Stanbury Village School

Stanbury Village School Main Street, Stanbury, Keighley, BD22 0HA

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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.  Children make outstanding progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Standards in reading are high. Pupils read regularly and with enjoyment.  Standards are above average in writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2.  The vast majority of pupils make the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The proportion making better progress than this is increasing securely and rapidly.  Pupils have good speaking skills. They are articulate and express themselves confidently.  Teaching is good with some that is outstanding.  Pupils learn well because they respect their teachers and find the work they are given interesting and stimulating.  Pupils feel very safe in school. The school knows each pupil well as an individual and provides strong support for their welfare and personal development.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. The vast majority of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils are proud of their school and are eager to give of their best.  Pupils enjoy coming to school; attendance is consistently above average.  The headteacher and assistant headteacher lead and manage the school well. They focus sharply on making it better.  The school provides a wealth of activities outside normal lessons that broaden pupils’ horizons and promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  The governing body is very supportive and has stepped up the rigour with which it holds senior leaders to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The activities set for pupils are not always challenging enough, especially for the most able.  The targets set for pupils’ progress are not always high enough.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in eight lessons taught by five teachers. Four of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. The inspector listened to a group of Year 2 pupils read and observed the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) in Years 1 and 2.  The inspector observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documentation, including the school's view of how well it is doing, safeguarding and child-protection arrangements, behaviour and attendance, the quality of teaching and minutes of the governing body meetings. Pupils’ work in books and files was also examined.  The inspector held a series of formal and informal discussions with pupils to discuss their experience of school, and particularly their learning, behaviour and safety. Discussions were also held with the headteacher and other staff.  The inspector spoke with the Chair of the Governing Body. He also had a telephone conversation

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Information about this inspection

with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of 22 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspector also spoke to a group of parents at the start of the second day of the inspection. Thirteen questionnaires completed by staff were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Stephen Wall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Stanbury Village School, with a total of 105 pupils, is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in four mixed-age, mixed-ability classes.  Nearly all pupils are White British. None speaks English as an additional language.  Very few pupils are supported by the pupil premium funding. The pupil premium provides additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.  There have been some significant staffing difficulties that have disrupted teaching and

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Information about this school

leadership in recent years. Several new teachers have been appointed and a new assistant headteacher was appointed in May 2013.  There has been a new Chair of the Governing Body since September 2013 and membership of the governing body has undergone several changes in recent years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enable more pupils to make better than expected progress by ensuring that they are given work that is always challenging enough, especially for the most able.  Improve the impact of leadership and management on raising achievement further by ensuring that targets set for pupils’ progress are more challenging and that staff are held rigorously to account for achieving them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills that are typically average for their age. However, the small numbers of children mean that the profile varies significantly from one year to the next.  Children do outstandingly well in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are provided with a wide range of stimulating and challenging activities that enables them to learn at a fast pace.  By the end of Year 2 standards in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently above average.  In recent years standards have also been above average by the end of Year 6. Most Year 6 pupils reach the nationally expected standards in their tests, although the proportion doing better than this has varied.  In 2013, standards dipped to broadly average because of staffing difficulties in the Year 5/6 class. However, the situation has now stabilised and current standards are above average.  Nearly all pupils make the progress expected of them from their individual starting points in

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The proportion making better progress than this dipped in 2013, again because of staffing difficulties. However, school data, confirmed by inspection evidence from observing lessons, discussions with pupils and scrutiny of work in pupils’ books, show that currently the proportion making better than expected progress in writing and mathematics is set to be close to the 2013 national figures, and above in reading.  Although the majority of the most able students achieve well, some do not do as well as they could because the activities that they are set to do in lessons are sometimes too easy and do not stretch them enough.  Pupils who need extra help with their learning make good progress, and achieve well because a careful eye is kept on their progress and extra guidance and support in lessons ensure that they learn well.  There have been too few pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium support in Key Stage 2 in

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The achievement of pupils is good

recent years for any meaningful statistical conclusions to be drawn. However, school data show that the few eligible pupils currently in school are doing as well as their classmates, and sometimes better.  The school is strongly committed to providing equality of opportunity as seen in the good achievement of pupils who need extra help. However, further work is necessary to ensure that all of the most able pupils do as well as they can.  The school caters well for the development of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills. Phonics skills are taught well and ensure that solid foundations for reading are laid, and that standards in reading are high. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading and most read regularly. Pupils enjoy writing. By the end of Key Stage 2 the vast majority of pupils use an extensive range of vocabulary and write creatively in a range of styles. Pupils have good basic number skills which

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The achievement of pupils is good

they are able to apply confidently to solving problems.  Pupils talk fluently and express their ideas and thoughts with impressive levels of skill and maturity.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good with some that is outstanding.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn exceptionally well because they have access to a wide variety of activities both indoors and outside that are stimulating, fun and challenging at the same time.  Throughout the school, teachers forge good relationships with the pupils in their classes and expect them to work hard.  Most teachers ensure that activities are appropriate to pupils’ different ages and abilities and this helps pupils to learn well. Occasionally, however, some of the work is too easy for the most able. As a result, these pupils do not always learn quickly enough.  Pupils make good progress in developing good writing and mathematical skills because teachers provide them with clear knowledgeable support and a good range of activities in both subjects.  Phonics is taught very effectively in small groups in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key

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The quality of teaching is good

Stage 1. This lays firm foundations for the development of pupils’ reading skills and their positive attitudes to reading as they move up through the school.  Teachers are skilful in asking searching questions that make pupils think deeply. One word answers are neither expected nor accepted. As a result, pupils learn to express themselves clearly and to justify their thoughts and opinions confidently and maturely.  For example, in a Year 3/4 mathematics lesson on telling analogue and digital time, pupils not only gave correct answers but, through skilful questioning, were prompted to explain their answers to their classmates. They did this with admirable clarity. The introduction to the lesson was followed up with a range of activities that led to pupils applying the basic principles that they had mastered to solving increasingly challenging problems. Pupils were proud of the outstanding progress that they had made.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are active participants in all lessons in supporting pupils in their learning. They check understanding and are especially helpful in supporting pupils who need extra help.  Teachers mark pupils’ written work regularly. Their comments are helpful in showing pupils what they need to do to improve the quality of their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  In lessons, playtimes and at lunchtime most pupils behave sensibly and with good levels of regard for others.  Most pupils take pride in presenting their work neatly and with care. They arrive on time for lessons and settle quickly to work.  Older pupils enjoy taking on a range of responsibilities such as supervising younger pupils at play times.  However, occasionally there are instances of minor misbehaviour in lessons among some of the older pupils who sometimes do not show much enthusiasm for what is going on, especially when the work that is set does not grab their interest fully or challenge them enough.  Pupils say that behaviour is generally good and that teachers deal with instances of minor misbehaviour well.  Pupils are adamant that bullying or name calling of any kind simply is very rare. Pupils and many parents praise the ‘family-like atmosphere’ that the school promotes successfully. School records

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

confirm that bullying is very rare.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that teachers are approachable and always help them deal with any problems.  Pupils talk knowledgeably about potentially unsafe situations and how to deal with or avoid them. They are fully aware of the risks presented when using the internet and social networking sites.  The school knows each pupil well as an individual. It provides strong and effective support for pupils whose circumstances might put them at risk.  Pupils’ enjoyment of coming to school is seen in the consistently above-average levels of attendance. ‘My daughter skips happily into school every morning and cannot wait to tell us about everything she has done and learned during the day when she gets home.’ is representative of the views of the majority of parents who are satisfied with behaviour in the

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher knows what the school does well and where it could do better. Planning for future improvement is sharp and purposeful.  After a period of some instability in senior leadership, the recent appointment of an assistant headteacher has taken some of the weight off the headteacher’s shoulders and has sharpened the school’s focus on improvement.  Senior leaders have stepped up the rigour with which they check on the quality of teaching. They use the outcomes to identify and tackle areas of relative weakness. As a result the quality of teaching has improved, as has pupils’ progress and achievement.  Similarly, leaders have introduced more rigorous procedures for checking on pupils’ progress towards their targets for all year groups. However, the targets that are set rely too heavily on pupils making expected progress rather than doing better than this. Consequently, not enough is expected of some pupils, especially the most able.

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The leadership and management are good

 Setting targets for teachers and links to salary increases are managed well. However, targets for pupils’ progress are not always high enough to hold teachers fully to account for getting more pupils to make good progress.  Because of staffing changes, the majority of teachers who have subject responsibilities are new to their roles. However, they are enthusiastic and know what needs to be done in their roles to bring about further improvement.  The school provides pupils with a curriculum that meets their differing needs and that helps them develop their skills and capabilities. Topic work is very popular with the pupils and provides ample opportunities for them to develop their writing and numeracy skills across a range of subjects.  The school organises a wide range of exciting activities outside lessons including, for example, hunting for dinosaur bones on the local moors and turning the school hall into a tropical

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The leadership and management are good

rainforest! In addition, there is a wealth of sporting activities and regular cultural evenings where pupils show off their musical and acting talents. Such activities are pivotal in broadening pupils’ horizons and in developing well their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  The school uses its extra sports funding very effectively to broaden the range of sports available to pupils and to encourage sporting competitions with other more-ethnically-diverse schools. The number of pupils taking part in these activities is high and pupils are keen to say how much more they are enjoying sports and physical exercise.  Policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils are fully in place and adhered to.  In recognition that this is a good and improving school, the local authority provides light touch support.  The majority of parents are supportive of the school.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 Under the leadership of the new Chair of the Governing Body, governors have stepped up the rigour with which they hold the school to account. Governors have attended training to equip them with the necessary understanding of data relating to how well the school is doing in comparison to other schools both locally and nationally. Regular and accurate reports from the headteacher ensure that governors know the quality of teaching. The governing body is fully aware of setting targets for teachers and apply rigorously the school’s procedures to decide on salary increases. They keep a close eye on the school’s finances making sure that the small amount of pupil premium and the extra sports funding are spent to best effect.

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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 107268 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 444043

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 105 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Emma Turner Headteacher Graham Swinbourne Date of previous school inspection 17 March 2010 Telephone number 01535 642270 Fax number 01535 646208 Email address head@stanbury.bradford.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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