St Peter's Brafferton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

St Peter's Brafferton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Brafferton, Helperby, York, North Yorkshire, YO61 2PA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Achievement is good. Standards reached in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are above and sometimes well above those expected nationally.  Children often start in Reception with levels of skill and understanding close to others nationally. They remain in the same class until the end of Key Stage 1 where the majority join Key Stage 2 with attainment above national expectations.  The quality of teaching is good with examples of outstanding practice. Pupils engage well with their learning. As a result, they work hard, as evidenced by the quality of work in their books.  Pupils’ good and often exemplary attitudes to learning and good behaviour contribute to their good progress. Their courteous and considerate attitudes are extended to staff, visitors and each other. They say they enjoy coming to school because they feel safe and cared for and learning is fun.  The headteacher and school staff work closely

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

as a team and have sustained and built upon the school’s good performance identified in the previous inspection. As a result of their hard work, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement have risen.  Members of the governing body have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas in need of improvement. Their work has made a valuable contribution to the school’s continued improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Standards in mathematics are not as high as in English because work set for pupils of average ability is not always hard enough and, as a result, they do not always make sufficient progress.  Pupils are not given sufficient opportunity to use and apply their knowledge and skills in solving mathematical problems.  Subject leaders do not yet offer sufficient support to the headteacher in leading and managing the school. Inspection report: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons and parts of lessons taught by five teachers and support staff. A joint lesson observation was undertaken with the headteacher. The inspector also examined the quality of work in pupils' books from across the school.  The inspector held meetings and had discussions with pupils, the headteacher, members of the school staff and three members of the governing body. She also held a telephone conversation with a member of the local authority.  The inspector took into account the views of 21 parents who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and investigated the issues raised in a letter from a parent.  The inspector studied health and safety documentation, teachers’ curriculum planning, documents relating to the procedures to check the performance of staff and the school’s system for checking pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils who attend come from families of White British heritage with a very small number from other ethnic groups.  Pupils are taught in mixed-aged classes because of the small numbers of pupils in each year group.  A lower-than-average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and those from service families.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs supported through school action is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly lower than the national average.  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.  The school runs a before- and after-school club for pupils. The BASE club runs from 8.00 am until 9.00 am in the morning and then again from 3.30pm until 6pm during school term time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment in mathematics to match that in reading and writing by:  making the work harder for average ability pupils in order to accelerate their progress and improve their achievement  increasing opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills to solve mathematical problems and, in doing so, strengthen their understanding of these skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by increasing the responsibilities of subject leaders so that they play a more active role in supporting the headteacher in further improving the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils in their areas. Inspection report: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 2014 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards reached by pupils at the end of Year 6 last year were above those achieved nationally. Current Year 6 pupils are making good progress in English and mathematics and are on course to make equally good gains from a range of starting points. This represents good achievement overall.  Overall, Key Stage 2 pupils make slightly slower progress in mathematics than in reading and writing. Although most pupils learn well in lessons, they are not always given sufficient opportunity to practise and deepen their understanding of newly acquired skills and knowledge through, for example, solving mathematical problems.  While both the most able pupils and least able pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress, those with average levels of ability achieve slightly less well in mathematics. This is because, in a small number of lessons, work for this group is not hard enough and, as a result, they do not always achieve as well as they could.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils in Year 6 are currently making good and better progress in English and mathematics and a small group are currently receiving extra support and tuition with the expectation that they will reach Level 6 in this year’s national tests.  Pupils across the school clearly enjoy reading, so much so that a small group of Year 6 pupils have set up a regular break-time reading club. Younger pupils attend the club and enjoy the stories read to them by older pupils from the well-stocked school library.  Attainment in reading last year was above national expectations by the end of Key Stage 2. Current school data show pupils across the school are set to make similar gains this year. Lesson observations, a scrutiny of pupils’ work and the school's checks on progress confirmed this view.  Children often start in the Reception class with reading, writing and numeracy development broadly in line with that expected for their age. The majority make good progress during their

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The achievement of pupils is good

time in the Early Years Foundation Stage, often leaving with levels of skills and understanding above those expected for their age.  Last year, Year 1 pupils’ scores were just above the national average in the phonics screening check which tests pupils’ ability to link letters to sounds. This was due to the clearly focused phonics teaching delivered in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1.  Although last year there were no pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in either Year 2 or Year 6, current school data shows few or no gaps in the attainment of this group compared to others in the school. This good progress is due to the effective use of pupil premium monies to provide extra support to boost pupils’ achievement through one-to-one and small-group sessions.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress. This group, alongside the most able and those from different ethnic backgrounds, make equally good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress to that of their peers. Their good achievement across the curriculum is because staff identify and provide well-targeted help and guidance that meets their needs. This shows how the school promotes equality of opportunity for all pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Evidence of good progress seen in pupils’ books supports the school’s view and the inspection findings that the quality of teaching is also good over time.  Most teachers are effective at setting work at the right level for pupils in their class. However, in a small number of mathematics lessons, work set for pupils of average ability is too easy and, as a result, they do not make rapid progress.  Pupils are given good opportunities to write in a variety of ways. Grammar and punctuation are given a high priority and the successful outcomes can be seen in the above average attainment Inspection report: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 2014 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

in spelling, punctuation and grammar for last year’s national tests.  Learning is made enjoyable so pupils become absorbed in their work. A comment from an older pupil summed up the feelings of others: ‘I love coming to school because teachers make every day different and, even though we work hard, it’s always good fun’.  This could clearly be seen in a science lesson in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 classroom in which pupils were working on exploring the properties of ice. Whilst Reception children replicated an Arctic scene with polar bears, older pupils were investigating where ice melted the fastest. When the teacher called them together to talk about their findings, most were pleased that their predictions had been right and that the ice had melted fast in warm places. One group remained puzzled that their ice cubes had melted so fast in the outside water tray despite the water being ’freezing’ cold. Much debate continued until the teacher led the

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The quality of teaching is good

group back to the water tray and further comparisons showed that the water was warmer than first thought and covered more of the ice cube. The practical and sensitive approach taken by the teacher enabled pupils to discover the key factors which contributed to ice cubes melting and to develop a clearer understanding of this scientific concept.  Parents spoken to feel that staff in the Reception class help their children to make a good start and settle quickly into the routines of school. Partnerships with the other nursery providers locally enable children to make a smooth transition. Through the provision of a good range of activities, staff ensure that children engage in purposeful play which helps them to develop a good range of skills and knowledge.  Pupils’ work is marked diligently and effectively and this ensures that pupils across the school are clear about how to improve.  Teachers and support assistants work closely together and effective working partnerships are

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The quality of teaching is good

evident across the school. Extra sessions planned for pupils who need additional help with their learning enable them to make the same good progress as that of others in the school.  Teachers’ imaginative displays of pupils’ work in classrooms and corridors enhance the school environment and give encouragement to pupils to try even harder. Displays depicting visits to a range of different places including a Bradford mosque, coupled with lessons in art and design and personal and social education, promote pupils’ good levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils demonstrate good and sometimes outstanding attitudes to learning. Their good behaviour outside school often receives compliments from members of the public when they are on school visits. They consistently demonstrate caring and friendly attitudes to each other, staff and visitors.  However, while pupils are keen and eager to learn and show positive attitudes to their work, occasionally, when teaching does not capture pupils’ full attention, behaviour dips.  The vast majority of parents who completed the online questionnaire, Parent View, held the view that behaviour in school is good and that their children are safe and happy.  School logs show that incidents of difficult behaviour are infrequent because of the effective behaviour policy which is applied consistently across the school. Records also show that no pupil has been excluded in the last three years, which is further evidence of how well ordered and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

happy the school community is.  Attendance continues to remain above the national average. A recent further improvement is due to the headteacher’s strong and effective stance on reducing the number of holidays taken in term time.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils spoken to were very clear about the different forms bullying can take. They feel that incidents happen infrequently, but also know where to turn should an incident happen inside or outside school. Inspection report: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 2014 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 While the leadership and management of the school are good overall, the headteacher has an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and areas in need of improvement as evidenced by her accurate evaluation of its current position and the good quality of the school’s development plan.  Good standards identified in the previous inspection have been maintained and built upon. For example, the quality of teaching has been improved as is evident in the rise in achievement in the end of Year 6 assessments and the good standard of work observed in pupils’ books.  However, the role of middle leaders, including subject leaders, is not yet as clearly defined or as demanding as it could be and support for the headteacher is not as good as it should be. For example, subject leaders do not make checks on the quality of teaching or pupils’ achievement in their subjects.  The headteacher ensures that performance targets set for staff link directly to pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

achievement and targets in the school’s development plan. Checks on the performance of staff are undertaken and information gathered is used by the headteacher to make decisions on teachers’ pay.  The school’s curriculum is well organised and links between subjects are clear. Plans are in place to meet the expectations of national changes. Exciting experiences outside the classroom enhance pupils’ learning and develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well. For example, a recent residential visit to an outdoor pursuits centre included a rock- climbing session which was described by one pupil as: ‘The most scary but thrilling thing I have ever had to do’.  The school has used its allocation of sports partnership monies prudently and effectively by developing a range of activities, including the employment of a dance specialist and gymnastics coach. This has improved the quality of physical education teaching and the health and

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The leadership and management are good

wellbeing of pupils.  Since the previous inspection, the local authority has offered school a light-touch level of support.  The governance of the school:  School governors bring a wide range of skills and experience to the governing body which they regularly update and improve through attending training. As a result, they have a good understanding of pupils’ achievement data and the quality of teaching and offer senior leaders good levels of support and challenge in improving standards of achievement across the school. Despite their other commitments, the majority show a very strong commitment to their duties as governors. This was demonstrated when the Chair of the Governing Body returned from London to meet the lead inspector and the good attendance recorded at governing body meetings. In partnership with senior leaders, they have developed an effective system for checking the performance of all staff which rewards good teaching and addresses any

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The leadership and management are good

underperformance. They manage pupil premium funding prudently and this careful management has enabled them to support eligible pupils well. They also ensure safeguarding procedures and policies meet current requirements. Inspection report: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 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: St Peter’s Brafferton CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 25–26 February 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 121606 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 431358

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 68 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anna Whalen Headteacher Kate McEvoy Date of previous school inspection 10 June 2009 Telephone number 01423 360250 Fax number 01423 360250 Email address admin@st-peters-brafferton.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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