Alwoodley: Leeds primary school rated Good by Ofsted inspectors

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
A Leeds primary school has lost its Ofsted Outstanding rating for the first time in 15 years.

Alwoodley Primary School, located in Cranmer Rise, Alwoodley, was downgraded to Good overall during its recent inspection - despite ranking as Outstanding in four of the five key areas.

In their latest report published this week, Ofsted rated the primary as Outstanding in the areas of behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision but a solitary Good in the quality of education was enough to see the school marked down.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The school had previously been rated as Outstanding during inspections published in January 2009 and July 2013.

Alwoodley Primary School was downgraded to Good overall during its recent inspection. Picture: James HardistyAlwoodley Primary School was downgraded to Good overall during its recent inspection. Picture: James Hardisty
Alwoodley Primary School was downgraded to Good overall during its recent inspection. Picture: James Hardisty | James Hardisty

The education watchdog said: “A warm, caring and nurturing staff team welcome pupils, parents and visitors to Alwoodley. There are high expectations for all, including the school leaders themselves, the staff and pupils.

“As a result, pupils display consistently exemplary behaviour in lessons and at playtime. Pupils love the recently introduced outdoor play and learning activities at lunchtime.”

“The school’s value of ‘learning together, growing stronger’ underpins its curriculum, inspectors said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They added that there were three golden threads at the school: cognitive education, a love of reading and personal development.

Following a change in leadership, the school has reviewed some aspects of its curriculum, the Ofsted report said.

Inspectors found that staff receive high-quality, focused professional development to enable them to “understand the curriculum rationale”.

Speaking on where the school could improve, inspectors added: “The system for checking pupils’ progress and understanding across some subjects needs further development. This means the school does not have specific information in some subjects on pupils’ progress.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The school should ensure the procedures are fit for purpose and consistently applied.”

Alwoodley has prioritised ensuring all subjects are well planned and sequenced, Ofsted said.

Inspectors said some subjects, such as geography, were ambitious, with an established curriculum structure, while others, such as history and art and design, were being refined.

The school recognises, and has addressed, the “changing needs of the school’s population”. This includes an increased number of pupils with significant special educational needs and/or disabilities. Where possible, pupils access the same curriculum as their peers, with support or adaptations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr G. German, headteacher at Alwoodley Primary School, said: “The staff and governors are delighted with our Ofsted result that states we are outstanding in many areas.

“We feel that the report reflects the unique offer at Alwoodley and the targets within the good heading align with those identified by leaders.

“One inspector stated at the end of the inspection, what is happening here should be shared far and wide.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Leeds news you can trust since 1890
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice