Sledmere Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Sledmere Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Sledmere, Driffield, YO25 3XP

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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 Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The recently appointed executive headteacher is ambitious for the school. She has quickly identified key priorities and has already implemented changes which are improving teaching and learning throughout the school.  Governors share the headteacher's ambition for the school and are supportive of what she is trying to achieve.  The behaviour of pupils is good and attendance is above average.  Pupils say the school is caring and they feel safe. They have positive relationships with each other and adults.  Teaching in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is consistently good and sometimes better.  Pupils achieve well and make good progress. By the end of Year 6, standards in mathematics and writing are above average.  The early years provides a safe and caring environment, where children behave well and mix happily with each other.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. This makes an

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

important contribution to their good behaviour and caring attitudes.  Parents expressed largely positive views and say their children are happy, safe and making good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The role of middle leaders is not fully developed. They have not had sufficient opportunities to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and the impact on learning for their area of responsibility.  Occasionally, the most able pupils in the school are not given work to do that is sufficiently challenging.  The teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) is not consistent.  Early years provision requires improvement because teaching and children’s progress are not consistently good. 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine lessons, one of which was observed jointly with the headteacher.  Pupils’ work in books was scrutinised. This was done jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, three members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Pupils were observed moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds during breaks and in the dining hall.  The inspector met with parents at the end of the school day.  The inspector analysed the 10 responses that had been submitted to the online questionnaire for parents, Parent View.  The inspector scrutinised a number of documents, including the school's view of its own performance, school improvement plans, minutes of the governing body meetings, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspector took account of the 14 questionnaires completed by members of the school staff.

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Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 Sledmere Church of England Primary School is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  Because of the very small numbers on roll, pupils are taught in one mixed-age class in Key Stage 1 and two mixed-age classes in Key Stage 2.  An early years class is comprised of nursery children who attend part time and Reception children who attend full time.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average.  All pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher, who took up her post in December 2014, has headteacher responsibility for Sledmere Church of England Primary School and Wetwang Church of England Primary School. These two schools have formed a collaboration.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the leadership and management of the school by making sure that all subject leaders are given sufficient time and guidance to monitor the quality of teaching and the progress pupils make within their area of responsibility.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and thereby raise achievement further by ensuring:  the learning experiences planned in the early years excite and motivate children  phonics is taught consistently well  all teachers plan tasks that challenge the most able in their class. 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 Following a period of change, the recently appointed executive headteacher has acted swiftly to address areas for improvement in teaching and learning across the school. She has galvanised the staff who, along with governors, share her vision that puts pupils at the centre of everything they do.  The headteacher is ably supported by her business manager, who is a part of the leadership team, and enthusiastic subject leaders who are eager to develop their roles further.  Leaders are evaluating various methods of assessing how well pupils are doing as the new primary curriculum is implemented. The method that the school currently uses to check pupils’ progress is used effectively to identify those who need extra help.  The curriculum is well matched to pupils’ needs. Pupils’ interests are taken into account when planning different topics, and the curriculum is enhanced by visits out of school, visitors to the school and the use

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The leadership and management are good

of the local area. For example, during a topic on explorers, local woodland was used to set up a survival area where pupils took part in activities such as orienteering, water filtration and dam building.  Pupils have numerous opportunities to participate in a range of clubs beyond the school day. These include nature walking, film and cooking clubs, games and sport. Older pupils also have an opportunity to go on a residential every two years.  Relationships in the school are underpinned by a caring and nurturing culture. The staff do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, and ensure that all pupils have an equal chance to benefit from all the school offers.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively. The school has strong links with local churches, and staff help pupils to understand those with backgrounds and beliefs that are different to their own. For example, during the inspection, the school held a multicultural day where pupils

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The leadership and management are good

across the school took part in a variety of activities that helped them develop a deeper understanding of Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. The school is very effective in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain.  The additional primary school sports funding is used to good effect. A sports development officer is employed by the school for one day each week to deliver training for staff and lessons for pupils. The funding is also used to support after-school sporting events and tournaments. As a result, pupils’ involvement in sports and games has increased as has their health and well-being.  Systems to monitor staff performance are fully in place. The headteacher has ensured that these are done rigorously but has also ensured that teachers are supported well with a range of professional development opportunities. Staff have targets based on school priorities and pupils’ progress, and salary rewards are

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The leadership and management are good

linked to their success.  The local authority has an accurate view of the school and provides support through a 'light touch' approach.  Safeguarding procedures meet all statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school's strengths and areas where they need to improve. They make sure the aims of the school focus on the promotion of values and a caring culture. Governors check thoroughly how well pupils are doing, and ask searching questions if pupils are not doing well enough.  Governors are knowledgeable about how funding is used, including the pupil premium, and they check carefully that it is making a positive difference to pupils’ progress. They ensure all statutory requirements are in place, including those relating to safeguarding. Governors understand the impact teaching has on achievement and ensure teachers’ pay is aligned to their performance.  The governing body is currently operating without a Chair of Governors.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are proud of their school. They are friendly and well-mannered to staff, visitors and each other. One pupil commented that 'We are a small school but we are like a big family.'  The attendance of pupils is above average and their punctuality is good.  Pupils know about the different forms of bullying and were insistent that poor behaviour is extremely rare. 5 of 9

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Behaviour

The school's own logs confirm this.  Pupils enjoy taking on responsibility. For example, a group of pupils, who are the school's Collective Worship Team, organise and help deliver collective worship assemblies.  Pupils concentrate well during activities, especially when the work captures their interest. Occasionally, the very youngest children in the school can lose concentration in what they are doing because learning activities do not always interest them sufficiently. This is why behaviour is not outstanding.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say they feel safe and have confidence that any issues that may arise will be dealt with effectively by staff.  The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View and all the parents who spoke to the inspector believed their children felt safe in school and were well looked after.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Over time, the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is good. This is supported by the school's assessment and monitoring data, the quality of pupils’ work, and the inspector’s direct observations of the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress.  The marking of pupils’ work provides them with clear and constructive information on how well they have done and suggestions for improvement. Pupils are given opportunities to respond to the feedback teachers give them, so they can improve their work.  Teachers work well with teaching assistants in the classroom and teaching assistants have a clear understanding of their role and support pupils with their learning well.  The teaching of writing is good and pupils’ books show they have opportunities to write at length across all subjects. The inspector saw good evidence of pupils being encouraged to use more adventurous vocabulary and a range of punctuation. As a result, standards in writing at the end of Key Stage 2 have

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The quality of teaching is good

shown continuous improvement over a period of time and are now above national averages.  Mathematics is taught well and pupils use a range of strategies to complete different types of calculations. Pupils apply these skills effectively to real-life problems and investigative work. For example, in a Year 5/6 class, a group of pupils were using complex calculations during an activity based on a bank statement.  The teaching of reading is good and pupils read regularly both in school and at home. Older pupils read with confidence and younger pupils mainly use their knowledge of phonics to help them read words they are unsure about. However, the teaching of phonics is not consistent, and some younger children had a little difficulty recognising the sounds that some letters make and blending them together to read unfamiliar words.  Teachers use skilful questioning to stretch pupils’ thinking. For example, during an English activity in the

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The quality of teaching is good

Key Stage 1 class, the teacher used some very focused and challenging questions to deepen pupils’ understanding of describing a character from a traditional fairy tale by using a riddle.  Teachers have high expectations of how pupils should present their work. Evidence in their books show that the majority of pupils take a pride in their work and are careful with presentation.  Activities are well planned and teachers organise their classrooms effectively to manage the range of ages and abilities in their classes. They make sure work is set at the correct level for the majority of pupils. This ensures they are able to make good progress and achieve well. Occasionally, the most able pupils are completing work that is not demanding enough which slows their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school in the early years with skills that are broadly typical for their age. They make expected progress while in the Nursery and Reception classes and make good progress through the rest of the school. By the end of Year 6, pupils have achieved standards that are above national averages in mathematics and writing and in-line for reading. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  At the end of Key Stage 2, standards in all three subjects have been rising. Over a period of three years, standards in mathematics and writing have increased from below to above national averages. 6 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Over the same period, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been mostly in-line with national averages. The number of Year 1 pupils reaching the required standard in the national phonics screening check for 2014 is below average. However, this shows an increase on the previous year.  In 2014, four pupils completed their national tests at the end of Key Stage 2, and all pupils attained at least national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. However, because of the small number involved, it is not possible to comment on how many attained the higher levels without risk of identifying individual pupils. In Year 2, the number of pupils attaining a Level 3 was lower than national averages for writing and reading but above in mathematics.  In 2014, there were no disadvantaged pupils eligible for pupil premium funding in Year 6. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils across the school do as well as other pupils in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because they receive the right level of support, including from outside agencies.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 The new headteacher has quickly identified the priorities for early years provision and has acted swiftly in putting plans into action to improve this area of the school. This includes early years staff observing outstanding practice in other settings.  The early years requires improvement because the quality of teaching, and as a result, the progress children make, is not as consistently strong as the rest of the school.  Those parents who spoke to the inspector were pleased with the way their children had settled in at the school and the support their children receive in early years. Parents appreciate the approachability of staff and the care they take of their children.  Safeguarding is effective and the procedures in place ensure children are safe at all times, whether using the indoor or outdoor spaces.  The early years class has a welcoming environment and has suitable resources that support children in all

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The early years provision requires improvement

areas of learning.  Children enter with skills that are wide-ranging and generally in line with those typical for their age. The progress they make is not consistently good because when they leave the early years, some children are not ready for Key Stage 1.  Children learn to get on well with each other. Their behaviour is mostly good, but they sometimes lose interest in what they are learning because teachers do not always provide activities that excite and motivate the children. This occasionally happens during teacher-led activities such as phonics and mathematics. 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. 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 118028 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 449753

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 64 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Fletcher Headteacher Vicky Bush Date of previous school inspection 30 November 2009 Telephone number 01377 236267 Fax number 01377 236267 Email address sledmere@eastriding.gov.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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