Yealmpton Primary School

Yealmpton Primary School Stray Park, Yealmpton, Plymouth, PL8 2HF

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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 and achieve well. By the end of Year 6 their attainment has been above average.  They enjoy coming to school and their attendance is above average.  Teaching is typically good. At times, especially in the Reception and Year 6 classes, teaching is outstanding.  Pupils’ progress is regularly tracked and the headteacher also keeps a close check on the quality of teaching and learning. This informs the school’s view of its effectiveness, which is accurate and forms the basis of good improvement planning.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Safeguarding arrangements enable pupils to feel safe at all times of the day.  Children make an excellent start in the Reception class.  Leaders, managers and governors have been effective in improving the quality of teaching, so that progress in reading, writing and mathematics has increased in the past two years.  Pupils’ good academic and personal

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

achievements are nurtured across a broad and stimulating range of learning activities, both in and outside school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Marking is not consistently good across all subjects.  Pupils are not always given sufficient time to act on the advice that teachers give them.  Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to learn by finding things out for themselves

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 15 lessons and saw 10 members of staff teaching and working with the pupils. They were accompanied by the headteacher to two of these lessons. They also observed a number of small group activities.  The inspectors observed play time and lunch breaks and also attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body, the Chair of the Trust Board and with pupils from Years 3 to 6.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work and heard pupils read from Years 1, 2, 5 and 6.  Inspectors took account of 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents and carers as they brought their children to school. They took account of 62 responses to the Parent View online questionnaire and three written communications from parents.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at the school’s development plans, minutes of governing body meetings, records of pupils’ progress, leaders’ checks on the quality

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Information about this inspection

of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

David Nebesnuick, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anne Wesley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Yealmpton Primary School converted to become an academy school in April 2011. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. Very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is extra money given to schools by the government to support groups such as pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or children in the care of the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is a breakfast club which is managed by the governing body and which formed part of this inspection.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than those which are normally expected is below average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by making sure that:  the good marking in English books is used consistently across all subjects  pupils are given sufficient time to act upon the advice teachers give them to improve their work  pupils are provided with more opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning, including by being given enough time to investigate and find things out for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children make an excellent start in the Reception class, especially in developing their speaking and communication skills and in securing the self-confidence needed to really enjoy learning at school.  They make good progress and by the time they enter Year 1 almost all have achieved the expected skills for their age, and many have exceeded expectations.  The great majority of pupils read well. They make good use of the skills they have been taught to link letters and sounds (phonics) to read words they do not recognise. They enjoy reading and regularly practise their reading at school and at home. The attainment of Year 1 pupils in the national phonics check was above average.  Standards in writing are above average, and for some pupils well above average. Pupils write confidently and imaginatively and use a wide vocabulary. For example, in Year 6, pupils used many different ways to describe an eye-witness account of an event seen on a video clip.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils have good mathematical skills and they handle numerical information well. For example, in a mixed Year 4 and Year 5 class, pupils were confident to calculate fractions of eighths and to begin with the total and work backwards.  On leaving the school, pupils’ attainment is above average and reflects good achievement from their broadly expected levels of skills when first starting school. This is true of all groups.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well and benefit from additional adult support matched closely to their learning needs.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium make good progress. Funding is used effectively to make sure that these pupils receive additional help when they need it. This additional support is carefully checked to measure its impact on pupils’ progress. In English, in Year 2, pupils supported by the pupil premium are one term behind other pupils and in mathematics they are

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The achievement of pupils is good

attaining the same. In Year 6 they are two terms behind in English and in mathematics they are one term ahead. The gap in both year groups is narrowing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Typically, teaching is at least good and there is an increasing amount of outstanding practice, especially in Reception and in Year 6.  Pupils’ good progress across the school reflects the good quality of teaching. Most parents and carers who completed Parent View agreed that their children are well taught and make good progress.  The bright and vibrant learning environment in the Reception class, both inside and outside, encourages exploration and independence. Children learn exceptionally well through a wide range of independent and adult-led activities. For example, pupils excitedly examined conkers, acorns and fir cones through magnifying glasses and then compared and contrasted their different shapes and textures.  In the best lessons, teachers expect pupils to think, research and learn for themselves. However, this is not always the case and occasionally teachers limit pupils’ individual progress by talking

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The quality of teaching is good

too much or spending too much time on whole-class discussions.  Marking in English books is especially good. However, this high standard is not consistent in all year groups when pieces of extended writing are marked for example in other subjects. Occasionally, insufficient time is given for pupils to reflect on how they can improve their work and this can slow their progress to the next stage of their learning.  Teaching assistants make good contributions to pupils’ learning, especially for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  In the best lessons, for example in Year 6, teachers use their enthusiasm and skills to motivate pupils, not only to do well but to aim to exceed on their previous best work. In these lessons there is a discernible buzz of excitement and progress is outstanding.  Evidence from pupils’ books in English and other subjects, as well as work on display around the

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The quality of teaching is good

school, shows that pupils achieve well in their writing and that their literacy skills extend across the curriculum.  Teachers use questioning and discussions well to encourage pupils to talk and think about their understanding. They can highlight sentences that they think they have written well and they are very able to explain their own levels of progress.  Teachers are skilled at helping pupils understand moral and social issues. Special day events, such as the Rights Respecting Day and World Peace Day, enable pupils to reflect upon their own experiences and those experiences of pupils in other countries that are very different to their own.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils arrive at school ready to learn and keen to start working. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is good.  Pupils have good attitudes towards learning. They work hard almost always and they enjoy their time in school. Their attention only wanders from learning on the rare occasions when they do not understand, and this is why behaviour is not yet outstanding.  Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour effectively and incidents of unacceptable behaviour are rare.  Pupils say that they feel safe at all times and they are confident that they could go to any adult in school for help if they needed it. They like the ‘worry box’ and use it when they feel it necessary. Almost all parents and carers who completed Parent View agreed that their children felt safe at school and were happy.  Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. Bullying is rare and pupils have a good knowledge of the different kinds of bullying. Pupils say that there is a consistent approach across

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the school and that parents and carers and the school work well together if there are any problems.  Behaviour in the dining hall is good. There is good supervision and adults and pupils have good relationships. The pupils can talk knowledgeably about what food is healthy and that they ‘want to keep fit’.  The school council organises a good range of fund-raising initiatives including ‘Sports Relief’. The pupils, through ‘Medic Malawi’ sponsor two pupils to attend their local school. The Eco gardening club recently welcomed the Eco club from its partner school, Ivybridge Community College and together they carried out a survey of the school garden jointly planning what will be grown there next.  The breakfast club provides a safe and pleasant environment at the start of the day and is appreciated by both pupils and parents and carers.  Attendance is above average and is continuing to improve. This reflects pupils’ great enjoyment

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors are focused on improving the progress of all pupils so that pupils are well equipped for the next stage in their education.  Leaders and governors understand that high quality teaching is necessary to secure high levels of achievement. They monitor and challenge the performance of teachers well to make sure there is a good match between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils achieve. Consequently, the quality of teaching is typically good with much that is outstanding. This has had a beneficial impact on the progress that pupils make and improvements have occurred in all subjects during the last year.  All members of staff feel valued and leaders make clear their high expectations and make sure that everyone rises up to meet them.  Teachers’ training needs are highlighted through the management of their performance, which sees that individual and school improvement needs are met and that there is a positive impact

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The leadership and management are good

on the outcomes for pupils.  Leaders and managers carefully analyse how well the school is doing and so draw up clear action plans to address priorities. Their assessments of the school’s work are robust and accurate and indicate a secure capacity to improve further.  Since becoming an academy converter, the school has built up a very close relationship through its academy trust with its neighbouring secondary school. Staff have the opportunity to teach in the secondary school, to share training and to have some specialist secondary subject teachers working in the primary school. These extended opportunities have enabled a renewed and stronger focus to be developed for improving the quality of teaching.  A small minority of parents and carers who completed Parent View disagreed that the school is well led and managed. They also disagreed that the school responds well to any concerns. The leaders and managers have set up a six-weekly parent forum so that all issues can be raised. In

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The leadership and management are good

addition, parents and carers are now contacted by text for speedier communication.  The curriculum is regularly reviewed to check that it provides stimulating learning for the pupils. Pupils experience inspirational days, such as National Poetry Day, to develop learning and the Year 5 and Year 6 residential visits to the Mountbatten Centre and Barton Hall enhance pupils’ experience further. These visits promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in the wider community. A majority of pupils take part in the wide range of clubs.  The primary school sport funding is being well used to strengthen teachers’ skills in providing additional sporting activities in conjunction with its sports college partner in the trust.  Leaders, including governors, robustly manage all statutory requirements relating to safeguarding.  Additional funding, such as the pupil premium, is used effectively to boost literacy and numeracy

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The leadership and management are good

skills, enabling the pupils supported to achieve well.  The comprehensive tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress means that all pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, enjoy equal opportunities for learning. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The Academy Trust provides strong support to the school to make sure that the strong focus on improving teaching and learning can be sustained and developed further.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has reorganised itself and now focuses primarily on checking the quality of teaching and learning. Governors know about the school’s performance through examining the data. This has led to rapid improvements in the progress of all pupils.  Governors share the vision of the headteacher and staff to improve teaching to outstanding and to provide a stimulating learning environment for pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 They make sure that the systems for the management of teachers’ performance are effective and that increases in pay and promotion are justified by pupils’ progress and achievement. They know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance.  Governors regularly check and review policies, including those relating to safeguarding and make sure that staff are vetted and trained to keep pupils safe and free from harm.  They make sure that extra funding through the pupil premium is used well to benefit eligible pupils. They check to see that those pupils make good progress and that any gaps in attainment are closing.  Governors take advantage of the additional training opportunities provided by the Academy Trust to make sure that they are fully up to date with current requirements.  The governing body effectively holds the school to account in a challenging, but supportive, way by asking probing questions when presented with documents and reports by the staff.

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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 136635 Local authority Devon Inspection number 426828

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 159 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cath Farrin Headteacher Louise Young Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01752 880446 Fax number 01752 881752 Email address admin@yealmpton-primary.devon.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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