Sleights Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Sleights Church of England VC Primary School Ingham Close, Sleights , Whitby, NorthYorkshire, YO22 5DN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Achievement in mathematics has not yet reached the point where pupils are making good progress. Achievement overall, therefore, requires improvement.  In Key Stage 1, pupils’ skills in calculating and basic mathematics are not as good as they could be.  Moreover, across the school, pupils sometimes struggle with mental mathematics calculations.  The quality of teaching in all subjects is not yet consistently good across the school.  Over time, weak teaching has not enabled pupils to make good progress, particularly in mathematics.  Teachers sometimes spend too much time giving lengthy instructions rather than making sure pupils are fully involved and learning throughout the entire lesson.  The information gathered by teachers on pupils’ progress is not used as well as it could be to make sure work is hard enough to challenge all pupils, particularly those of higher ability.

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The school has the following strengths

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress.  The care and support afforded to pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable, is exceptional.  The quality of teaching is improving rapidly as a result of much improved management of teachers’ performance and training.  The improved curriculum is good, offering stimulating opportunities for learning both indoors and outdoors.  Inspectors were impressed with pupils’ good manners and mature attitudes to each other and to adults.  Good leadership at all levels including governance is helping achievement and teaching to improve quickly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed five lessons, taught by four teachers, of which two were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with groups of staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority. Pupils were spoken to in lessons and in the playground and pupils were heard reading.  Insufficient responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were received to take this into account, although inspectors looked at some letters received from parents.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents including school-improvement plans, minutes of the governing body meetings and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Robert Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Bailey Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  An average proportion of pupils is eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for those pupils in local authority care and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children from service families. However, only one pupil in the Year 6 group in 2012 was eligible for this funding.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and supported through school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  All pupils are of White British heritage.  In 2012, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is at least good in all classes by:  using the information that is gathered on pupils’ achievement to tailor work so that it matches their ability with more precision  making sure that pupils of higher ability receive work that is hard enough to challenge them fully and are asked questions that makes them think hard  ensuring pupils do not spend long periods of time in lessons listening to long instructions by the teacher so that they do not lose concentration or let their minds wander  using every opportunity to improve pupils’ mathematics and English skills across all subjects  ensuring that pupils have the opportunity to improve their work as a result of reading and acting on teachers’ marking of their work.  Raise achievement in mathematics by:  ensuring pupils in Key Stage 1 acquire good skills in calculating and basic arithmetic  improving how pupils across the school acquire skills in mental mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2011, the school did not reach the government’s floor standards because standards for the Year 6 pupils were low and pupils had made slow progress.  In 2012, achievement rose so that pupils in Year 6 met the government’s floor standards. They had made good progress in English and although progress in mathematics was slower, it had improved significantly from the previous year. Achievement therefore is not yet at the point where it is good.  Inspection evidence indicates that this pace of improvement is continuing with pupils who are currently in the school but that achievement in mathematics lags behind English.  In the Reception class, children quickly learn how sounds relate to letters. Throughout Key Stage 1, the school has worked hard to engender a love for reading that has been instrumental in raising achievement in both reading and writing.  This is continued in Key Stage 2 where pupils make very good use of the new library facilities,

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

use e-book readers and talk enthusiastically about the books they are reading.  In mathematics, pupils make better progress than they did in previous years. However, in Key Stage 1, pupils do not develop good enough skills in calculating and making basic mathematical calculations. Throughout the school, pupils’ mental mathematics skills are sometimes weak.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because they receive first-rate attention to their learning and social needs.  Moreover, the school measures very carefully the use of the pupil premium which helps those pupils who are known to be eligible for the funding to do well in both English and mathematics.  In 2012, the very small proportion of pupils who were known to be eligible for the pupil premium means that any comparison of achievement with other pupils is statistically unreliable.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 While it is improving, the quality of teaching is not yet consistently good. This, together with a legacy of weak teaching over time has not enabled pupils to make good progress.  Teachers often give long instructions, particularly at the beginnings of lessons. This tends not to involve pupils well in learning. When this happens, their minds wander and they occasionally lose concentration.  Teachers collate much information on pupils’ progress, but this information is not used as well as it could be to make sure the work is carefully tailored to pupils’ different abilities.  Higher-ability pupils sometimes find the work set by teachers too easy. Additionally, teachers sometimes ask questions of these high-ability pupils that do not stretch them or make them think hard.  In subjects such as science, religious education and geography, there are sometimes missed opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematics and English skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers put a lot of effort into marking pupils’ work, some of which has impressive detail. However, pupils do not always improve their work as a result of reading these comments.  Despite the remaining weaknesses in teaching, it has improved considerably over recent years. This is as a result of the headteacher’s relentless drive to improve its quality. Inspection evidence indicates that this is beginning to have a positive effect on pupils’ rates of progress in all subjects.  Pupils make better progress when they are fully involved in looking at their own and each other’s work and improving it, or where pupils solve their own problems with minimal help from teachers.  In one such lesson, pupils used small whiteboards to compare their answers when using their different senses to describe the setting to a story. This helped them to use ambitious vocabulary in their subsequent writing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is good in lessons and exemplary during unstructured times, such as lunchtimes and break-times.  The school has been extremely successful in improving the behaviour of pupils who have displayed challenging behaviour at their previous schools. Inspectors spoke to some of these pupils who were polite and very enthusiastic about what they did in school.  Pupils say they feel completely safe from any threats of bullying or harassment. They are very confident that if they needed to confide in someone, that all staff would be approachable.  The school site is well maintained and pupils feel entirely safe in school.  Pupils’ knowledge of how to stay safe on the internet and what they should do if sent threatening text messages is good. This is because the school ensures experts are brought into the school to give pupils the very latest and up-to-date advice and support.  Records of behaviour indicate that it has improved considerably over the past two years. Fewer

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

pupils are being excluded for a fixed period of time and there are now very few incidents of poor behaviour in classrooms.  In lessons, pupils are well behaved. Very occasionally, their minds wander if teaching does not fully interest them as much as it could.  Attendance is broadly average and pupils are usually punctual to school in the morning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The charismatic and enthusiastic headteacher has very successfully built a team spirit in the school where everyone is committed to giving their all to pupils’ achievement and their personal well-being.  School records show that the quality of teaching, while still requiring improvement, has improved significantly in recent years.  Subject leaders check on the progress of pupils well and in some cases collate impressive statistical information on how well pupils are doing across different skills in the subject.  Improvements in achievement in English have been brought about very successfully. There has been a drive to improve children’s talking and conversation skills in the Reception class. Better reading materials and improved library facilities has encouraged an enthusiasm for reading, including for boys. Visits have given pupils real-life experiences that bring their creative writing alive. Training and the sharing of expertise in teaching English has been very effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The management of teachers’ performance has improved significantly and their targets are challenging and firmly rooted in improving the quality of their teaching.  The school promotes equal opportunities well. The pupil premium is allocated to make sure any gaps in performance between groups is addressed and the school tackles discrimination whenever it is detected.  The curriculum has been overhauled so that pupils make better links between subjects. Visitors to the school and visits outside the school make a good contribution to learning and bring learning alive to pupils.  The arts have a high profile in the school, with many pupils entering the Eskdale Festival with speech and drama and music performance. Pupils also enter debating competitions organised by the local Rotary Club. Such activities enhance pupils’ learning and develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets current safeguarding requirements.  Acknowledging the improvements made over the past two years, the local authority has reduced its support to the school. However, it has recently given good support to develop literacy and provide training to teachers on the assessment of pupils’ work.  The governance of the school:  The governing body does a good job of holding the headteacher to account on improving achievement. Its members are aware that the school showed rapid improvement in the 2012 examinations but they are not complacent. Through good training, they have a good understanding of data and that the school’s priority is now to raise achievement in mathematics. Through the very good information given to them by the headteacher, governors are well aware of teachers’ skills and how this relates to their progression on the pay scales. Moreover, they have an excellent understanding of how the pupil premium is

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The leadership and management are good

benefiting those pupils who are entitled to it.

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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 121491 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 402033

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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 87 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair G Kellerman Headteacher C Spencer Date of previous school inspection 12 November 2009 Telephone number 01947 810395 Fax number 01947 811144 Email address admin@sleights.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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