Dishforth Airfield Community Primary School

Dishforth Airfield Community Primary School Short Road, Dishforth Airfield, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3DL

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an outstanding school

 The determined drive and high ambition of the headteacher have accelerated the journey of improvement from the previous inspection. She has created a very inclusive culture where all pupils thrive.  Teaching is extremely well matched to the needs of pupils. As a result, all pupils make expected progress and very high proportions make more than expected progress from their starting points.  Outcomes for children in early years have improved rapidly and the proportions achieving a good level of development are now well above national averages.  The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Personal development and welfare are excellent and pupils flourish in the school’s caring provision. Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable in lessons and at sociable times.  Leadership of special educational needs and/or disabilities is very strong. There is high-quality

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This is an outstanding school

provision for pupils with special educational needs. Consequently, they achieve very good outcomes.  Governors are focused on achieving aspirational outcomes for pupils. They know the school well and provide high levels of support and challenge to leaders and staff.  The school’s curriculum inspires and motivates pupils. The coverage of global dimensions enriches pupils’ understanding of citizenship.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Successfully implement the plans in place for the significant increase in pupil numbers and related changes to staffing organisation in September 2016.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The headteacher’s drive and ambition have created an ethos of inclusion and high aspirations for all pupils. She has established a staff team that is highly committed to improving pupils’ outcomes. Her outward-looking research of best practice has brought about well-thought-through changes which have improved outcomes for pupils. Communication with parents and the school community is very strong and this results in exceptionally high levels of satisfaction among parents.  Leadership by the special educational needs coordinator is excellent. Her high-level skills have led to her recognition as a specialist leader of education (SLE). Provision for pupils with special educational needs is of a very high standard and they make very good progress academically and socially. This is because staff are well trained and the special educational needs coordinator rigorously checks that pupils with special

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

educational needs receive high-quality support and teaching.  Leaders are quick to identify when pupils require additional support. They make effective use of the school’s vulnerability checklist to identify pupils’ needs and trigger additional support, including working with other agencies.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptional. The experiences provided for pupils cover all these four aspects in depth. The school’s six core values are well promoted through assemblies and displays around school. Pupils show an excellent understanding of the school’s values. For example, they often nominate other pupils for the school’s values in action award.  The curriculum is very well planned to meet the interests and needs of all pupils. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning across a range of subjects. They are particularly motivated by the launch events which take place at the start of a topic. Global dimension work permeates the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

Consequently, pupils are well prepared to be global citizens as well as for life in modern Britain. Pupils have access to a wide range of extracurricular activities at lunchtimes and the end of the school day. This allows them to follow a variety of interests, including sports, cookery and online learning.  The mechanism to manage staff performance is rigorous. Staff are provided with a wide range of training linked to the school’s priorities. The headteacher and governors regularly check that the quality of teaching is of a high standard and that staff training has a positive impact.  Pupil premium and service premium funding is used very effectively to finance provision and support for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. The funding has been well targeted to improve pupils’ progress in English and mathematics, increase leadership time to support pupils with special educational needs and enhance the provision for school leavers and arrivals. Governors rigorously check the effective spending

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

of this funding.  Additional funding from the government to promote sport and increase physical activity is being used successfully to provide expert coaching, develop staff expertise and increase pupils’ participation in competitive sport.  The governance of the school  Governance is strong because governors provide leaders with a suitable balance of support and challenge. Governors know the school very well due to first-hand knowledge of pupils’ learning and outcomes. They use this information to provide leaders with robust levels of challenge about pupils’ outcomes.  Governors work very effectively in partnership with the headteacher to plan the strategic development of the school. For example, their plans and actions have effectively prepared the school for the forthcoming changes in September 2016 when there will be a significant increase in pupil numbers.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Checks are made to ensure that adults working with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

pupils are suitable. The governing body has recently reviewed and updated the child protection policy to bring it in line with the most current statutory regulations. Governors, leaders and staff have received training on the Prevent duty. As a result, they are more aware of the risks to children from extremism and radicalisation.  The support and challenge to the school from the local authority adviser are valued by school leaders. A recent local authority school review supported by two headteachers provided the school with an objective assessment of school leaders’ self-evaluation judgements. The school is an active member of the North Star Teaching Alliance and contributes to the organisation’s teacher training offer.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 Teaching over time is outstanding and results in pupils making exceptional progress from their starting points when they arrive in the school.  The school’s approaches to assessment have been refined and improved in the light of the National Curriculum changes. The accuracy of the school’s assessments has been developed by checking assessment judgements against those of other local schools.  Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge in English and mathematics. Teachers manage the complexities of mixed-aged classes, some with three year groups, very well. They plan lessons very effectively, making good use of pupils’ assessment information to match activities to the needs of each pupil.  Teachers mark work consistently in line with the school’s policy. Pupils respond promptly to the marking and as a result, pupils are continually improving their work or responding to challenges set by teachers.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 Teaching assistants are effectively deployed and make a significant contribution to the high quality of teaching and learning. Pupils are often taught in very small groups with high levels of adult support. This results in the prompt closing of gaps in pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ presentation and handwriting are of a high standard. This is because these skills are promoted across the school and teachers set high expectations.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) and spelling, punctuation and grammar is well structured and delivered in small groups. This means the learning is successfully linked to pupil’s needs and pupils make rapid progress. Younger pupils have the skills to support their reading development, while older pupils read with high levels of confidence and understanding. Pupils comment about their love of reading and talk avidly about the books they read both in school during ‘reading circles’ and outside

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

school.  Teachers and other staff provide well-planned individual support for pupils with special educational needs. This means that work set matches their specific needs well, which in turn helps them to make very good progress relative to their starting points.  Pupils’ basic skills in reading and mathematics are well reinforced by regular homework. Their independent learning skills are enhanced through the choices in project homework tasks.  Equality of opportunity is promoted well and the school actively promotes equality issues through assemblies as well as through the curriculum. For example, school assemblies have considered how career opportunities are available to both men and women.  Parents are well informed about pupils’ progress. They receive regular information through meetings and written reports. Parents are provided with information to support their children’s learning at home. For

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

example, the school holds meetings to show how reading and mathematics are taught in school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are self-confident and can explain their learning clearly. They are reflective and caring; they fully understand the school’s agreed core values and often nominate other pupils for recognition when they demonstrate these values during the week.  Pupils show great pride in their school and demonstrate high levels of maturity. This is because they have many opportunities to take positions of responsibility. For example, sports leaders organise activities for pupils at the lunchtime ‘Energy Club’ which other pupils engage in enthusiastically.  Transition arrangements for pupils from military service families are well thought through. This means that both on arrival at the school and on leaving pupils receive high levels of social and emotional support to ensure their success. Year 6 pupils transitioning to local secondary schools are provided with very good

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Personal development and welfare

preparatory support.  Pupils understand about different forms of bullying, such as cyberbullying. They report that there is no bullying in the school. However, they are confident that staff will promptly deal with any misbehaviour or bullying should it occur.  Healthy lifestyles and fitness are well developed both through the school’s curriculum and opportunities beyond the school day.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. During the inspection, pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during social times was impeccable. Parents, pupils and staff strongly agree that pupils are well behaved.  Prominently displayed examples of pupils’ high-quality work, along with the school’s values statements, celebrate achievement and promote aspiration. These are often promptly shared with parents on the school’s website.  Rates of attendance are above the national average. Pupils are very keen to come to school and know that regular attendance and good punctuality support their learning.  Pupils know how to stay safe including on the internet and this information is shared with parents. For example, during an assembly, the school’s digital leaders informed both pupils and parents of how to avoid risks online.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Children enter the school at standards generally below that typical for their age. They make rapid progress and are well prepared for Year 1. Staff take the opportunity for Reception Year children to work alongside older Year 1 pupils where appropriate. This is benefiting their self-confidence and learning.  Leaders and teachers work hard to quickly establish pupils’ attainment on entry. They plan learning accordingly and current pupils in each year group are making at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics and a very high proportion are making more than expected progress from their starting points. The school’s results are stronger than the published data for past cohorts as the very high levels of pupil mobility mean that very few pupils spend their whole school career at the school.  Pupils achieve well in the Year 1 phonics (the sounds that letters make) check. In 2013 and 2014, the

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

school’s results were above national averages and improving over time. There was a slight dip in the school’s 2015 phonics results. Analysis of individual pupils’ outcomes shows that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieved highly.  There are very few pupils in school who are disadvantaged. The school has in place strong systems to ensure that these pupils make at least expected progress and provide support to close any identified gaps in learning.  Pupils with special educational needs are making at least expected progress and the majority make more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because the school identifies their learning needs promptly and provides high levels of well-targeted support.  The most-able pupils are provided with challenge which deepens their learning and enables them to make very good progress. Teachers take advantage of mixed-aged classes to enable most-able pupils to work

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

alongside older pupils of a similar ability.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Children start in the early years with skills and abilities that are generally below that typical for their age. This is the case particularly in literacy, numeracy and personal development. Over the last three years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has improved and has been above the national average for the last two years. Children make very good progress and are extremely well prepared for Year 1.  Teaching in early years is very strong. Children’s learning needs are well met by the provision and high- quality teaching both in the classroom and outdoors. Adults use questioning very effectively to move learning forward and respond to children’s interests to further enhance their learning. For example, children were encouraged to plan a party in the afternoon session following work they had completed on writing party lists in the morning.  Children’s love of reading is well developed, both through the availability of high-quality books, and a

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Early years provision is outstanding

structured approach to phonics (the sounds that letters make). During the inspection, one child requested that the teaching assistant help her to go through her phonics sound cards.  The senior teacher, in partnership with the early years teacher, provides strong leadership in early years. Detailed action plans and systems for checking on improvements are in place. This ensures that there is a constant drive for improving provision and outcomes.  Children’s personal development and welfare are a key focus for when they start school. They quickly learn the routines of the school and work very well alongside the pupils in Year 1, often choosing to learn alongside the older pupils.  Children develop a good understanding of different faiths through classroom displays, stories and role play. For example, adults provided children with resources to retell the story of Rama and Sita through role play with other children and adults.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Partnerships with parents, other providers and external agencies are excellent. Parents are included in making assessments of children’s progress and the school has recently introduced an online assessment system which readily shares information with parents. Well-established links with the pre-school provision adjacent to the school ensure a smooth transition for children into the Reception class. The leader for special educational needs ensures that the required partnerships with external agencies are promptly in place.  There are no disadvantaged children eligible for additional funding in the early years.

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School details

Unique reference number 121332 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10001106

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 36 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jim Brown Headteacher Julie Lyon Telephone number 01423 322556 Website http://dishforthairfieldprimaryschool.com/ Email address headteacher@dishforthairfield.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection July 2011

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils attending the school are from military service families and the levels of mobility at the school are very high. In 2015, the mobility rate was 56%.  There are three classes. Class 1 with Reception and Year 1 pupils, class 2 with Year 2 and Year 3 pupils, and class 3 with pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is the funding the school receives for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The school receives service premium. This is extra funding for schools to support children and young people with parents in the armed forces.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is well above average. There are no pupils with

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Information about this school

disabilities or with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed an assembly in addition to a range of lessons and part-lessons. The headteacher joined the inspector for all of the observations in lessons.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The inspector observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtime.  The inspector scrutinised pupils’ work in their books and in the learning journals of children in the early years.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the senior teacher and the class teachers. The inspector met with a group of governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and completed a telephone call meeting with the local authority lead improvement adviser (0–11).  A group of Key Stage 2 pupils discussed their opinions about the school, their attitudes and their

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Information about this inspection

learning with the inspector. The inspector listened to a total of four pupils from Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 read.  The inspector took account of the responses on Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. The inspector held discussions with parents at the start of the school day on the first day.  The inspector considered the online staff questionnaire and pupil questionnaire responses received.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, pupils’ achievement information, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Michael Reeves, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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