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Austhorpe Primary celebrates turn around
Two years ago, Austhorpe Primary was in a sorry state. Its head teacher had been on long-term sick and Ofsted said Cross Gates school was failing its pupils.
As a result, the school was plunged into special measures and told to get its act together.
Fast forward to today, and Austhorpe has many reasons to celebrate.
A return visit by inspectors last October gave the school a clean bill of health, with rapid improvements had been made in all areas.
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Two areas in particular were highlighted: teaching which now meant children made good progress in lessons, and the leadership of the 205-pupil school.
And now a double accolade for the school has acknowledged the hard work that has gone into turning its fortunes around, with both head teacher
Caroline Robinson and her deputy, Matthew Browne, nominated for two of the profession's top awards.
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The pair have been shortlisted for the regions finals of this year's Teaching Awards, which recognises some of the very best work going on in the nation's schools.
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Mrs Robinson has won through to the final in the head teacher of the year category, while Mr Browne has been shortlisted in the teacher of the year category.
"I think my name was put forward because of the work we all did her to bring the school out of special measures," said Mrs Robinson, who joined the school in September 2007.
"We had to get everybody to work as a team, and I think my nomination for the regional finals is a reflection of the work of the whole school. Once they got over the shock of going into special measures, everybody got on board and really pulled together."
Mrs Robinson, who was previously head at Burley St Matthias CoE Primary in Leeds, was nominated by her governing body for the ward.
Mr Browne, who moved from Harewood CoE Primary last September, was nominated by parents for his work at both Austhorpe and his previous school.
Both had to undergo scrutiny by Teaching Awards assessors before being put forward for the regional finals.
One of the major changes to help drive the school forward, said Mrs Robinson, had been an overhaul of the curriculum to make to more relevant and enjoyable.
Following the December 2006 inspection, which saw the school move into special measures, Ofsted said Austhorpe was failing its pupils and offering an unsatisfactory curriculum.
Although attendance was good and children enjoyed school, the quality of teaching and learning was inadequate.
In taking the school out of special measures, the inspection team reported that good teaching had accelerated pupils' progress and the leadership team had been successful in tackling weaknesses.
"We have a very strong and very committed team here," said Mrs Robinson. "I think it says a lot about the school that no teacher left apart, from retirement, after the school went into special measures.
"People stayed here and they worked really hard. It can be quite an onerous task turning round a school that is in special measures.
"Making the finals of the Teaching Awards is an acknowledgement about teamwork and working together for the good of the community.
"We have started too make the curriculum much more creative. One of the comments in the previous Ofsted report was that children were bored and there wasn't much fun in the curriculum.
"We know have three focus weeks a year.
"We have just had a sports day as part of a focus on PE and science. Every half term the children go out on visits, or visitors come into school.
"We are also developing a link with Brownhill Primary (in Harehills) to widen the children's cultural experiences."
Austhorpe has also teamed up with an east Leeds radio station for a journalism project that includes interviewing people in their community.
"A lot of good work has gone on already, but there is much, much more to come," said Mrs Robinson.
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