardening Club', 'Creative Arts Club' or 'Healthy Me', is focused upon broadening the knowledge and skills that all pupils, but especially the disadvantaged, have.

Pupils speak very positively about these opportunities. As a result, disadvantaged pupils' aspirations are being raised. Teachers report higher levels of engagement and a sense of purpose among pupils.

You also use teaching assistants and additional teachers, to good effect, to provide focused work in small groups or on a one-to-one basis for disadvantaged pupils. These interventions are sharply focused on what needs to be reviewed or practised. Despite this, disadvantaged pupils do not attain as highly, or make as much progress, as their non-disadvantaged classmates in reading, writing and mathematics.

Consequently in 2018, Year 6 disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as other pupils nationally. ? Teaching, across all key stages and subjects, is good. Leaders, including governors, have a passionate commitment to the promotion of a love of learning.

This is found in both staff and pupils. High expectations are shared across the school. There is an appropriate balance of support and challenge for staff and pupils.

As a result, staff feel valued and encouraged to improve their practice and so in turn improve teaching for the benefit of the pupils. ? The vast majority of parents spoken to during the inspection and those who responded to Ofsted's online questionnaire, Parent View, were extremely positive about the school. A small number of parents expressed concern over communication from leaders and a couple shared the older pupils' concerns over bullying.

However, this was not the view of the clear majority. Other parents were overwhelmingly positive. One parent commented 'both of my children settled in really well at Chapel Allerton Primary School.

All the teachers are amazing. They make my children feel safe and happy and put the extra effort to make learning fun.' Another parent summed up the views of many, saying, 'I have nothing but praise for Chapel Allerton Primary School.

They have my complete confidence and support. Our experience has been 100% positive. The best interests of the children and their development are at the heart of what they do.

Every child counts. The teachers engage enthusiastically with all children. The environment is friendly, organised, caring and full of life.'

? Leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), have a clear understanding of pupils' individual needs. The SENCo carries out regular checks to ensure that the help that pupils receive is appropriate and meets their needs. There is a collective understanding, across the school, that the progress of all pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is everyone's responsibility.

Consequently, pupils with SEND are making good progress towards their personal targets. ? Your middle leaders are a strong and effective team. They have a clear understanding of progress across the school.

Middle leaders share your vision for the school and are highly ambitious for all pupils. They are well supported in ensuring that the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils. They have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and are proud of the progress that has been made since the last inspection.

However, they are not complacent and are acutely aware of the need to improve pupil outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. As one middle leader told my colleague, 'It is about making a difference to their lives as a whole child.' ? Pupils spoken to during the inspection greatly value their teachers.

Pupils are very well behaved and focused in lessons. They appreciate the rewards such as your 'outstanding achievers', where pupils are rewarded with lunch in a local restaurant. Pupil attendance is good and the vast majority are very happy in school.

As a result of your work on pupils' mental health and well-being, pupils are developing resilience and when faced with more difficult work or situations, they keep trying and do not give up. Consequently, by the time that they leave Chapel Allerton Primary School at the end of Year 6, your pupils are well prepared for the challenges of secondary school. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? they build on the improvements in teaching, learning and assessment to raise achievement still further by making sure that differences between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally continue to diminish in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 ? the way in which behavioural incidents are recorded, including those involving allegations of bullying, is improved, so that patterns of behaviour can be easily identified and pupils' confidence in reporting incidents increases ? they continue to embed the improvements in the early years so that a greater proportion of children achieve a good level of development at the end of their Reception Year.

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Leeds. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Daniel Murray Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection During the inspection, I met with you and a group of governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body.

Together, we visited classrooms to observe teaching and to look at pupils' work. We also looked in depth at pupils' writing books and other work. The other inspector visited several classrooms with other leaders.

I spoke with a representative of the local authority by telephone. I met with a group of pupils from Years 3 to 6. I listened to 16 pupils read.

I also listened informally to pupils read during my visits to lessons. Consideration was given to the 58 free-text responses to Ofsted's online questionnaire, Parent View. There were no responses from either the pupil or the staff questionnaire to take into consideration.

My colleague and I spoke to parents and grandparents at the start and end of the school day. I evaluated recent information in relation to pupils' progress throughout the school, the school's self-evaluation document, the school improvement plan and a sample of monitoring records. I also met with you as designated safeguarding leader and your safeguarding and welfare officer.

I reviewed documentation and records about how you keep your pupils safe. My colleague met with your SENCo, your early years leader and your deputy head as leader of English. My colleague also met with other phase and subject leaders.

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