Weetwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Weetwood Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Weetwood's reputation for meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is richly deserved. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND choose to travel from miles away, so their children can attend this school.

Leaders have designed a curriculum that celebrates pupils' differences. As a result, pupils have a sophisticated understanding of equalities and diversity.

Pupils are kind to each other.

They nominate other pupils to receive a 'praise postcard' when other pupils are kind to them. It is exciting for pupils when teachers send postc...ards home congratulating pupils for their kindness. Bullying is extremely rare and resolved quickly.

Pupils are confident that a trusted adult will help them if they are upset.

Parents say, 'There is a wonderful sense of community and belonging.' Governors, staff and parents work in partnership to achieve the school's aims.

This is working.

Pupils are interested in their lessons and they behave well. Teachers regularly remind pupils of the shared values at the heart of Weetwood's curriculum.

These include honesty, inclusivity and resilience. Pupils understand that developing good character will help them at school and throughout life.

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

There have been many changes to the leadership team since the last inspection.

Governors have recently made permanent senior leadership appointments. Since January 2022, the new headteacher has rapidly accelerated the pace of school improvement. Leaders are making up for lost time now.

The curriculum for early reading and phonics is good. Most pupils read fluently and with expression. Leaders regularly buy new books for the school library.

Pupils love the wide variety of challenging novels and non-fiction texts on offer. For less confident readers, leaders realised that some reading books did not match pupils' phonics knowledge. In April 2022, leaders bought lots of new reading books that match the new phonics programme closely.

Frequent practise is increasing pupils' confidence and improving their reading skills.

In some subjects, including history and modern foreign languages, leaders are still refining curriculum plans. Although the long-term plans are thorough, leaders still need to improve the medium-term plans to detail what pupils will learn in each year group.

Leaders have ambitious plans to make sure that this work is completed quickly. They support teachers' workload by giving subject leaders the time they need to do this work.

Teachers use assessment skilfully to check pupils' understanding.

Teachers stop pupils during lessons to give further explanations if needed. Most pupils stop and give their attention when teachers ask them to listen. There is very occasional low-level disruption caused by the behaviour of a few pupils.

Leaders have introduced lots of new resources to develop pupils' mental health. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) identifies pupils for therapeutic interventions, such as art therapy. This is helping pupils to learn how to regulate their own behaviour.

Leaders adapt the curriculum exceptionally well for pupils with SEND. Some pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans have targets to develop life skills that will help them live independently when they grow up. Pupils learn some practical aspects of mathematics to help them achieve this.

For example, some pupils with EHC plans go on shopping trips to buy ingredients for cookery. They handle money and check their change. Pupils measure ingredients carefully when they are weighing and pouring.

Pupils are proud when they share their cakes with the class.

The importance of equality and inclusion is a golden thread that runs through every part of the school day. When the new climbing equipment was installed, some pupils with mobility issues were unable to use it.

Leaders invested in 'humps and tunnels' for these pupils to enjoy.

Most children in the Reception Year achieve well by the end of the Reception Year. Older pupils love taking a leadership role with younger children.

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 play with nursery children at lunchtime. Children in the early years enjoy building relationships with older pupils as well as with their peers.

Pupils also consider the help they can give to the wider community.

Pupils enjoy gathering toiletries, pillows and duvet covers to make 'bed-bundles' for a Leeds charity group. Pupils are learning to become caring citizens who try to help others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all the necessary recruitment checks are made when appointing new staff.

Governors invite Leeds local authority to undertake safeguarding audits that check leaders' safeguarding arrangements. Leaders promptly address any recommendations for improvement.

Leaders have trained staff to make sure that they accurately identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders act quickly to address any concerns, working closely with other professionals when necessary.

Leaders identify risks and take steps to minimise harm to pupils.

This inspection took place during extremely hot weather. Leaders kept pupils in classrooms at lunchtime to protect pupils from exposure to the midday sun.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Subject leaders have not identified substantive and disciplinary knowledge in sufficient detail for each year group in every foundation subject.

Consequently, pupils are not achieving as well as they could. Leaders should continue to develop detailed medium-term curriculum and assessment arrangements in every subject.

Background

When we have judged good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 17 January 2017.