Market Weighton Infant School

Market Weighton Infant School Inspection report

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Age group 3–7 Inspection date(s) 24–25 November 2011 Inspection number 379496 Unique Reference Number 117912 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 379496 Inspection dates 24–25 November 2011 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 Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 242 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Park Headteacher Sarah Kay-Wood Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2007 School address Princess Road Market Weighton East Riding of Yorkshire YO43 3EY Telephone number 01430 873159 Fax number 01430 873159 Email address mwis@eastriding.gov.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 a nd training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspection team observed 12 lessons taught by nine teachers. The inspectors spoke informally with parents and carers at the start of the school day and held meetings with groups of pupils, staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at a range of documentation including: children's learning journeys (individual assessments of children’s learning progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage); the school development plan; the school’s monitoring of teaching and learning; attendance data and documentation relating to safeguarding. The team analysed questionnaires returned from staff and pupils, and 138 questionnaires from parents and carers.

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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

 The progress of the most-able pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The impact of the new curriculum, especially on boys’ learning and progress.  The impact of the school’s care, support and guidance on pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The impact of leadership and management, especially in terms of leading teaching and accelerating pupils’ progress.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than most infant schools. It serves a market town, outlying villages and rurally isolated farms and dwellings. It offers part-time, flexible nursery provision. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. A below-average proportion is known to be eligible for free school meals. Although the proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average, a significant number are vulnerable because of their circumstances or their speech, language or behavioural difficulties. There have been several staffing changes in the last two years. The headteacher was appointed in September 2010.

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Information about the school

The school has a number of awards including: Artsmark 2, Eco Schools award 2, Sports Activemark and the Basic Skills Quality mark. It has enhanced Healthy Schools status.

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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 an outstanding school. The school’s aim, for pupils to make their ‘First Steps to Tomorrow’s World’, is strongly evidenced in pupils’ high attainment and excellent progress. All groups of pupils achieve outstandingly well. The promotion of equal opportunities is excellent. Pupils are extremely well taught and the exciting and very active curriculum is particularly effective at accelerating boys’ progress. The school gives pupils excellent care, guidance and support. As a result, pupils feel extremely safe, have excellent health awareness and make an outstanding contribution to the school and to the local community. Parents and carers agree that their children are very happy and say they ‘approach every experience with enthusiasm and excitement.’ Partnerships with other providers, organisations and services make an outstanding contribution to pupils’ educational experience.

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Main findings

Children enter the nursery with skills that are below those expected of their age. They make good progress throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage. Good provision for nursery children and thought-provoking indoor activities for reception children excite their curiosity to learn through finding out for themselves. The outdoor learning opportunities for reception children are not always as purposeful.

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Main findings

The school has gone from strength to strength since its last inspection to achieve consistently high outcomes for its pupils over a five-year period. Self-evaluation is rigorous and accurate because monitoring is highly effective. Improvements to the curriculum in Year 1 have led to accelerated progress in Year 2. Similarly, improvements to the outdoor learning environments in the nursery and in Year 1 have had a corresponding impact on pupils’ learning. The school has identified the need to develop fully the reception outdoor provision. Outstanding leadership and management have generated an enthusiastic and highly effective staff team. The school is a vibrant learning community as a result. It demonstrates its outstanding capacity for sustained improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Extend the opportunities for reception children to learn purposefully outdoors by:  providing activities that spark children’s curiosity to explore and find out for themselves  making sure that all areas of learning are fully represented.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Achievement is outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning. At the start of the day, pupils are busy everywhere, changing their reading books or carrying out responsible jobs such as collecting and distributing the daily fruit. Lessons are typically active and fun, involving pupils in working together, organising themselves and making decisions. A competitive element ensures that pupils learn at a fast pace. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, more-able pupils worked at high speed, in groups of seven, to solve ‘real life’ problems involving money. They took turns to find the right coins, record the information and check they had used the least number of coins possible, vying with each other to gain bonus points. Pupils read and write exceptionally well for their age. They have many opportunities to talk and discuss and so they become confident, articulate speakers. Pupils with special

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress because they have similar challenges to other pupils and the support to ensure they meet their goals. Attainment is high for all groups of learners as a result.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

Pupils behave sensibly for their age, although a few need adult support to maintain self-control. They are entirely confident that issues are dealt with promptly. They know who to go to for help should they need it. They know that ‘bananas make you big and strong’ and that ‘milk comes from cows and makes you healthy.’ Pupils make an excellent contribution to the school council and school newspaper. They know the school prayers off by heart and have good social skills. They know that ‘helping hands are good’ and that ‘our school is gentle.’ Pupils behave considerately to each other. Their attendance is improving.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 1

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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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

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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 is low

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is at least good. It is consistently outstanding in Year 2 where highly effective features include: challenging practical tasks that are well matched to the needs of 12 different ability groups across the year group and excellent use of up-to- date technology to add an imaginative spin to lessons. Good features include: many opportunities for pupils to talk to and work with others and to lead their own learning. These features aid the progress of pupils in Year 1 who follow a similarly active and practical curriculum to children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Across the school, pupils have a say in what they learn. Educational visits and visitors to school and creative links between subjects further enrich their learning. For example, teachers linked a visit from fire fighters to number work and the Great Fire of London. Art and music provision is exceptional. As a result of this combination of

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How effective is the provision?

teaching methods and curricular innovation, pupils make exceptionally good progress and have advanced knowledge and skills in different subjects.

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How effective is the provision?

Teachers use assessment extremely well to help pupils to make the next steps in their learning. Older pupils know their writing targets and refer to them to help them to improve their work. Pupils develop high levels of self-esteem and confidence because they are exceptionally well cared for. Those who are vulnerable because of their circumstances or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are given expert support and guidance. The school has taken a firm stand on holidays taken during term time with the result that current attendance rates are above average. Excellent links between different educational providers ensure that transition from pre-school or to the junior school is smooth.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Exceptional ambition and drive from the leadership team have led to consistently high and improving outcomes, especially for boys, who now outperform boys nationally. The school promotes equal opportunities outstandingly well and there is no evidence of discrimination. Staff morale is high as they see the impact of their innovative work. The leadership and management of teaching and learning are extremely effective because senior leaders use the areas identified for improvement as the starting point for when they next visit the classroom to monitor improvement. Changes in practice are shared and embraced by the staff team. The impact is seen in pupils’ accelerated progress and pertinent priorities for school development.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body knows the school well and challenges and supports it effectively. They are rigorous in ensuring that staff and pupils are safe. Child-protection is of high quality. The governing body has started reviewing and revising safeguarding policies and procedures on a more regular basis. These fully meet current government requirements. The school regularly asks parents and carers for their views and keeps them well-informed about their children’s achievements. Trial links between home and school such as the home/school ‘learning diaries’, kept by a small group of Year 2 girls to help them to improve their mathematics, are proving fruitful. The school makes good provision for community cohesion, especially locally where the school is very well known and held in high regard.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management

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driving improvement

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

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make good progress from the time they join school. They reach broadly expected levels by the end of the Reception Year. They are well taught and thoroughly enjoy their learning. They listen well to staff and make rapid gains in their speech and language development because staff are skilled at asking questions and developing conversation. From the moment children enter the nursery, they are busy because there is so much to do. Nursery children thrive in the well-planned outdoor learning environment which they access freely, often choosing to ‘write’ outdoors because it is so interesting. Activities in the three Reception classrooms are similarly engaging and enable children to make good progress because tasks are challenging and purposeful. The creative area is especially stimulating and fosters children’s spirit of adventure and independence. Staff make good use of the outdoor area but have

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Early Years Foundation Stage

yet to ensure that all areas of learning are fully represented outside. Sometimes, opportunities are missed to utilise outdoors to the full. For example, the children were extremely keen to go bird watching but because all the materials for making binoculars, bird feeders and bird watching hats were inside, many forgot to take them outside and develop their play further in the ‘bird hide’ that staff had created for them. The provision is well led and managed. Children are very well cared for and they thrive.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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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 in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The large majority of parents and carers responded to the questionnaire. Almost all expressed positive views about the school. Most agreed that it is, ‘A welcoming school that keeps our children safe.’ They observed that, ‘Children gain confidence from their roles on the school council and as part of the team that put together the school newspaper’. Many said that, ‘the school is beyond all we could have hoped for.’ The inspection team saw many examples of these positive views. A few parents and carers felt that the school did not give them enough suggestions about how to help their children’s learning at home and were concerned about behaviour. The school holds regular curriculum evenings and is currently exploring ways of involving parents and carers more fully in this way. The inspection team judges behaviour in lessons and around the school to be good. The team looked closely at the school’s detailed records of incidents and accidents and observed children at lunchtimes and

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Views of parents and carers

during morning break. Instances of unacceptable behaviour are rare. Staff meticulously record every minor injury and incident. They are skilled at helping pupils who have behavioural difficulties to be engaged with their learning.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Market Weighton Infant 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 138 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 242 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 96 70 39 28 2 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 97 70 40 29 1 1 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 58 42 72 52 7 5 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 56 41 72 52 6 4 3 2 The teaching is good at this school 64 46 70 51 3 2 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 72 52 63 46 2 1 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 75 54 60 43 2 1 1 1 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) 61 44 62 45 2 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 62 45 67 49 7 5 1 1 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 53 38 65 47 8 6 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 59 43 64 46 7 5 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 75 54 60 43 3 2 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 83 60 52 38 1 1 1 1

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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%.

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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.

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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.

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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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Inspection of Market Weighton Infant School, YO43 3EY

Thank you for your warm and friendly welcome. A special ‘thank you’ goes to the children who showed us round the school and to the groups of children who read to us, showed us their work and told us all about your school. Your school is outstanding. That means it gives you the best start to your education. It helps you to read, write and do mathematics to a very high standard. You make excellent progress. You have lots of interesting things to do in your lessons. We were impressed at how busy you all are when you come into school, changing your books and doing lots of things that are helpful. Everybody in your school does a really good job. Your headteacher and teachers are extremely good. Your parents and carers think so too. This is why it is such a happy place and why you learn so well.

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Inspection of Market Weighton Infant School, YO43 3EY

We were delighted to see that so many of you do so much learning outdoors as well as inside the classrooms. This is why you are fit and healthy and make rapid progress. You are certainly full of energy! We noticed that reception children have quite a small outdoor area and that sometimes the activities outside are not as exciting as those inside. So we have asked your school to make sure that Reception class children have exciting activities outside as well.

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Inspection of Market Weighton Infant School, YO43 3EY

We are glad that your attendance is improving. You can help by reminding your families that you need to come to school every day because you miss out when you go on holiday in term time.

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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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