West Heslerton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

West Heslerton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School West Heslerton, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 8RD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school has improved significantly since the previous inspection. It provides all pupils with a first class education.  The headteacher and the leadership team, ably supported by an extremely effective governing body, have been highly successful in bringing about improvements to the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils.  All of the leaders in the school share the same determination for the school to be as good as it can be. Together with the headteacher they have created effective plans for improvement and are tenacious in ensuring the success of these plans.  The governing body is highly effective in the way that it supports and challenges the school. Governors share the same very high expectations as the staff and the same drive to continually develop the school.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary both in and out of lessons. They are very proud to be members of the friendly and welcoming school community and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are unfailingly polite and courteous.  Pupils say that there is no bullying and that they feel extremely safe in school. Older pupils show a lot of care and consideration for younger pupils. Parents and staff agree with this view.  The quality of teaching is never less than good and is often outstanding. Teachers know their pupils well and so plan lessons which excite and motivate them to try their hardest. Teachers provide very helpful comments when they mark pupils’ work but do not then always provide the time for pupils to improve their writing.  The early years is outstanding. Children get off to a very good start and the high quality teaching and the nurturing environment ensure that they are ready for learning in Year 1.  Pupils achieve very well. They make rapid progress from their different starting points and so, by the end of Year 6, they reach standards that are above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum makes a significant contribution to developing pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning. The wide range of interesting topics ensures that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding develops very well and prepares them for life in modern Britain. Traditional British values are woven through everything the school does both in and out of the classroom. October 2014 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited lessons and part lessons. He observed one lesson jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with school leaders and four governors, including the chair of governors. The inspector also had a telephone conversation with the School Improvement Adviser.  The inspector met with a group of pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 and spoke informally to pupils at break and lunchtimes. He also talked to parents at the start and end of the school day.  The inspector looked at the work pupils were doing in lessons and at their books over time. He also listened to pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read and talked to them about their enjoyment of reading.  The inspector observed the work of the school and examined a range of documents concerning pupils’ current achievement, development plans and performance management information. He also looked at records relating to behaviour, attendance and child protection arrangements. Minutes of governing body

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Information about this inspection

meetings and the School Improvement Adviser’s reports were also considered.  The inspector took account of 19 responses to the on-line survey (Parent View) and six questionnaires completed by the staff.

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Inspection team

Peter Evea, Lead inspector Additional Inspector October 2014 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  Very few pupils are disadvantaged and supported by the pupil premium. (The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is very small and in 2013 there were none.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or by a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  There have been significant changes in staffing, including at a senior level and in early years, in recent years. For a period of time the headteacher was also the headteacher at another school. This arrangement has now ended.  Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes, one for Reception and Years 1 and 2 and the other for Year 3

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment even further in writing by providing pupils with opportunities to make the improvements suggested by teachers when they mark their work. October 2014 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school is extremely well led by a very determined and highly effective headteacher, very ably supported by all the staff and by a very well-informed and active governing body.  Together, all the leaders within the school have been very successful in bringing about notable improvements in the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils.  Everyone in the school has a very clear view of its strengths and areas for development and together the staff produce plans to tackle these. All staff and governors play a part in regularly checking on the progress being made. There is no sense of complacency and all the staff strive to improve their skills through effective professional development.  This is an extremely caring and inclusive school where all pupils are valued and are able to access all that the school has to offer. Staff work very hard to make sure that all groups of pupils do as well as they can,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

for example by making sure that there is no gap in achievement between any of the different groups of pupils.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and captures the interest of the pupils as well as catering very well for their individual needs, particularly in relation to developing their literacy and numeracy skills. There are excellent opportunities for pupils to engage in a range of additional activities and clubs such as yoga and dance, and pupils appreciate the opportunities to go on school visits and residential visits. They particularly enjoy the learning they do in nearby forests.  The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils study different faiths and cultures and have many opportunities to think about and express their feelings. The idea of typical British values is central to all that pupils experience and do while

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The leadership and management are outstanding

in school.  The recent funding to promote pupils’ physical development and extend sporting activities is being used very well. Extra support is provided to enhance teachers’ skills in teaching a range of different sports; to provide additional sporting activities such as tennis and to enable pupils to participate in sporting competitions. The school provides opportunities for pupils to meet and compete with pupils from other schools.  Safeguarding and child-protection procedures are very effective and meet all current statutory requirements.  The local authority has provided much appreciated support in recent years.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very effective in supporting and challenging school leaders. They know the school very well and visit it regularly. They keep themselves well informed about all aspects of school life and have a clear understanding of why improvements in teaching have brought about improvements in pupils’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

achievement. Governors bring a range of very useful skills which they use to great effect. They regularly check on where there might be gaps in their skills and quickly seek out training to develop their skills further. They monitor the school’s performance thoroughly and are becoming increasingly challenging in the questions they ask leaders in order to hold the school to account. They are familiar with the Teachers’ Standards and use them to help manage teachers’ performance and they have a clear understanding of the link between teachers’ performance and salary progression. They oversee the spending of pupil premium funding and the primary school sport funding well and are aware of the positive impact such spending is having on pupils’ achievement and their physical well-being.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary both in and out of lessons. Records kept by the school confirm that pupils’ behaviour is of a high order.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning and to the school are extremely positive. Their enjoyment of learning in lessons is obvious and they bring these very positive attitudes to the playground and other areas. They play well with each other and older pupils look out for younger pupils who they care for and about.  Pupils willingly take on roles of responsibility throughout the school such as looking after the chickens or being assembly monitors. They take these jobs very seriously and are conscientious in carrying out their October 2014 5 of 9

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Behaviour

duties.  All adults in the school insist on the same high standards of behaviour. Pupils say that they know how to behave and expect others to behave as well as they do.  Attendance is above average because pupils want to come to school. They are encouraged to attend regularly and on time.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils say that they feel very safe and that all the adults work hard to keep them safe. Parents agree that their children are safe and secure while in school and on visits.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of risks and how to keep themselves safe including when using the internet, near railway lines and near busy roads.  Pupils say that there is no bullying. They have a very good understanding of the different forms bullying can take and are confident that if any occurred they would recognise it, and it would be very quickly dealt with.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching over time has improved. It is now never less than good and is often outstanding as shown by pupils’ outstanding achievement and behaviour.  Teachers have a very detailed knowledge about each pupil’s progress and use this knowledge to plan really interesting and stimulating lessons that allow all pupils to make rapid progress. As one pupil said, ‘Teachers do everything they can to help you learn.’  The warm relationships between adults and pupils, combined with well-established classroom routines ensure that lessons proceed smoothly and purposefully. All staff share the same high expectations and pupils do their utmost to live up to them. Pupils readily ask questions and offer opinions and ideas which are valued by all.  Pupils are given frequent opportunities to read. Pupils read widely and all make good use of the well- stocked library. They talk enthusiastically about favourite authors and the types of books they like, often

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

in response to a recent lesson or experience such as in the lessons outside in the wooded areas.  Pupils write very well and often at length. Their accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar increases throughout their time in school and they become increasingly skilled at adapting their style to suit different audiences and purposes. There are times, though, when they do not make improvements to their writing after it has been marked and so do not learn from this as quickly as they might.  Mathematics is taught imaginatively and pupils readily respond to the challenges and investigations presented to them. In the mixed Year 3 to Year 6 class, pupils became completely absorbed in a puzzle which really tested their knowledge and understanding of different fractions.  Teachers mark pupils’ work very thoroughly and use a whole-school system that is understood by all the pupils. Comments show pupils where they have been successful and where improvements could be made.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 All staff have a very clear understanding of pupils’ needs and what they are expected to learn. Skilful teaching assistant support in class helps pupils to overcome any difficulties or misunderstandings which might slow their learning.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is excellent and their very obvious enthusiasm for what they are teaching is infectious. As a result, pupils are very keen to be involved and to do their very best.  Teachers have very high expectations of what pupils are capable of and all pupils, including the most able, are challenged to achieve as much as they can. Pupils willingly try their very hardest.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The very good progress that children make in early years continues in Key Stage 1 so that pupils reach standards that are increasingly above average by the end of Year 2. The excellent progress continues in Key Stage 2 so that by the end of Year 6 pupils reach standards that are comfortably above average in reading, writing and mathematics. This is a notable improvement since the previous inspection. Progress in writing, while above average, is not quite as rapid as it is in other subjects.  Evidence gathered during the inspection including the school’s most recent information for the current October 2014 6 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Year 6 pupils shows that all pupils are on track to make at least the progress expected of them with a significant proportion to make more than the expected progress, particularly in reading and mathematics but also in writing.  Pupils achieve exceptionally well in reading. They make a very good start in early years and this is built on in Key Stage 1. In 2014, all pupils reached the required standard in the phonics screening check. Pupils’ skills in reading continue to develop throughout Key Stage 2, leading to above average standards.  Progress in writing is very good. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to write throughout the school and they quickly develop an enjoyment of writing and increasingly use their skills to write for different subjects and purposes. However, progress in writing, while very good, is not as rapid as it is in reading and mathematics because pupils do not always make improvements to their writing swiftly

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

enough and so important lessons about spelling, punctuation or grammar are not always reinforced.  Pupils have very well-developed numeracy skills which they use and apply to solve increasingly complex mathematical problems in real-life situations.  The most able pupils achieve very well overall. They are well challenged and supported and respond to the very high expectations of all the staff. They typically reach standards that are at least three terms ahead of others in the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make very good progress from their individual starting points. They receive well-planned support from skilled adults who know their needs very well as a result of early and accurate identification.  Extra support is provided for the very small number of disadvantaged pupils where it is needed. They typically make very good progress from their different starting points and typically do as well as others in

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

the school. The group is too small to be able to compare accurately the standards they achieve by the end of Year 6 with others in the school or with all pupils nationally.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 The early years leader and her team have a very clear picture of what each child needs and all have the child’s best interests at heart. As a result of her very effective leadership, the early years runs very smoothly and children thrive.  The warm and positive relationships mean that children settle in very quickly. They benefit from being in a mixed-age class where routines are already known and followed. They see what older pupils are learning and are curious and eager to join in with everything.  The teaching is always at least good and is often outstanding. Children are provided with different tasks and activities which encourage them to find things out for themselves and which cover all the areas of learning. The early years children enthusiastically joined in with planning a Blackout Ball to celebrate VE Day and showed good knowledge of life in Britain during the Second World War.  Safety is taken extremely seriously in the early years. There are rigorous systems in place to keep children

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The early years provision is outstanding

safe and secure, particularly at the start and end of the school day.  Most children start in Reception with the skills and knowledge that they need to start learning. They now make excellent progress in the early years, which was not the case at the time of the last inspection. By the end of the Reception Year they typically reach or exceed a good level of development and are ready for learning in Year 1. As they are in a mixed-age class with pupils in Years 1 and 2, transition from early years to Key Stage 1 is smooth and learning does not slow. October 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 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. October 2014 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 121541 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 448842

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 38 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Heather Clemence Headteacher Rachel Wells Date of previous school inspection 16 June 2010 Telephone number 01944 728286 Fax number 01944 728286 Email address headteacher@heslerton.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

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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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