Barkerend school wins praise from Ofsted inspectors

11:00am Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Claire Armstrong, T&A Reporter

Head teacher Wahid Zaman with (from left) Esha Ali, Jessica Makulova, Kritisha Aggarwal, Nauman Khan, Subhan Asif and Zain Raja at the school which has been declared good by a team of Ofsted inspectors Head teacher Wahid Zaman with (from left) Esha Ali, Jessica Makulova, Kritisha Aggarwal, Nauman Khan, Subhan Asif and Zain Raja at the school which has been declared good by a team of Ofsted inspectors

An inner-city primary school has overcome challenges to impress a team of inspectors.

Lapage Primary School in Barkerend Road, Bradford, has been rated good by Ofsted, marking the latest in a series of improvements.

The school was rated inadequate and placed in special measures in 2007, but came out a year later when it was rated satisfactory.

Bradford Council stepped in to offer increased support and replaced the governing body with an interim executive board to lead the school.

Despite an interim report raising concerns about inadequate progress in 2010, the school was again rated satisfactory in 2011.

In the latest Ofsted report, inspectors said pupils’ progress was accelerating rapidly and praised head teacher Wahid Zaman.

It said: “The capable and uncompromising leadership by the head teacher has been key to the school’s rapid improvement since the time of the previous inspection.

“With the support of the local authority he has made brave decisions and implemented many actions to bring this about.

“For example, following a period of considerable difficulties and changes in staffing, he has built a strong team which, along with members of the interim executive board, share an ambition to secure improvement.”

But it said some lessons needed to offer pupils more of a challenge.

It said: “Teaching does not always offer enough challenge, and as a result, this occasionally slows the rate at which pupils make progress as they move through the school.” The Council has now withdrawn the high level of support it was offering. A new governing body has been appointed and will lead the school from September.

Mr Zaman thanked Bradford Council for its help. He said: “We are delighted with this glowing report as it reflects how we and the community see the school. Everyone working with the school is aspirational for all our children.”

Councillor Ralph Berry, executive member for children’s services, said: “This is an excellent achievement for Lapage Primary and one of which pupils, parents, staff, governors and the wider community are very proud.”

Comments(9)

capacioustraverse says...
11:30am Sat 2 Mar 13

Great news - an excellent job by all especially the headteacher -Mr.Zaman. Councillor Berry perhaps some of teh neighbouring schools could do with some outreach to bring them up to scratch too!!

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Outraged English Subject says...
11:53am Sat 2 Mar 13

Good news and well done to all, next inspection I’d like to see an outstanding grade given by the team of Ofsted inspectors.

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Joedavid says...
5:38pm Sat 2 Mar 13

I thought the T&A had photos of parents protesting outside the other week.

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Outraged English Subject says...
7:46pm Sat 2 Mar 13

Joedavid wrote:
I thought the T&A had photos of parents protesting outside the other week.
This is a different school, can’t believe you posted that comment. Next you’ll be following a muck cart thinking it’s a wedding!

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Joedavid says...
7:56pm Sat 2 Mar 13

Outraged English Subject wrote:
Joedavid wrote:
I thought the T&A had photos of parents protesting outside the other week.
This is a different school, can’t believe you posted that comment. Next you’ll be following a muck cart thinking it’s a wedding!
Sorry I was wrong then, I recollect it was a Community school featured.
Must be two schools very near each other then.
Regarding your last sentence I not understand that.
Also your Name what you outraged about no need to take what it is out of me!

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Outraged English Subject says...
8:13pm Sat 2 Mar 13

I do apologise no offence intended.

My username was a counter to a user with a similar name. So I’m not really outraged ;-)

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Joedavid says...
8:27pm Sat 2 Mar 13

Accepted :-)
I have looked at Google and get the impression there are two (at least) schools at same location, Bradford Moor Community primary school and Lapage primary school.
From T&A photos on both stories they look to have similar students which one would expect in BD3 area to be a majority. ( Please note not a racist comment just facts, so no nasty comments please from others.)
So a lot of schools around where I used to play as a child on Myra Shay, particularly if my Hanson Junior and Grammar schools buildings still in use.

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capacioustraverse says...
11:26pm Sat 2 Mar 13

Joedavid wrote:
Accepted :-)
I have looked at Google and get the impression there are two (at least) schools at same location, Bradford Moor Community primary school and Lapage primary school.
From T&A photos on both stories they look to have similar students which one would expect in BD3 area to be a majority. ( Please note not a racist comment just facts, so no nasty comments please from others.)
So a lot of schools around where I used to play as a child on Myra Shay, particularly if my Hanson Junior and Grammar schools buildings still in use.
In fact there are three schools on the site- Lapage, Bradford Moor and the Delius Special school. Interesting how school leadership can play such a significant role in improving results. Lapage results put it in on a par or above many 'suburban' schools with a much more favourable catchment areas. I was a student at Byron First/ Pollard Park Middle (where Tom Moreland was a great head in the late 70's/early 80's) which were the inheritors of the Hanson buildings. The junior school is now a private school and the grammar school was converted into flats at the turn of the millenium.

You must have moved a long way away then?

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Joedavid says...
7:25am Sun 3 Mar 13

capacioustraverse wrote:
Joedavid wrote:
Accepted :-)
I have looked at Google and get the impression there are two (at least) schools at same location, Bradford Moor Community primary school and Lapage primary school.
From T&A photos on both stories they look to have similar students which one would expect in BD3 area to be a majority. ( Please note not a racist comment just facts, so no nasty comments please from others.)
So a lot of schools around where I used to play as a child on Myra Shay, particularly if my Hanson Junior and Grammar schools buildings still in use.
In fact there are three schools on the site- Lapage, Bradford Moor and the Delius Special school. Interesting how school leadership can play such a significant role in improving results. Lapage results put it in on a par or above many 'suburban' schools with a much more favourable catchment areas. I was a student at Byron First/ Pollard Park Middle (where Tom Moreland was a great head in the late 70's/early 80's) which were the inheritors of the Hanson buildings. The junior school is now a private school and the grammar school was converted into flats at the turn of the millenium.

You must have moved a long way away then?
"You must have moved a long way away then?"
Actually not far just have no need to visit Barkerend Road these days. I was at the Hanson schools late 40's/early 50's.

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