Yorkley Primary School

Yorkley Primary School Lydney Road, Lydney, GL15 4RR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Not all pupils are making good progress because there are variations in the quality of teaching across the school.  Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what their pupils can achieve.  By the end of Year 2, pupils’ rate of improvement has now slowed. Standards are average in reading, but below average in writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ handwriting is a weakness for many pupils in Years 3 to 5.  Pupils are not always clear what they are trying to achieve in individual lessons and this slows their progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children make consistently good progress in Reception.  Standards have risen, particularly in reading and at the end of Year 6.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning, and feel safe. Behaviour has improved considerably over the last two years.  The leadership of the headteacher is effective. Aspects of the school’s work are beginning to improve. This is particularly so in identifying features that lead to better teaching.  Governance has improved significantly. Governors provide good challenge to leaders and play a full part in improving the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in eight lessons, all of which were seen together with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, three governors, the school’s senior and subject leaders, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 18 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 20 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). He also looked at a recent parental survey conducted by the school.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of school documents, including records of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings, the school improvement plan and records relating to behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and the tracking of pupils’ progress. He also looked closely at pupils’ written work for the current school year, and listened to pupils read.

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Inspection team

George Logan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Yorkley Primary School is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  Almost all of the pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is slightly above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium, which is additional funding for pupils known to be entitled to free school meals or those looked after by the local authority, is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The current headteacher took up her post in April 2012. There have been significant changes in staffing in the last two years.

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Information about this school

 There are five classes. Year 6 pupils are taught as a discrete year group. All other classes have pupils from more than one year group.  The school funds a separate ‘nurture class’ on four mornings per week to meet the needs of a small group of pupils at risk of disengagement from education.  The school hosts an independent pre-school. This is managed and inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching further so that it is consistently good, by ensuring that:  teachers across the school have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve  pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to achieve  teachers have higher expectations of the quality of pupils’ handwriting, particularly in Years 3 to 5.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement so that it is consistently good across the school, so that:  all pupils, particularly those in Years 1 and 2, make rapid progress  standards by the end of Year 2 are at least in line with the national average, especially in writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement varies across the school. Those in Reception and Year 6 currently make the best progress. However, most pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not yet achieving as well as they should. While the improvements in progress across the school are significant from an exceptionally low starting point two years ago, pupils’ progress across the school is not yet consistent enough for overall achievement to be judged as good.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 was significantly below average in both 2011 and 2012. Better teaching ensured that progress accelerated and standards improved in 2013 to be broadly average in reading. However, they were below average in writing and mathematics. Current standards do not indicate any further improvement.  The legacy of lower achievement is still evident to some extent in Years 4 and 5, but current leaders have ensured that these pupils have support to enable them to catch up. Too many

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

pupils, especially in Years 3, 4 and 5, have poorly-formed handwriting.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved steadily from a low point in 2011 and was broadly average in 2013. Although inconsistencies remain, progress has improved in Key Stage 2. Year 6 pupils are making good progress in mathematics and their progress is improving in reading and writing. Standards are showing further improvement this year, particularly in mathematics, with some pupils, supported by the local secondary school, working at the highest level (Level 6).  Children start in Reception with skills mostly below those expected for their age. With consistently good teaching and provision, they make good progress, although their skills remain slightly below average by the time they join Year 1. Staff assessments of children’s knowledge and skills are thorough.  Year 6 pupils supported by pupil premium funding in 2013 were around one term ahead of their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

classmates in English and mathematics. Across the school, most funded pupils benefit from specifically targeted support and now make progress at least in line with their peers.  The proportion of Year 1 pupils attaining the expected standard in the screening check in phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) exceeded the national average in 2013. Effective teaching of phonics is contributing to an improvement in pupils’ reading skills.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well. Most make good progress from their starting points, with some having complex special needs. Those pupils in the nurture class provision are well supported and make good progress in developing their self-confidence and social skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Weaker teaching in the past has affected learning and progress across the school. Leaders have acted resolutely to eradicate inadequate teaching so that teaching is now more effective. However, while a significant proportion of teaching is now good, and progress more rapid, there are still pockets of weaker practice where pupils make slower progress.  Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what their pupils can achieve. Work is sometimes not challenging enough and this slows progress.  Pupils are not always clear about what they are learning and this slows their progress. Not all lessons capture pupils’ enthusiasm to learn sufficiently.  While the school has established clear expectations as to how pupils’ work will be presented, teachers do not always place enough emphasis on this. Consequently, many pupils in Years 3 to 5 still have poorly-formed handwriting.  The checking of, and subsequent support for, pupils’ progress have improved. There is good

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

practice in the marking of pupils’ work, with regular identification of the next steps that pupils need to take to move their learning on.  Children’s pace of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage is brisk. The refurbished classroom and outdoor environment are stimulating, while activities provide the right level of challenge to engage children’s interest.  Pupils supported by pupil premium funding benefit from well-targeted adult support linked to careful tracking of their progress. Teaching assistants are well prepared and generally effective.  When teaching is most effective and teachers’ subject knowledge is secure, pupils learn well. In a fast-paced science session in Years 4 and 5, where pupils were learning about animals’ adaptation to their environment, they were enthused by the material and were encouraged to be responsive and involved. Pupils of all abilities were successfully targeted and included. As a

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

result, learning was good.  Effective teaching of reading skills means that pupils make mostly good progress in reading.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils display positive attitudes, particularly when the teaching is motivating and inspirational, and their enthusiasm for learning contributes strongly to their increasingly rapid progress.  Firm action recently has addressed behavioural issues that disrupted learning in the past. Inappropriate behaviour is now infrequent; exclusions are rare. Effective behaviour management systems, based on rewards for positive behaviour, ensure a consistent response to any issues. Few parents and carers who gave their views indicated any concerns about behaviour.  The nurture group successfully meets the needs of pupils who require temporary additional support to ensure that they can engage fully with mainstream education.  Pupils eagerly undertake responsibilities within class and in the playground, as buddies and playleaders, so contributing to the smooth running of the school community.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school is effective in minimising risks. Pupils feel safe, confident that adults will deal with all difficulties.  Pupils have a good appreciation of a range of risks. Year 6 pupils are aware of the risks relating to cyber-bullying, for example, and are thus well prepared for secondary school.  Bullying is rare. Pupils recognise that bullying may take many forms, but are certain that any problems will be addressed by the school.  Attendance has improved steadily and is broadly average. The school has a rigorous approach to non-attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is working successfully to address a number of significant weaknesses in teaching and achievement that were evident across the school in the past. Resolute and determined leadership has ensured that the school is now in a much more secure position. School leaders have successfully tackled many issues, particularly in relation to behaviour and teaching, and pupils’ achievement has improved significantly.  The headteacher has brought energy and resilience to her role. The restructured senior leadership team has an accurate overview of the quality of teaching. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching is exceptionally thorough, taking account of all aspects of a teacher’s work.  Systems for managing staff performance are rigorous and teachers are set aspirational targets, underpinned by good professional development opportunities. There is now a close alignment between teachers’ performance and their pay progression.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s view of itself is accurate. Improvement plans identify the correct priorities. All weaknesses are being addressed.  All teaching staff have some subject or other responsibilities, providing them with increased opportunities to drive change.  All staff monitor the impact of pupil premium funding closely. Additional teaching is provided in English and mathematics to target pupils who might be at risk of falling behind. Staff adjust provision to maximise impact, leading to better gains in learning for eligible pupils.  The curriculum meets pupils’ needs adequately. The school has given priority to literacy and numeracy, in order to raise achievement in these areas. The development of other subjects is less consistent. There is good quality work in, for example, history, geography and science, although this does not yet match the standards evident in English and mathematics. Younger pupils participate regularly in Forest School activities. Extra-curricular and enrichment provision

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The leadership and management are good

is good.  Planning for the use of the primary sports funding is effective. Targeted staff training is ensuring that initiatives are sustainable. New clubs and competitive teams have been introduced, with more pupils now participating in sporting activities.  The local authority has supported the school well to secure improvements.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. There are good links with faith groups and good opportunities for visits beyond the immediate area. Partnerships with other schools at primary and secondary level contribute well to staff development and pupils’ learning. Links with parents and carers have improved significantly. Safeguarding arrangements fully meet national requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is now much more effective than at the time of the previous inspection. Governors bring expertise and commitment, and ensure a clear strategic direction. They are realistic and engage fully in school self-evaluation and development planning. They have benefited from training provided by the local authority and now have a secure understanding of school and national performance, making good use of available data. This enables them to compare the school’s performance with that of others. Minutes of governing body meetings, particularly the committees, show that governors now hold school leaders to account rigorously. Governors are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity, tackling discrimination and promoting good relationships. They have a good understanding of the quality of teaching. They ensure that pay and promotion are now aligned to evidence of teachers’ effectiveness. Governors understand the impact of decisions about the use of pupil

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The leadership and management are good

premium funding to close gaps in pupils’ attainment. Governors and senior leaders ensure that all statutory duties are met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 115555 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 442499

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 136 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Taylor Headteacher Kate Burke Date of previous school inspection 3 October 2012 Telephone number 01594 562201 Fax number 01594 563305 Email address head@yorkley.gloucs.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 and 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

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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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