Thorpe Willoughby Community Primary School

Thorpe Willoughby Community Primary School

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Londesborough Grove, Thorpe Willoughby, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 9NX

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Outcomes for pupils are good because, from their starting points, pupils make good progress in a broad range of subjects, including mathematics and English.  Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress throughout the school. The attainment of these pupils is similar to others, both in school and nationally.  Teaching is good. Pupils are able to set to work quickly and make good progress because of the very clear explanations they are given.  Children in Reception Year make good progress and are being well prepared for Year 1.  Behaviour is good. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They say they enjoy school and feel safe.  Subject leaders have a good understanding of the progress being made by all pupils. Should the progress of any pupil fall short of what is required, they take appropriate action to improve it.  The curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ good personal development. There are

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This is a good school

highly effective opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the school’s commitment to children’s rights and responsibilities.  The headteacher and governors have an accurate view of the school. Since the last inspection, their efforts have improved the quality of teaching and pupil outcomes. As a result, the overall effectiveness of the school has improved.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is a small amount of teaching that is not ensuring pupils make consistently good progress.  There are times when feedback from marking does not provide clear subject guidance and additional challenge for pupils to improve their work.  Occasionally, work set does not challenge pupils well enough to help them make swift progress.  The provision in Reception Year is not always sufficiently well focused on providing challenging experiences in literacy and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the consistency of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that pupils make outstanding progress by: providing incisive subject feedback that challenges pupils to do even better than at present giving pupils enough time to act upon teachers’ comments fully setting work that challenges all pupils consistently well assessing pupils’ work to provide appropriate additional challenge where necessary.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the provision in Reception Year by: creating rich and varied activities, indoors and outdoors, to support the development of children’s literacy and mathematics making timely and appropriate interventions to ensure learning is highly focused on developing children’s literacy and mathematical skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and governors have developed a strong sense of purpose among all staff and are ambitious for the pupils. Since the previous inspection, they have concentrated on developing subject leadership and a thorough performance management system for teachers, which is used to identify appropriate training to improve teaching. Also, governors and leaders check the progress of pupils very regularly and take action if any pupil is falling behind. As a result of the actions taken by leaders and governors, the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils are good.  Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and its areas for improvement. Subject leadership has improved with coaching and support from the local authority and opportunities to work with leaders from other schools. Subject leaders check the quality of teaching regularly, using a wide range of evidence and information. They have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

subjects and the progress each child is making.  Subject leaders use examples of good practice they have seen in the school, or in other schools, to strengthen teaching. Their good work has supported the headteacher in improving teaching across the school and improving outcomes. Newly qualified teachers are supported well by middle and senior leaders in developing their skills.  The curriculum provides a wealth of exciting opportunities that broaden pupils’ experiences. There are good links across a wide range of subjects to develop pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills. Cultural links with a school in Zambia, along with visits from people from other religions, contribute exceptionally well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A good range of extra- curricular activities contribute well to pupils’ impressive understanding of children’s rights and the responsibilities that go with them.This range of activities, coupled with visits from magistrates who work

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

closely with pupils to create a courtroom scenario, give pupils a clear understanding of British values and prepare them well for life in modern Britain. The school regularly checks the curriculum to ensure it is providing a good education for all groups of pupils.  The primary sports funding is spent highly effectively to extend pupils’ sporting skills and provide additional activities such as fencing and cheerleading. It is used to provide training for teachers in gymnastics and tag rugby. Inspectors observed pupils developing impressive skills in passing and moving during a rugby lesson. The school has many pupils who participate well in cross-country running and football. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoyed the wide range of sporting activities organised for them.  The headteacher takes direct management of the additional government funding, the pupil premium, provided to the school for disadvantaged pupils. The very effective deployment of additional staffing and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

assiduous checking of the progress these pupils are making have successfully improved their rates of progress. Consequently, in 2015, attainment for disadvantaged pupils was close to that of others nationally and slightly better than others in school.  The local authority regularly checks on how well the school is doing and has provided good support for the teaching of mathematics and improvement to middle leadership.  The governance of the school The governing body has a strong understanding of how well the school is doing. Governors visit the school and see pupils’ work. They are clear about the progress all groups of pupils are making through their good knowledge of national performance measures. Governors have regular updates on pupil progress, and they challenge senior leaders and subject leaders to ensure that pupils are doing well across the school. The governing body is clear about the arrangements linking teachers’ performance to pay. Governors

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

use their skills to check the school’s budget and have approved the use of pupil premium funding and know its impact on disadvantaged pupils in detail. Governors are clear about how the school is preparing pupils to be ready to take their place in society as good citizens.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that the arrangements for safeguarding and child protection meet statutory requirements. Staff are appropriately trained and vigilant. Leaders work with parents and other agencies in the local authority to make sure vulnerable pupils are well cared for and supported. There is a nominated governor who checks the effectiveness of procedures with school leaders.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The overall improvement to teaching, learning and assessment has been supported by judicious training for teachers and teaching assistants and the support given by subject leaders to improve practice.  Teachers’ explanations of what pupils are to learn during lessons are very clear. These help pupils start work quickly on their tasks and develop their understanding. They are encouraged to share their work with each other and do this well to help each other out if they are stuck or need to check the quality of their work. As a result, pupils make good progress in their learning and develop good personal skills.  Teachers plan interesting work, capturing pupils’ imagination and motivating them well. For example, pupils in Key Stage 2 enjoyed writing letters to children in Zambia and receiving letters back. Also, in Key Stage 1 when studying science, teachers ensured animals such as pigs, goats, a hare and a tortoise were

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

brought to school to inspire high-quality writing.  Teachers use good questioning skills to involve students in thinking deeply about what is being learned. They give pupils time to respond fully and use pupils’ responses to strengthen the understanding of others and to clear up any misunderstandings.  Teachers are quick to view and assess pupils’ work in class. They spot those pupils who might be falling behind or who have misconceptions and support them well. However, they do not always increase the challenge of work swiftly enough for pupils who are finding it easy. Although pupils’ progress is generally good, this lack of challenge prevents it being outstanding and very occasionally leads to progress that is not consistently good.  An analysis of pupils’ work showed good progress is made over time. It showed that marking and feedback are regular and follow the school’s policy. However, feedback from marking is not consistently

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

challenging pupils to think deeply about how they might improve their work. The feedback is not always related to the subject being studied. Occasionally, pupils are not given enough time to act fully upon the feedback and this limits the extent to which they can improve the standard of their work and make outstanding progress.  Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy and mathematical skills across a wide range of subjects because of the way leaders have planned the curriculum. Pupils develop good speaking skills through the many opportunities they have to read out loud and discuss their work together and with adults.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. They are managed well and support pupils effectively to ensure they are making good progress. They work skilfully with individuals or groups of pupils, both inside and outside the classroom.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors. The inspectors found pupils to be confident in engaging in discussions with adults and giving their opinions about the school. Pupils say they enjoy being in the school and are well looked after. Even the very youngest children are keen to talk about their work and greet adults very politely.  Pupils dress smartly and are proud of their school. They get on well together at lunchtimes, playtimes and in class.  Pupils enjoy the responsibilities given to them. There are good opportunities for them to take up posts of responsibility such as ‘playground buddy’, school councillor and ‘rights ambassador’.  Pupils vote for their school council and this is a good introduction to democracy. They told the inspectors that there is good participation in the wide range of sporting activities and how important it is for them to

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Personal development and welfare

keep fit.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and learn about internet safety. They sing a ‘rap’ about how to keep safe when using the internet and are clear that they should not exchange messages with people they don’t know. Pupils talk about being sensible and not talking to strangers. They have many opportunities to learn about how to keep safe, particularly in respect of road and cycle safety.  All pupils say they are safe in school. Some told inspectors that the school is ‘a rights respecting school’ and they have a right to be safe in school as well as a responsibility to keep themselves and others safe. Parents and staff are unreservedly positive about children’s safety.  Pupils are very clear about what constitutes bullying and they say it is rare. Pupils sent a pamphlet to all parents to raise awareness of what constitutes bullying and the impact of bullying on individuals. Pupils

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Personal development and welfare

say that there is some occasional ‘falling out’, which is managed quickly and very well by staff. School records confirm pupils’ views that bullying is rare.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are well aware of how they are expected to conduct themselves in class and around the school. They appreciate the rewards given to them for behaving well. The school is a calm and welcoming place in which children manage their conduct well both inside and outside the classroom.  Pupils are keen to learn and quickly follow the instructions of teachers and other adults. Very occasionally, a few pupils do not concentrate on their work when asked to discuss it with others. Pupils are proud of their work and work well together when learning in class. They listen carefully to the views of others.  The school’s environment is well cared for and is litter free. Displays of pupils’ work and other educational materials interest pupils and promote the school as a good place for learning.  Overall attendance is average, with many pupils attending well.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes are good and have been improving over time because of improvements in the quality of teaching and subject leadership. In reading, writing and mathematics, pupils make the progress expected of them and a good proportion make even better progress.  An analysis of pupils’ work across a wide range of subjects, including mathematics and English, showed that pupils are making good progress throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Children in Reception Year are also progressing well.  In Key Stage 1, standards have improved strongly over the past two years. They are now average in reading and above average in writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils attaining the highest standards is above average in each subject. These improvements have occurred because of good teaching and better checking of the progress for each pupil. Pupils falling behind are swiftly identified and given appropriate support to help them improve quickly.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils’ progress in writing at Key Stage 2 has improved year on year and is now good. In 2015, standards in writing were broadly average and good teaching of English grammar, punctuation and spelling ensured that standards were average. Progress in both mathematics and reading were good from pupils’ different starting points and they achieved broadly average standards.  The most-able pupils achieve as well as similar pupils in other schools. They make good progress because of good teaching, and reach standards that are in line with similar pupils nationally.  Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress due to good use of the pupil premium, which is providing additional teaching support and helping them to engage in the extra activities the school organises for all pupils. In 2015, those disadvantaged pupils leaving school at the end of Year 6 achieved standards that were at the national average and a little better than others in the school.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Good leadership and skilful support by staff, some of whom specialise in the teaching of communication and interaction skills, are helping disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to make the same good progress as other pupils in the school. Pupils who need support to develop their communication and interaction skills are included fully in all mainstream classes and make similar progress to others.  An analysis of pupils’ work showed that pupils of Gypsy/Roma heritage make good progress. This is a result of well-targeted support from staff, who help them to catch up quickly after being away from the school. In the past two years, those pupils of Gypsy/Roma heritage leaving the school at the end of Year 6 have reached standards that are in line with national averages.  The school promotes reading well and pupils say they enjoy reading. The school makes sure that pupils read a variety of books and have a good understanding of what they are reading. In the most recent

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Outcomes for pupils are good

screening check for reading at the end of Year 1, the large majority of pupils achieved the expected standard. Inspectors saw highly skilled teaching of letters and sounds, which is helping pupils to make good progress.

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Early years provision is good

 Children are safe and happy because of the secure procedures that exist in the early years provision. Staff engage well with parents at the start and end of the day to ensure safe procedures operate well.  Over time, the least well-developed skills when children join Reception Year have been in mathematics and literacy.  Two years ago, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was well below average. This spurred leaders on to use more teachers and adults in supporting learning. This resulted in significant improvements in children’s progress in 2015. Many more children reached a good level of development than in 2014.  Inspectors found that, currently, children are making good progress from their different starting points as their needs have been identified much more precisely than previously. Outcomes for these children are set to at least match national averages. As a result, children are now being well prepared for entering Year 1.

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Early years provision is good

 Leadership has improved over time and there is a much wider involvement from a range of senior leaders to support children’s needs, particularly in communication and language. Leadership is good and has benefited from professional development and the sharing of best practice across the school. Parents value the opportunities to work with their children in school with literacy games, which then continue at home.  Teachers and other adults are using accurate assessment information to plan interesting tasks that are helping pupils make good progress. Children enjoy their work and engage well together. They are developing good personal and social skills and good behaviours, which are supporting their learning well.  A wide range of activities make a good contribution to children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. Assemblies, visits and the work set for children help them to learn quickly about their ‘rights

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Early years provision is good

and responsibilities’ and this helps them to be respectful to each other and to adults.  Those children with disabilities or who have special educational needs, as well as disadvantaged children, make good progress because of the effective additional support they receive.  Inspectors noted that the provision is not rich in high-quality materials that are displayed to prompt children to use their literacy and numeracy skills throughout the whole of the day. They also noted that adults do not always intervene appropriately to guide children in applying their mathematical and literacy skills in a range of activities. Although children are currently making good progress in these skills, more can be done to help children make even better progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 121436 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10002069

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School details

This inspection 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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 259 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jan Tetley Headteacher Sue Brown Telephone number 01757 703996 Website www.thorpewilloughby.n-yorks.sch.uk Email address admin@thorpewilloughby.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 25 September 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional 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.  Most pupils are White British. A small proportion of pupils are from Roma or Gypsy heritage.  The school is an enhanced mainstream school for communication and interaction. Organised by the local authority, it is part of North Yorkshire’s special educational needs provision for local schools, with staff providing outreach provision.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The school holds the UNICEF Right Respecting Schools Award at level 2.  Thorpe Willoughby Childcare Centre operates from buildings in the school grounds. The childcare centre did not form part of the school’s inspection as it is inspected separately and has a separate inspection report.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning in parts of lessons. Two observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher.  An inspector spoke with a group of pupils about their learning in lessons and their safety in the school. Also, inspectors spoke with pupils about learning and safety throughout the two days of the inspection.  Inspectors listened to pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 reading.  An inspector held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors. Inspectors also held meetings with senior leaders and other staff.  Inspectors looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development and improvement plan, school policies and the minutes of governing body meetings. They considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of pupils’ books.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors evaluated 50 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and a school questionnaire with 156 responses. Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  Inspectors analysed 27 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

James McGrath, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jane Langley Ofsted Inspector Janet Keefe Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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