Ninelands Primary School provides an outstanding education, which parents and pupils value highly.

It has developed an extensive range of partnerships with other schools and organisations.

These have enabled it to maintain a rich and varied curriculum that captures pupils’ interest and enjoyment.

At the same time it has sustained good achievement and above average standards.

Standards in English have been stronger than in mathematics, where results in national tests have declined a little over recent years.

Pupils have average skills when they join Nursery.

The outstanding quality and standards in the Foundation Stage set the pattern for all the subsequent years. Here, children learn to work independently so that adults can give support where it is most needed.

This results in good teaching and learning where pupils get excellent guidance on how to improve their work.

The school is highly inclusive and pupils who face any barriers to learning are supported very effectively to make good progress. Vulnerable pupils are particularly well cared for.

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

This shows in their mature behaviour, and the imaginative way that they embrace community and charity projects.

The school council is well established and respected, giving pupils a say in running their school.

Councillors take their role seriously and have influenced several changes recently.

Pupils’ enjoyment of school shows in above average attendance and enthusiasm in lessons. Initiatives to ensure pupils’ safety, such as the all-encompassing anti-bullying campaign, have had a deep impact on their behaviour.

The range of physical activity and the school’s management of catering promote a secure understanding of healthy lifestyles. Pupils are well prepared for their future economic well-being.

The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and middle managers to encourage the good academic and personal development of the pupils.

A predominantly new governing body is adapting to its role very quickly.


The school has a very clear understanding of how well it is doing and how it needs to develop, and gives outstanding value for money.

Excellent financial management has enabled substantial recent improvements.

Information and communication technology (ICT) was an area for improvement in the last inspection report. It is now a major strength

Play facilities have been upgraded, and new interactive whiteboards have enlivened teaching.

These improvements and the recruitment of very effective new staff demonstrate the superb capacity for further improvement.

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils’ mathematical skills to bring them into line with other subjects.

Children join Nursery with broadly average standards. By the end of Reception they have made good progress and assessments show that standards are above average.

Standards have been above average by the end of Year 2 over the last five years.

Pupils’ reading skills are above average, with their performance in writing and numeracy closer to average.

Standards by the end of Year 6 have also been above average in recent years.

English has remained above average, though mathematics and science dipped to be average in 2006.

This continued a decline from very high standards in mathematics in 2003, as the school used new assessment methods which demanded more secure learning.

The school sets challenging targets and current data show that pupils are making good progress and are on track to meet them.

Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve as well as other groups of pupils.

Some vulnerable pupils have made exceptional progress in recent years and higher-attaining pupils are also supported to make good progress.

Pupils love coming to school because there is so much to stimulate and interest them.

They develop confidence and social skills that will serve them well in later life.

Pupils participate in a wide range of sporting and aesthetic pursuits which prepare them well for their future.

They also understand and value the different ways that people from varied backgrounds live.

Children get off to a very secure start in the Foundation Stage, behaving well and growing in independence.

In Years 1 to 6, pupils behave maturely and demonstrate a very good level of self-discipline, courtesy and consideration.

They develop strong collaborative skills which they use well in discussion to solve problems, and also when they are playing.

They use ICT discerningly, knowing where to look for information and how to select what is useful.

They understand how to consult and represent each other’s views, and this has made the school council particularly effective.

They also respond thoughtfully to charity appeals, frequently going beyond the expected response as they develop a deeper understanding of people’s needs.

Here a teaching assistant worked with a small group to calculate the area of a rectangle using methods that matched the pupils’ needs exactly and which enabled them to achieve well.

At the same time, a group of more able pupils clustered round the interactive whiteboard as a pupil led their exploration of a far more complex approach.

Pupils know what they need to do to succeed in each lesson. Teachers observe and question skilfully so they are aware how effectively each pupil is learning.

When they mark pupils’ work they prompt them to improve continually and give clear guidance on what pupils need to do next.

There are lots of opportunities for pupils to collaborate, to evaluate each other’s work and to talk together to clarify their thinking.

Pupils also make discerning use of ICT to research, present their work and experiment with designs or artwork. These activities provide them with very good basic skills for adult life.

The curriculum provides a quality and range of experiences far beyond that expected.This supports pupils’ personal development very well.

It meets pupils’ needs extremely effectively and makes a crucial contribution to the vibrant atmosphere within the school.

The curriculum places a strong emphasis on enabling pupils to experiment, try things out and get first-hand experience.

This was well exemplified when Year 1 pupils explored washing clothes with a dolly tub and washboard, the result being their better understanding of the differences between the present and the past.

The excellent curriculum helps pupils to apply their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, with relevance to many subjects.

The range of pupils’ experiences is very wide. Visiting artists, writers and engineers bring real-world experience which gives pupils’ work real credibility.

Experts in dance, music and physical skills expose pupils to high levels of expertise and enjoyment.

Pupils greatly enjoy residential visits which build their self-confidence and promote teamwork.

Visits to places such as Armley Mills or Clarke Hall give pupils the opportunity to dress up and to experience what it was like to live in a different time.

A wide range of popular extra-curricular activities support pupils to develop healthy lifestyles.

The school is rightly proud of gaining the Inclusion Charter which celebrates the outstanding care it provides.

Pupils at risk are identified and strong support systems help them to feel accepted and to be aware of their achievements.

Their personal development is carefully monitored and the school works very closely with the parents of those pupils who cause concern.

Pupils have very clear guidance on what they need to do to improve.

There are very effective systems to track each individual’s progress and these contribute very well to pupils’ achievement.

The school is exceptionally well led and managed by the energetic and committed headteacher, with strong support from senior staff.

There is a strong emphasis on teamwork, and roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

The school’s self-evaluation paints an accurate and robust analysis of development.

The governing body is gaining in strength and beginning to make its mark in managing the school.

Experienced governors have a clear understanding of the issues facing the school, though most governors are still new to the role and have yet to develop their expertise fully.