Lady Elizabeth Hastings' CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch

Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Thorp Arch Dowkell Lane, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7AQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher provides rigorous and ambitious leadership. She is extremely well supported by the deputy headteacher, a very effective staff team and governing body. As a result, the quality of teaching is good, pupils' behaviour is excellent and their achievement is rapidly improving throughout the school.  Provision is outstanding in the early years and children make excellent progress. They are very well prepared for their future learning in Year 1.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress throughout the school in reading, writing, mathematics and many other subjects. They have very positive attitudes and are keen to learn.  The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations and make good use of marking and feedback. Teaching assistants are deployed well.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are outstanding. Pupils are very attentive, thoughtful and considerate towards others. Attendance is consistently above

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

average.  The curriculum is rich and well planned. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is extremely well promoted. The school's values of 'friendship, reverence and courage' are at the core of all their work.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, pupils do not achieve all they are capable of because at times they spend too long consolidating their learning rather than building on it.  Sometimes pupils, especially the most able, are not encouraged to think more deeply and extend their learning. Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 2 of 11

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed lessons throughout the school and conducted several short observations of teaching and learning. This included two observations carried out jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspector also looked at a wide range of pupils' work and listened to several pupils read.  The inspector held discussions with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors, a representative of the local authority, and members of staff, including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities.  The inspector took account of the 54 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), the results of the school’s own consultations with parents, and spoke to several parents during the inspection. He also considered the responses from staff to the inspection questionnaires.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including: information on

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ current progress; the school's plans for improvement; the management of teachers’ performance; the use and impact of pupil premium funding; and documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety and child protection.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 3 of 11

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The large majority of pupils are White British.  Children attend the Reception class on a full-time basis.  The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2014, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school is part of the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership.  There have been several changes to the teaching staff since the previous inspection, including temporary

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Information about this school

appointments and teachers new to the profession. The deputy headteacher was appointed in September 2014 after a period of almost a year without a deputy headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the already good and improving teaching in order to accelerate further pupils' learning by:  ensuring pupils consistently make the very best use of their time for learning in lessons  taking every opportunity to deepen and extend pupils’ thinking, particularly of the most able. Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 4 of 11

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher's excellent vision, energy and direction for school improvement are shared by staff, the governing body, parents and pupils. There is an imaginative and continuous pursuit of high standards in all aspects of the school's work, despite a period of significant staff changes. This included a long period without a deputy headteacher since the previous inspection. As a result, the achievement of all pupils is rapidly accelerating and outcomes in the early years and pupils' behaviour and safety are now outstanding. The leadership is fully aware of the few remaining aspects of teaching which still need to be fully addressed in order for teaching and pupils’ achievement to be outstanding.  The senior leaders are excellent role models to other staff and are very skilled in improving the quality of teaching and setting targets to which others aspire. The new deputy headteacher has been quickly

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The leadership and management are outstanding

assimilated into the staff team and provides very clear leadership, particularly in English.  Senior leaders have created and lead professional development programmes to raise standards of teaching within the school and with schools in the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership. They ensure expectations are consistently high and that any variations in teaching or achievement are speedily addressed.  Middle leaders are very effective in their roles and contribute well to school improvement. For example, they create detailed and accurate action plans and regularly make presentations to the governing body and senior leaders on their subject areas. All teaching staff make a strong contribution to school developments, such as the re-designed curriculum and assessment procedures and the core values.  Staff morale is high. Teachers, teaching assistants and support staff appreciate the high quality of training

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and support they receive to promote their professional development.  The school's use of rigorous procedures to check and measure pupils’ achievement in all areas of learning is excellent. The school has established and implemented new assessment procedures to meet the needs of recent changes to the national curriculum. The school makes very good use of thorough analysis of these data to set the direction for school improvement.  Teaching is very well informed through continuous high-quality training. This is delivered both through the school and the partnership with other schools through the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership. The headteacher and her staff provide leadership and support to other schools in many aspects of education.  Staff are held fully accountable for the progress their pupils make and are subject to fulfilling stringent targets, linked to pupils' achievement, to reach the next salary level.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority provides good support to this school through regular visits and challenging reviews of pupils' achievement. The local authority contributes to a good range of training opportunities to staff and the governing body that have contributed to the increasingly effective leadership.  The school tackles any issues of discrimination and fosters good relations very well. It promotes equality of opportunity very successfully and this contributes very effectively to the well-being of children and their families. This is evident in the closing of the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others.  Statutory safeguarding requirements are met and are effective. Policies are up to date and reflect robust local and national guidance. Staff are well trained and vigilant in child protection and supported by very good systems of communication and record keeping.  Leaders use the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils extremely well. This has a very positive impact

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The leadership and management are outstanding

on minimising any gap between the standards they reach and those of other pupils. Pupils' individual learning needs are clearly identified and they are given support in class, including one-to-one training if needed, linked to their work in the classroom. Leaders and the governing body measure and analyse very precisely the expenditure of the pupil premium to increase its effectiveness.  The curriculum is rich and exciting. Literacy and numeracy are central to the school's work. Pupils have many opportunities to develop musical, artistic and sporting skills. The school makes effective use of primary school physical education and sport funding and builds on existing good links with local professional sports organisations. This successfully contributes to extensive involvement in competitive sports and team games and the development of teachers' skills in physical education.  The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well. The pupils

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The leadership and management are outstanding

actively and directly work towards the core values of friendship, reverence and courage in their work. Pupils are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain. The whole-school themes such as 'Your Vote Counts' engage pupils, including those in the early years, in thought-provoking debates and decision-making activities. Tolerance and respect for the views of others are promoted strongly through many aspects of the school's ethos, assemblies and studies in history and religious education. Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 5 of 11

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governance is highly effective. The governing body is very well led and managed. Governors are passionate about the school and determined to sustain the best in all it does. The Chair of the Governing Body, who had just been appointed at the last inspection, has led reviews of all aspects of its work and acted in full on any recommendations raised. The governing body is kept fully informed through detailed reports from the headteacher linked to the school improvement plan. Governors also make their own frequent and systematic checks on the school’s work, such as visits to classrooms and walks around school, planned with senior and middle leaders. They regularly receive up-to-date and precise information on pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. They make very good use of this information to hold leaders to account.  Governors are very well informed of the quality of teaching in order to support decisions as to whether

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The leadership and management are outstanding

teachers should be rewarded with salary increases and to review targets for the headteacher. They keep detailed records of the process to inform future development. They ensure that staff only receive salary increases if their pupils meet their achievement targets. Governors are also well informed about steps the school takes to tackle any underachievement and underperformance.  There is a very good match of individual skills to roles on the governing body. The school's policies are updated regularly and the governing body ensures statutory requirements are met. The governing body manages finances well by ensuring the close scrutiny of all aspects of budget planning and the use of specific funds such as the pupil premium and sport funding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are very polite and considerate towards each other and their teachers. This is a direct response to the respect and kindness the headteacher and her staff show to the pupils. The pupils comment that they all know each other very well and are very proud of their friends.  Pupils work hard. They take pride in their appearance and present their work to a high standard. They are very involved in the development and monitoring of school rules. The school council has created rules which reflect the school's values. For example, to show courage pupils should, 'Have a go; work hard and stick at it.'  Pupils' conduct is exemplary in response to the high expectations of all staff. They are extremely attentive and listen well to teachers and other adults. Parents wholly agree pupils' behaviour is extremely good and this has a positive impact on their attitudes at home. The regular periods of reflection and prayer make a

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Behaviour

significant contribution to pupils' thoughtful attitudes and behaviour.  The breakfast club ensures pupils are well fed and prepared for the day’s learning. Pupils are consistently very well behaved at break and lunchtimes. Playgrounds are supervised well and very good use of primary sport and other funding ensures pupils have plenty of physical activities to do.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel very safe and their parents strongly agree. All staff and the governing body are very diligent in ensuring pupils learn in a safe and secure environment.  Attendance is above the national average and rising. Pupils are punctual. The school has rigorous procedures to monitor and improve attendance. This is reflected in the detailed case studies and other inspection evidence.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of the risks and dangers in their everyday life. They contribute to checks on the safety of the environment. Pupils are extremely well informed about different types of bullying including racist, homophobic and e-safety concerns. They create anti bullying slogans and logos that are displayed around school and posters on the school website. Pupils correctly feel that incidents of bullying are extremely rare and know what to do should any occur. Above all, pupils are exceedingly

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Safety

knowledgeable and tolerant of others' views and beliefs as a result of their studies in many subjects and well-planned assemblies.  The school keeps very detailed records of the few incidents of poor behaviour and responds to them in a robust and well-considered manner. Exclusions are rare. The school is very sensitive and proactive in helping pupils make lasting friendships and to address their emotional needs. Staff keep useful records in the 'Friendship and Behaviour' book to help promote positive attitudes.  Pupils are very well prepared for the potential dangers they may meet in later life. Role-play activities with the emergency services teach them about many dangers, such as the misuse of drugs and alcohol, as well Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 6 of 11

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Safety

as fire safety and other concerns. Pupils learn road safety from the early years onwards and how to cycle safely in Year 6.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers establish excellent relationships with their pupils and have high expectations for their success throughout the school. Classrooms are stimulating and orderly environments. As a result, all groups of pupils are eager to learn, work hard and aim to do their best.  Staff make good use of accurate assessments of pupils' progress to set clear targets for them to achieve in all subjects. Teachers are making increasingly good use of new assessment procedures to raise expectations and meet the expectations of the new National Curriculum. Pupils say that their work usually challenges them.  Marking and feedback are largely used well to ensure pupils improve their own work and deepen their learning. Teachers ensure that pupils address errors that are identified and follow any guidance they give.  Teaching assistants are well deployed overall. They bring skilled support to pupils of all abilities and

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The quality of teaching is good

particularly those who have special educational needs. They are well trained and informed.  Leaders use well the funding for disadvantaged pupils to provide teaching closely matched to these pupils’ individual needs. Leaders regularly analyse and review the effectiveness of specific activities to address any gaps in learning to ensure they are effective and that staff are suitably trained.  Teachers generally question pupils closely to broaden and deepen their thinking. For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 improved their own writing on the Houses of Parliament in response to very sharply focused questions and clear expectations for successful completion.  The teaching of literacy is good. Effective teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) from the early years onwards contributes to pupils' success. Teachers encourage pupils to listen carefully and articulate sounds accurately. Their love of reading is strongly promoted throughout the curriculum such as

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The quality of teaching is good

in their research in history, geography and science. Writing skills are now systematically taught. Pupils acquire a fluid handwriting style from the early years. Teachers expect pupils to write for a wide range of purposes and accurately apply their very good knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation skills.  The teaching of mathematics is good. Leaders have worked well to produce and apply a clear policy for teaching calculation skills and problem-solving. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to explain to others their mathematical reasoning and the strategies they use to complete problems. This contributes to increasingly good learning.  Occasionally, pupils of all abilities do not make the very best progress they should. Sometimes, this is because they spend too long practising skills they have already acquired. At other times, the activities they undertake consolidates earlier learning rather than move it forward .

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The quality of teaching is good

 Sometimes pupils, especially the most able, do not have the opportunity to deepen their understanding and their ability to think critically about their own work. For instance, they do not always benefit from thinking through thought-provoking questions either in the lesson or from teachers’ generally good marking.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils of all abilities make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points. This is strongly evident in the school's own progress data, the pupils' work and other inspection evidence. The results of national curriculum tests by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 do not always fully reflect these outcomes. This is because the small number of pupils involved sometimes makes it difficult to identify trends. Results are at least average and an increasingly large proportion of pupils reach higher than expected levels. In 2014, in Year 6, a large majority of pupils attained national test results in grammar, spelling and punctuation that are well above those normally expected. Results in mathematics, which were a priority at the last inspection, have improved well.  The school acted quickly, however, to address a dip in the proportion of pupils who made good progress in national tests for writing overall at Year 6 in 2014. This was largely due to the fact that this group of pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

had gaps in their experience of writing at length. Over time, they did not have the consistent benefit of the current good quality of teaching in the school. Inspection evidence shows that a majority of pupils in the current Year 6 are working at above expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils read well and take a lively interest in books. Pupils' phonic skills are very well developed and they use them well to tackle unfamiliar words. Results by Year 1 in national checks for phonic skills are now above average and have risen rapidly since the previous inspection. By Year 6, pupils of all abilities read Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 7 of 11

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The achievement of pupils is good

with fluency and good expression to engage the listener well. They choose books which challenge them and extend their vocabulary. The pupils, particularly the most able, understand the intricacies of complex plots in, for example, adventure and fantasy books. They empathise closely with different characters in the story.  Pupils write well for a wide range of reasons and make good progress overall. They present their work to a good standard and their handwriting is fluent and neat. Pupils' knowledge of grammar and punctuation is accurate and used effectively. Pupils make increasingly good use of their writing skills to grab the reader's attention. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 respond to the music and story of Peer Gynt with dramatic openings such as, 'Nobody wanted to climb the treacherous hillside and enter the damp, cold, troll-infested cave.'  Pupils achieve well in mathematics and have addressed issues from the previous inspection well. They build

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The achievement of pupils is good

on their knowledge of number facts, such as number bonds and multiplication tables, to use these skills well in written calculations. In particular, pupils’ fluency in recalling number facts and using them in mental calculations has improved well. Pupils increasingly apply their knowledge well to solve problems and develop their reasoning. For example, Year 3 pupils are systematic and logical in applying their knowledge of place value and grid multiplication to solve challenging real-life problems.  Disadvantaged pupils also make good progress overall and achieve at least as well as their peers. In 2014, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 was too small to be statistically significant and to enable comparison with non-disadvantaged pupils in the school and nationally. This was also the case in the two previous years. The schools own progress data, individual case studies and other inspection evidence show

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The achievement of pupils is good

disadvantaged pupils achieve well. There is no significant gap between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils.  The most able pupils achieve well. These pupils show good levels of maturity, enthusiasm for their work and the ability to take the initiative. They retain facts well and make good use of their skills to solve problems and conduct investigations in a number of subjects. For example, in Year 6, pupils find very efficient methods for speedily calculating percentages and fractions, which they also demonstrate well to others. Occasionally, however, the work pupils are set does not deepen their learning sufficiently.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well from their individual starting points. Their individual needs are regularly and accurately checked. Teachers ensure that they progress well, particularly in reading, writing and personal development and are prepared well for their future

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The achievement of pupils is good

learning.  Occasional inconsistencies in the quality of teaching prevent pupils from making rapid progress overall. As a result their achievement is good but not outstanding.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Outstanding leadership, team work and continuous development of the learning environment have ensured the early years has strongly improved. The staff thoroughly understand the needs of young children and take a lead role in developing early years practice with other local schools.  Children’s starting points are very varied due to the often small numbers of children who enter the early years each year. Overall, their starting points are generally typical for their age. The proportion who achieves a good level of development is increasingly above the national average. Many children are working at Year 1 levels by time they leave the early years. As a result, they are extremely well prepared for their future learning.  Staff quickly establish excellent relationships with parents through rigorous induction procedures. They form a strong partnership with parents and other local early years providers. This ensures staff build an excellent

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The early years provision is outstanding

knowledge of children's individual starting points and move quickly to reduce any gaps in their learning.  Children's behaviour and safety are outstanding. They feel very safe and are cared for exceptionally well. This is very evident in their confidence and care for each other in all aspects of their work and play. The imaginative role play in their police station and fire station raises children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe and look after others. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very strongly promoted through stimulating and thoughtful activities including studies on faith and democracy such as the imaginative Bible Hunt. Children concentrate for sustained periods and take pride in their work especially, for example, in their writing books.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Staff are very well trained and enthusiastic. They assess precisely children’s achievement and plan activities to build on their experiences. Resources are exciting and vibrant.

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The early years provision is outstanding

Children are keen to handle them. For example, they enjoy comparing the different capacity of very large and colourful containers in their outdoor water play. They respond thoughtfully as adults ask them challenging questions such as, 'How can you find out which jug holds the most?’ This helps them develop Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 8 of 11

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The early years provision is outstanding

their reasoning and retain new learning. Teaching assistants and other adults are very effectively deployed.  The most able children make outstanding progress because they make rapid gains in key skills such as phonics and extended addition and subtraction. They often work confidently with the Year 1 pupils in many activities.  The few disadvantaged children make excellent progress. They regularly make particularly good gains in their early language and communication skills. The gap in attainment between the less able children and others is increasingly narrower than the national average.  Reading and writing skills are taught rigorously. Traditional and modern tales, nursery rhymes and songs fully engage children. They enthusiastically and accurately join in the repeated rhymes, phrases and actions. Children of all abilities make rapid progress in early phonic skills. They achieve very well in writing

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The early years provision is outstanding

independently in full sentences of increasing length, inspired by classical music such as 'The Firebird Suite' or ‘Wanted’ posters in the police station.  Children are challenged to use their knowledge of number and shape to solve problems through a wide range of activities both inside and outside the classroom. Counting, ordering, adding and taking-away skills are taught very well. Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 9 of 11

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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. Inspection report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings’ CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch, 22–23 April 2015 10 of 11

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School details

Unique reference number 108010 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 462246

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 128 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Seldon Headteacher Suzanne Ulyett Date of previous school inspection 3 July 2013 Telephone number 01937 842566 Fax number 01937 845632 Email address headteacher@thorparch-leh.co.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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