Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 13–14 June 2012 Inspection number 395410 Unique Reference Number 121480 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 395410 Inspection dates 13–14 June 2012 Lead inspector Robert Jones

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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 18 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Barker Headteacher Elisabeth Marsden Date of previous school inspection 25 June 2008 School address Chop Gate Middlesbrough TS9 7JL Telephone number 01642 778202 Fax number 01642 717802 Email address admin@bilsdalemidcable-chopgate.n-yorks.sch.uk Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13– 14 June 2012 2 of 11

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 3 of 11

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspector observed six lessons taught by two teachers. Meetings were held with staff, pupils and a member of the governing body. The inspector took account of the responses to the online Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including documents relating to the school’s self-evaluation, monitoring reports from the local authority and safeguarding records. He also listened to pupils reading, looked at the work pupils were doing in their books and examined the tracking systems used to monitor pupils’ progress. The inspector considered the nine questionnaires received from parents and carers as well as others from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. No pupils currently belong to minority ethnic groups and none speaks English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or by statements of special educational needs is average. The school meets the current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school’s headteacher divides her time between this and a school in the nearby village of Carlton. While the school has two teachers permanently on the staff, responsibilities for subject leadership and some governance responsibilities are divided between both schools. Pupils are taught separately in their own schools except on Fridays when pupils from both schools come together on the Carlton site. The school holds various awards, including Healthy Schools status and the Inclusion Quality Mark. Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 4 of 11

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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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Key Findings

 This is a good school. There are significant strengths in pupils’ behaviour, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, the curriculum and how the school is led and managed. It is not yet outstanding because achievement and the quality of teaching, although improving rapidly, remain good rather than outstanding.

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Key Findings

 Achievement is good with pupils making good progress from their starting points. Improvements to the teaching of reading and phonics (how sounds correspond to letters) in Key Stage 1 are leading to younger pupils in the school now making accelerated progress.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good and improving rapidly with some of the teaching outstanding. There are, however, some occasional remaining inconsistencies in the effective use of feedback which prevent all pupils from making rapid and sustained progress.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ outstanding behaviour is characterised by pupils who are proud of their school, show excellent attitudes to each other and to adults, and who support each other well both in the playground and in lessons. Pupils describe the school as ‘one big happy family’.

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Key Findings

 Leadership and management are outstanding. All staff across both schools work as a highly cohesive team under the inspirational leadership of the headteacher. The management of staff performance is excellent, with staff expertise shared across both schools leading to significant improvements in teaching and the curriculum. The emphasis of leadership on developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness has resulted in the school being a highly cohesive community where exceptional levels of mutual respect and tolerance are very much in evidence. Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 5 of 11

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further so that pupils make consistently good and outstanding progress by:  devising strategies to improve pupils’ spelling  customising the feedback given to pupils so that it precisely pinpoints what steps each pupil needs to take to improve their work  ensuring there is sufficient time given for pupils to read teachers’ comments and respond to them.

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Achievement of pupils

Children begin in Reception with skills that vary from year to year but which are generally appropriate for their age. A highly imaginative curriculum for Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils ensures they learn effectively by being fully involved in their own learning. Pupils use the outdoor area to plant strawberries. Reception children use props and toys to create their own story entitled ‘The Otter Family’, taking photographs to sequence the story. Pupils learn good handwriting skills and quickly develop a good understanding of how letters correspond to their sounds. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 2 the systematic teaching of reading that has been in place for two years is ensuring pupils reach above-average attainment in reading. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and receive prompt attention to their needs. This means that they make good, and often outstanding, progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ development of information and communication technology (ICT) skills is excellent and adds another dimension to their development of literacy. Pupils write storyboards for mini films and animations and design PowerPoint presentations to learn about other cultures. A very small minority of the older pupils who did not have the benefit of a systematic approach to phonics when they were younger are making slower, but satisfactory, progress with their reading. Furthermore, relatively less emphatic strategies for teaching spelling across the school mean that spelling skills are not developing at the same rate as reading and writing. Pupils’ attainment in reading by the time they leave school varies, due to the very small cohorts, but is generally average. Boys and girls develop a love for literature, with older pupils listening to younger ones reading every morning. During the inspection Year 5 pupils talked enthusiastically about their favourite authors. Overall, over

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Achievement of pupils

the past three years, pupils’ attainment has been average but inspection evidence shows that they have made good and sometimes outstanding progress from their starting points. Furthermore, attainment is rising, with the current Year 5 reaching well-above-average attainment for their age.

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Achievement of pupils

Parents and carers are happy with the progress their children are making. Many comments related to the excellent information they receive on their children’s learning.

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Quality of teaching

In lessons teachers question pupils well and ensure they are able to answer in full sentences. This makes them think and effectively improves their speaking and reasoning Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 6 of 11

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Quality of teaching

skills. A strong feature of the teaching throughout the school is how pupils develop their independence. There are ample opportunities in lessons for pupils to work collaboratively and learn through discovery rather than being led by the teacher. This has contributed to pupils’ well-developed organisational skills, their good confidence and excellent social and behavioural skills. During the inspection pupils of different ages worked together to write a series of instructions on how to use a word processor for people who are not confident ICT users. Older pupils listened to and valued the contributions of younger pupils. Behaviour was exemplary and pupils made their own decisions on how to present their work. These opportunities are part of everyday learning for the pupils and contribute to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well. Teachers mark pupils work well but, on occasions, marking does not pinpoint precisely what pupils need to do to take them to

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Quality of teaching

the next step in their learning so that they are able to make outstanding, rather than good, progress. Furthermore, time is not always put aside for pupils to review, discuss, reflect on and respond to the comments teachers write on their work.

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Quality of teaching

All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire are of the view that teaching is strong. Typical comments include: ‘One of the strengths is how pupils are taught as individuals’.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are adamant that bullying of any sort never happens and that they feel completely safe in school. They say they love coming to school, which is reflected in their high attendance. They are highly articulate, considerate and exceptionally caring of each other. At lunchtimes and break times pupils of different ages play together and very often treat each other like family members. Older pupils talked to the inspector about how younger pupils had ‘blossomed’ as a result of going on a residential visit, how they had seen the pupils in Reception gaining in confidence and how proud they were of the progress of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe, manage risks and stay safe on the internet. In lessons pupils’ excellent behaviour means that the pace of learning is swift, that pupils move around the classroom without interrupting others’ concentration and that they help each other to learn constantly.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school’s emphasis on spiritual and moral development has undoubtedly contributed well to developing pupils’ attitudes to each other. During assemblies pupils are keen to offer their own prayers to give their views on the importance of collaboration, friendship and mutual understanding.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire are of the view that pupils’ behaviour is well managed and that lessons are not disrupted by poor behaviour. Typical comments include: ‘We could not ask for better, and both our children buzz at the thought of going to school’.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has very successfully improved the way both schools work together. All staff now share responsibilities and expertise across both schools. Self-evaluation is undertaken by leaders at all levels and is incisive, honest and accurate and ensures the quality of teaching is good and improving. Teachers use assessment data well to set targets that are challenging but attainable. Combined with improvements in the way reading is taught in Key Stage 1, this is leading to rapidly increased rates of progress which, as pupils progress through the school, is leading to rising attainment. Particularly effective is the way Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 7 of 11

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Leadership and management

teachers’ skills in using ICT are shared and developed through the use of the school’s virtual learning environment. This has had a profound effect on pupils’ well-developed skills in using ICT across the curriculum. The exceptionally effective emphasis on developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is first-rate and clearly contributes to pupils’ outstanding behaviour.

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Leadership and management

The excellent curriculum with its exceptionally wide range of memorable and motivating learning activities reflects the school’s outstanding leadership. It ensures that pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1 develop their skills systematically through play but also through more traditional forms of learning, such as learning their times tables and developing their handwriting. On Fridays both schools come together to take part in the ‘Forest schools’ initiative, which develops pupils’ collaborative skills, such as den making, team games and survival skills. Pupils say they love working with pupils from the other school and now regard them as friends. The literacy and numeracy curriculum is coordinated extremely well between both schools so pupils can seamlessly continue their learning at the other school without any problem. In turn, this extremely efficient way of working has led to

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Leadership and management

pupils from this school not being disadvantaged in any way by its small size. Sport has a high profile in the school, with many pupils taking part in inter-school and county-wide sports activities. The school hosts visits by many Olympic and Paralympic athletes who act as excellent role models for pupils and this increases their awareness of disability in society. These factors combined demonstrate that the school is well placed to continue its upward trajectory of improvement.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has been instrumental in ensuring the school is the hub of this small community, with pupils from the school frequently taking part in community events, such as the recent Queen’s Jubilee celebrations and the village agricultural show. They offer the school high levels of support and challenge on matters relating to achievement. Moreover, governance responsibilities and expertise are shared with the partner school, which has improved efficiency considerably. The excellent monitoring of progress ensures no pupils fall behind. The headteacher has particular expertise in special educational needs, which ensures those pupils who need additional support are identified early and monitored carefully. This means that the school promotes equal opportunities and tackles discrimination well. Safeguarding is afforded the highest importance and the school meets all current requirements well.

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Leadership and management

All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire are of the opinion that the school is well managed and led. They all would recommend the school to others. Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 8 of 11

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school 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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13–14 June 2012 9 of 11

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning. Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13– 14 June 2012 10 of 11

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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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Controlled Primary School, Middlesbrough, TS9 7JL

 Three big cheers are in order, because I found that your school is good and that it is improving quickly. I enjoyed my two days with you enormously. I was impressed with your caring approach towards each other, how well you work together in lessons and how you enjoy your learning. These things led me to judge behaviour as outstanding. You told me how much you enjoy working with pupils from the school in Carlton on Fridays and I saw some of the impressive things you do as part of the Forest Schools scheme. I found that you make good progress during your time in school, that teaching is good and that things are improving quickly. Your headteacher and staff have left no stone unturned to make sure you enjoy school and have excellent learning experiences. For these reasons, I judged leadership and management of the school to be outstanding.

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Controlled Primary School, Middlesbrough, TS9 7JL

There are, of course, always things that can be done to improve. I have, therefore, asked your headteacher, staff and governing body to improve teaching even further so that you all make good and outstanding progress. You will notice that teachers will be concentrating on developing your spelling because some of you need extra help with it. Also, teachers will be making sure that the comments on your work really help you to know what you need to do to improve. You will also be getting more time in lessons to look through teachers’ comments and decide how you will improve your work.

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Controlled Primary School, Middlesbrough, TS9 7JL

You can help by looking carefully through your work and noting which spellings you are getting wrong. You can then make a word list of these tricky words to help you remember how to spell them. I wish you all the very best for the future.

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Controlled Primary School, Middlesbrough, TS9 7JL

Robert Jones Lead inspector Inspection report: Bilsdale Midcable Chop Gate Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13– 14 June 2012 11 of 11

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Controlled Primary School, Middlesbrough, TS9 7JL

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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