Inspection Report

Unique Reference Number	107297
Local Authority	Bradford
Inspection number	287787
Inspection dates	27–28 March 2007
Reporting inspector	Gill Hepworth

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school	Primary
School category	Community
Age range of pupils	3–11
Gender of pupils	Mixed
Number on roll (school)	484
Appropriate authority	The governing body
Date of previous school inspection	18 February 2002

 

School address	All Saints' Road
	Bradford
	West Yorkshire BD7 3AY
Telephone number	01274 501460
Fax number	01274 501460
Chair	Mr John Myles
Headteacher	Mrs N Zaffar

Ofsted Report Section

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school situated in the University ward in Bradford, an area of social and economic disadvantage. An above average number of pupils are eligible for free school meals. It is a popular school and numbers are increasing. Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic groups, with the largest group being of Pakistani origin. The great majority of pupils enter school with little or no spoken English. The school was awarded Investors in People status in 2002 and this was confirmed in 2005. In 2002 and 2003, achievement awards from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) were granted.

Key for inspection grades
Grade 1	Outstanding
Grade 2	Good
Grade 3	Satisfactory
Grade 4	Inadequate

Overall effectiveness of the school

Grade: 1

This outstanding school is very much at the heart of the local community and is highly regarded by pupils and parents. It is a happy school and prides itself on its friendliness; it is easy to see why places are in demand. Many comments from parents reflect these sentiments, acknowledging that they are fully included in the life and work of the school. All staff work diligently to make sure the pupils flourish. The school is fully aware that many pupils have significant barriers to learning. Consequently, it goes to great lengths to expand pupils' knowledge and understanding, both socially and academically. With this in mind, it meets its aims extremely well in providing the best experiences that can possibly be offered for every pupil.

Its success is as a result of outstanding leadership and management. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior leadership team form a dynamic partnership and set high standards in the continual drive for improvement. All staff are highly motivated and passionate about the school and contribute effectively in providing the best for each individual pupil. All aspects of the school's work are rigorously checked and self-evaluation is outstanding. There is no complacency as the school builds on its strengths to improve standards and achievement even further. Governors play their part in this success. Parents understand the need to support their children's education and do so.

On entry to Nursery, standards are very low, with many children having very little understanding of English. They get off to a very good start because of the outstanding provision. The children settle very well and quickly begin to learn English, gradually becoming bilingual due to excellent teaching. All groups of pupils make outstanding progress relative to their starting points. A higher than average proportion of pupils leave and join the school throughout Key Stage 2. Many of those who join have little or no spoken English. Even so, by the end of Year 6, standards are broadly average in English, mathematics and science. The rigorous assessment and tracking of progress is central to the outstanding achievement of all pupils. Pupils are set challenging targets and extra support is given to those who need it. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are consequently catered for extremely well.

Key to the outstanding progress made by the pupils is the outstanding teaching available for them. Learning experiences are rich, diverse and exciting. As a result, pupils are highly motivated, happy in their learning and achieve exceptionally well. The curriculum meets the needs of all pupils exceptionally well. Links are made between subjects which brings a relevance and excitement to learning.

Pupils are very appreciative of the outstanding care, guidance and support they receive. Their responses to the teachers' high expectations are seen in their excellent attitudes to learning and exemplary behaviour. Pupils are polite and friendly. They feel safe in school and are confident that they will be helped if they have a problem. They enthusiastically get involved in local issues such as, improvements in footpaths, road crossings and re-cycling initiatives.

What the school should do to improve further

There are no significant issues beyond those already identified in the school development plan.

Achievement and standards

Grade: 1

Pupils enter the Nursery with exceptionally low levels of skill and understanding, especially in their speaking and listening skills. Often they have little or no spoken English. They make outstanding progress in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 so that by the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average. Standards remain broadly average by the end of Year 6. Standards are affected by the higher than average percentage of pupils leaving and joining the school in Key Stage 2. Those who join the school often have very limited or no understanding of English. School data show clearly that the pupils currently in Year 6, who have been at the school since they were in Year 2, are making outstanding progress in English, mathematics and science. The school predicts that the challenging targets set for Key Stage 2 in 2007 will not only be met but exceeded.

Personal development and well-being

Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Very good moral and social development is shown by pupils' excellent behaviour; their ability to work well together and the way they care for others. From an early age, they work independently and manage their own learning. Pupils are respected and nurtured by all. They think its good being a pupil at this school because it's a fun place to learn and everyone is kind and helpful. They are proud of their own achievements and keen to share their success with others. Their enthusiasm about school is reflected in their above average attendance levels. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of healthy eating and exercise. They eagerly take part in a wide range of sports and enjoy the well organised physical activities at playtimes. Pupils respond well when given responsibility. For example, school councillors sample and select lunchtime menus and proudly contribute to the school community.

Quality of provision

Teaching and learning

Grade: 1

The outstanding quality of teaching and learning enables all pupils to achieve extremely well. The needs of the very large number of pupils who are new to English are particularly well met through close attention to language development in every subject. Appropriate bilingual support when necessary ensures all pupils are exceptionally well prepared for learning. The development of positive attitudes to learning ensures that pupils are fully engaged, interested and keen to do well. Teachers plan lessons very well and make sure that activities are organised to meet the needs of all the pupils. Lessons are made fun through the use of practical activities. Lessons move on at a good pace so that pupils are actively learning. Teaching assistants have a very high level of expertise and they support pupils extremely well in class, ensuring that all are fully involved and understand what they are doing. High expectations are very evident in the marking of pupils' work and teachers take time to explain to pupils how their work could be improved.

Curriculum and other activities

Grade: 1

The curriculum meets the needs of all pupils with a wide range of diverse learning experiences and helps them achieve highly both academically and in their personal development. The learning environment in lessons and around the school is dynamic and attractive. The excellent provision for Foundation Stage pupils ensures that they have a strong basis to build on. Working closely together, staff throughout the school constantly review and adapt the curriculum to suit the needs of the pupils. They continually search for fresh ways to make activities exciting and relevant, particularly through real-life investigations. Curriculum areas are linked well together so that learning opportunities are maximised. An excellent range of extra-curricular activities, trips, visits and visitors to the school further enhances the range and variation in learning for pupils.

Care, guidance and support

Grade: 1

Outstanding care, guidance and support for pupils lie at the heart of the school community. This contributes enormously to the purposeful atmosphere throughout the school and pupils' personal and academic progress. The school's rigorous health and safety routines and strategies ensure that pupils are extremely well cared for. Staff use a wide range of successful measures to ensure that the highest standards of behaviour are maintained. Pupils are confident that they are safe and that they would receive support from staff if they had any concerns. Pupils joining the school, often new to the country with little or no English, are carefully assessed and supported so they settle quickly and begin to learn well. The learning mentors and the bilingual home school liaison officer are particularly effective in supporting pupils' needs and promoting enjoyment of learning. Assessment systems are clear. The information is used effectively to set targets and provide excellent support to help pupils improve their work.

Leadership and management

Grade: 1

The foundation of the outstanding leadership and management is the headteacher and deputy headteacher's clear and precise knowledge and understanding of the school. They have built up a first rate team of senior staff who contribute significantly in establishing the overall positive atmosphere of teamwork and shared aims. There is a strong team spirit where everyone's contribution is valued. All staff, throughout the school, relish opportunities to contribute to their own development and to that of the school. School self-evaluation is rigorous and leads to improvement and high achievement. Governors are very effective in providing challenge and support. They form and foster important links with the local community and contribute very well to school development. The rigour of self-evaluation, the effectiveness of past improvements and the strongly established teamwork, show that the school has outstanding capacity for further improvements and gives outstanding value for money.

Annex A

Inspection judgements

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate	School Overall
Overall effectiveness
How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?	1
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?	1
The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage	1
The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation	1
The capacity to make any necessary improvements	1
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection	Yes
Achievement and standards
How well do learners achieve?	1
The standards1 reached by learners	3
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners	1
How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress	1
1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.
Personal development and well-being
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?	1
The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development	1
The behaviour of learners	1
The attendance of learners	2
How well learners enjoy their education	1
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices	1
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles	1
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community	1
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being	1
The quality of provision
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs?	1
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?	1
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?	1
Leadership and management
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?	1
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education	1
How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets	1
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can	1
How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money	1
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities	1
Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?	Yes
Does this school require special measures?	No
Does this school require a notice to improve?	No

Annex B

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing on behalf of the inspection team to thank you for welcoming us into your school and for being so friendly, polite and helpful. We think that your school is an outstanding school and we have identified just some of the outstanding qualities to tell you about.

• You enjoy school, work well together and are very good at taking on responsibilities.
• Your behaviour is excellent, both in lessons and in and around the school.
• Adults take very good care of you and you know who to go to if you need some help.
• Teachers are very good at making sure that you do really well in your lessons.
• You work hard and make really good progress.
• You have an excellent headteacher who, together with all the staff, has worked hard to make the school as good as it can be.

We know that you agree that yours is an outstanding school because you told us all what a great place it is. Your job now will be to help the school to continue to be outstanding by enjoying your learning and always doing your best.

Thank you again for your help and the members of the inspection team wish you all well for the future.

© Crown copyright 2007

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