Martongate Primary School

Martongate Primary School Martongate, Bridlington, East Yorkshire YO16 6YD

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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

 Senior leaders have successfully improved the quality of teaching and learning across the school so that it is now good.  Teaching is characterised by high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and this is why pupils are currently making good progress.  Planning and assessment systems are being implemented successfully to support the achievement and progress of pupils.  Middle leaders are effective in their roles and are successfully driving improvement across the school.  All pupils, including the disadvantaged, disabled and those with special educational needs, are making good progress. Pupils make strong gains from their starting points in the early years.  Behaviour is good, and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning ensure that staff can teach lessons at a swift pace and move the learning forward.  The curriculum is well planned and meets the needs of the pupils, particularly in relation to their

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This is a good school

social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.  The school promotes a love of sport which encourages pupil participation, promotes physical skills and fosters their social and emotional development well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all teachers are skilful in picking up pupils’ misconceptions and tackling them within the lesson in order to enhance their progress.  On occasions, the pace of progress slows when pupils spend too much time on work about which they have a good understanding rather than being moved on to their next stage in their learning.  By the end of Year 6, not enough pupils are attaining standards in writing, reading and mathematics that are higher than age-related expectations.  Action plans designed to secure improvement do not contain sufficient detail of how actions are intended to impact on pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning in order to accelerate pupils’ outcomes further by: – ensuring teachers pick up quickly on pupils’ misconceptions during lessons and take swift action in order to improve understanding and enhance learning – identifying when pupils are ready to move on to the next stages in their learning in order to further develop their skills and knowledge.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop leadership and management by ensuring that the strategies to bring about improvement contained in the school improvement plans are closely linked to the impact they are designed to have on pupils’ learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher lead this school well. Since the previous inspection, the school has undergone significant development under the good leadership of the senior leadership team. Leaders have successfully reinvigorated their passion and determination to ensure that teaching and learning are good.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have significantly changed the culture of the school. They have a realistic view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses based on accurate self-evaluation. The new phase leaders lead their teams well, taking responsibility for the development of staff within their teams and monitoring activities to ensure consistency and continuity across classes. This has empowered staff to be self-analytical and to seek solutions themselves to issues that arise. Therefore, teachers have ownership of what they do and this is a key factor in why the school is moving forward so quickly.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders at all levels have high expectations about what pupils can achieve. Professional development opportunities are well planned and focus on the key areas identified for improvement. A new approach to planning for pupils’ learning has been influential in developing teachers’ understanding of the new assessment requirements.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher monitor the quality of teaching and learning effectively and ensure that school policies are consistently implemented by all staff. Development points are fed back to staff individually and common weaknesses are identified and addressed through weekly staff meetings. Coaching and mentoring are a fundamental part of the school’s systems to support less experienced teachers and temporary staff employed at the moment.  Leaders are strategically driving the school’s improvement through their planning. However, they recognise the need to develop this further, so that the intended impact of the actions taken is more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

closely linked to pupils’ learning and outcomes.  Performance management is rigorous. All teachers are held accountable for pupils’ progress. Targets reflect whole-school initiatives as well as areas for improvement for individual teachers. This process is making a significant contribution to raising the quality of teaching of learning.  The wide range of extracurricular activities on offer to pupils encourage high levels of participation and pupils can develop their skills in many different areas. Effective use is made of the physical education and sports funding. Opportunities for pupils to participate in a wide range of sports are a key strength of the school. Pupils have wonderful opportunities to work alongside sports specialists who represent their country, as they are encouraged to excel in all aspects of sport. For example, while the inspection was being conducted, a group of pupils participated in an event linked to a national hockey competition.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The curriculum has been planned carefully to meet the needs of the pupils. It is broad and balanced, covering all aspects of the National Curriculum. Alongside runs a rich seam of wider learning, which helps to prepare pupils for becoming successful members of society. Global communication, health and safety and the developing rights and responsibilities of pupils run through the long-term plan. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural learning is strong and permeates the curriculum. British values form a discreet unit, covering democracy, respect and tolerance towards others. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The pupil premium is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Gaps in attainment are closing across school. An example of good practice was seen in Year 6, where an extra teacher, funded from the pupil premium budget, works in the classroom supporting individual pupils to improve their writing. This

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

allows the class teacher to spend time with individuals, focusing on key misconceptions and giving guidance on how to improve their work.  The governance of the school – Following a review of governance, the governing body has changed how it works. Realignment of roles and committee structures is helping governors to be clear about individual and collective responsibilities. Governors are now more focused on challenging and supporting school leaders. They visit on a regular basis to monitor what is happening. This enables them to focus on different aspects of the school improvement plan to see for themselves how these changes are benefiting pupils’ learning. Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and use this information to challenge school leaders. They also have a good awareness about how school leaders manage the performance of staff. – One governor spoke of a recent change to spelling homework that she had requested after speaking

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

to parents about the difficulties they were finding to support their children at home. After speaking to leaders, a new system was set up which parents have reported finding much easier to use and pupils are now achieving greater success. Governors care about the pupils and are ambitious for them. Governors are knowledgeable about the impact pupil premium is having on pupils’ progress.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders work well with parents to make sure pupils are well supported and that they feel safe; a point acknowledged by parents. All staff receive appropriate training so that vulnerable pupils are well cared for. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe due to the carefully planned curriculum that incorporates e-safety, health and safety and an awareness of what constitutes bullying in all its forms.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 All teachers have high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. English and mathematics are taught well throughout the school and teachers’ planning supports good progress in lessons. The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is secure from Reception through to Key Stage 2. Young children learn about the relationships between letters and sounds and the concept of words and sentences. As pupils move through the school they are taught a range of increasingly complex comprehension skills to aid understanding. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they have enjoyed reading.  Teachers plan effectively and use links between subjects to stimulate learning and sustain pupils’ interest. They promote equality of opportunity through well-planned activities that are tailored to pupils’ learning needs. For example, following on from a visitor to the school from an owl sanctuary, pupils read stories

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and researched owls, using this information to write fact books. The writing was given a purpose, as pupils were writing the information for ‘Barnaby Bear’ who had missed the owl talk.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their writing and talk animatedly about their work. Pupils who are still struggling to write are supported by a teaching assistant. A key feature of learning is the way in which teachers extend pupils’ thinking through questioning to promote deeper learning.  Teaching assistants across the school offer good support. They make a significant contribution to the progress made by pupils. They work closely with teachers to share planning so that they understand what they need to do and what pupils are expected to learn.  Feedback to pupils is clear and lets them know what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils enjoy marking each other’s work and respond well to ‘purple pen’ work in books. Regular monitoring of books

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

has ensured that the school marking policy is adhered to throughout the school.  Teachers talk enthusiastically about the work they are doing to further unpick what deep learning means and spend time in staff meetings sharing work samples and ensuring a common understanding. The school uses other local schools to compare work samples with, to verify that the quality of the work is at the expected level.  A strong emphasis on mathematical understanding is a key feature of this school. The more-able pupils are making better progress than in the past, but there is still scope for improvement. Some teachers do not always know when to move more-able pupils on in their learning and this can sometimes slow progress and restrict achievement.  Some teachers are adept at identifying pupils’ misconceptions and address them immediately. This promotes learning and is why pupils are making good progress. It particularly explains why the gap in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

attainment between pupils nationally and disadvantaged pupils in the school is closing quickly. However, not all teachers are equally skilled at this practice and this can sometimes inhibit progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel safe and are happy, motivated to learn, respectful and caring to each other.  Learning in the classroom shows high engagement levels and a love of learning which contributes to pupils’ progress. There is a calm and happy ethos in the school, founded on mutual respect between all members of the school community.  Parents, who spoke informally to inspectors or shared their views in writing, extol the positive relationships between home and school. Many parents receive support from the pastoral team and this in turn ensures that pupils are settled and receive any extra support they may require.  Pupils have a good understanding about bullying and while they indicated that it was a rare occurrence they were adamant that it would be dealt with if it occurred. They said that teachers always address their concerns. Pupils understand how to stay safe on the internet and know about other forms of keeping

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Personal development and welfare

safe.  The use of sport as a way of engaging pupils is highly successful in developing pupils’ self-confidence and self-esteem. Pupils are proud of their sporting achievements and there are trophies celebrating success on every available surface in public spaces.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  All staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Rewards and sanctions are clear and pupils respond positively. Pupils are polite, friendly and well mannered. They walk around the school in an orderly manner and chat happily over lunch in the dining hall. Playtimes and lunchtimes are calm and sociable, with well-supervised play areas and activities to keep pupils occupied. The strong emphasis on sport helps pupils’ social development and fosters a sense of individual and collective responsibility through team membership.  A few parent responses on Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, felt that behaviour could be improved; however, during the inspection, no incidences of poor behaviour were seen. A recent in-house survey of parents’ views showed overwhelmingly that parents considered behaviour to be good. Vulnerable pupils and any pupils with behaviour difficulties are supported well by senior leaders and

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Behaviour

pastoral staff.  High expectations of pupils’ behaviour and positive attitudes to learning ensure that learning takes place at a quick pace and no time is lost through disruption. As a result, behaviour is good and pupils’ positive attitudes contribute to their good progress. Pupils are keen, enthusiastic learners.  Attendance has improved; groups and individuals are monitored closely to ensure that absence is challenged.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Analysis of school information in relation to pupils’ current progress, a scrutiny of pupils’ books and work seen during lessons suggest that much higher percentages of pupils are currently on track to make more than expected progress. As a result, by the time pupils leave Year 6 they are well equipped for their next stage of education.  Attainment at the end of Reception improved in 2015, particularly in writing.  Pupils make good progress throughout Key Stage 1. All pupils reached the expected level in phonics development by the end of Year 2 and reached standards in reading, writing and mathematics significantly above average.  Attainment at Key Stage 2 has improved over time, particularly in relation to the number of pupils reaching age-related expectations. However, by the end of Year 6 in 2015, not enough pupils attained standards in writing, reading and mathematics that were higher than age-related expectations.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In 2015, the proportion of pupils making expected progress in English and mathematics was in line with the national average at the end of Year 6. However, there was room for improvement in the number of pupils making more than expected progress, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.  Gaps between pupils nationally and disadvantaged pupils in school currently are closing. This is because their progress is now checked carefully and they receive support from teachers and teaching assistants both during lessons and through a range of intervention programmes.  The tracking and assessment of pupils at regular intervals throughout the year is ensuring that progress is becoming more rapid. Work seen in pupils’ books and in lessons shows that there is a drive to secure more than expected progress. Leaders have established systems that clearly identify any underachievement and support is quickly allocated to ensure pupils’ progress continues at a pace.

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Early years provision is good

 Children enter the early years with knowledge, skills and understanding that are generally below those expected for their age. The quality of teaching and learning is good and this is why children make good progress from their starting points. Pupils leave the Reception classes with skills that enable them to be ready to start Year 1.  The leadership and management of the early years is good. The early years leader has a clear picture of the strengths and areas for development in the provision through the regular analysis of information and consistent evaluation of effective practice.  Children are given the role of ‘special helpers’ in the Reception classes and use tick lists to carry out health and safety checks. They take their responsibilities very seriously, ensuring there are no coats on the floors and no litter has blown into the playground or into the flower beds. Pupils are given real

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Early years provision is good

responsibility for their own safety and adults support them in this.  Expectations of children’s behaviour are high. Behaviour is good and children work and play together well. There are plenty of opportunities for them to work independently and to spend quality time working on their own self-initiated activities. Children cooperate well with each other, taking turns and sharing. Relationships are positive and children feel secure and safe. Vulnerable pupils are well supported.  Teachers are able to teach small groups of pupils in real depth, supporting their writing and phonics skills and having time to attend to each child individually to develop the correct pencil grip. Activities set up in the rest of the room, meanwhile, allow children to explore and engage with other well-planned learning resources. Consequently, for example, observations showed pupils were engaged well in making stick men, focusing on the task for long periods of time.

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Early years provision is good

 Adults are responsive to the needs of children and work together to ensure the focused teaching is uninterrupted. Teachers use sticky notes to record ongoing assessments, which are then used in learning journals and to support planning.  Activities provided in the setting demonstrate challenge alongside pupils’ work in books which are checked regularly. The home link book ensures parents are kept informed of their children’s achievements and provides them with a good opportunity to support their children’s learning.  Children have free access to outdoor provision, but the quality of learning could be further improved with greater targeted adult intervention to support writing outcomes for boys. The early years leader is acutely aware of this and plans are in place to address this matter.

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School details

Unique reference number 117886 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10002140

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 419 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Brian Isham Headteacher David Carruthers Telephone number 01262 673975 Website www.martongateschool.co.uk Email address martongate.primary@eastriding.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 15 October 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the 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 of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below 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.  At the time of the inspection, four permanent members of staff were on leave.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed most teachers at least once. A majority of lessons were jointly observed with senior leaders.  Inspectors took account of the 38 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s own consultation with parents. They also met with parents before and after school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, lunchtimes and around school.  Discussions took place with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, teachers, pupils, governors and two local authority advisers.  A number of documents were examined, including information about pupils’ progress and school improvement.  Records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance were also scrutinised.  No pupil questionnaires were received during the inspection, but inspectors took account of the school’s own pupil voice.  Fifty-two staff questionnaires were completed online.

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Inspection team

Janet Lunn, Lead Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Christopher Keeler Her Majesty’s Inspector Christine Turner 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

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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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