Pudsey Primrose Hill: Ofsted praise for Outstanding Leeds primary school where pupils get 'the best start in life'

Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School, located in west Leeds, was rated Outstanding overall in all five inspected categories – the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

It was a second successive top grade for the pupils and staff at Pudsey Primrose Hill and its first since it joined up as part of the Owlcotes Multi Academy Trust.

The education watchdog said: “Pupils are happy to come to this school every morning. They enjoy their lessons and the many opportunities for enrichment. Staff are welcoming and friendly. Pupils feel safe because they trust staff to listen and to help them with any problems they may face.

“The school aims to give all pupils the best start in life, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.”

Behaviour at the school is described as “exemplary” with staff having “very high expectations.”

Inspectors praised the school’s leadership for developing a “broad and ambitious” curriculum that is well established and very effective.

Adding: “Teachers are experts. They help pupils to understand well and achieve highly. Teachers have very strong subject knowledge, and they explain topics and concepts clearly to pupils.

“They circulate around their classrooms to check regularly that each pupil understands what they have been taught. Pupils listen carefully to the advice that staff give them and respond by improving their work.”

Pudsey Primrose’s special needs provision was also praised as the needs of SEND pupils are identified “promptly and accurately”, SEND pupils study the same broad range of subjects as their peers.

Headteacher Mrs Kathryn Dickson said: “Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School is delighted with the judgement received following the Ofsted inspection in October 2023. I would like to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication which has created a positive environment for teaching and learning, with high aspirations for our pupils.

“I’m so happy that the positive behaviour and relationships between our pupils is also recognised in the report. We are so proud of our children who are always a credit to their families and to the school with their fantastic behaviour and attitudes.”