Scotby CofE Primary School

Scotby C of E Primary School Park Road, Scotby, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA4 8AT

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, senior leaders, staff and governors have a clear vision for the school. They are committed to ensuring that pupils reach the highest standards possible.  The governing body knows the school very well, supporting and challenging leaders and managers to bring about improvements. Governors work closely with the headteacher checking on pupils’ achievement as well as teaching.  The curriculum promotes achievement well. It offers a wide range of sporting activities and pupils are successful at competitive sports.  Pupils’ behaviour is exceptionally good, both in and around school. They are considerate and polite, quickly settling to their work and try to do their best in lessons.  Pupils feel completely safe in school and feel confident that there is always someone they can go to if they have a problem. They thoroughly enjoy school and their attendance is above average.  Throughout the school teaching is good and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

sometimes outstanding. Teachers are enthusiastic; they use good questioning and have high expectations of pupils.  Teachers give pupils many opportunities to discuss their work together, which develops their social skills successfully.  Pupils enjoy reading and make outstanding progress in it because it is taught well.  Pupils’ outstanding achievements result in standards that are significantly above average in reading and writing.  Early years teachers plan exciting activities which help children build their confidence and independence while developing their early basic skills well.  Children in the early years make a good start to their personal development so that they are well prepared for Year 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The system used for recording pupils’ progress is not yet refined enough.  Skills pupils learn in mathematics are not fully developed in other subjects.  Marking of pupils’ work is not yet consistent across different subjects.  The early years outdoor area does not match the high quality of resources and activities provided indoors.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 teachers and visited 15 lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, pupils, parents and governors.  The inspectors observed break time and talked regularly with pupils as they moved around school.  The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  A wide range of the school’s documentation was observed, including systems for tracking pupils’ progress, safeguarding arrangements, the school development plan and pupils’ work in their books.  The inspectors took account of responses to the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents alongside 57 responses from the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspectors analysed 16 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Scotby C of E Primary School is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority).  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There are before- and after-school clubs on the school site which are managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding by:  providing pupils with many opportunities to use and develop their mathematical skills in different subjects through real-life problem-solving activities  ensuring that there is consistency across different subjects in the way teachers provide pupils with guidance on how to improve their work  further developing the early years outdoor area, so that it provides as much challenge and range of activities as the indoor areas.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that leaders and managers refine the process for accessing data on pupils’ progress so that these data are readily available when needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has established high expectations of just how successful the school can be. The deputy and assistant headteacher as well as staff share her passion and are committed to making sure that the needs of each pupil are met.  Middle leaders are influential in adding to the school’s push to secure continual improvements. They work closely with the headteacher and established systems are in place to check the school’s performance, for example, through observing teaching and checking on pupils’ work in their books. The school promotes equality of opportunities well. Pupil premium funding is used extremely effectively to ensure that eligible pupils make outstanding progress.  The school records the progress that pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics, but the system used does not yet allow for ease of access so that the information is readily available.  Teaching in the early years has improved since the last inspection. There have been recent staff changes

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The leadership and management are good

and so leaders have taken the opportunity to move teachers to different age groups. While staff are tackling aspects of the curriculum that are new to them, and the needs of different age groups, their teaching is good, but not yet outstanding. Staff questionnaires show that staff are committed to their work and reflect a strong team spirit.  Performance management is well embedded and is closely linked to training and teachers’ salary awards. In 2014 the need to improve the teaching of phonics (matching letters to the sounds they make) was identified and training is already having positive results.  The curriculum is interesting, broad and balanced and supports pupils well so that they can take their place in modern Britain. Pupils have opportunities to meet pupils in other schools and they take part in a wide range of visits and additional activities which broaden their experiences.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils have a thirst for learning and their

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The leadership and management are good

outstanding attitudes to learning contribute extremely well to their achievement. Pupils are fully engaged in lessons and their behaviour is excellent. Displays around the school indicate that the school provides a rich environment for developing pupils’ self-esteem and confidence. Relationships are good and leaders ensure that discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils are prepared exceptionally well for the next stage in their education.  Primary school sport funding is used successfully to ensure that both girls and boys are fully motivated to take part in and enjoy a wide range of different sporting activities. For example, pupils participate in cross- country events, girls’ and boys’ football teams, dance and golf. Both girls and boys enjoy taking part in football matches with other primary schools and in 2014 the school was very successful in winning many tournaments.  The local authority has a good relationship with the school, providing a light touch support especially in

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The leadership and management are good

the effectiveness of its monitoring.  The breakfast club provides a healthy breakfast and a good start to the day. As at the after-school club, pupils can enjoy socialising or playing games with their friends or staff, who ensure that pupils are well cared for.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is providing strong support and challenge for leaders and the school. Governors bring a wide range of expertise and skills to their role. They visit the school regularly to check on its performance, working closely with the headteacher and staff to ensure that it continues to improve. They provide reports on their observations during visits and undertake regular training to ensure that they fulfil their roles and responsibility well. The school finances are well managed. Governors have a good knowledge of how the school is using its pupil premium funding and the primary sport funding to support pupils’ learning. Governors are fully aware of the quality of teaching and link this to increases in

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The leadership and management are good

teachers’ salary. They are confident that they could tackle weak teaching, should it occur. Governors ensure that all requirements for safeguarding are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. During the inspection this was evident not only during lessons, but also at break times. Pupils of all ages are polite and courteous. When moving around school they are calm and careful of each other. Adults show respect for pupils and this is mirrored in the way pupils treat and care about each other.  Pupils show excellent attitudes in lessons. They are very keen to learn and listen avidly to what the teacher has to say. Pupils are eager to answer questions and take part in discussions, with even the youngest willing to contribute during lessons.  Pupils take on a number of different activities and take their duties very seriously. For example, pupils represent their class on the school council and put forward views to help the school continue to improve. Six pupils in Year 6 are play leaders who have volunteered to organise games and activities with Reception

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Behaviour

and Year 1 pupils at break times. These pupils are fully committed to their role and provide excellent role models for younger pupils.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel safe because they are always with their friends and adults in school who will protect them, and the gates are locked and no one can get into the playground. The governing body understands the importance of how to calculate risks on visits. The school’s records on dealing with any accidents are meticulously kept.  Pupils know what bullying is and the different forms it takes, including cyber-bullying, physical and emotional bullying. They say that if there is any bullying in school it is rare, but that if they have any problems they can talk to any adult in school.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending school which is why attendance is above average. They say they enjoy meeting their friends, learning new things, lessons and listening to stories.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Over time the quality of teaching throughout the school is good and some is outstanding. Parents agree that teaching is good. Some teachers have moved to work with different year groups relatively recently and have settled well, enjoying good relationships with pupils.  Teachers ask pupils questions regularly to check on their understanding and help move them on in their learning. The questions asked help pupils to deepen their understanding and extend their language skills as teachers encourage explanations.  Teaching assistants who support pupils both in the classroom and in small groups outside the classroom, make a valuable contribution by providing a good level of support and guidance. They are well briefed by the teacher and understand what pupils should be learning and so they make a significant contribution to pupils’ progress.  Classrooms have a positive and purposeful atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to do their best.

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The quality of teaching is good

Relationships between staff and pupils are built on mutual respect and pupils say they enjoy coming to school because lessons are fun.  Teachers use the school’s marking system well and pupils often have time to respond to comments. Teachers give pupils clear guidance on how to improve their work, but this is not yet consistent across different subjects.  Pupils are given many opportunities to work with each other in lessons, they share information enthusiastically and politely take turns. In one lesson, pupils were reading information about children in a different country. In response to the teacher’s questions, they worked together quickly to find the information needed, making sure that whoever the teacher selected to give the answer was well prepared. Good team spirit ensured that all pupils took part in the task.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Lessons are lively, tasks are clearly explained

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The quality of teaching is good

and pupils listen carefully. As a result, pupils quickly settle to their work and are very keen to learn.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children get off to a good start in the early years and this prepares them well for their journey through school. Since the previous inspection, progress has accelerated for all groups of pupils and is now outstanding. As a result, standards have risen considerably. For example in the 2013 and 2014 teacher assessment in Year 2, attainment was significantly above average.  By the time pupils reach the end of Key Stage 2, the Year 6 national tests show that standards overall are significantly above average in reading and writing, and only slightly lower, at well above average, in mathematics. In the 2014 national tests, 100% of pupils achieved their expected progress in reading and writing and the vast majority in mathematics. However the proportion of pupils exceeding their expected progress was above average in mathematics. Pupils learn mathematical skills successfully during mathematics lessons, but these skills are not fully explored in other subjects through real-life problem-

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

solving activities.  Pupils’ high standards in writing are supported extremely well by the quality of their spelling and accuracy of grammar. In the 2014 Year 6 national tests, the vast majority of pupils achieving Level 4 was significantly above average and those who achieved Level 5 was above average.  The most-able pupils make outstanding progress. The work in lessons builds on what they already know so that they achieve exceptionally well. In the 2014 national tests at the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 5 was well above average in reading, writing and mathematics, while in the Year 2 teacher assessment, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 3 was well above average in mathematics and reading.  In 2013 and 2014 the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standards in the Year 1 phonics (matching letters to the sounds they make) check was average. As a result, the school currently has a

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

focus on improving pupils’ phonics skills and younger pupils are now acquiring a good knowledge of phonics. Projected targets for 2015 indicate that a higher than average proportion of pupils should achieve the phonics check.  During a Year 1 phonics lesson pupils enjoyed learning a new sound and the words that used that particular sound. They then explored with their teacher the meanings of these words. Pupils say they enjoy reading, and when inspectors listened to pupils read, they used phonic sounds successfully.  Pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding make progress similar to that of other pupils because of the effective support they receive in very small groups or individually. This group of pupils is too small in number to make comparisons with other pupils nationally as well as other pupils in the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special education needs, together with pupils from minority ethnic groups,

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

make outstanding progress from their starting points, because they are provided with tasks and activities suited to their needs and they are often given extra support. Their progress reflects the school’s success at promoting equal opportunities.  Pupils’ progress in and their enthusiasm for different areas of learning, including the wide range of skills they develop, show how well they are prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The early years provision is good

 Children join the early years with skills and knowledge that are generally in line with what is expected for their age, but can be weaker in physical skills and speaking and listening. Since the previous inspection, the school has made changes to the early years and this has had a positive impact. As a result children, now make good progress.  The early years is led well and strong teamwork pervades all aspects of the early years areas. In one class early years children work well with Year 1 pupils, sharing activities as well as tasks directed specifically to their needs. They often working individually with an adult, ensuring that the needs of these younger children are met.  Children start to develop good attitudes to learning. It is clear that reception children enjoy being in school, working and playing with each other as well as talking and working with adults. Relationships are strong and children are happy to respond to questions but are equally happy to wait their turn to answer.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour is very good. They are active learners who work well with each other and, although happy to work on their own, they enjoy chatting together and collaborating with friends. For example, after reading a book with their teacher about a bear travelling to the moon, a group of children were excited as they prepared for their own adventure ‘to the moon’. They wrote a list of what they would take with them, some children forming letters and words well, while other children were using their early writing skills successfully. Once ‘on the moon’, children discussed the aliens they might see as well as what they could eat.  Questioning is consistently good because staff play alongside children, encouraging them to talk through their thinking and develop their ideas. For example, outdoors children were moving boxes and long tubes to make a castle, while an adult was questioning a child about how he was going to connect bricks to

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The early years provision is good

build walls.  Although the classroom provides a rich learning area for children with a wide range of resources, this is not matched outdoors. The outdoor area provides space for different resources, but does not provide as much challenge and range of activities as the indoor area.

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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 112403 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 448434

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Malcolm Raw Headteacher Jackie Watson Date of previous school inspection 25 November 2009 Telephone number 01228 513270 Fax number Not applicable Email address admin@scotby.cumbria.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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