Pickering Community Infant School

Pickering Community Infant and Nursery School Ruffa Lane, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7AT

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher provides excellent leadership for the school and together with a skilful deputy has been relentless in driving improvements. As a result, this is a rapidly improving school.  Previous standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been similar to national averages. Standards for 2015 are showing a significant improvement in reading, mathematics and particularly in writing.  Teaching is improving. Most teaching is now good because lessons are well planned and meet the needs of the pupils.  Pupils behave well, are polite and keen to learn. They work well in lessons and play harmoniously together at playtimes.  Procedures to ensure pupils are safe are effective. School policies and safeguarding procedures are implemented effectively and consistently. Pupils say they feel safe.  Good provision in the early years ensures that children make consistently strong progress from their different starting points. The early years is a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

growing strength of the school and children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Governors support the school well and ensure that school leaders are held accountable. They are ambitious for the pupils and provide good support and challenge.  The vast majority of parents are pleased with the care and safe environment provided by the school and the progress their children make.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 are not always given enough opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills or complete investigation activities in mathematics.  The good progress that pupils make in phonics (the sounds that letters represent) in the early years is not sustained when they enter Key Stage 1. Too few pupils are reaching the expected standard by the end of Year 1.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Pupils' work was scrutinised together with the headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds during breaks and in the dining hall.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors analysed the 46 responses that had been submitted to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View).  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including the school's view of its own performance, school improvement plans, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the 26 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire completed by members of the

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Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Pickering Community Infant and Nursery School is an average-sized primary school.  In the early years, Nursery children attend part time; Reception children attend full time.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those who are supported 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.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and, thereby move pupils’ achievement to outstanding by:  using the expertise that exists in the school to develop teachers’ practice so that all pupils have more opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to problem-solving and investigative activities  ensuring activities for developing pupils’ skills in linking letters and sounds in Year 1 are always challenging so that the good progress that children make in phonics in the early years is effectively built upon.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides inspirational leadership for the school. Since taking up her post, she has introduced changes and improvements that have created a culture that are now having a noticeable impact on the quality of teaching and children’s achievement and behaviour.  The headteacher is ably supported by a highly effective deputy headteacher, a strong and supportive leadership team, and an effective governing body. They share her vision and are equally determined to create a school in which all children can reach their potential.  Subject leaders monitor their areas of responsibilities meticulously through a rolling programme of lesson observations, work scrutinies and data analysis. They check pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching systematically and identify areas for improvement. Leaders know that when pupils enter Key Stage 1 they do not always build on their good start to learning to read. They are yet to ensure that the teaching of

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The leadership and management are good

phonics is always sufficiently challenging.  Leaders have embraced the national changes to the primary curriculum and have developed a curriculum that is rich, broad and engaging. Themes drive the curriculum and pupils have a significant input on how they are developed. For example, a theme on water generated numerous questions by pupils resulting in a trip to a coastal town where they did rock pooling, and where university academics gave them information and answered questions on how animals adapt to their habitats near the sea.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, and the school is preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain by promoting tolerance and diversity. Through the curriculum pupils have opportunities to study different religions and visit places of worship. A link with a school in Bradford has help pupils develop a deeper understanding of the cultural diversity in modern Britain. During the

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The leadership and management are good

inspection, pupils in Year 2 worked collaboratively with pupils from other schools, one of which was a special school. Pupils, including some with disabilities, worked effectively together on poetry, drama and reading.  The school promotes equality of opportunity successfully and does not tolerate discrimination. Relationships throughout the school are excellent, and pupils have equal access to all activities including those after school.  The pupil premium funding has been used to provide disadvantaged pupils with one-to-one tuition and support, and to purchase additional resources. This is having a positive impact on achievement with 2015 assessments showing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils closing rapidly.  Effective use is made of the primary physical education and sport premium to increase pupils' physical skills and well-being. Pupils have opportunities to attend a wide range of after-school sports clubs, such as

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The leadership and management are good

tag rugby, and a healthy eating club for children as well as one for parents run by the school cook. Specialist coaches are used, and the school makes a concerted effort to include those pupils who do not usually have access to such activities beyond school. Some of the funding is used to subsidise the hire of specialist sports coaches to provide a 10-week swimming programme for Year 2 pupils. As a result of what the school offers, pupils are leading more active and healthy lives.  The coordinator for the provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is highly effective and takes prompt action to ensure the pupils’ needs are met fully.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and are effective. Pupils and parents overwhelmingly say that the school is a very friendly, welcoming and safe environment.  Procedures to manage teachers’ performance are well established and contribute to the improvement in

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ achievement.  The local authority has given the school good support, especially since the current headteacher took up her post. This support has made a significant contribution to this rapidly improving school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body fulfils its core responsibilities and statutory duties effectively, including those relating to safeguarding. It holds school leaders to account for pupils’ progress, and monitors the school’s performance effectively. The governors are confident interpreting different types of data. As a result, they are able to ask precise and well-judged questions about pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching. They understand the impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement and are involved in making decisions about teachers’ pay and ensure that teaching practice improves when needed.  Governors are knowledgeable about how the school's budget is used, including any additional funding,

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The leadership and management are good

and carefully check that it is making a positive difference to pupils' progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils move quietly around the school and play happily outside on a well-equipped and spacious playground and field. They enjoy eating their lunch while chatting to their friends.  Records of the very few incidences of inappropriate behaviour, including bullying, are meticulously kept by the headteacher. They clearly outline the effective action taken which sometimes includes involving parents. The school is successful in supporting a small number of pupils who sometimes find behaving well difficult.  Pupils are keen to take on responsibility and are proud of their roles as school councillors or members of the Eco committee.  Pupils are involved in a variety of charitable causes. As well as raising money through charity days, pupils take part in ‘Operation Christmas Child’ and collect produce for the local foodbank.  During lessons, pupils demonstrate the ability to work well on their own or collaboratively in group tasks.

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Behaviour

Occasionally however, when learning is not challenging enough, a few pupils lose focus on the work and their learning slows.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say they feel safe because the staff are there to help them and the school environment is secure. ‘I feel safe in school because no one can come in,’ reflects a typical comment from pupils.  Pupils understand bullying and the different forms it can take. They say that any bullying that goes on in the school is sorted quickly by the headteacher. They know about cyber-bullying, e-safety and how to keep themselves safe. This is addressed through lessons, assemblies, visitors into school and events such as anti-bullying week and e-safety week.  All parents spoken to, and most parents who responded to Parent View, are very happy with the behaviour of children in the school and feel that their children are well cared for and safe. A parent whose child has specific needs said, ‘The school has excelled in their care and support’.  All risk assessments, policies and procedures for safeguarding are in place and meet statutory

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Safety

requirements.  Attendance is below average, although it has improved on previous years.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Learning is consistently good throughout the school, including in the early years. Pupils are now making more rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and attaining higher standards, because of the improvement in teaching over time.  Although improved teaching has led to good progress by all pupils in all subjects, it has been particularly effective in writing. The noticeable improvement in achievement in writing this year is the result of pupils having numerous opportunities to write at length on topics they find interesting. For example, the theme ‘Down on the Farm’ was enhanced by a local famer visiting the school with his tractor to talk about what farm work involves. This led to pupils writing about life on the farm through the headlamps of a tractor or the eyes of a sheepdog.  The teaching of mathematics is having a good impact on learning and achievement. This is especially the

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The quality of teaching is good

case in Year 2 where pupils engage in interesting activities that challenge their understanding. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, pupils had to use paper, wool and cubes to create halves and quarters. One-to-one teaching in mathematics is also highly effective. In one lesson, a pupil was prompted to apply her knowledge of doubles in a problem-solving context.  Although there are some good examples, teachers do not always plan lessons that provide pupils with good opportunities to complete problem-solving and investigation activities in mathematics consistently across Key Stage 1.  Reading is taught well and pupils read regularly both in school and at home. The teaching of phonics is mostly effective, especially in the early years. Just occasionally however, pupils in Year 1 complete activities in phonics sessions that are not always sufficiently demanding.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because adults ensure

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The quality of teaching is good

that targeted support and resources closely meet their needs.  Teachers mark work regularly and give oral and written feedback on how to improve it. This is most effective when pupils receive immediate feedback and so make improvement while they are completing their work.  Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. They support pupils effectively in the classrooms and during one-to-one support programmes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 was similar to the national averages. This showed that this group of pupils made expected progress from their previous starting points. In Year 2 in 2015, however, pupils’ attainment is showing a significant increase on the previous year and, given their different starting points, progress is good.  Improving pupils’ achievement in writing has been a successful whole-school focus over the past year and the improvement in standards are particularly noticeable. Current assessments for 2015 are showing that the proportion of pupils attaining standards that are expected for their age, and the proportion attaining the higher standards, have increased considerably from 2014.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress and reach standards that are above similar pupils nationally. This is because they are supported well in class and work is

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The achievement of pupils is good

tailored to their needs to help them succeed.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and are catching up with other pupils at the school and nationally. The gaps in attainment for reading, writing and mathematics are closing rapidly.  The most able pupils achieve well. The assessment of pupils currently in Year 2 shows that the proportion working at a Level 3 in reading, writing and mathematics has significantly increased on 2014, when they were similar to national averages.  In 2014, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 reading screening check of pupils’ knowledge of letters and sounds was below average. Recent assessments of current Year 1 pupils show that the proportion of pupils working at the required standard for 2015 is likely to decline further. Pupils do not sustain the good progress they have made in reading in the early years because activities are sometimes too easy.

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The early years provision is good

 Children enter the Nursery class with skills and abilities that are broadly similar to those typical for their age. They make good progress as they move through the early years and by the time they leave, a large majority are ready for learning in Year 1. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception class has steadily increased over recent years and above proportions are now working at the levels typically seen.  Leadership of the early years is good. Since taking up her post, the leader has worked to improve teaching, which is now consistently good. All staff are skilled practitioners and support learning effectively. They know the children well and question them well to extend their thinking.  The teaching of phonics is good because all the adults involved in the different teaching groups are highly skilled in their subject knowledge and provide well-matched activities that challenge children. As a result,

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The early years provision is good

children are making good progress.  Procedures to assess what children know and can do are effective, are based on observation and the recording of their achievements. ‘Learning journeys’ show the progress for each child and are meticulously kept.  The early years is stimulating and children are, in the main, motivated in a broad range of interesting and engaging activities. The outside play area is well equipped and used effectively to support learning. Children concentrate for sustained periods of time and are encouraged to explore, be independent and curious. As a result, their behaviour is good.  Parental involvement has improved. Parents now use the schools’ resources such as ‘story bags’ to enhance home learning.  Safety is given a high priority. This was observed during a lesson in the school’s outside wooded area where the management of safety was exemplary. All safeguarding procedures and risk assessments are

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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 121363 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 449637

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 244 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stephen Knight Headteacher Sarah Gillam Date of previous school inspection 15 September 2009 Telephone number 01751 472620 Fax number 01751 477653 Email address headteacher@pickering-inf.n-yorks.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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