Barlby Community Primary School

Barlby Community Primary School Hilltop Barlby, Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 5JQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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.  Pupils’ achievement has improved rapidly and significantly since the previous inspection, especially in Key Stage 1, and is now good.  By the end of Key Stage 2 the proportion of pupils that make the progress expected of them in English and mathematics and the proportion making better progress than this compare favourably to national figures and are rising.  The school promotes equality of opportunity very effectively. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those known to be eligible for pupil premium support, achieve well.  Good teaching, with some that is outstanding, ensures that pupils make good progress and enjoy their learning. Teachers know their subjects well and plan activities that pupils find interesting and enjoyable.  Pupils feel very safe in school because adults take very good care of them.  Pupils are proud of their school. They behave

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

sensibly in lessons and around the school. Most have very positive attitudes to learning and to school.  Attendance has risen and is now above average.  The cornerstone of the school’s rapid improvement is the strong and purposeful leadership provided by the headteacher. She is ably supported by a strong team of other leaders and managers who focus sharply on improving the school.  The governing body has stepped up its effectiveness. It knows the school well, provides good support to leaders and managers, and holds them rigorously to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of pupils making more than the progress expected of them is not yet high in comparison to national figures.  Not enough teaching is, as yet, enabling more pupils to make more than the progress expected of them.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 21 lessons taught by 15 teachers. Two of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. An inspector listened to a group of pupils read. Inspectors also visited groups where the teaching of phonics (blending letter sounds to make words) was taking place.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documentation, including the school's view of its own performance, safeguarding and child-protection arrangements, behaviour and attendance, the quality of teaching and minutes of the governing body meetings. A sample of pupils’ work in books was also examined.  Inspectors 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 senior and middle leaders.  The lead inspector spoke with three members of the governing body, including the Chair of the

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Information about this inspection

Governing Body. An inspector also spoke to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 43 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as summaries of parental responses to questionnaires issued by the school. An inspector also spoke to eight parents at the start of the second day of the inspection and to three parents who requested to meet with an inspector. Inspectors also considered 45 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Stephen Wall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Rosemary Batty Additional Inspector Fiona McNally Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  Nearly all pupils are White British. Very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. (The pupil premium provides additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well-below average, as is the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  In recent years there have been a significant number of staffing changes, including the appointment of a new headteacher in January 2012 and a new deputy headteacher in September 2013. Several new appointments have also been made to middle leadership and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of teaching that enables pupils to make outstanding progress by ensuring that:  activities in lessons are always challenging enough for pupils of differing abilities, especially the most able  expectations of how much work pupils can achieve, especially the most able, is always high  all marking is as good as the best in showing pupils what they need to do to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills below those expected for their age.  They make good progress and achieve well in the Early years Foundation Stage because teaching makes sure that activities are stimulating and matched closely to the children’s needs.  Effective management and good teaching have stemmed a downward trend in attainment in Key Stage 1. School data, supported by inspection evidence from observation of lessons, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with staff and pupils, confirm that attainment is now close to the national average and improving. Much improved teaching of phonics has brought about a significant upturn in pupils’ reading skills.  Attainment in Key Stage 2 has been on an upward trend in recent years. School data, again confirmed by inspection evidence, show that the attainment of current Year 6 pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is broadly in line with the 2013 national averages and is set to rise

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The achievement of pupils is good

further in the coming years.  The proportion of pupils making the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2013, and the proportion making better than expected progress, was in line with national figures. Inspection evidence confirms the school’s projections that the proportions are set to rise significantly in 2014 and in 2015.  In recent years there have been too few pupils known to be eligible for free school meals for meaningful, statistical analysis of their achievement in comparison to their classmates. In 2013 the six pupils known to be eligible for free school meals attained above the national average for similar pupils and made the same progress as their classmates. In the current Year 6 cohort there are even fewer pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  Pupils who are disabled or with a statement of special educational needs achieve well because of

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The achievement of pupils is good

the strong support that they receive in class and, where necessary, in small groups or individually.  In 2013 at the end of Year 6, the proportion of the most able pupils who made the progress expected of them and more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics was generally in line with national figures for similar pupils nationally. However, not enough pupils attained the highest levels because activities are not always challenging enough to drive their learning and progress at a faster pace. Inspection evidence shows that the school is coming to grips with this and that the proportion of the most able pupils making more than the progress expected of them is growing securely.  The school has sharpened its focus successfully on improving pupils’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics in recent years, especially in Key Stage 1. As a result of laying firm foundations, achievement in literacy and numeracy is improving at a fast pace, not just in Key Stage 1 but

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The achievement of pupils is good

also higher up the school where pupils are able to build on much stronger foundations to make good and improving progress. Some of the writing skills displayed in books by pupils in the current Year 5, for example, are truly outstanding.  That the achievement of all groups of pupils has improved significantly since the previous inspection shows the school’s strong and effective commitment to providing equality of opportunity for all.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection, especially in Key Stage 1. It is now good with some that is outstanding and is enabling pupils to make good and improving progress.  Teachers know the pupils in their classes well. They develop strong and caring relationships with them that build pupils’ confidence and willingness as learners.  Pupils work hard and enjoy their learning. They respect the adults working with them and are keen to give of their best.  Teachers plan activities that are both entertaining and stimulating. In most lessons pupils have good opportunities to practise and develop their skills and produce good work. However, sometimes teachers’ expectations of how much work pupils can achieve are not high enough and, consequently, their learning slows.  Pupils work very effectively in small groups and pairs where they enjoy sharing their learning

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The quality of teaching is good

and ideas.  Sometimes the difficulty of activities is not matched well enough to the range of abilities in each class. Some pupils, especially the most able, find the work a little too easy and this slows the progress of which they are capable.  However, when the level of challenge is just right, pupils learn at a fast pace and enjoy rising to the challenge. For example, in a Year 5 English lesson on writing an adventure story, pupils’ writing showed the high expectations that the teacher had of them and the outstanding progress they were making in expressing themselves using complex sentence structures and a wide range of appropriate vocabulary. The activities were set at just the right level of challenge, especially for the most able, and searching questions by the teacher elicited lengthy and reasoned answers that demonstrated pupils’ firm understanding and confidence as speakers in expressing complex

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The quality of teaching is good

ideas.  Teaching assistants take an active part in lessons in supporting pupils’ learning, especially those who find work more difficult than others.  Despite a few concerns expressed by parents, pupils say that they receive regular homework that is useful in backing up their learning in class.  Teachers mark pupils’ written work regularly. While marking is regular, its quality in showing pupils clearly what they need to do to improve further is inconsistent in that it is good in some cases and in others not as good as it could be.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are polite to each other, the adults working with them and to visitors. ‘Please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ are the order of the day.  Pupils are proud of their school. They wear their school uniform correctly and take good care of the school’s surroundings and buildings.  In lessons and around school, pupils behave well and with commendable respect for others. They take great pride in the presentation of their written work.  Pupils say that behaviour is generally good in lessons and that there is little disruption to learning.  Occasionally, when pupils find work too easy or too hard in lessons, some become inattentive, but this is the exception rather than the rule.  Pupils say that bullying or name calling of any kind is rare. If it happens, they also say that teachers are quick to deal with it. School records confirm that bullying is rare and that

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

appropriate action is taken to tackle it.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good.  Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and that they have the confidence to approach the adults working with them with any problems or concerns.  Pupils talk knowledgeably about potentially unsafe situations and how to deal with or avoid them. They are fully aware of the risks presented by using the internet and social networking sites.  The school knows all of its pupils as individuals. It provides strong support for those whose circumstances make them vulnerable and for those with special educational needs to make sure that they are happy in school and do as well as they can.  Attendance has improved in recent years and is now above average.  The majority of parents are satisfied with the standard of behaviour and safety at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides the school with determined and purposeful leadership. She is ably supported by other leaders and managers who work extremely well as a team.  Leaders know what the school does well and where it could do better. Planning for future improvement is of high quality and focuses sharply on making the school more effective.  Leaders and managers have tackled weaknesses in teaching robustly and successfully. Checking on the quality of teaching is regular and accurate. The outcomes are used astutely to target staff training where it is needed most. As a result the quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection, as has pupils’ achievement.  Leaders and managers track the progress of each pupil towards demanding targets regularly and rigorously. They identify and tackle any signs of underachievement at an early stage. Pupils’ progress is an integral part of checking on teachers’ performance and is central to decisions

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The leadership and management are good

about salary increases.  Subject leaders and other middle managers know what is expected of them and set about their work with enthusiasm and skill. Their work is providing highly effective support for putting into practice the headteacher’s vision of how successful the school can be. However, many middle leaders are relatively new in post and the full impact of their work has yet to be felt.  The curriculum meets pupils’ needs. Topic work is popular with the pupils. It provides plenty of opportunities for pupils to read widely and write at length about things that interest them across a range of subjects. There is an extensive range of popular activities outside lessons in sports and the arts as well as trips out that add extra enjoyment to pupils’ experience of school and broaden their horizons.  Extra sports funding is used well to extend the range of sports that are provided for pupils and to improve the skills of staff in teaching physical education. In particular, the school has

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The leadership and management are good

promoted successfully pupils’ participation in competitive sports and competitions with a record of considerable success.  Pupils’ good behaviour, their keen sense of right and wrong, and their understanding and tolerance of other religions and cultures show that the school’s success in developing their spiritual, moral, social and cultural qualities. They are well equipped for future life in a diverse society.  The school has developed good relations with the majority of parents who respect the school and the strides it has made in becoming more effective.  After a period of providing the school with quite intensive support, the local authority now provides light-touch support in recognition that the school has improved significantly and continues to do so.  Procedures and policies for safeguarding pupils are fully in place and active.  The governance of the school:  Since the previous inspection the governing body has taken the necessary steps to improve its

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The leadership and management are good

effectiveness. Training ensures that governors now understand fully how well the school is doing in comparison to other similar schools and to schools nationally. This enables them to hold the school more rigorously to account by asking the necessary and pertinent questions about its effectiveness. Reports from the headteacher and other leaders and managers ensure that the governing body knows the quality of teaching and how it is improving. They understand and are fully involved in the management of staff performance and link this closely to decisions about salary increases. The governing body has a firm grasp on the school’s finances, including how pupil premium funding is allocated and the impact that it has.

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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 121449 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 442309

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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 379 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matthew Walker Headteacher Jillian Baker Date of previous school inspection 16 January 2013 Telephone number 01757 703317 Fax number 01757 706812 Email address admin@barlby-pri.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 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

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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