Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Jubilee Terrace, Leeman Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 4YZ

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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.  In 2013, the progress made by pupils from seven years of age to 11 was in the top 25% of schools nationally.  Pupils with special educational needs and those who are entitled to the pupil premium make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress.  The quality of teaching is good overall with some which is outstanding.  Lessons are planned well to meet pupils’ needs and interests and to motivate them to learn.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They feel safe, respect and get on well with one another. They have good attitudes to learning. This reflects the school’s religious ethos, which underpins all that it does and which successfully fosters pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Senior leaders have improved achievement and teaching. All staff are committed to continuing these improvements in teaching and learning.  The governing body is well-informed and successfully holds senior leaders to account for

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the school’s performance.  Parents are supportive of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not yet of sufficiently high quality to bring about outstanding achievement.  In a few lessons, activities do not always provide enough challenge. When this happens, the rate at which pupils make progress slows.  There are gaps in pupils’ understanding of punctuation and grammar.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write extended pieces of work in a wide range of subjects. Consequently, standards in writing are below those in reading and mathematics.  The role of middle leaders is not fully developed. They have not had sufficient opportunities to promote high-quality teaching. Inspection report: Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School , 29–30 January 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons, of which one observation was carried out jointly with the headteacher and one with the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils from Year 1 to Year 6, four governors including the Chair of the Governing Body, senior leaders, middle leaders and a representative of the local authority. Informal discussions were also held with pupils at break times and lunchtimes.  The inspector took account of the 33 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). He also considered the views expressed in the 16 responses to the staff questionnaire. In addition, the inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector observed the school at work and scrutinised the work in pupils’ books, the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, the school’s improvement plans, planning and monitoring

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Information about this inspection

information and minutes of governing body meetings. Records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding and child protection were also considered.

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Inspection team

Anthony Kingston, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School , 29–30 January 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 St Barnabas CE VC Primary is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families and those looked after by the local authority) is average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  St Barnabas CE VC Primary is an accredited Healthy School and holds the Basic Skills Quality

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Information about this school

Mark, Artsmark (Gold) and the Food for Life Partnership Bronze Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and raise pupils’ attainment, especially in writing, by: - ensuring that there is always sufficient challenge in the work provided in lessons - ensuring that pupils are taught English grammar and punctuation more sequentially and systematically throughout the school - providing pupils with more well-planned opportunities to write at length in subjects other than English.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by developing the skills and the role of middle leaders so that they can improve the quality of teaching and learning in those subjects for which they are responsible. Inspection report: Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School , 29–30 January 2014 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Reception class with skills that are below the levels expected for their age, especially in communication and language, reading and writing. The well-organised and exciting Early Years Foundation Stage learning areas, both indoors and out, and the highly motivated team of teachers and assistants mean that children settle quickly into the routines, get off to a very good start and develop an enthusiasm for learning. They make good progress and by the time children enter Year 1, attainment is closer to, but still slightly below, average.  Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 1. However, despite the vast majority of pupils attaining standards in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics, the composition of the group of Year 2 pupils who took the national assessments in 2013 and the number of pupils who joined late in the year resulted in below average

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The achievement of pupils is good

attainment overall.  Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress from their starting points and, in 2013, the overwhelming majority achieved above average standards in reading and mathematics.  Standards in writing were broadly average. This is because the teaching of punctuation and grammar is not structured sufficiently well to develop pupils’ skills sequentially. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop these skills by applying them to extended pieces of writing in subjects other than English. Leaders have accurately identified weaknesses in writing and this is now a focus for improvement throughout the school.  The most-able pupils achieve well, so that by the end of Key Stage 2 they attain standards well above those of their national counterparts in reading and especially mathematics. This is reflected in the high proportion of pupils who reach the higher Level 5. Their attainment in

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing is average.  Reading is a priority throughout the school. Pupils’ reading skills are developed well. The systematic teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 gives pupils the skills they need to tackle unfamiliar words confidently. Pupils quickly move on to gain personal enjoyment from reading books independently, drawing on different strategies to help if they are stuck. Pupils relish opportunities to discuss moral and ethical issues within the text. This was exemplified by one pupil who, after reflecting on one passage from Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’, said, ‘It’s a story which shows just how power and greed can make people become evil.’  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is good. Calculation skills are developed well and pupils are able to apply these with ease to solve problems. For example, Years 3 and 4 pupils were absorbed in mixing different amounts of coloured waters to make magical potions, developing their

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The achievement of pupils is good

understanding of measurement, capacity, proportions and ratio.  The school promotes and checks that all pupils have equal opportunities. As a result, all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, pupils from minority ethnic groups, those who speak English as an additional language and those who join the school other than at the usual time, make progress similar to, and often better than, that of their classmates.  The income received by the school to support pupils eligible for the pupil premium is spent judiciously, including on one-to-one tuition and employing additional teaching assistants. As a result, these pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, flourish and make progress equal to, and often better than that of their classmates. Consequently, the vast majority attains standards at least in line with that of their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils make good gains in their learning because teaching is effective. Teachers, including those January 2014 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

in the Early Years Foundation Stage, plan lessons that interest and engage pupils so that they want to learn.  In the overwhelming majority of lessons, teachers use assessment information well to ensure that work is well-matched to pupils’ varying abilities. Clear, precise and lively explanations capture pupils’ interests and promote understanding. Skilled and focused questioning enables teachers to assess pupils’ learning swiftly, either to provide support or move them on quickly to more challenging activities. However, in some lessons, pupils are not always offered enough hard work. This limits the rate at which they make progress and the opportunities they have to reach the levels of attainment of which they are capable.  In all year groups, lessons invariably provide pupils with a challenge, often in the form of a question. This encourages pupils to apply their knowledge of grammar and punctuation to short,

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The quality of teaching is good

but focused writing activities, or in mathematics to predict, theorise and hypothesise. For example, in a mixed Year 5 and Year 6 class, pupils were challenged with the task of investigating the relationship of the sum of the internal angles of regular and irregular polygons. Pupils relish this involvement in their learning, resulting in high levels of engagement and interest.  Throughout the school pupils are given interesting and imaginative opportunities to apply and develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills to real-life activities. However, they are not provided with enough opportunities to engage in extended pieces of writing in subjects other than English and nor is the teaching of punctuation and grammar sufficiently structured or systematic. As a result, there are gaps in pupils’ learning. This limits the opportunities some pupils have of reaching the standards of which they are capable, especially in writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school has invested in high levels of teaching assistants to support pupils’ learning inside and outside the classroom, especially those requiring extra support to help them learn well. They liaise closely with teachers and are often responsible for small-group and one-to-one tuition. They are skilled and highly effective in giving pupils a boost to their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils enjoy school, have good attitudes to learning and quickly settle to their tasks with enthusiasm. They are highly respectful, polite and courteous.  The excellent relationships between all staff and pupils create a harmonious learning community in which everyone is valued and can contribute. Parents and pupils report that a real strength of the school is the strong family ethos, which is carefully nurtured and permeates all aspects of the school’s work. This was exemplified by one parent who said, ‘It’s a very friendly school where everyone is encouraged to look out for each other.’ This view was backed up by one pupil who said, ‘It’s a sharing school. We share smiles. They’re free and we always receive one back.’  Behaviour in lessons is good. This is because pupils demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning and display high levels of perseverance. They respond immediately to the guidance and direction

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

given by staff and, as a result, time for learning is rarely lost. However, occasionally, when the activities set are too easy or too difficult, pupils sometimes become a little restless. This is why behaviour is good, rather than outstanding.  Pupils are keen to take on additional responsibilities. For example, the site manager heaps praise on the way they help to keep the school clean, tidy and completely free of litter, and ensure that hats, coats and scarves are never strewn across the cloakroom floors. Older pupils fulfil an important social role by organising, preparing, cooking and serving the food at the monthly ‘Big Breakfast’ to which all pupils and parents are invited.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils are positive about how the school keeps them safe. For example, they know to whom to turn if they are upset or wish to share a concern and how to keep themselves safe on the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Internet. This is a view shared by parents. January 2014 6 of 9

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand what constitutes bullying and understand its different forms, including physical, emotional and cyber-bullying. They say that bullying very rarely occurs because everyone is a friend to everyone else. To promote anti-bullying pupils have written and signed up to their own anti-bullying charter. It is sharp and memorable, telling everyone to ‘Remember, bullying is cruel not cool’ and to ‘Think about how great it is that we are all different, special and loved.’ The vast majority of parents report that bullying is not a problem at the school.  Pupils are extremely proud of their school and are keen to attend regularly. Pupils’ attendance has improved from average in 2011 to above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The capable and uncompromising leadership by the headteacher has been key to the school’s improvement since the time of the previous inspection. With the support of the local authority and governors she has made brave decisions and implemented many actions to bring this about. For example, following a period of considerable difficulties and changes in staffing, she has built a strong team which shares an ambition to secure improvement. Consequently, the school has improved from being previously judged as satisfactory to good now.  Leaders and managers know the school well. Their rigorous checks on teaching and learning give staff clear guidance on how to improve. This is supported by effective performance appraisal systems to review teachers’ work. Teachers feel supported by the headteacher and welcome feedback about their performance in lessons. Feedback is sharp and focused. It leads to clear advice and training. However, the roles of middle leaders in checking the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching and how it affects pupils’ learning are not yet fully developed.  The school is supported extremely well by the local authority. It has provided the school with helpful guidance and strong support on its journey of improvement.  The curriculum captures pupils’ imagination. However, although reading and mathematics are threaded throughout the curriculum, the opportunities for pupils to apply and develop their writing skills across other subjects other than English are not so evident or as well-structured.  The curriculum and the range of events, visits, visitors, musical and sporting activities and clubs make a positive contribution to pupils’ excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The new funding to support sport and physical education is being used judiciously to broaden the teaching skills of teachers and teaching assistants, to upgrade the school’s resources for a

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The leadership and management are good

range of physical education activities and to increase the range of sports available. As a result more pupils have access to a wider variety of after-school activities.  The governance of the school:  Governors champion the school and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and what it needs to do to keep improving. They visit the school frequently and through training have a good understanding of performance data. Consequently, they can increasingly draw upon their knowledge to check how different groups of pupils within the school are performing, how the school is tackling any underperformance and how well the school is doing in relation to other schools nationally. This enables them to challenge, as well as support, school leaders and hold them to account for pupils’ achievement. They have a thorough understanding of teachers’ performance, how it is used to develop teaching further and the

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The leadership and management are good

links between pay progression and pupils’ achievement. Governors have a clear understanding of how money is used to support pupils who benefit from the pupil premium funding and what difference this is making to their progress. Similarly, extra money allocated for sport and physical education is checked for its effectiveness in enhancing pupils’ mental and physical well-being. Governors make sure that safeguarding arrangements meet government requirements. Inspection report: Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School , 29–30 January 2014 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School , 29–30 January 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 121473 Local authority York Inspection number 430945

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 150 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michael Backhouse Headteacher Karen Boardman Date of previous school inspection 2 May 2012 Telephone number 01904 653 323 Fax number – Email address stbarnabas@york.gov.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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