Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 18–19 October 2011 Inspection number 380268 Unique Reference Number 121559 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 380268 Inspection dates 18–19 October 2011 Reporting inspector Carmen Markham

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 187 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joanne Lloyd Headteacher Judith Holliday Date of previous school inspection 31 January 2007 School address Pasture Road Embsay Skipton BD23 6RH Telephone number 01756 793426 Fax number 01756 793426 Email address headteacher@embsay.n-yorks.sch.uk Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 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 rates 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.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 3 of 14

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 10 lessons and observed seven teachers. They spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at learning in lessons and in pupils’ books. The inspectors held meetings with members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils and spoke formally to a group of parents. They observed the school's work and looked at the school improvement plan, school policies, safeguarding documents and details of the progress made by pupils. The responses to 144 questionnaires from parents and carers, and those from pupils and staff, were scrutinised.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Whether the progress of pupils reflects their high attainment and if it does why the school judged teaching as good.  How teachers are held to account for the performance of the pupils in their class.  How effective the Early Years Foundation Stage is in enabling children to make at least good progress.

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average primary school. It serves a village and its surrounding rural area. The proportion of pupils who leave and join the school part of the way through the school year is above average. Very few pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language. The school has a specialist provision for pupils with communication and interaction needs but the proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. It has been awarded Healthy School status, Financial Management Standards in Schools, Global School status and Artsmark Gold. The school runs before- and after-school clubs. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 4 of 14

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Information about the school

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

Embsay Primary is an outstanding school. It has successfully built on its strengths identified in its last inspection and made excellent progress in securing consistently high attainment and outstanding progress for all pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 in both English and mathematics. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is at the heart of the school’s work and is outstanding. Pupils and staff see themselves as a family and work very closely with the local community. This ensures that pupils take on many responsibilities and their behaviour is outstanding. All aspects of the personal development of pupils are exemplary, including their high attendance, excellent regard for health and safety, and preparation for their future economic well-being.

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Main findings

Teaching, the curriculum, care, guidance and support and safeguarding are all outstanding and account for pupils’ superb outcomes. Very skilled teachers and teaching assistants continually use their assessment of pupils’ performance to inform lesson planning to ensure that they consistently take account of the needs of all pupils. This ensures that boys and girls perform equally well and that the achievement of all pupils, including more-able pupils, those who join the school after the Reception Year, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in the specialist provision, is outstanding. The school is very successful in promoting equality of opportunity. The extremely strong curriculum provides pupils with the motivation to learn and supports outstanding community cohesion and cultural development. Pupils’ learning benefits from outstanding partnerships with the church, other schools, support agencies, parents and carers. The Early Years

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Main findings

Foundation Stage is good overall, and children make good progress in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. However, children have too few opportunities to learn by following their interests and the outdoor play area is under- developed.

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Main findings

The inspirational headteacher has shared her outstanding enthusiasm, ambition and drive for success with the leadership team, staff and the governing body. All are constantly challenged to improve and they are exceptionally well supported in developing the skills they need to succeed. Their monitoring and evaluation of school performance are exemplary and school development planning demonstrates that, even where outstanding judgements are made, there is no complacency. Governance and the school’s capacity for sustained improvement are therefore outstanding. The school provides excellent value for money. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 5 of 14

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by: - creating an environment where children can learn through choosing and developing their activities - creating a challenging and varied outdoor learning environment. 

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. They are very excited by their learning and thrive on the brisk pace and challenge in lessons and the many additional activities provided by the curriculum. Pupils are prepared to give their own time to discussing problems they are given in lessons and they value homework. Their homework planners are used very effectively. Pupils are confident learners who take responsibility for their own learning. They know how well they are achieving and what their targets are. They also know what they need to do to achieve their targets. They understand how their work is marked and can make an accurate assessment of their own performance. While pupils say that they ‘feel sad’ when their work is not as good as they feel it should be, they know that they can get help to improve it and that this is part of the learning process.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Most children start school in the Reception class in line with age-related expectations. They make exceptionally rapid progress in Years 1 to 6 so that by the end of Year 6 their attainment is high in English and mathematics, with an exceptionally high proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 5. By the end of Year 6, there is little difference between the performance of girls and boys. Very-able pupils exceed their challenging targets. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those in the specialist provision also make exceptional progress. This is evidenced by the fact that, in 2011, all pupils attained at least Level 4 by the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics. Lesson observations also confirm the current outstanding progress of this group of pupils.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils are mature, articulate and proud of the family atmosphere in school. They are fully involved in contributing to their school community through a number of committees, including Health and Safety. The very proactive school council and the excellent playtime pals and play-leader systems ensure that pupils are happy and well occupied during break time and that their views are taken into account. Pupils also make a strong contribution to the local community as many activities are shared, including the eco and horticulture projects and the school’s links with a Kenyan school. Pupils feel exceptionally safe and behave responsibly at all times. Their high attendance, ability to work collaboratively, excellent experience of eco and Fairtrade projects and outstanding attainment in basic skills ensure that they are extremely well prepared for their future economic well-being. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 6 of 14

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 1 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 1 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 1 Pupils' behaviour 1 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 1 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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How effective is the provision?

Teachers make excellent use of assessment to support learning. This helps them to plan lessons to meet fully the needs of different groups of pupils. Lesson structure ensures that time is used very effectively by all pupils and that teaching assistants are very well prepared for their role in every lesson. During lessons teachers constantly use high-quality questioning skills to extend pupils’ learning and to assess the effectiveness of the lesson and whether it needs to be adjusted. The pace of the lesson is brisk and pupils are challenged at all times. Pupils are fully involved in their own learning and have no opportunities to be passive. Very good use of information and communication technology (ICT) provides pupils with good quality visual learning and there is the expectation that they will use dictionaries and classroom displays to support learning. These displays are of high quality and always reflect

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How effective is the provision?

current teaching. Marking is very thorough and pupils know to use this as a tool to improve their work.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is exciting and relevant to pupils’ interests. It ensures strong continuity and progression as pupils move through school. The basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT have a high priority in the curriculum and are further developed in cross-curricular topics like eco systems. Frequently, skills and knowledge from one subject are used and applied in a completely different area. Therefore, pupils are regularly learning to use and transfer new skills. This makes a significant contribution to outstanding performance in English and mathematics. This approach is well supported by themed weeks and days, including ‘My Money’ week. Excellent partnerships enrich the curriculum, particularly music, sport, health and global education. Before- and after-school clubs are very popular and well planned to attract the full range of pupils. They are exceptionally well attended. Well-chosen support programmes ensure that all pupils are provided with the support they need

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 7 of 14

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How effective is the provision?

The school provides a very welcoming, safe environment for pupils. All pupils and their families are very well known to staff. Pupils benefit from a highly personalised approach to their education and care. This is strengthened by the specialist provision for communication and interactions where the staff are highly trained to help staff both in school and in the local area to develop specialist skills to support pupils with special educational needs/disabilities. Support is well structured, monitored and evaluated. Detailed case studies demonstrate the high-quality provision that these pupils receive and the significant impact this has on their progress. The school works closely with specialist agencies to ensure the best outcomes. Transition arrangements at all stages are very effective. The high attendance of pupils demonstrates the school’s effectiveness in managing attendance and punctuality.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 1 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The leadership team and the governing body are united in their vision for a high- achieving school in which all pupils are encouraged to play a full part. They are also unanimous that this will be achieved within a caring family atmosphere. Pupils’ outstanding outcomes are a testament to their success which has been achieved through a relentless drive to improve teaching and learning. Expectations of staff are high and they are given excellent-quality professional opportunities to observe outstanding teachers and to share good practice in school. Performance management has also been used very effectively. Teachers have developed their skills as they are required to review the progress of their pupils termly and they are held to account for pupil performance. Close monitoring and evaluation of practice throughout the school have provided a very accurate view of performance and informed the extremely well-focused school development plan.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body is very effective and plays an exceptional role in monitoring and action planning. It is also rigorous in evaluating its own performance, ensuring that statutory requirements are fully met. Its effectiveness is evidenced in the exemplary monitoring and development of safeguarding procedures in school. The school has excellent safeguarding policies, systems and procedures that are very detailed and well known to all staff. The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination is exemplary. There are no gaps between the performances of different groups of pupils; all groups are making outstanding progress. All staff and pupils learn Makaton signing to ensure all pupils feel included. The thoughtful behaviour of pupils and their excellent opportunities to meet people from other cultures mean that pupils value differences and similarities. These

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How effective are leadership and management?

opportunities are provided by excellent community cohesion that is well led and managed. The school is able to demonstrate how its work in this area has changed attitudes and removed some barriers to understanding other people. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 8 of 14

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 1 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 1 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 1 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children settle very quickly to their new routines and make good progress, so that by the end of the Reception year they are above age-related expectations in all areas. Reading, problem solving, reason and numeracy, and personal, social and emotional development are stronger than writing.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children are cared for well and relationships are good. They work collaboratively, behave very well and enjoy their learning. Children make good progress because teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and activities are well resourced. Learning is fun and often challenging. There is a good emphasis on speaking and listening skills, while work on sounds and letters supports reading. There is a similar emphasis on number recognition. Children have some good opportunities for independent learning but much of the time adults direct their learning too closely. This restricts children’s imagination and willingness to try new activities. The outdoor area is not sufficiently developed to challenge children or to extend learning that started in the classroom.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Leadership and management are effective. Children are kept very safe and all requirements are met. Observations are used to identify children’s progress and to inform planning. Observations also form part of the children’s Learning Journeys that are used systematically to make assessments and ensure that the needs of all children are met. Staff work extremely closely with parents and carers and keep them well informed about their children’s progress. Reading workshops are provided for parents and carers to help them to support their children’s learning. Transfer arrangements into Year 1 are exemplary. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 9 of 14

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The percentage of parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire was very high. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and recognise the hard work of all staff and their willingness to address concerns.

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Views of parents and carers

There were very few questionnaires with negative comments. Several mentioned the need for more male role models in school, concern about class sizes, inconsistencies in setting homework, insufficient information on their child’s progress, weak spelling and insufficient challenge for more-able pupils. The school is aware of the need for male role models and this is being addressed. Where class sizes are large additional support is provided by teaching assistants. The homework diaries seen during the inspection indicate that regular homework is set. Much of it is designed to involve parents and carers. The majority of parents and carers appreciated this approach. Parents who were interviewed feel that they are well informed about their children’s progress. The school is fully aware of the need to improve spelling and is currently addressing this. The team found that more-able pupils are currently challenged by

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Views of parents and carers

teaching and the curriculum and that they are achieving exceptionally well. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 10 of 14

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Embsay 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. The inspection team received 144 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 187 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 121 84 21 15 1 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 127 88 17 12 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 106 74 33 23 3 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 106 74 30 21 3 2 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 117 81 24 17 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 114 79 29 20 0 0 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 109 76 34 24 1 1 0 0 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) 103 72 33 23 0 0 0 0

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 110 76 27 19 4 3 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 100 69 37 26 3 2 0 0

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 98 68 40 28 1 1 0 0

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 117 81 24 17 1 1 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 121 84 21 15 1 1 0 0

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questionnaire

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: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 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. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. 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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units. Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 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: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 13 of 14

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

findings from the inspection of their school.

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School, Skipton, BD23 6RH

I would like to thank you for making the inspectors so welcome when we came to inspect your school. A special ‘thank you’ goes to the pupils who gave up some of their time to talk to us about their activities. We were very impressed by how much work you do on committees like the Health and Safety Committee and the school council to improve your school.

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School, Skipton, BD23 6RH

You attend an outstanding school. By the end of Year 6 standards are high in English and mathematics and progress is outstanding. Your behaviour is exemplary and your attendance at school is high. You all feel safe in school and you understand how to stay safe. It was good to see how very considerate you all are of other people and that you try to be helpful and kind to one another. You are interested in the world around you and are learning a lot about eco systems and Fairtrade. Teaching, the curriculum, and the care, guidance and support you receive are all outstanding. Your school is a happy place where you want to learn and we agree with you when you all said in your inspection questionnaire that, ‘The headteacher and senior staff in our school do a good job.’

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School, Skipton, BD23 6RH

We have asked your headteacher to do one thing to improve your school further. Children in the Reception class make a good start in school but to make things even better the staff should:  develop the outdoor area in the Reception class to provide children with a more exciting learning environment and give them more opportunity to choose their activities.

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School, Skipton, BD23 6RH

You can help to improve your school by making sure that you keep working towards your targets.

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School, Skipton, BD23 6RH

Carmen Markham Lead inspector Inspection report: Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 18–19 October 2011 14 of 14

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School, Skipton, BD23 6RH

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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