Weetwood Primary School, located in Leeds, West Yorkshire, has been recognized as a good school following its inspection on July 19 and 20, 2022. The school has built a strong reputation for effectively meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, attracting families from considerable distances. The leadership has crafted a curriculum that embraces diversity, fostering a sophisticated understanding of equality among pupils. The school environment promotes kindness, with pupils actively nominating peers for praise postcards, reinforcing positive behavior. Instances of bullying are rare and addressed promptly, ensuring that pupils feel supported by trusted adults.
Parents express a strong sense of community and belonging, highlighting the collaborative efforts of governors, staff, and families in achieving the school’s objectives. Pupils demonstrate interest in their lessons and exhibit good behavior, with teachers consistently reinforcing the school’s core values of honesty, inclusivity, and resilience. This focus on character development is seen as beneficial for pupils both in school and in their future lives.
The school has undergone significant leadership changes since the last inspection, with a new headteacher appointed in January 2022 who has accelerated the pace of improvement. The curriculum for early reading and phonics is well-structured, resulting in most pupils reading fluently and expressively. The school library is regularly updated with new books, and pupils enjoy a diverse selection of challenging literature. However, leaders recognized that some reading materials did not align with pupils' phonics knowledge, prompting the acquisition of new resources to better support less confident readers.
While the long-term curriculum plans are comprehensive, there is still work to be done in refining medium-term plans in subjects like history and modern foreign languages. Leaders are committed to enhancing these plans to clarify learning objectives for each year group. Teachers effectively use assessment to gauge pupils' understanding, providing additional explanations when necessary. Although low-level disruptions occur occasionally, the overall classroom environment remains conducive to learning.
The school places a strong emphasis on mental health, with the special educational needs coordinator identifying pupils for therapeutic interventions. The curriculum is tailored to support pupils with SEND, including practical life skills training for those with education, health, and care plans. This includes real-life experiences such as shopping trips to develop financial literacy.
Equality and inclusion are integral to the school’s ethos, as demonstrated by the installation of accessible play equipment for pupils with mobility issues. Most children in the Reception Year achieve well, and older pupils take on leadership roles with younger students, fostering positive relationships across age groups. Pupils also engage in community service, learning to be compassionate citizens through initiatives like collecting items for local charities.
The school’s safeguarding measures are effective, with thorough recruitment checks and regular audits conducted by the local authority. Leaders are proactive in addressing any concerns and ensuring the safety of pupils, even adapting procedures during extreme weather conditions to protect their well-being.
To further improve, the school needs to enhance the identification of substantive knowledge in foundation subjects to ensure all pupils achieve their potential. Continued development of detailed medium-term curriculum and assessment arrangements is essential for all subjects. Overall, Weetwood Primary School demonstrates a commitment to providing a supportive and enriching educational experience for all its pupils.
