Setting

Mrs Lisa Jackson-Ward Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School Kettlesing Harrogate HG3 2LB

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 3 November 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in March 2012.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. This is because you have high expectations of pupils and staff. You have successfully conveyed a clear message to all staff that there is no room for complacency, particularly in relation to the quality of teaching and learning. It is this relentless drive for further improvement, shared by all leaders, that underpins the reasons why this is a good school.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

At the time of the previous inspection two areas for improvement were identified. To raise attainment in writing and to refine the use of assessment so that work is suitably challenging, particularly for more-able pupils. The quality of writing evident during the inspection indicates that it is improving rapidly. Teachers are adept at picking up on pupils’ misconceptions during lessons and taking immediate steps to help them overcome them. As a result, the work pupils are set accurately reflects their learning needs and this is why all pupils, including the more-able and those who are disabled or have special educational needs, are currently making good progress relative to their starting points.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

You evaluate the work of all staff extremely well, holding them to account for the work they do and the progress their pupils make. This is supported by a range of professional development opportunities that ensure teachers and teaching assistants are equipped with the necessary expertise to enable them to work effectively.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

The governing body is very supportive of the work of school leaders and has made a significant contribution to the improvements made since the previous inspection. The strength of the governing body is in the level of challenge governors offer in keeping Ofsted

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk school leaders firmly focused on their declared intention of becoming an outstanding school. The collective efforts of leaders and governors are taking the school forward.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

You have successfully created an ethos that has, at its heart, a strong sense of care for pupils that is conducive to learning in a safe environment. There is a sense of ‘family’ that promotes respect and understanding towards all pupils and adults. As a result, pupils exhibit positive attitudes that in turn enhance their learning.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

All parents who completed Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, confirmed that their children enjoy coming to school, feel safe and make good progress due to good teaching. They acknowledge and appreciate your good leadership and the welcoming atmosphere that cements a harmonious and productive relationship between home and school.

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Short inspection of Kettlesing Felliscliffe Community Primary School

School leaders and governors take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. All staff receive appropriate training so that they know and apply the steps they must take to ensure pupils are kept safe. A notable feature of the curriculum is the emphasis on developing pupils’ awareness of how to keep themselves safe through planned activities, including road and fire safety, anti- bullying and e-safety.

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Inspection findings

 The headteacher constantly reviews the work of the school and wastes no time in taking decisive action to address any weaknesses. The areas for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection have been successfully tackled and this is now making a difference to the rate of pupils’ progress.  There is a clear relationship between good teaching and pupils’ progress. Under the strong leadership of the headteacher, teachers’ expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving have been raised. Work is well planned and designed to meet the wide range of abilities that are apparent in these mixed-age classes. Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers use a range of strategies that engage pupils and maintain their interest in the subject matter.  Leaders have introduced an effective system to check pupils’ progress, particularly in relation to reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ progress is reviewed every six weeks. This enables any sign of

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Inspection findings

underachievement to be identified and addressed immediately, often through programmes of support delivered by skilled teaching assistants.  Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are well supported. Carefully crafted individual plans are in place and good support is provided by well-trained teaching assistants under the direction of the recently appointed special educational needs coordinator. As a result, these pupils make good progress.  The headteacher is the subject leader for mathematics and another member of staff is responsible for overseeing English. These leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and areas in need of improvement in their respective subjects. They make good use of expertise from the local authority and neighbouring schools to develop teachers’ skills.  The proportion of children in early years achieving a good level of development is high. Activities are well planned and children enjoy

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Inspection findings

opportunities to explore and learn in and out of the classroom. Children are confident when engaging with adults and are keen learners.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 in 2015 was above the national average. At the end of Year 6 in 2015, the proportion of pupils attaining age-related expectations in combined writing, reading and mathematics was higher than the national average. There is no gap in performance between pupils nationally and disadvantaged pupils in the school.  Individual governors undertake visits to see the school’s work for themselves and report back to the main body. They are aware that these visits need to focus more on what pupils are able to do in order to provide evidence that the initiatives in the school development plan are working. The school development plan is a good vehicle for securing improvement. A sharper link between the action taken to secure improvement and the

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Inspection findings

difference it is designed to have on pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding would help leaders to evaluate its effectiveness even more efficiently.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and governors should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the school development plan contains sharper links between the actions taken to secure improvement and the difference they are expected to have on pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding in order to help evaluate their effectiveness  governors use their visits to school to observe what pupils are able to do during lessons so that they can more accurately check the work of the school.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children’s Services for North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection I met with you, the leader of English, the special educational needs coordinator, a group of pupils and the vice-chair of the governing body. I also had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority. Together, we visited all classrooms to observe teaching and look at pupils’ work. Consideration was given to 33 responses from the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. I evaluated recent information in relation to pupils’ progress throughout the school, the school self-evaluation, the school improvement plan and arrangements for checking the performance of teachers. I also reviewed documentation and records about how you keep pupils safe.

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