Yarborough Academy

Yarborough Academy Yarrow Road, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN34 4JU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Pupils make good progress, particularly in mathematics and reading, and achievement overall is improving quickly.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least good progress, as a result of high-quality teaching and support. Some make rapid progress and achieve exceptionally well.  Teachers have good relationships with their pupils. They have a thorough knowledge of the subjects they teach and often use resources well to support pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and their positive attitudes to learning are a significant factor in the good progress they make in their lessons.  Pupils attend regularly, are rarely late for lessons, feel safe and enjoy what this improving school has to offer.  Senior leaders have worked successfully to drive improvements in teaching and achievement. There is a strong commitment from all leaders and governors to improve this

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not high enough to result in all pupils making rapid progress.  The level of challenge in some lessons is not consistently high enough for all groups of pupils. This limits the progress some pupils make.  Occasionally, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding thoroughly enough during lessons and those that are capable of more are kept waiting for others to catch up.  Improvement to pupils’ achievement in writing has not been as quick as improvements in their achievement in reading and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons or small group activities, of which five were conducted jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, senior leaders and school staff.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their work in lessons, looked at books, listened to pupils read and met with a group of pupils from Key Stage 2.  Inspectors took account of 32 responses to the on-line survey (Parent View), a recent school survey and spoke with parents at the start of the day.  Inspectors also took account of the 35 questionnaires returned by members of the school staff.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at progress data, performance management information, records relating to behaviour and safety, as well as documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Jim Alexander, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alan Chaffey Additional Inspector Susan Twaits Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Yarborough Academy converted to become an academy on 1 August 2012. When the predecessor school, Yarborough Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children in local authority care, those from armed service families, and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The school runs a daily breakfast club for pupils to attend.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, by:  ensuring tasks are always challenging enough for all pupils to make rapid progress from the start of every lesson  checking more carefully on pupils’ progress through lessons to ensure those who have understood a task move on more quickly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in writing to match that of reading and mathematics, by:  providing pupils with more opportunities to develop their writing skills across the wider curriculum  giving pupils more opportunities to develop their skills in spelling and grammar  ensuring boys make equally good progress as girls as they move through school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below those typically expected and for some their skills are much lower. They settle quickly, enjoy a wide range of well-designed activities and soon make good progress. Consequently, they are well prepared to start Year 1.  Pupils who did not read as well as expected in Year 1 have been given extra support to catch up. As a result, these pupils now read very well.  There are no published results for Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 because the school did not open until September 2012. However, current evidence from pupils’ work and information on their attainment and progress show standards by the end of Year 6 have improved significantly this year and are now broadly average. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points.  Achievement in mathematics is particularly strong and in many classes, pupils are making much better than expected progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Due to carefully structured support, the vast majority of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well; some make outstanding progress from their starting points.  The pupil premium funding is used in a variety of ways, for example, to provide small group activities or one-to-one support. This is helping pupils, known to be eligible free school meals for example, to make good progress. As a result, their attainment is now in line with others in the school. This is one example of the school’s success in commitment to promoting equality of opportunity.  The school’s robust system to track pupils’ progress demonstrates that the small proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as others in their class.  Achievement in writing is also improving this year, but not as quickly as reading and mathematics. This is because opportunities are missed for pupils to practise their writing skills

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The achievement of pupils is good

across the curriculum. Also, the way in which grammar and punctuation is taught is not consistent across the school and common errors are not always picked up in teachers’ marking of pupils’ work. Generally, girls in all year groups make much better progress in their writing than boys.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good and some is outstanding. Teachers plan lessons that meet the needs and interests of most pupils well.  The teaching of letters and sounds is good, which provides pupils with a good starting point for their reading. This ensures pupils enjoy reading as they move through school and they read widely and often.  The overwhelming majority of teachers ensure pupils do not spend too much time sitting and listening but quickly settle to work which is set at just the right level. This effectively helps to develop pupils’ independence, as well as their ability to work collaboratively.  In the very best lessons, teachers have developed an exceptionally positive climate for learning where risk taking is seen as the norm. Pupils are encouraged to ‘aim high’ and not fear failure ‘but learn from it’.  In the majority of lessons, mathematics is taught well and pupils are provided with a range of

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The quality of teaching is good

fun and practical activities. An example of this was observed in an excellent Year 2 lesson, where pupils were learning to tell the time by applying what they knew to a range of problem-solving tasks.  However, in a small minority of lessons, more-able pupils are provided with the same starting points as others, and not given more appropriately challenging work until later in the lesson.  In other lessons, teachers do not always keep a sharp enough eye on those pupils who have clearly understood a task and could be challenged at a higher level. This means that while pupils may be making good progress, it is not rapid enough to help pupils achieve outstandingly well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are encouraged to learn and play well together. They benefit from positive relationships established with adults. Children feel safe and secure and soon grow in confidence.  Pupils attend regularly, are happy at school and say they feel safe because teachers look after them. Those who attend the breakfast club are given a positive start to the school day.  Pupils are keen to learn and are confident to ask questions and contribute to class discussions. It is these positive attitudes that are a significant factor in the good progress they make in lessons.  Misbehaviour in lessons is uncommon and pupils respond quickly if teachers ask them to improve their behaviour or attitudes.  Pupils have been provided with a range of strategies to keep themselves safe and understand, for example, the safe use of the internet.  Pupils are well aware of the different forms of bullying, but say that it is extremely rare and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

teachers always deal with any problems quickly.  Playtimes and lunchtimes are happy occasions and well-structured opportunities are available to keep pupils happily entertained. Pupils with particular behavioural needs are supported to manage their own behaviour well.  School records show that exclusions are rare and always well managed.  All parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire say their children are safe and happy at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders have worked successfully to drive improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. There is a strong determination, shared by leaders at all levels, to build upon this to bring further improvements.  Staff work well as a team and are committed to the school’s ongoing success. The responses to the staff questionnaire were overwhelmingly positive.  Leaders have developed a robust system for tracking pupils’ progress and measuring their attainment. This helps teachers plan appropriate work and leaders to deploy resources to good effect.  Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They know what issues they must address to bring about further improvement. As a result, their view of the school’s performance is robust and accurately informs school improvement plans.  The school’s systems for managing staff performance are effective, and have helped to improve

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The leadership and management are good

the quality of teaching. Targets for individual teachers are linked to pupils’ progress. The school has set clear expectations of those staff on a higher salary, and increases in salary are not automatic.  Since becoming an academy, leaders have built effective links with partner schools and external consultants to bring challenge and support. As a result, transition to academy status has been smooth.  The school offers a broad and rich curriculum and pupils enjoy the extra-curricular clubs, visits and residential trips. These are carefully designed to help support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  Governors share the commitment of senior leaders and staff in driving forward further improvements. A number of new members have been appointed this year, which has added further strength to the role of the governing body. Together, they have benefitted from

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The leadership and management are good

training and advice from external consultants commissioned by the academy. As a result, they are able to ask searching questions of school leaders, relating to the quality of pupils’ achievement. They have a good understanding of the school’s performance compared with other schools nationally. Governors pay close attention to the allocation of the pupil premium funding to ensure good value for money is achieved. Governors have a secure understanding about the quality of teaching across the school and are involved in discussions about managing staff performance. Safeguarding requirements are met.

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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 138542 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 412245

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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 Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 358 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Nicholson Headteacher Steve Carr Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01472 237772 Fax number 01472 237770 Email address office@yp.nelcmail.co.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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