Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 121540 Local Authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 359031 Inspection dates 3–4 November 2010 Reporting inspector Lesley Clark

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 37 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Femi Shellard Headteacher Mrs Joanne Smithson Date of previous school inspection 30 April 2008 School address Weaverthorpe Malton North Yorkshire YO17 8ES Telephone number 01944 738280 Fax number - Email address headteacher@weaverthorpe.n-yorks.sch.uk

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Age group 3–11 Inspection dates 3–4 November 2010 Inspection number 359031 Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 2 of 14

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 1234 234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 3 of 14

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one additional inspector. Four lessons and three teachers were observed. Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff. The inspector met a third of parents and carers informally. The inspector observed the school's work and looked at a range of documentation, including the school improvement plan, assessments of pupils' progress, monitoring reports regarding teaching and learning and documentation relating to safeguarding. Questionnaires from staff and pupils and also 12 questionnaires returned by parents and carers were analysed. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  How well pupils achieve, especially in mathematics.  Whether the progress made by pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is markedly better than that of their classmates.

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Introduction

 The extent to which children in the Early Years Foundation Stage lead their own learning.  The involvement of the governing body in strategic planning, including promoting community cohesion.

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Information about the school

This school is much smaller than average. A few pupils come from outside the immediate area. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. A below average proportion is known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average; currently none has a statement of special educational needs. The Nursery takes in three-year-olds at the start of each term from a wide catchment area. Reception children are taught with nursery children in an Early Years Foundation Stage class in the mornings and with Key Stage 1 pupils in the afternoon, where they share the Early Years Foundation Stage facilities. The number of classes was reduced from four classes to three in the mornings and two in the afternoons at the start of this term. The school has a local authority funded partnership with two local primary schools. The headteacher was acting headteacher in a neighbouring school for half of each week from

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Information about the school

September to November 2010. The school holds the Activemark. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 4 of 14

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is a good school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well. They make good progress from broadly average starting points. Pupils' attainment in English, mathematics and science is above average by the end of Year 6. This is because pupils are well taught, behave well and work hard in lessons. Pupils have an outstanding awareness of how to keep themselves and others safe. They are well cared for and the school gives them good support and guidance. As a result, pupils develop into confident, articulate young people with good literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills which prepare them well for their future lives. The curriculum is more exciting and engaging in Key Stage 1 than in Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1, pupils have many opportunities to work independently and pursue individual challenges. The curriculum in Key Stage 2 lacks variety and rarely links subjects together

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Main findings

creatively to extend the opportunities pupils have to learn through discovery and research and make their own decisions. Since the school's last inspection there have been significant improvements in achievement, outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage, assessment and all aspects of safeguarding. These illustrate well the leadership team's ambition and drive as well as the school's good capacity to improve. The school's self-evaluation, although cautious in many respects, accurately gauges its strengths and weaknesses. Leaders and managers know exactly what to do to ensure the school continues to improve at this rapid rate. The new governing body has a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. It is not as proactive as it should be in contributing to development planning and to promoting community cohesion beyond the school and the immediate locality.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enliven the curriculum and give pupils greater variety in their learning in Key Stage 2 by: adopting a similar approach to Key Stage 1 by linking subjects together creatively giving pupils opportunities to set and pursue their own challenges increasing the opportunities pupils have to learn through discovery and research increasing the opportunities pupils have to use and apply their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in a wide range of contexts Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 5 of 14

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

giving pupils a stronger voice in decisions relating to their learning, so they can contribute more to the life of the school.  Strengthen the governing body's involvement in supporting the work of the school by: increasing the part it plays in curriculum development and planning for the future sharpening its understanding of its roles and responsibilities with regard to promoting community cohesion beyond the school and the local community.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils achieve well and largely enjoy their learning. Lessons are often interesting, especially in mathematics. This is because the work exactly matches pupils' needs, challenges them to think and to challenge themselves. As a result, pupils make rapid progress and more-able pupils forge ahead. Almost all pupils reach nationally expected levels in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 and a large proportion exceeds these each year. Attainment is above average in English. Pupils learn to read well and to write competently. They use a good range of punctuation and learn to paragraph their work from an early age; as a result, their writing is well-organised. However, almost all pupils write in pencil and so the presentation of their work can be untidy as they rely on rubbing out mistakes. Pupils say that 'a jotter would help us to sort out our ideas.' Attainment is above average for all groups of pupils in science where pupils relish the

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

investigative and practical approaches to learning. However, older pupils have few opportunities to use and apply their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in a wide range of contexts because these opportunities are not so well planned for within the afternoon sessions. Pupils say, 'We never stop learning in the mornings but we would like more variety in the afternoons.' Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because they are given individual support in lessons and their activities are usually very specific to their needs. Pupils work and play happily together. They feel extremely safe. They say, 'we know everybody in the school.' A large majority of parents and carers, who responded to the questionnaire, agree with this view. Older pupils are sensitive to the needs of younger ones. The school council manages a budget and represents pupils' views well but it does

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

not meet regularly or run its own meetings. Pupils enjoy working with the pupils in the partnership schools. They have a strong sense of community, growing and eating their own vegetables, as well as taking part in local agricultural and art events. Pupils are physically active, have good health awareness and are keen to participate in a wider variety of sports than those currently available. Almost all pupils have good attendance. The school has successfully reduced the level of persistent absenteeism by a very small minority of pupils. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 6 of 14

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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2

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is good across the school and reflects the extent to which teachers plan together in literacy, numeracy and science to ensure that pupils have similar learning experiences in these subjects. A major strength is the way teachers match activities very closely to pupils' individual needs, especially in mathematics where teachers assess pupils' learning during lessons and use the information to plan the tasks for the next day. Groupings in lessons are flexible and sometimes teachers have as many as five different groups working on varying activities. Pupils are confident that the teachers will help them if they get stuck with their work. Teachers give pupils frequent occasions to check their learning and to ask questions. An extremely effective feature is the way in which teachers in Key Stage 1 use annotated photographs to record pupils' progress in literacy and numeracy. This means that pupils know exactly what to do to improve their work from Year 1 upwards.

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How effective is the provision?

Key Stage 1 pupils follow an interesting curriculum which incorporates their individual interests and develops their thirst for knowledge. In the afternoons, they access indoor and outdoor activities freely as well as doing specific age-and ability-related tasks, while teachers and teaching assistants assess their learning. In Key Stage 2, pupils make few decisions about what they learn and how they learn it. They have limited occasions to set and pursue their own challenges or to learn through discovery and research using their ICT skills extensively. This is because subjects are not linked creatively together and pupils spend too much time on a limited range of topics. The curriculum is satisfactorily enriched Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 7 of 14

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

with French, educational visits and extra-curricular activities for all pupils, but offers limited scope for a wide range of sports. The school cares well for individuals. All children are known well and respected. Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for vulnerable pupils. As a result, these pupils flourish. Pupils make confident and well- informed choices about their future because the school guides them well. The school works successfully with families to promote regular attendance.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 2

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

To ensure that pupils are safe, happy and make good progress is the driving force behind leaders' and managers' ambition to make the school more effective. The leadership team's actions have secured considerable improvement since the last inspection. It deploys staffing flexibly and effectively. The staff team works well together to ensure pupils make good progress. The English, mathematics and science leaders take full responsibility for checking the quality of pupils' learning and progress in their subjects. Leaders and managers have high expectations and target setting is challenging. As a result, most pupils reach nationally expected standards, including those who have barriers to learning. The school promotes equal opportunities well and its strategies to close any gaps in performance are effective. There are no racist incidents and pupils respect one another. Parents and carers welcome the opportunity to come into school with their children at the

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How effective are leadership and management?

start of the day and to talk with teachers. The school is continuing to extend how it communicates with parents and carers. A good range of partnership activities contributes to the school providing good value for money. The governing body, which has several new members, has the interests of the school at heart and has committees in place to oversee many aspects of the school's work. It has yet to establish, however, a curriculum committee. Members' involvement in strategic planning, especially for the future, is at an early stage of development. They recognise that promoting community cohesion beyond the locality is an area for further development, especially in strengthening existing links with a church school in Uganda and establishing national links so as to broaden pupils' educational experiences. The governing body meets its statutory duties with regard to safeguarding well. The school adopts

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How effective are leadership and management?

recommended good practice across all areas of its safeguarding procedures. Child protection procedures are of good quality. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 8 of 14

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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2

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make good progress because they are well taught. Staff take great care to ensure that children's individual needs are met and that activities and tasks reflect their interests. Reception children help to plan their activities. For example, they all agreed that they should build a house that could be used to enact three traditional tales, all involving wolves. Accordingly, children set about tracking wolves through the leaves, spotting footsteps in the sand and finally sifted through red sparkly water to check if they were there. Children explained that they also build car washes when they need them and 'do two washes all at once!' Staff keep careful records of children's progress and collate their observations into 'learning journeys.' They are currently trialling a new system of recording these in order to check children's progress in each area of leaning more easily. Staff have started to involve parents and carers more closely in their children's learning by

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Early Years Foundation Stage

sending home photographs of children's learning in school and asking them to write down what their children say they are doing. Children freely access a full range of activities both indoors and outside throughout the day. In the afternoons, when they work with Key Stage 1 pupils, they insist on using clipboards in their imaginative play so they can be like the older ones. Children quickly learn to be self-reliant because staff expect them to be independent. By the end of the Reception Year almost all children are at the level expected for their age and several are beginning to read, write and count well for their age. The provision is led and managed well and ensures that children have continuous provision and support that is effective. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 9 of 14

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Almost all parents and carers have very positive views of the school and agree that their children are taught well and are safe. They think the school is led and managed well. A very small minority express concerns about the headteacher's part-time acting headship in another school and about the way that accidents are reported to them. The inspector checked the school's safeguarding procedures very thoroughly and found that the school adopts recommended good practices and scrupulously records all accidents or incidents, and informs parents and carers in writing or verbally as required. The school runs well on a day-to-day basis and has improved since the last inspection, which indicates that the headteachers' interim acting post has not hampered pupils' progress. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 10 of 14

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspector received 12 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 37 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 6 50 5 42 1 8 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 6 50 5 42 1 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 3 25 9 75 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 2 17 10 83 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 6 50 6 50 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 5 42 7 58 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 6 50 6 50 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 2 17 7 58 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 3 25 9 75 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 0 0 11 92 1 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 1 8 10 83 1 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 1 8 9 75 1 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 5 42 7 58 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 11 of 14

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring terms 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 12 of 14

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started. Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 13 of 14

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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School, Malton, YO17 8ES

Thank you for your warm and friendly welcome. A special thank you goes to the group of school councillors and the group of pupils from Years 5 and 6 who showed me their work in English, mathematics and science. You go to a good school. You make good progress and your attainment is above average. You have an excellent understanding of how to keep safe. You behave well and enjoy the after-school clubs. The adults in your school take good care of you and help you to grow into confident young people. I agree with those of you in Key Stage 2 who said you would like more variety in the afternoons and that topics tend to last for a long time. I think you have some good ideas and your school should take notice of them. I have asked your teachers, therefore, to make your curriculum more exciting and to give you more times to use your ICT, literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. I have also asked them to give you times to find out

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School, Malton, YO17 8ES

information for yourselves, set your own challenges and have a say in what you want to learn and how you want to learn it. This will help you to contribute more to the life of the school. Your school is well organised and your teachers and headteacher keep a careful check on your learning and progress. I have asked the governors to help them with some of the planning and to find ways of giving you more experience of working with pupils from other places in this country and abroad. I hope you enjoy these changes. You can help by continuing to work hard, asking lots of questions and taking the lead, such as running your school council meetings on your own.

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School, Malton, YO17 8ES

Mrs Lesley Clark Lead inspector Inspection report: Weaverthorpe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3–4 November 2010 14 of 14

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www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please

telephone 0300 1234 234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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