Nawton Community Primary School

Nawton Community Primary School School Lane, Nawton, York, North Yorkshire, YO62 7SF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Achievement is good overall. Pupils progress well and are well prepared for the next step in their education.  Children start school, with skills and understanding that are often below those expected for their age. They make good progress overall and reach above-average standards in reading and average standards in mathematics and writing by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is good and expectations of what pupils can achieve are high. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning through small group work.  Parents are pleased with the progress their children make and with the way in which they are nurtured and cared for at school.  Pupils' behaviour is good. Pupils are inquisitive, well-mannered and respectful. Pupils say they feel safe in school and are cared for well.  The early years provision provides well for the children.  The school is expertly led and managed by the executive headteacher. Staff are a cohesive team

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

across the federation, all with the same aspiration to enable every pupil to achieve their best. Leaders are determined to raise teaching and achievement even higher.  The governing body makes a good contribution to leadership. They hold the executive headteacher to account strongly. They evaluate the performance of teachers through the good information they receive.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Marking does not always provide pupils with precise information about how to improve their work.  Monitoring does not always have a sharp enough focus on pupils’ progress. As a result pupils do not make as much progress as they could in mathematics and writing.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed four lessons, two of which were joint observations with the headteacher and one with the special needs leader. The inspector made two further short visits to lessons with the special needs leader.  The inspector listened to pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read and looked at pupils’ work in their books.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, pupils, the Chair and two members of the governing body, and members of the teaching staff, a telephone call was made to a representative from the local authority.  The inspector spoke to parents on the playground before school started, held a telephone conversation with a parent and took into account five questionnaires from staff. The inspector took account of 23 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including plans for improvement, records of the school’s checks on pupils’ and teachers’ performance, safeguarding and attendance documents, minutes of

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Information about this inspection

meetings of the governing body and school policies.

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Inspection team

Pauline Hilling-Smith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Nawton Community Primary is a smaller-than–average-sized primary school  In April 2013, the school formally federated with Rosedale Abbey Community Primary School, with an executive headteacher and one governing body.  In September 2014, the senior teacher became the part-time special needs leader for the federation and an existing teacher was appointed as the senior teacher. A newly qualified teacher was also appointed. This represents half of the teachers in the school.  In September 2012, the school opened nursery provision.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through 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 disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil

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Information about this school

premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and those children that are looked after.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that a higher proportion of pupils make better than good progress in writing and mathematics, especially the more able pupils by ensuring that:  marking gives pupils precise information about what they need to do to improve their work and they are always given the opportunity to respond to that information  teaching in mathematics always includes developing pupils’ conceptual understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that strategies for monitoring pupil progress are developed and widened further.

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The leadership and management are good

 This small school is considerably enhanced through being federated with another small school nearby. The executive headteacher has a clear vision about how to move both schools forward together for the benefit of both schools. She is highly respected as a leader by both the community and by all who work with her. The staff are a cohesive team and work extremely well together.  The majority of staff have leadership roles and support school improvement well across the federation. However, some recent changes in role mean that they have only just begun to develop their work further and come together as a new team. This includes middle leaders.  The school has an accurate picture of its strengths and areas for development. Leaders use data to analyse the progress made by individuals and groups of pupils. However, the headteacher knows that the frequency and range of different ways in which information about each individual pupil’s progress is being

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The leadership and management are good

gathered need to be more rigorous in order for pupils to make even more progress in mathematics and writing. For example, the scrutiny of pupils’ books is not as rigorous as it should be.  Monitoring of teaching is effective in improving the quality of teaching. School leaders use the observation of lessons and data well to set targets for teachers and continually improve teaching practice.  The curriculum is extensively enriched by music, sport, visitors and residential visits. It meets the diverse needs of this small population well. This is because the executive headteacher is determined that every individual has the opportunity to find and develop their talents as well as a clear understanding of life and the values of modern Britain. The wide range of visitors to school and many outdoor activities incorporating an appreciation of the natural world are the basis for pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and

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The leadership and management are good

cultural development.  Partnership with parents is exceptional and parents use words such as ‘first-class’ when they describe the work of the school.  The local authority knows the school and provides support as appropriate.  Plans for the use of the primary school sports funding are being deployed to increase competition between schools, provide sports coaching in school and offer sports training for teachers. As a result, the two schools jointly have been able to field teams of players to take part in inter-schools competitions.  The governance of the school:  The governing body receives good information about the work of the school and the achievement of pupils. Governors have a clear understanding about the quality of teaching. Minutes of meetings show that they use this knowledge well to challenge and support the headteacher about all aspects of the school’s work.  Governors review spending decisions carefully. For example, in particular the cost of providing breakfast

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The leadership and management are good

and after-school clubs. They ensure that any disadvantaged pupils who wish to attend after school are able to do so and this has a good impact on the achievement of those pupils.  Governors are rigorous in annually reviewing the performance of the executive headteacher, and receive detailed information about the performance targets set for teachers and the link to salary progression.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most pupils behave sensibly and follow school procedures most of the time. Individual pupils who have special needs make good gains in controlling their behaviour, as a result of the patient and skilful way staff manage behaviour. However, very occasionally, support staff are too accepting or do not apply the school’s policy consistently. The school’s overriding nurturing and caring ethos forms the basis of the warm, friendly atmosphere.  Pupils are inquisitive yet respectful and well mannered. The pet chinchilla is used very well to encourage and comfort anyone who needs it. For example, allowing a child to offer the pet an occasional raisin has solved many problems!  Pupils’ attitude to learning in lessons and throughout school is good. They clearly enjoy what staff plan for them to do and are highly interested in, for example, finding the DNA of a banana.  Pupils with additional needs make rapid progress in controlling their own behaviour because staff are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

knowledgeable in managing behaviour.  Pupils are well aware of how to keep themselves and others safe at all times, for example, when learning outdoors, on trips and residential experiences. They are well aware of how to keep safe in a variety of situations based on the information they receive from a well-planned and wide range of visiting experts. They understand the consequences of unsafe practices by visiting an accident and emergency department in a local hospital  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Records show that incidents of inappropriate behaviour are unusual. Any incidents are dealt with effectively and quickly by staff.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Policies and procedures meet expectations.  Governors are vigilant in ensuring that full checks of safety are regularly undertaken and acted upon. For example, they have improved perimeter fencing as a result of receiving information from parents.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Staff are well trained in behaviour management and relationships with pupils mean that pupils say confidently that there is always someone to talk to if necessary.  There have been no exclusions for many years and attendance is consistently well-above average.  The vast majority of parents who responded on Parent View said that their children felt happy and safe.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff reflect on the quality of their teaching alongside other staff in the federation and with staff in the local group of schools. As a result teaching is improving continuously and pupils learn and achieve well during their time at school.  Expectations of the way pupils present their work and the amount of work to be completed by pupils in a given time is high. Pupils rise to meet these expectations and work is usually accurate and presented neatly.  Relationships with pupils are excellent as is the ethos in which they learn. The atmosphere is one in which it is expected that pupils will receive help and encouragement from peers as well as adults.  The teaching of phonics (learning letters and the sounds that they make) is good. Pupils can decode and read words well and they have opportunities to develop inference and comprehension skills in their reading. Guided reading sessions are very well organised with a focus on reading for pleasure as well as

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The quality of teaching is good

research.  The teaching of writing has been hampered in the past by a lack of emphasis on the development of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Although this has now improved, pupils still do not always improve their achievement in writing because they sometimes find the writing activities too difficult to understand or decipher.  In addition, although marking is extensive and up to date, it does not always give clear precise information to pupils about what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils are not always given the opportunity to respond to that information.  The skills of teaching assistants are good and targeted well to support individuals and small groups to ensure that pupils make good progress.  Occasionally, during some mathematics activities, pupils’ conceptual understanding is not developed well enough. As a result achievement is slowed, especially for the more able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school often with the skills and understanding below those expected for their age. They make good progress overall and reach average standards overall in mathematics and writing and above national expectations in reading by the end of Year 6.  In the early years, children make good progress and have a good level of development by the time they join Year 1.  Progress is good in Years 1 and 2. Assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2014 show that most pupils reached national average in reading, writing and mathematics and a third of pupils reached the higher levels in reading and writing. This is a much improved overall picture at Key Stage 1 than previous years; however, because numbers are very small in all year groups, the school rightly places an emphasis on pupils reaching and exceeding their personal goals.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 shows a variable picture yet improving trend overall. This is because

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils make good progress. Attainment in reading is consistently above the national average.  Although standards in mathematics rose in 2012, standards in mathematics have remained lower overall than other subjects, and this is the case in 2014, especially at the higher levels.  Progress across the school is particularly strong in reading because pupils are taught to read very well in their earlier years and they read often and widely to fulfil their love of reading. Fluent readers are carefully encouraged by staff to read extensively and make use of the school library. Pupils have opportunities to read from a wide array of books and other materials.  However, in writing, pupils’ progress has in the past been slowed by not enough emphasis on the accurate use of their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills. This was a priority for improvement last year and results in grammar, punctuation and spelling are much improved in 2014.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress overall to their peers. The proportion of pupils making better than expected progress compares favourably with national figures. In 2014, the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in school closed in writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils attain at least as well as other pupils nationally. This is because they benefit from individually tailored support. Everyone in the school is highly committed to removing any barriers to learning for all pupils. This shows the schools commitment to equality of opportunity for all.  In 2014, the proportion of the more able pupils who attained the higher levels in reading was well-above national expectations and proportions compare favourably in mathematics and writing. However, overall, the more able pupils do not make as much progress as they could because they are not always given precise information about what they need to do to achieve even higher standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most parents who responded on Parent View agreed that their children make good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make good progress and are well prepared for entry to Year 1 having achieved a good level of development.  Good induction procedures on entry to either Nursery or Reception ensure children settle quickly. These procedures include parental visits to school and staff visits to parents’ homes. These help to provide a detailed picture of each child’s needs and interests, and informs what happens with the child in school.  Communication with parents is excellent. Information about what is happening in school each week can be found in the ‘learning journey books’ which go home each week. As a result parents make a very valuable contribution to their child’s learning by doing exactly the right thing to support their child’s progress.  Children of nursery-age happily play and learn outdoors together with a wide range of resources. The quality of teaching is good. Adults ask questions and demonstrate ideas for the children while at the same

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The early years provision is good

time, noting the children’s interests so that they can plan resources which will catch the children’s interests.  In the Reception class, children spend more time on learning literacy and numeracy skills. Activities provided often follow children’s interests. For example, during the inspection, children became ‘superheroes’ or searched for shapes to use to contain treasure or to stick to their pirate hats.  The early years provision is well led and managed by a knowledgeable and creative member of staff. Teamwork is a considerable strength.  Children are cared for well and are safe. The class rabbit often grabs children’s attention and is used well to engage and motivate children.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 121306 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 449119

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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 82 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anthony Davies Headteacher Nicola Johnson Date of previous school inspection 28 June 2011 Telephone number 01439 771245 Fax number 01439 771927 Email address headteacher@nawton.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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