Reedness Primary School

Reedness Primary School Reedness, Goole, East Yorkshire, DN14 8HG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is school that requires improvement

 Although there have been some improvements since the last inspection, the many staff changes mean that these improvements have stalled.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable. Teachers do not always use what they know about pupils’ abilities to set work that challenges all pupils, particularly in mathematics.  The curriculum is not planned systematically. It is narrow and does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to undertake practical work in subjects such as science.  The basic skills of handwriting, letter formation and spelling are not taught systematically. Some work is untidy and letters are often incorrectly formed. Consequently, pupils do not all develop an effective style of handwriting by the time they leave.  Pupils are not provided with enough opportunity to use their mathematical skills to solve problems or use reasoning.  Personal development, behaviour and welfare

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This is school that requires improvement

require improvement because pupils do not all have positive attitudes to learning or take pride in their work.  Although outcomes have improved, the progress that pupils make across the school is very variable. Few make better than expected progress.  Actions taken by leaders and governors have not ensured that outcomes and the quality of teaching over time are good across the school.  Leadership, beyond the Executive Headteacher and the early years leader, is underdeveloped.

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The school has the following strengths

 The Executive Headteacher and governors know the school and its shortcomings well. They have used performance management robustly and tackled underperformance.  Reading is taught well and pupils are provided with opportunities to read widely. Outcomes in 2015 improved overall.  Provision in the early years is good. Good leadership and teaching ensure that children make good progress.  Pupils say they are well looked after and feel safe. They mostly behave well and show respect for one another and for adults.  Pupils say they enjoy school and this is reflected in their above-average attendance rates.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by making sure that teachers consistently:  match work carefully to the range of abilities in the class, particularly the most able in mathematics  ensure that pupils complete all of their written tasks and undertake corrections when asked to do so  insist that work is presented to an acceptable standard in all classes  raise their expectations of what pupils, particularly the most able, can achieve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes by making sure that pupils in all classes:  apply their mathematical skills more frequently to reasoning and problem-solving tasks  are effectively taught handwriting and letter formation  are systematically taught to spell common words.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by making sure that:  the curriculum is planned so that all required subjects are taught in a way that interests pupils and provides for an appropriate range of practical activities  leaders, including governors, check that plans are being turned into effective learning opportunities for pupils  the skills of subject leaders are developed  all required information is made available on the school’s website.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Although there have been some improvements, significant staff changes mean that some gains, for example in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, have been lost.  Previously identified as an area requiring improvement, work to develop the skills of subject leaders has been adversely affected by the significant changes of staff. Consequently, the work of subject leaders is underdeveloped.  The school’s evaluation of its performance is largely accurate. The Executive Headteacher, working with other headteachers and the local authority, has undertaken regular reviews of classroom learning and work scrutiny. This has effectively identified where there are shortcomings in the quality of teaching and learning, and support plans put in place to address these. However, leaders have not checked the breadth and balance in the curriculum to ensure that curriculum plans have been translated into effective

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

learning in a broad range of subjects.  The curriculum requires improvement. To some extent the improved outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2015 were at the expense of a broad and balanced curriculum. Although it focuses squarely on the development of reading, writing and mathematics, the planning for some important areas such as science, art and history is not sufficiently detailed.  The school website provides a range of useful information but does not include all of the required information. For example, it does not include information about the outcomes in 2015 or details of the content of the curriculum.  Whole-school assemblies contribute effectively to pupils’ good spiritual, moral and social development. However, the shortcomings in curriculum planning mean that some aspects of pupils’ personal development are not planned systematically. Consequently, some pupils have a limited knowledge of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

other faiths and cultures.  Some positive steps have been taken to actively prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, older pupils watch a children’s summary of the main news and this provides them with opportunities to consider important national events, such as the forthcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union. Consequently, older pupils know something about the democratic process.  The external support from an effective infant school has supported the work of the leader in the early years and, consequently, this aspect of the school’s work is now securely good.  The Executive Headteacher and governors have effectively tackled shortcomings. For example, performance management has been used well to challenge underperformance.  Additional funding is used effectively. For example, although numbers are low, the pupil premium funding (additional government funding) is used for its intended purpose. The primary school sport funding to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

develop pupils’ sporting skills has been used effectively. Pupils say they enjoy exercise and understand the place of regular exercise in a healthy lifestyle.  Parents have very mixed views of the school. For example, some praise the care and support their children have received and others berate school leaders for the high turnover of staff and the lack of consistency. Some parents feel that some pupils’ behaviour is wanting and staff do not always deal with poor behaviour effectively. Pupils say categorically that behaviour has improved recently and any incidents of poor behaviour are swiftly dealt with. Nevertheless, the majority of parents who spoke to the inspector want the school to improve and are committed to supporting the school.  The governance of the school  The Chair of the Governing Body provides a positive lead and is well supported by other governors. Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They are acutely aware of the impact of the many

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

staff changes and the difficulties of recruiting and retaining staff. However, their evaluation of the school’s effectiveness is rosier than the evidence would merit.  Governors are fully involved in the staff’s performance management arrangements and they ensure that where performance is challenged this is complemented by support for individual teachers.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s data and are provided with a range of reasonable information about the performance of the school. However, they have been a little over- reliant and accepting of the information provided by others about the evaluation of the school. For example, they were unaware of the shortcomings in the breadth and balance of the curriculum because the arrangements for them to check on the impact of the work of the school, and the impact of the school development plan, are unclear.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have the required training in child protection

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

and all the necessary pre-employment checks are completed appropriately.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching and its impact on learning over time is too variable to ensure that all pupils make good progress.  Teachers are not fully aware of pupils’ individual strengths and weaknesses, which means they are not all able to use their knowledge of pupils to set tasks that are pitched at the correct level for all pupils. Consequently, work is too easy and undemanding for some of the most able and too difficult for others. The expectations of what the most-able pupils can do in terms of both the quality and quantity of work is variable.  Once pupils have completed a task they often have to wait for others to catch up, without being set a specific activity to do during this time. On the whole, they wait without any fuss but sometimes this undirected time leads to low-level misbehaviour that is not productive but does not usually disturb the learning of others.  Teachers and support staff foster good relationships with pupils and use these to ensure that classrooms

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

are orderly. Where pupils’ concentration and attention waver it is usually where the work is not at just the right level for all of them.  The teaching of reading is effective. Pupils regularly take reading-scheme books home and the younger pupils are provided with word cards so that they can learn to read individual words by sight. Support staff listen to pupils read regularly and this is valued by parents and pupils. The teaching of letters and the sounds associated with them (phonics) is taught effectively and pupils use these skills to tackle unknown words. However, these skills are not always extended well to develop spelling skills and throughout the school some common words are frequently spelt incorrectly.  The quality of pupils’ handwriting, letter formation and work in books is variable. Sometimes, letters are incorrectly formed and by the time they are in Key Stage 2, pupils’ handwriting is underdeveloped and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

many do not have a legible style. Although some work is neat and well presented, not all pupils show pride in their work and work is sometimes untidy or incomplete. Pupils say they have found having different teachers confusing because each has had slightly different expectations.  Mathematics work typically develops pupils’ skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. However, opportunities for pupils to apply these skills in reasoning and problem solving are limited. Consequently, they are not always sure which mathematical operation is required to solve a problem.  A positive development has been the introduction of key-skills booklets. These list and track the acquisition of skills such as reading, writing and mathematics connected to the age-related expectations of pupils at the end of each key stage. This is helping pupils to keep track of their progress by, for example, allowing them to mark off the words they can spell correctly and the multiplication tables that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

they can recall. However, this is a relatively new development and is not being used consistently so has not had time to impact on the progress of all pupils.  Most work is regularly marked. Teachers make encouraging comments and give clear next steps in learning to pupils through their marking in line with the school’s policy. However, where they identify further work or corrections that need to be completed these are not routinely undertaken. Consequently, the impact of teachers’ guidance and feedback is too variable and is not contributing to improved learning and progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils state that they feel safe in and around the school. Staff ensure that pupils are well cared for. Consequently, pupils say they enjoy coming to the school, which is reflected in their above-average attendance rates.  Pupils are keen to be involved in the regular opportunities to take part in sporting activities to keep healthy. Pupils appreciate the opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as becoming monitors and helping the younger pupils at break times.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe. They understand how to keep safe when using the internet for example.  Pupils have a reasonable understanding of what constitutes bullying and say that it is uncommon. They are confident the school deals with it quickly should it occur.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Although the school is very calm and orderly and most pupils behave well, pupils’ attitudes to learning are not consistently positive and they do not always show pride in their work. When activities do not interest them fully, some lose focus on their work and very occasionally they do not behave well.  The school is a happy and welcoming place and the environment and resources are well cared for. Pupils are aware of how they are expected to conduct themselves around the school.  Pupils are invariably polite, respectful and socialise well together. At lunchtime and break times the inspector noted many examples of older pupils helping the younger pupils. It is to their credit that even the youngest nursery-aged children are able to take advantage of the outdoor spaces at lunchtimes and break times.  Pupils point out that behaviour is much improved in the school since the start of this school year. This is

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Behaviour

at odds with the views of some parents, who believe that the behaviour of pupils is not well managed. This report should offer parents some reassurance that the behaviour observed around the school and in the playground was largely good, and pupils said this was typical. Pupils understand the ‘house system’ and are keen to earn tokens for their houses.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Due to the very small and variable size of year groups at the school, comparisons with national averages are unreliable.  Pupils’ progress over time and in a range of subjects varies directly in relation to the quality of teaching and the curriculum content they have experienced. Some pupils have had many different teachers and this has led to weak progress in the past.  Since the previous inspection, some pupils have not made enough progress in mathematics. Although overall progress at Key Stage 2 improved in 2015, too few pupils made more than expected progress. As a result, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was average rather than better.  An extensive analysis of work in books shows that pupils are not making good progress in a wide range of subjects. Although pupils in Key Stage 2 have written about a range of topics, for example the life of the explorer Earnest Shackleton, they have not been systematically taught the full range of National

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

Curriculum subjects. Additionally, they have not had enough opportunities to undertake practical activities in subjects such as science. This has limited the development of pupils’ observation and investigative skills.  Although pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics skills are generally sound, the underdevelopment of skills in a broad range of other subjects means that when they leave, pupils are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they should be.  Progress in reading tends to be stronger than writing and mathematics because of the work of additional adults and the support provided by parents. There are regular sessions to improve pupils’ reading skills. For the youngest pupils, there are daily sessions to help them use letters and sounds in their reading. The most recent screening check for reading at the end of Year 1 confirmed that pupils are developing their reading skills well. When reading to the inspector, pupils relied on their ability to ‘sound out’ unknown

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

words. The practice of allowing older pupils to choose a ‘class reader’, which they read daily in silence, is encouraging them to read often and widely. However, their choice of books is not checked to ensure that it is appropriate in content and challenge.  Leaders have made a promising start at resolving the staffing issues. Leaders, and the recently recruited Key Stage 2 supply teachers, have correctly identified that pupils in Year 5 and 6 need much support if they are to reach age-related expectations by the end of Year 6.  The attainment and progress of pupils with special educational needs or disability is generally the same as for other pupils. Although there are differences in the attainment and progress of boys and girls from year to year, the very small cohort sizes mean that generalisations are unreliable.

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Early years provision is good

 Good leadership and support from another school has led to improvements in the early years provision. The learning environment is attractive and welcoming and is well thought out so that it inspires all children. Activities are planned to interest and engage children. For example, during the week of the inspection the outdoor area had been used to investigate the effect of the temperature on water. Consequently, children were very excited to collect ice from outside and were able to explain how the warmth from the sun was making it melt. One nursery-aged child excitedly examined some ice and described it as ‘beautiful and shimmering with the sun shining on it’.  Talking with children is a priority and staff maintain a constant dialogue with children, promoting and modelling language and getting the children to further develop their thinking or extend their initial comments.  When children join the Nursery their skills and experiences are wide, and vary from year to year, but are

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Early years provision is good

broadly typical overall. From their different starting points they make good progress and are well prepared for Key Stage 1. In 2015, the proportion of children that reached a good level of development was above average and was an improvement on 2014.  The early years leader has put successful systems in place to assess and carefully track children’s progress from early in Nursery and put the relevant support in place to make sure that as many children as possible reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.  The most recent intakes have included significantly more boys than girls and staff have ensured that the activities planned appeal to both boys and girls. For example, providing more non-fiction books and construction-type activities.  The early years leader has built effective relationships with parents and encourages them to be involved in their children’s learning. Parents value the good care and attention that is given to their children.

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Early years provision is good

Consequently, children settle quickly into classroom routines and are all very happy.

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School details

Unique reference number 117939 Local authority East Riding Of Yorkshire Inspection number 10002132

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 43 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rebecca Dixon Executive Headteacher Gareth May Telephone number 01405 704264 Website www.reednessschool.co.uk Email address reedness.primary@eastriding.hull.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. The number on roll has fallen by around a third since the last inspection and there are now three classes rather than four.  The headteacher left the school at the end of the last academic year. All except one part-time teacher have changed since the last inspection. During the inspection, two of the three classes were taught by supply teachers.  The school is now part of a collaboration with Swinefleet Primary School. The headteacher from Swinefleet Primary School is the Executive Headteacher of this school. The school has been receiving support from Mount Pleasant Junior School, Market Weighton.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and receive support from the pupil premium is below average; given the size of the school the numbers involved are low. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school

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Information about this school

meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is average and no pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Children in the early years receive part-time education in the Nursery, they attend mornings and afternoons Monday to Wednesday. In Reception, they receive full-time education.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed five teachers in seven lessons and he made short observations in four other lessons. He analysed in detail pupils’ work from across the school for the current and previous academic year.  The inspector heard children read from Reception and Year 5.  He observed pupils in lessons, at play and as they moved around the school.  Discussions were held with the staff, the Chair and three members of the Governing Body, pupils, a representative of the local authority and a few parents.  The inspector took account of the 16 responses from Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents) and the views of a few parents he met during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, Lead inspector 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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