Lord Deramore's Primary School

L ord Deramore’s Primary School Heslington, York, North Yorkshire, YO10 5EE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Most pupils make good progress from their variable starting points and reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are above, and sometimes well above, national averages by the time they leave.  The experienced headteacher, ably supported by her deputy, sets a very clear direction for the school’s work.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the school’s work and relationships are strong at all levels.  The outstanding curriculum often inspires pupils and enthuses them with a love of learning.  The effective governing body is increasingly proactive at holding the school to account for what it achieves.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave very well.  Most parents hold the school in high regard.  The increasing range of minority ethnic groups are well catered for. Diversity is celebrated.  Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and secure and

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet consistently good enough, especially in lower Key Stage 2 to secure best possible progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried with half a day’s notice.  Inspectors visited 14 lessons taught by 10 teachers.  They held meetings with governors, staff, pupils and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors also studied a range of documents including: the school development plan; recent local authority school evaluations; safeguarding policies and records; assessment information; attendance information; the headteacher’s monitoring of lessons and her recent reports to the governing body; and pupils’ work in all classes.  Responses from parents on Parent View were analysed and inspectors spoke with a small number of parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Derek Pattinson, Lead inspector Additional inspector Pauline Pitman Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a below-average-sized primary school  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below what is typical nationally, but numbers are rising.  The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of educational needs is below average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By December 2013, eliminate satisfactory teaching and ensure that the mostly good teaching becomes outstanding in order to accelerate pupils’ progress further, particularly in lower Key Stage 2 by:  injecting greater pace into some lessons and reducing the time teachers spend on explanations so that pupils have enough time to work independently or in groups  checking that work is always at the right level of challenge  ensuring that all lessons which help children to link letters with the sounds they make (phonics) are brisk, of appropriate length and enable children to practise and repeat new sounds often, building carefully on prior learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure pupils take responsibility for their learning so that more teaching is outstanding by:  always providing pupils with opportunities to share what they have learnt and how challenging they found the work, to help inform teachers’ planning for the next lesson  giving them clear steps to success and more opportunities to talk about their learning to help them measure the progress they are making, develop understanding and build confidence.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school profile of entry to school is changing with a gradual rise of children with additional needs related to language development. As a result of this slowly declining picture on entry, children now enter the school with skills that are broadly those expected for their age. However, by the end of their year in the Early Years Foundation Stage their progress is starting to accelerate.  Pupils’ progress as they move through Years 1 to 6 is overall better than expected, including for the relatively small number of pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium, for those who are disabled and/or have special educational needs and for those at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. As a result, depending on their starting points, they reach levels in English and mathematics which are above, and sometimes well above, national averages by the time they leave school. This has been the picture for a number of years.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make best progress when they thoroughly enjoy their learning and when it is based on first-hand experiences. For example, following a visit into York, Year 5 pupils completed good quality paintings of bridges across the River Ouse in York in the style of Andre Derain.  Pupils’ progress through the school is not even, however. Inspection evidence reveals, for example, that it is best in Years 4 to 6.  Leaders have introduced a variety of support arrangements, such as one-to-one support, to accelerate progress, which, with the exception of a very small number of pupils with complex needs, have been successful. As a result almost all groups of pupils are performing at levels which are above similar groups nationally. This work demonstrates that the school is successfully promoting equality.  Pupils make better than expected progress in reading. Progress in linking letters with the sounds they make (phonics) is mostly good because the teaching of reading is high priority in

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The achievement of pupils is good

the school’s work. However, not all sessions are as brisk and purposeful as they need to be, such as in Year 3, nor provide enough opportunity for children to practise and repeat sounds, to help them acquire early reading skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good relationships with their pupils. As a result most lessons are typified by effective management of pupils and skilled use of encouragement and praise. This means that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development underpins the school’s work and is promoted very effectively.  The good judgement about teaching, including the teaching of reading and writing, is in accord with most parents’ views.  Teaching is best where lively and enthusiastic presentations, supported by carefully chosen resources and based on planning which meets the needs of all abilities, inspire pupils to learn well. These strong features were seen in mathematics lessons in Year 4, where there was a buzz of excitement as pupils discussed the properties of different two-dimensional shapes.  Teachers’ marking, following the introduction of a new marking policy, acknowledges effort and achievement but also usually helps pupils to improve, such as through reference to their

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The quality of teaching is good

targets.  Teaching assistants are usually used well to support pupils who are disabled and have special educational needs, ensuring these pupils make good progress.  In the few lessons judged to require improvement, pupils have too little time for independent work because introductory sessions are too long, work is not at the right level of challenge, the pace is not brisk enough and pupils are not clear how to succeed or sufficiently well motivated to help them make best possible progress. These features, for instance, were seen in a Year 3 computation lesson in mathematics and a science lesson on materials. When these weaker features were observed, progress slowed.  Also, in a very small number of lessons, teachers do not always give enough time to ensuring pupils have steps to success or to discuss with others so that they know how to measure the progress they make, nor to seeking their views on how challenging they have found their work

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour over time is good for the vast majority of pupils. This is confirmed by scrutiny of behavioural records, observations and discussions.  Behaviour in lessons is almost always good and sometimes exemplary, such as in a Year 6 lesson where pupils were improving their writing. However, occasional restlessness occurs when children lose focus because whole-class sessions are too long, such as observed in a lesson about letters and their sounds in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Behaviour is, nevertheless, managed consistently well. Very occasional examples of inappropriate behaviour are not allowed to impinge on pupils’ learning.  Most parents and pupils are unreservedly positive about behaviour, although a very small number hold negative views.  Most pupils behave well in the playground and as they move around the school. For example, many play sensibly with play equipment during breaktimes while others happily play and talk

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

with their friends.  Most pupils say they enjoy coming to school and believe that all adults in school help them to learn and listen to their suggestions. This helps explain their above average attendance.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school and fully understand the importance of adopting safe practices. They know very well about different forms of bullying, such as bullying that can occur using the internet, and that procedures for dealing with it are clear. They say that it occurs rarely, but that when it does, it is always dealt with effectively.  Assemblies and class discussions reinforce the importance of working together and contribute well to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which is given strong emphasis in school. As a result most pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders provide a highly effective steer for the school’s work. Key positive features include the ability to enthuse others, to promote good team spirit, to sustain high morale, to support professional development and to be very good role models, leading by example.  Priorities for development are the right ones to move the school forward and there is rigour in the pursuit of them.  Subject leaders know what works well and what needs doing and, alongside other teachers, are increasingly accountable for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Robust and embedded tracking systems ensure leaders obtain pertinent information to help them provide support for pupils where it is most needed and to set challenging targets to help pupils improve.  The monitoring of teaching takes place regularly and focuses increasingly on how pupils learn rather than on how teachers teach. Nevertheless, the wide range of introduced measures to

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The leadership and management are good

improve its quality, to support the rigorous performance management arrangements, have yet to ensure that teaching and learning is at least consistently good in every class.  The outstanding curriculum promotes high levels of excitement and involvement. For example, pupils learning through first-hand experiences, such as when pupils explore the Forest school in the grounds and take part in Outdoor Learning Week where one class create ‘people sculptures’ using grass cuttings.  Safeguarding procedures are secure. For example, the single central record contains all that it should and is regularly updated. Policies and procedures are fully understood and implemented consistently.  Discrimination in any form is not tolerated. Diversity, as represented by a widening ‘ethnic mix’ of pupils, is celebrated by events such as, festivals of the Chinese New Year and the Jewish festival of Passover.  The local authority provides regular good quality support and, along with the headteacher, is

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The leadership and management are good

constantly seeking to secure further school improvement.  The governance of the school:  the governing body has a good strategic grasp of what the school does well and what still needs to improve, which enables it to hold the school to account and lead its direction increasingly well  governors are fully involved in all aspects of school development planning  governors possess a wide range of skills and considerable commitment to help the school on its journey to become outstanding  best value principles of accountability are applied well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 121536 Local authority York Inspection number 403468

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Foster Headteacher Sheena Powley Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2008 Telephone number 01904 553890 Fax number 01904 414142 Email address lordderamores.primary@york.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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

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School details

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 inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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