Long Preston Endowed Voluntary Aided Primary School

Long Preston Endowed Voluntary Aided Primary School School Lane, Long Preston, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD234PN.

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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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This is a good school because

 Pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the school. They have positive attitudes and are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Teaching is consistently good. It is well planned so pupils find lessons challenging and fun. The well-structured opportunities for pupils to talk about their work and listen to each other help them to improve their communication and literacy skills  The school is welcoming and inclusive. The well-being of the pupils is given the highest priority. The school regularly assesses pupils’ work and takes quick action to ensure all make good progress.  Pupils are enthusiastic learners and proud of their school. Their good behaviour ensures that lessons flow fluently with minimal disruption. They appreciate the help and support they get from their teachers and other staff. They feel safe in school and free from bullying.  The headteacher and governors have been

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This is a good school because

successful in improving the quality of teaching, which has resulted in pupils’ improved performance.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement is good overall rather than outstanding. While an increasing number of pupils make more than expected progress, the proportion exceeding the expected progress is not yet high.  Pupils do not have outstanding knowledge of how to manage the risks they may potentially face whilst in school or out of school.  Teaching is not yet outstanding, mainly because pupils are not always provided with sufficient challenges in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons and carried out a joint assessment task with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of other short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body, a representative from the local authority and members of the staff.  There were 13 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to take into account in planning the inspection. Seven staff questionnaires were also scrutinised.  The inspector listened to pupils read, spoke to them about their learning and looked at work in their books. He looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own tracking data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Robert Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is much smaller than the averaged-sized primary school and is endowed by a charitable foundation.  The school is organised into three mixed-age classes.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  Almost all the pupils are White British.  The school meets current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Until July 2012 pupils left the school at the end of Year 5 to attend the local middle school. Pupils now continue into Year 6 with effect from September 2012.  The school has gained a number of national awards, including the Active Mark, Investors in People and Healthy School status.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the teaching in mathematics, so that learning is outstanding in more lessons by:  ensuring pupils are regularly provided with suitably challenging work  applying clear methods for working out calculations, especially at Key Stage 2, so that pupils can more accurately apply their mathematical skills to problem-solving activities and real-life situations.  Improve pupils’ awareness of how to stay safe by raising their knowledge and understanding of how to manage contact with strangers, including the potential dangers they may face using the internet.  Improve the curriculum so that it enables pupils to have a greater understanding of different cultures around the world.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress has accelerated significantly since the previous inspection and achievement is now good. Attainment in reading and writing has risen to above average by the end of Year 5 and now into the early stages of Year 6.  Most children’s skills and development are above those expected for their age when they join the Reception class. They show much enjoyment in all their activities, such as ‘Creative Wednesday’. They work and play happily together with children from Year 1 and 2, taking turns and making choices for themselves.  Attainment in English is stronger than in mathematics. The teaching of letters and the sounds they make gives younger pupils a secure base from which to learn to read. They continue to enjoy reading and make sustained progress throughout the school.  Progress in writing is also accelerating. Pupils often show great enthusiasm, especially when writing links to the topics they find interesting. The pupils’ books show well-formed handwriting

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The achievement of pupils is good

and a good range of words used to make their work interesting.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 quickly grasp the basics of mathematical calculation skills, including quick mental recall. In Key Stage 2, progress is not as evident because pupils are not always taught how to use a pencil-and-paper method to work out calculations accurately and effectively so they can apply their skills to problem-solving activities and real-life situations.  In Years 1 to 6 pupils have good speaking and listening skills. They use these well to explain matters to their peers or to the class. Their ability to work collaboratively in pairs and small groups when following their own lines of enquiry is a strength.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are taught alongside their peers for most of the time. Well-placed intervention programmes operated by teaching assistants ensure that they make the same good progress as their peers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The very few pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress because funding provided for them is targeted effectively on raising their achievement. There are no significant gaps between the achievement and learning of different groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson observations and other evidence, including the work in pupils’ books and parents’ views, confirm the teaching is good and promoting good progress.  In Class 1, the adults work well together to ensure that the individual needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. Children enjoy and benefit from interesting activities such as those found in ‘Creative Wednesday’. Skilled teaching of letters and the sounds they make helps to rapidly develop the children’s early reading skills.  The teaching of reading continues to be a strength throughout the school resulting in well above average attainment.  Teachers plan lessons well. They are skilled at developing the pupils’ thinking skills by providing frequent opportunities for them to solve problems. Such activities also allow pupils to reflect upon their learning, thus contributing to their spiritual development. Such an example

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The quality of teaching is good

was seen in Class 3. In this mathematics lesson Year 5 and 6 pupils had to test out their ideas in order to establish whether facts about shapes would be true or false, such as asking, ‘Could a triangle have four lines of symmetry?’  In most lessons there is a strong emphasis on speaking and listening. This helps pupils confidently express their thoughts and feelings before expressing them in their writing. For example, in Class 2, Year 3 and 4 pupils discussed the topic of ‘Chocolate’, as a whole class and with partners before recording facts on how and where it was produced.  Information and communication technology is used very well across the school to enhance learning. Pupils access computers readily to follow a line of enquiry.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They oversee learning tasks set by teachers and provide additional support for pupils with special educational needs

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The quality of teaching is good

and disabled pupils to ensure that they make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and are eager to learn. Behaviour in lessons and attitudes to learning are good and sometimes outstanding. Pupils settle to their work quickly and concentrate well. They enjoy working in pairs and can be trusted to work by themselves. Learning is rarely disrupted.  Long Preston is a highly inclusive school. Most parents responding to the online questionnaire felt that behaviour was good and that school provided a safe environment for learning. This view was endorsed by the pupils who felt that behaviour was good and that there was very little name calling or other types of bullying.  Pupils’ awareness of road safety is good. This was clearly demonstrated in their cooperation in forming the ‘Walking bus’.  Behaviour is not outstanding because pupils’ understanding of different cultures around the world is not developed well enough to allow them to understand what is meant by the term

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

racism. In addition, pupils do not yet have age related expectations of how to manage strangers, including those potentially found on the internet.  Pupils are courteous and helpful. They are proud of their school and take on responsibilities such as playground ambassadors and school councillors. They are respectful of others and readily offer support when needed. They enjoy working together and are quick to celebrate each other’s successes.  Pupils enjoyment of the school is shown by their above average attendance and consistent punctuality. Relationships at all levels are good and play a key role in the welcoming and friendly atmosphere that exists within school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong leadership and management and has been effective in ensuring that issues identified in the previous inspection have been tackled successfully.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and has identified a need to focus on improving pupils’ progress in mathematics. Good procedures have been developed for the professional development of staff that is aligned to the school’s needs. In addition, staff have opportunities for training to meet their particular professional needs. Consequently, the quality of teaching has improved from satisfactory to good since the previous inspection.  The headteacher works collaboratively with staff. This system enables her to share her high expectations and results in good staff morale.  The local authority provides good support and has worked well with the school, particularly in raising achievement in English.  Since the previous inspection the school has put in place systems for tracking all pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

progress. The information gained is used to identify and plan programmes of intervention for pupils who require extra support to ensure they make good progress and that the school provides equal opportunities for all.  The theme-based curriculum is organised well to provide pupils with interesting opportunities for learning and personal development. It is enriched by a variety of extracurricular activities and educational visits, such as the one to a farm at Sizergh as part of the ‘Food Glorious Food’ theme. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is provided for well, in particular through the extensive musical experiences pupils enjoy.  The curriculum does not fully develop pupils’ understanding of the potential dangers pupils may face inside and outside school, such as those from modern technologies and strangers.  Parents are very supportive of the school. They and their children confirm that equality of

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The leadership and management are good

opportunity is promoted well and discrimination of any sort is not tolerated.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good overview of pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching and learning in school. This enables them to play an active role in monitoring school improvement. This has included the impact pupil premium funding has had on providing one- to-one help for pupils who are at risk of underachieving. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and ensure that procedures for safeguarding pupils are well managed and meet requirements.

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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 121631 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 406039

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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 Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 61 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Bradley Headteacher Elizabeth Martin Date of previous school inspection 14 December 2010 Telephone number 01729 840377 Fax number 01729 840377 Email address admin@longpreston.n-yorks.sch.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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