Boroughbridge Primary School

Boroughbridge Primary School York Road, Boroughbridge, York, North Yorkshire, YO51 9EB

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children are well prepared for their future learning through the Early Years Foundation Stage. They eagerly find out about the world around them in the stimulating outdoor spaces.  Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics through school. Pupils take pride in their work and present it well.  The quality of teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and work is carefully matched to pupils' ability. Good links between different subjects make learning relevant and memorable.  Pupils are well behaved and considerate. They feel safe and valued. Interesting visits, topics and themes make a good contribution to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The executive headteacher provides a clear direction for improvement with strong support from well-motivated senior leaders and an effective governing body. As a result, pupils'

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

achievement and the quality of teaching have improved well since the last inspection and the school has a good capacity to continue to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, teachers miss the chance to question pupils more closely in order to deepen their learning.  A few opportunities are missed for pupils to take the initiative and organise their own work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 lessons including five joint observations with the executive headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Chair, and other members, of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority, and members of staff including senior and middle leaders. The inspectors also heard pupils read from both key stages.  Inspectors took account of 37 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including data on pupils’ current and previous progress, the school development plan, performance management documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Aileen King Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding allocated to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children that are looked after or the children of service families.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The executive headteacher was appointed to the school after the last inspection. She is also the headteacher of Knayton Church of England Primary School.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the already good teaching to outstanding by:  ensuring teachers make full use of questioning to deepen pupils’ thinking and learning  enabling pupils to become more independent in initiating and organising their own ideas and work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills and understanding which are generally typical for their age. They make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage in all areas of learning. Children concentrate well and are inquisitive and keen to learn. Their early reading, writing and number skills are well developed and they make good use of them.  Pupils’ achievement through the rest of the school is good. Their progress is more consistent than at the last inspection. As a result, by the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is increasingly above average and there is a positive trend of improvement.  Pupils with special educational needs supported at school action and school action plus make good progress from their starting points. In particular, they acquire reading and writing skills which enable them to tackle a range of subjects and prepare them for their future learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The few pupils supported by pupil premium funding make good progress from their starting points. The school is generally reducing the difference in the standards reached by these pupils and the rest. Pupils eligible for free school meals reached standards which were almost a term above the national average in mathematics and just over a term below average in English in 2012 national tests and assessments.  Pupils read fluently and widely. They tackle new and unfamiliar words well because they develop a good knowledge of letters and their sounds. Pupils of all ages often read with expression and enthusiasm. By Year 6, they have a good knowledge of the work of several contemporary authors and some from the past such as Shakespeare and Dickens.  Pupils' writing skills are good. There is a strong focus on ensuring accuracy in basic skills such as spelling and grammar and using them in interesting ways, often linked to other subjects. They

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The achievement of pupils is good

write neatly and fluidly. For example, pupils wrote reflective poems, stories and factual accounts inspired by their studies of space in science, making good use of information and communication technology to record them.  Pupils’ mathematical skills are well developed. They develop good recall of number facts and mental calculation strategies and increasingly use them to solve mathematical problems. For example, they use their good knowledge of algebra well in Year 6 to solve and create complex number patterns.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Literacy and mathematical skills are taught well through direct, sharply focused lessons and regular opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in different subjects. For example, the foundations for good reading skills are securely laid through the systematic and thorough teaching of letters and sounds in Key Stage 1 and many opportunities for pupils of all ages to read out loud to adults. In Key Stage 2, pupils' literacy skills are developed through their studies in history and science, for example. This helps to make their learning more memorable.  Teachers and teaching assistants use accurate assessments of pupils' progress to plan and teach lessons. They set work which challenges all groups of learners from the start. For example, in Year 6, pupils enter the room to find shopping bags of carefully priced items so that all pupils are challenged in a fast-paced calculation activity from the beginning of the lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers inspire their pupils through imaginative and engaging activities. They use visits, attractive resources, games and quick-fire quizzes very effectively to motivate pupils' interest and lead them into new skills and concepts. For example, in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are inspired by the large play equipment to invent their own system to water the tubs of flowers in the outdoor area. Following a residential visit, pupils in Years 3 and 4 worked well together in different roles as reporters, note-takers and interviewees to record their memories in pamphlets, spreadsheets and in other ways.  Relationships are good. Classrooms are well organised to provide a calm and academic environment. Teachers use displays of key facts well, often from pupils' own work, as reference points to encourage pupils to be more independent in their work.  The structure of lessons, good relationships and high expectations make a good contribution to

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The quality of teaching is good

the progress made by pupils with special educational needs. For example, teachers use visual timetables, often based on photographs of the pupils' own experiences, to help them order their thinking and build on earlier learning. This was particularly effective in the follow up to their residential visit.  Teachers increasingly make good use of marking to guide pupils to improve their own work. They encourage pupils to respond to the comments teachers make and to set their own targets for further improvement.  Teachers generally question pupils well to help them build their understanding. However, sometimes they miss the opportunity to probe pupils' understanding further and encourage them to expand on the answers they give.  Pupils solve problems in mathematics and write at length on several topics. However, teachers occasionally miss opportunities to encourage pupils to initiate their own problems and to take

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The quality of teaching is good

responsibility for managing and organising their own work in order to fully develop their independent learning skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils treat each other with respect and consideration. They work and play well together and take good care of each other, especially in the playground.  The pupils behave well in classrooms and around school. Behaviour is sometimes exemplary. Pupils take a pride in their work which is reflected in the often high standards of presentation.  Pupils take their responsibilities seriously. They contribute well to the effectiveness of school rules and the positive ethos through their roles on the school council and as buddies. There are very few incidents of poor behaviour and there have been no recent exclusions.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of how to stay safe through projects such as 'Crucial Crew', other drama events and their experiences on residential visits. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying and feel that very little goes on. They have a particularly good understanding of the potential dangers of the internet through their work on

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the safe use of computers.  Pupils respond well to the moral and social guidance they receive. They develop positive attitudes to life and learning through the teaching of common values and adults' high expectations. For example, they produced fascinating art, dance and literacy work in Year 5 when reflecting on the school's aims and values.  Very occasionally, pupils' concentration wanes when teachers do not challenge them to think enough for themselves.

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The leadership and management are good

 The experienced executive headteacher's vision for building on the school’s achievements is fully shared by all staff, governors and parents. She provides motivating leadership by establishing precise targets for staff and pupils to strive towards and clear roles and accountability for all staff with leadership responsibilities. As a result, pupils' progress is accelerating through school and the quality of teaching improving further.  The systems to help teachers and leaders to be even better at their jobs are challenging and applied well. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior staff are good role models and skilled in observing teaching and in setting targets to which teachers aspire.  Staff are held accountable for the progress their pupils make and are subject to fulfilling stringent criteria to achieve the next salary level.  The school receives positive support from the local authority. This support has contributed well

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The leadership and management are good

to improvements to recruiting and retaining staff and a range of training for teachers, teaching assistants and the governing body.  A strength of pupils’ learning is the rich curriculum. Subjects are interwoven through central themes and supported by a range of visitors and visits. The curriculum promotes pupils' global awareness well and encourages empathy and consideration for others.  The school tackles any rare issues of discrimination well and this contributes to the harmony within the school community.  Policies for safeguarding pupils meet legal requirements and are supported by excellent record keeping.  The school works closely with parents and keeps them fully informed and involved in their children's learning. As a result, parents rightly hold the school in high regard.  Some staff are new to their leadership roles and are not yet fully accountable for pupils' achievement which is one of the reasons why, although consistently good, teaching is not yet

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The leadership and management are good

outstanding.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and informed through good quality reports from the headteacher and their own systematic checks on the school’s work. The governing body, several of whom have recently taken up their roles, make good use of training opportunities provided by the school and local authority to develop their effectiveness in their roles. They are involved in the school's self-evaluation and appropriately decide whether teachers and staff should be rewarded with salary increases and review targets for the headteacher. They make good use of data to plan the use of funds, such as pupil premium funding.

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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 121382 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 406024

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Kelly Headteacher Kellie Halliday Date of previous school inspection 10 May 2011 Telephone number 01423 322208 Fax number 01423 322208 Email address admin@boroughbridge-pri.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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