Armley Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Armley Park School is a place of hope, aspiration and care. Pupils and families enjoy unwavering support from the school. The school goes beyond the 'extra mile' to remove barriers to education.

Lessons are engaging and stimulating and allow the pupils to learn in a comfortable environment. The school has a diverse curriculum. Leaders and staff know the pupils well.

The school is proud of the progress pupils make over time.

Children talk with interest about the careers they want to follow. The school encourages all to be the best they can be while at the school and also in their adult life.

Staff welcome the children into early years each morning. A ...smile and chat with parents set the day off to a positive start. The provision for early years is well thought out and provides pupils with a strong start to their time at Armley Park.

Behaviour in school is calm. Expectations are high for all pupils. Pupils know and like the clarity in the expectations staff have.

Activities beyond the classroom are carefully considered by leaders. They complement the taught curriculum, such as the pupils performing Shakespeare on stage in a theatre company in Leeds.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

A curriculum for all pupils is in place at Armley Park.

The school has taken time to develop a well-considered, broad set of subjects for the pupils to learn. Staff enjoy teaching. They make learning accessible to pupils in lessons.

In science, pupils learn key facts. They also have the opportunity to see science in action, for example conducting investigations which involves seeing how animals change over time, from caterpillars to butterflies.

The school invests time and effort into helping pupils read.

All staff have regular phonics training. As a result, when a child needs support to learn to read it is forthcoming. Some pupils who speak English as an additional language join the school from another country in their older years.

The school acts swiftly to support pupils in learning spoken and written English.

Pupils are proud of the school library. The books that are available to read in school and take home have been chosen carefully.

Different authors, genres and a mixture of fiction and non-fiction are part of the collection of books. Pupils' love of language goes beyond the written word. They perform in plays and enjoy participating in debating competitions with other schools.

The school has strong relationships with pupils and families. The pupils see the school as the centre of the community. A place where they feel listened to.

Pupils trust adults to help them with any issues they face. The school engages with wider organisations to support the pupils. Support and counselling sessions help to guide pupils at crucial times.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) enjoy the full curriculum. The school is fully inclusive. The diversity and unique needs of the pupils add to the rich tapestry of the school.

Staff value the child. This plays a part in children, particularly those with additional needs, developing self-belief and confidence.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

When a pupil behaves inappropriately, staff take time to explain the consequences of poor behaviour. Staff and pupils own the school's values. Staff and pupils display many of the school's values such as respect and care.

School attendance is not as high for all pupils as leaders would like. Leaders are in constant communication with families and do on occasion collect pupils from home to help them come into school. The partnerships with home and school are strong.

Opportunities to develop social and emotional skills beyond the curriculum are wide and diverse. The personal development curriculum is rich. It includes taught lessons, assemblies, community work and focus weeks.

In one of the focus weeks, pupils learn about the curriculum with the golden thread of an 'adventurer'. During the week, if the 'adventurer' the class is considering is a caver, the pupils get the chance to go caving. If they are a climber, then the pupils go to the local climbing wall.

The trust values the school, and in turn, the school values the support from the trust. Trust staff who collaborate with the school know the school, the children and the community. Regular meetings with leaders across all levels both in school and beyond have contributed to strong a support network for the school.

The best interests of the pupils are always at the top of the agenda for staff, whether visiting or based in the school permanently.

Trustees and governors provide support. Senior leaders welcome strategic discussions and robust accountability which governors provide.

Senior leaders and staff unite in their vision for excellence for all but not at the expense of staff well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly.

This means that they miss valuable learning and social interaction with their peers. This has the potential to limit their progress and development. The school must continue to develop a detailed analysis of absence to inform bespoke support to improve attendance.