Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 24–25 November 2011 Inspection number 380008 Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 120400 Local Authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 380008 Inspection dates 24–25 November 2011 Reporting inspector Roderick Passant

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 191 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Knight Headteacher Julie Leach Date of previous school inspection 15 January 2009 School address Swallow Avenue Skellingthorpe Lincoln LN6 5XJ Telephone number 01522 683236 Fax number 01522 696342 Email address julie.leach@holt.lincs.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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 information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school ins pection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They saw eight teachers teaching 15 lessons and carried out a scrutiny of pupils’ writing. In addition, they made a number of shorter visits to classrooms and to watch one-to-one and small support groups in operation. They held meetings with: the headteacher and deputy headteacher and other members of staff with responsibility; the Chair, Vice- Chair and two other representatives of the Governing Body; and met with older members of the school council and a group of Year 6 pupils. They observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documentation relating to the safeguarding of pupils and the school development plan. They scrutinised the questionnaire responses from 64 parents and carers, 90 pupils and seven staff.

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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

 How effectively is the school’s tracking system used to identify early intervention, bring about improvements in teaching and learning and identify points for improvement?  Have improvements in the Early Years Foundation Stage since the last inspection been effective in raising outcomes?  How effective is the support for low attaining boys and girls and how well are pupils’ literacy skills developed across subjects?

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Information about the school

Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School is below average in size compared to other primary schools.There are a few pupils from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds but almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average; the proportion requiring additional help with their learning or with statements detailing their learning needs is well below average. There have been significant changes of staff since the school was last inspected.

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Information about the school

A breakfast club, managed privately, operates on the school premises. This was not inspected because it is subject to separate inspection procedures. The school has gained Healthy Schools status, Primary Science Quality Mark (Gold) and the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark. 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. The school’s good leadership has focused very effectively on developing pupils’ learning and the quality of teaching during a recent period of staffing turbulence. This has assured good quality of teaching and learning so that pupils are now making good progress and achieving well academically. Attainment, reflected in the 2011 Year 6 tests, is broadly average. Pupils’ personal development is good and aspects of the school’s provision have improved.

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Main findings

The school’s leadership has a very accurate view of the school’s relative strengths because it draws on a wide range of evidence, including internal assessment data, to evaluate how effective it is and what it needs to do to improve further. The school development plan is detailed, but it lacks sharply defined criteria to judge the success of initiatives. This limits the active involvement of the governing body in setting priorities and monitoring its progress. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work very effectively together because their skills are complementary. Of necessity, given the changing staff, they have taken the lead in moving the school forward. Nevertheless, there is evidence of good and developing leadership across the school. The capacity for sustained improvement is good.

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Main findings

Outstanding care guidance and support underpins pupils’ good learning and progress. Pupils are known and valued as individuals. The school is friendly and pupils get on well with each other. As a result, they feel particularly safe. Behaviour is good and makes a significant contribution to the good learning in lessons. Pupils are confident and have high levels of self-esteem. They are curious, enjoy learning a great deal and are given good opportunities to work individually and in groups. They learn to take responsibility for their actions and they reflect on themes such as ‘friendship’. Their awareness of the diverse nature of society is satisfactory but is the weaker element of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Main findings

Teaching and learning are good; on occasion they are outstanding. The school has the professional expertise to further develop and embed approaches to learning and teachers’ skills. Teachers make good use of assessment so that they are aware of pupils’ needs and what to do in order to move them on in their learning. The school monitors the progress of all pupils and uses this information to identify pupils who need additional help. However, this information is not collected regularly enough to provide senior leaders with an up-to-date picture of how pupils are performing across 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further enhance pupils’ good progress by:  sharing and embedding the outstanding practice seen across the school  collecting pupils’ assessment data more frequently so that senior leaders have up-to-data information to judge the effectiveness of teaching and sustain the whole-school focus on moving pupils’ learning on.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the school’s leadership and management by:  building on the existing strengths of middle leaders  sharpening action planning by defining more precisely and quantifying where appropriate the criteria to judge the success of initiatives  ensuring that the governing body is involved further in school development planning and monitoring developments.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further enhance pupils’ awareness of the diverse nature of society through links with other schools nationally and abroad.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Year 6 attainment in 2011 was a little above average, recovering from a dip in 2010 caused by the staffing turnover and hence variable quality of teaching. These pupils made broadly satisfactory progress during Key Stage 2. Across the school the large majority of pupils are now working at least at the appropriate levels for their age in English and mathematics and above in science. Pupils are currently making good progress, as evidenced by their work in lessons and in their books, and they are achieving well. Attainment at the end of Year 2 shows historical, incremental year- on-year gains and in 2011, Year 2 attainment in writing and mathematics was a little above average and broadly average in reading.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils develop good speaking and listening skills. They are confident to give extended answers in class. More advanced reading skills with older pupils are fostered well; pupils are aware, for example, of individual author’s stylistic approaches and they use this knowledge to emulate these in their own writing. Writing skills are developed well through close attention to vocabulary and developing the skills to write complex sentences using correct punctuation. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because staff ensure that they tackle small steps in learning. Pupils capable of higher attainment are challenged well. In lessons, there is no discernable difference in boys’ and girls’ attitudes or performance.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

In lessons pupils are engaged and often enthusiastic. Where learning is outstanding, this level of engagement is particularly high, as pupils respond to the high level of challenge. Pupils concentrate well and work well together. Because behaviour is 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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

good, teachers and other adults are able to focus on supporting individuals and groups. Pupils settle quickly to their tasks and want to do well. Their independence as learners is fostered particularly well across the school. They enjoy learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils take their various roles as playground buddies or school council members seriously. A parent commented that pupils are taught to look out for each other. Pupils show compassion, reflected in their charity fundraising, and they participate in various community outreach activities. Pupils have a good understanding of what goes to make up a healthy lifestyle through their work in science and personal, social and health education, as well as aspects of keeping themselves safe. All pupils have two hours of physical education for most of the year and the there is good participation in the after-school sports clubs. Most parents and pupils judge the school helps them develop a healthy lifestyle. The school provides a good foundation for pupils’ future school careers, essentially because sound academic skills are matched by well-developed personal skills and their very positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is above average.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils’ behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 3 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 The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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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 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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How effective is the provision?

Staff are enthusiastic in approach, have good subject knowledge and use a variety, often creative approaches and interesting tasks which are matched well to the needs of the pupils. The open-ended nature of some of the tasks provides good challenge for more able pupils to utilise their skills. Teachers make good use of the interactive whiteboards and the visualisers (technology which projects an image of what a lens is focused upon) to enhance learning, for example, by sharing examples of pupils’ written work for others. Because assessment and marking is not only supportive but also diagnostic, teachers have a good understanding of where pupils are in their learning. Lessons are planned well, so that activities are varied, build effectively and at a good pace towards the objectives of the lesson. These are shared with pupils, along with the criteria to judge how effectively they have progressed in the lesson.

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How effective is the provision?

Independence is fostered well because pupils make extensive use of table-top resources or displays to aid their work. Good questioning is used to assess pupils’ grasp of an idea and to extend their thinking. There is good teamwork with teaching assistants who work well with individuals or groups. In one lesson, an additional teacher worked with a small group of lower-ability pupils to model a piece of writing created by the group. The teacher focused on their ability to visualise and capture a moment using specific rather than generalised vocabulary: ‘He barged through. What’s he doing with his arms?’ Pupils made good progress because of the enthusiastic approach and the skill of the teacher in picking up pupils’ ideas; the teacher responded to their suggestions and prompted their thinking, fostering their confidence in their own abilities.

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How effective is the provision?

What distinguished the outstanding teaching from the good was the total integration of assessment and teaching strategies. In these lessons there was: a very strong sense that teacher and pupils were learning together in close partnership; recognition of what pupils needed to do in order to improve; and, because of the teacher’s inspirational approach, pupils were exceptionally well motivated to achieve as well as they could.

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How effective is the provision?

The school tracks the progress of all pupils and leaders use this information in periodic meetings with staff to discuss pupils’ progress. One of the reasons why pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress is because their needs are identified early. This allows the school to identify support for these pupils from a range of well-structured interventions which are designed to ensure that pupils make progress in small but significant steps.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum contributes well to pupils’ good academic and personal development. There are rich and innovative approaches, such as the crime scene investigation, which foster pupils’ curiosity and provide good contexts for pupils to use their skills. Science, information technology and music are particular strengths. There is a good range of partnerships to extend the learning opportunities in, for example, sports and science and with community groups to enhance the personal social and health education programme. Work to develop pupils’ cultural awareness, such as their knowledge of other religions is satisfactory. There are a good range of enrichment activities. 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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How effective is the provision?

There are good links with specialist agencies to support individuals. Pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable pupils are quickly identified and the school works hard and tenaciously alongside their parents and carers to provide the necessary support from a range of agencies with whom they work closely. Staff are vigilant and their commitment to the pupils and their success is a key feature of the school. There are very good transition arrangements, particularly supporting new children into Reception and older pupils in their transfer to secondary school. Secondary pupils revisit the school to talk about their first-hand experiences. There are particularly effective strategies to promote attendance.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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How effective is the provision?

The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective is the provision?

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?

In their questionnaires, staff expressed their pride in belonging to the school. They feel valued, know what the school is trying to achieve and feel involved in the process. Teamwork is strong. The school development plan identifies clear and appropriate priorities, and is detailed in its approach. However, it does not always quantify what the success of the initiatives will look like to make it easier to judge the success and impact of the various initiatives.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body provides sound strategic leadership. There are strengths. Safeguarding is good because good attention is paid to the safety of the site and security issues. All aspects of child protection are monitored and recorded well. Training for all staff is up-to-date and the headteacher shows strong commitment to her designated child protection role. The governing body has a good range of personal and professional skills to support the school’s development. It monitors the school’s development through the performance management of the headteacher rather than being more directly involved in the identification of priorities and monitoring the progress of school development plan. As a result, governors’ visits lack the necessary framework for more systematic first-hand involvement.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school monitors the progress of all pupils and works hard to ensure that it removes any barriers to learning. As a result, pupils make good progress through specific interventions to narrow any gap that might exist. There is little difference between boys’ and girls’ attainment or when compared to the national averages for 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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How effective are leadership and management?

these two groups. The school is an inclusive community in which discrimination in any form is not tolerated. It is also a cohesive community where pupils get on well with each other. The school knows its local community well and promotes community cohesion in its day-to-day practices. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the diverse nature of society because of their work within the curriculum but there is not a clear strategy to extend their experience further, through, for example, links with other schools in this country or abroad.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for 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 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 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children join Reception at a stage of development typical for their age, although lower in emotional development and very early literacy skills. Children make good progress so that their attainment is just above average by the time they leave. There has been a consistent improvement in outcomes over the past three years. Children show developing independence, choosing from a variety of tasks and they work with sustained concentration on their own and with others. They behave well, and are cooperative and supportive of each other. Adults have a good understanding of how very young children learn and develop and they have warm and positive relationships with them so that children are confident to approach adults and share what they are doing. Adults are skilled at interacting with children and exploiting the language and learning opportunities within their play activities. They develop children’s awareness

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Early Years Foundation Stage

of letter sounds well and use a range of teaching approaches to develop effectively children’s early reading skills. On occasion, more able children are insufficiently challenged. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Good use is made of ongoing assessment to plan children’s future activities and next steps in learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader has a clear understanding of the setting’s strengths and weakness. Improvement is underpinned by good 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

monitoring and evaluation. There is good teamwork. There are positive relationships with parents and carers who feel that they are well informed of their child’s progress. They contribute to the children’s learning journal which strengthens the partnership approach.

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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 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The responses to the parents and carers questionnaire are more positive than generally seen. Most parents and carers are happy with their child’s experience at the school, although a few responses indicated concern that the school was not meeting their child’s needs. The inspection team looked into this and found that, as staffing has become more settled, pupils are making good progress. A significant number of parents and carers, often of very young children, felt unable to answer the question relating to the school’s preparation of their child for the future. The large majority of comments received were very positive about the quality of teaching, approachability of staff and their child’s happiness at the school.

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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 Skellingthorpe the Holt 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 64 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 191 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 44 69 19 30 1 2 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 43 67 21 33 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 30 47 33 52 1 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 33 52 28 44 3 5 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 34 53 28 44 2 3 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 26 41 34 53 2 3 1 2 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 27 42 32 50 4 6 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) 28 44 27 42 2 3 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 31 48 24 38 6 9 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 29 45 28 44 4 6 0 0 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 23 36 35 55 0 0 2 3

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 35 55 25 39 2 3 1 2 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 39 61 23 36 2 3 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s 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%.

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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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5

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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 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). 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. 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.

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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.  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.

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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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Inspection of Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School, Lincoln, LN6 5XJ

Thank you for making us so welcome in your school. I would like to particularly thank those pupils who completed the questionnaire and also those who gave up part of their lunchtime to talk to us. What you had to say was very helpful in assisting us gain a picture of your school.

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Inspection of Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School, Lincoln, LN6 5XJ

This is a good school and you are right to be proud of it. You are making good progress and achieving well. You behave well and get on with each other. You clearly enjoy your work and it is evident from your lessons that you do lots of interesting things. You make good progress because you have skilled teachers who keep a close eye on the progress you are making. I asked the headteacher to ensure that teachers share their skills so that you make even better progress. I also asked the school to collect the assessment information more regularly so that everyone has up- to-date information on how well you are doing.

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Inspection of Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School, Lincoln, LN6 5XJ

I agree with you that the headteacher and staff are doing a good job in running the school. The school identifies what it needs to do to improve in a school plan. I asked the headteacher to ensure that: the governing body, which is responsible for the school and how well it is doing, are more involved in developing and monitoring the school plan; that the targets in the plan are very clear and to help develop the skills of staff that are responsible for subjects or an area. Finally, I have asked that the school should help you gain an even better understanding of how children in other parts of this country and abroad live their lives.

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Inspection of Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School, Lincoln, LN6 5XJ

You have all helped make this a good school. With your continued help, for example by contributing to and taking every advantage of what the school provides, it will continue to get even better.

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Inspection of Skellingthorpe the Holt Primary School, Lincoln, LN6 5XJ

Roderick Passant Lead inspector 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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