Leeming St. John's Church of England Primary School

Aiskew, Leeming Bar Church of England Primary School 2 Leeming Lane, Leeming Bar, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 9AU

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in and out of lessons. They feel safe, are unfailingly courteous and respectful, and are very proud of their school.  Pupils’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection as a result of improved teaching, better behaviour and an improved curriculum. Most pupils make good progress from their starting points. Different groups of pupils all do equally well.  Teaching is always good and some is outstanding. Teachers establish a positive atmosphere for learning in lessons and pupils are challenged to do their best.  Leaders, well supported by all staff and governors, have been successful in bringing about improvements due to their accurate analysis of data about pupils’ progress and effective performance management.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. As they move through the school they become more independent as

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet enough outstanding teaching across the school.  Not all adults have the skills yet to use the strategies of the new intervention programmes to improve mathematics so that they can help pupils to make more rapid progress.  In some lessons pupils do not always begin their work quickly enough because they receive too much instruction from teachers about what they need to do.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher. He also heard children read in Year 2 and in Years 5 and 6.  He took account of 11 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and to six questionnaires completed by the staff.  The inspector held meetings with three members of the governing body and leaders at different levels including the special educational needs coordinator, the Foundation Stage leader and the leaders of different subjects. He spoke to groups of pupils including members of the school council and to a representative of the local authority. He also spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  The inspector observed the school at work and looked at a range of documentation including internal and external data relating to pupils’ progress, pupils’ workbooks, school improvement planning and the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate picture of its own performance. He

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Information about this inspection

also considered minutes of governing body meetings, reports written by the local authority, and child protection and safeguarding documents.

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Inspection team

Peter Evea, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a well below-average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority or from service families, is lower than average although there are a small number of pupils from service families.  The majority of pupils are White British and there are few who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average and has increased since the previous inspection.  The number of pupils who attend the school from Reception to Year 6 has varied since 2010 and in some year groups boys significantly outnumber girls. There are two classes. The Dragons class includes Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 while the Eagles class includes Years 3 to 6. There

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Information about this school

has also been a reduction in the number of staff in the school.  In 2012 the school did not meet the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further raise achievement through ensuring that more teaching is outstanding by:  building on existing strengths in teaching within the school  making sure that pupils learn more quickly by getting them started on tasks right away  developing further the skills of all adults so that they can help pupils to make further progress in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school in the Reception class with skills, knowledge and understanding that are below those typical for their age. They make steady progress to reach standards that are just below those seen nationally by the time they join Year 1. Children make a good start in recognising the sounds that letters make.  Progress in Key Stage 1 is good and pupils use their increasing knowledge of letters and sounds to develop their skills in reading. They accurately sound out unfamiliar words and they understand and enjoy what they read. The standard of reading is broadly average for pupils of their age.  There is good progress in Key Stage 2 and pupils usually leave with standards that are similar to or above those seen nationally. Although the school did not meet the floor standards in 2012 this was a very small group of pupils of which a number had significant barriers to their learning. They all, however, made at least the progress expected of them. Standards in mathematics are

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The achievement of pupils is good

not as high as in English.  In response to pupils’ lower achievement in mathematics, leaders have been rigorous in making changes to the curriculum and improving the quality of teaching. These are leading to better achievement although progress in mathematics is not yet as rapid as it is in English.  Inspection evidence supports the school’s data which indicate that pupils are working at well above average standards in English and above average in mathematics.  Pupils increasingly extend their learning through the use of computers.  Pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding make good progress and there are no gaps between their performance and that of other pupils in the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve as well as other groups, because staff know their needs well and additional support is well managed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most of the teaching is good and some is outstanding. Good teaching is leading to pupils’ improving achievement.  Where teaching is outstanding, pupils respond to high-level challenges and manage their own learning, working together and supportively in small groups. In a mathematics lesson groups of pupils enthusiastically shared their ideas to create a puzzle based on a multi-coloured cube with each face made up of nine different coloured squares.  Positive relationships between teachers and pupils are well established. Pupils are eager to learn and teachers have high expectations of their pupils. Pupils typically say that ‘learning is fun’.  The assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment is accurate and is based on a thorough knowledge of the performance of each pupil.  The detailed tracking and thorough monitoring of pupils’ progress mean that teachers plan interesting lessons which enthuse pupils. However, they sometimes give too much guidance and

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The quality of teaching is good

instruction which means that pupils do not always begin tasks quickly enough and lose valuable time for learning.  Marking is regular and informs pupils about how well they have done and what they could do to improve. Pupils routinely respond to these suggestions.  In many lessons pupils make good use of opportunities provided for them to learn on their own. In an English lesson pupils were very independent in creating their own riddle poems.  Although the school is using a mathematics intervention programme to help some pupils catch up, not all adults are yet skilled enough to use the techniques in lessons. This slows the progress of these pupils.  Teaching assistants are deployed well and have a good understanding of the needs of different pupils and, as a result, they support their learning purposefully.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour has improved since the previous inspection and is outstanding. Pupils set themselves very high standards and choose to behave very well. They say that very occasional silliness is quickly sorted out. They are well aware of different forms of bullying and say that bullying very rarely happens. Staff agree that behaviour is very good, as did the majority of parents through their response on Parent View.  Throughout the inspection it was clear that pupils care for and about each other and all members of the school community. There were a number of examples of older pupils helping younger pupils. At lunch time pupils sit in mixed-age groups and the older pupils serve the younger ones.  The pupils’ exemplary attitude to learning is a significant factor in their successful learning. There were many instances of cooperative learning, with small group discussions being a prelude to whole-class discussions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are very loyal to their school and have a strong voice through their school council. They say that there is very little they would change about the school.  Pupils describe their school as a very safe one and parents and staff agree. Pupils have a good understanding of safety issues when using computers.  The attendance of all groups of pupils has improved as a result of the hard work done by the school. Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons. There have been no exclusions in recent years.  Pupils benefit from a rich curriculum and a wide variety of after-school clubs and activities. They particularly enjoy the residential visits. These activities contribute to the outstanding behaviour because pupils are very interested in what they are doing and value the opportunities given to them.  Pupils take on responsibilities, such as librarians, willingly and are conscientious in carrying out

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is well led by a very determined and effective headteacher supported by other leaders who are rapidly developing their skills as they become more experienced.  Staff performance targets support improvements in teaching. Staff have access to a range of training and, as a result, are able to keep up-to-date with developments in teaching and improve their skills. They are not awarded pay increases unless their performance over time shows that they have met their targets. However, there are not yet enough opportunities for staff to learn from the excellent practice that already exists in the school  Thorough tracking and pupil progress meetings show where there are gaps in pupils’ achievement and, where pupils are falling behind, staff take prompt action to help them catch up.  Procedures to check on the school’s performance are robust and have resulted in effective plans for development. For example, recent actions have resulted in improvements in mathematics

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The leadership and management are good

and a wider use of computers.  There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding and these are strengths of the school.  All staff are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and all pupils have equal access to the curriculum and to different after-school clubs and activities. The school does not tolerate discrimination in any form. There is no difference in the achievement of different groups.  Safeguarding and child-protection policies and practice meet current requirements.  The local authority is providing appropriate support and advice which is valued by the school.  Improvements in the achievement of pupils, the quality of teaching and the behaviour and safety of pupils indicate that there is a clear capacity for further improvement.  The governance of the school:  The school benefits from a highly effective and determined governing body which knows the

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The leadership and management are good

school very well, monitors its performance rigorously and systematically, and asks challenging questions to promote further development. Governors are very ambitious for the achievement and welfare of the pupils and are well informed about all aspects of school life, in particular about the quality of teaching and, increasingly, the data in relation to pupils’ achievement. Governors are familiar with the Teachers’ Standards and use them to help manage teachers’ performance. They oversee the spending of pupil premium funding and they are aware of the positive impact this is having on pupils’ achievement.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 121472 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 402029

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 49 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elizabeth Bentley Headteacher Stephen Simper Date of previous school inspection 17 November 2009 Telephone number 01677 422403 Fax number 01677 422403 Email address admin@aiskewleemingbar.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, please

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School details

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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