Filey Junior School

Filey Junior School West Road, Filey, North Yorkshire YO14 9LU

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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 Good

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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 a school that requires improvement

 Leaders, including governors, are overgenerous in their views of the school’s performance. Priorities for improvement are not identified precisely enough or tackled with sufficient rigour.  Senior leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching and learning are not effective in bringing about rapid improvement. Leaders are not sufficiently focusing on the achievement of pupils.  Leaders are not united in their understanding of the way in which pupils’ outcomes will be tracked and measured. Assessment procedures lack clarity and collated information is too often conflicting.  Several subject leaders are new to post. Core subjects are not yet monitored thoroughly or systematically. The impact on improvements within areas of responsibility is therefore variable.  The quality of teaching varies. Most teachers are relatively new to the school. Inconsistencies in performance and expectations persist as leaders accommodate these staffing changes.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Pupils’ rates of progress vary across classes and subjects. A significant proportion of pupils are not reaching the standards of which they are capable. Progress from the end of key stage 1 to the end of key stage 2 is weak, with too few making better than expected progress, particularly in English and mathematics.  The presentation of pupils’ work is inconsistent. Legibility of handwriting and the quality of written content differs within year groups and across areas of the curriculum.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders have created a culture whereby the care and welfare of pupils is prioritised. Safeguarding procedures are particularly robust.  Pupils’ behaviour and conduct are significant strengths. They are friendly and happy, showing kindness and respect towards each other. Pupils feel safe and talk confidently with adults.  Pupils use information technology capably and in an innovative manner to assess their own and others’ work.  Parents are highly supportive of the work of the school. They have positive relationships with staff, feel listened to and consequently the vast majority would recommend the school to others.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness and impact of leadership and management at all levels by: – ensuring that accurate evaluation of performance rapidly leads to the correct issues being prioritised in school improvement planning, with strict time frames and clear lines of accountability firmly in place – equipping subject leaders with the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to lead, manage and monitor their subjects effectively, particularly with regard to English and mathematics – regularly checking that actions taken are leading to better outcomes for pupils across the curriculum – developing efficient assessment procedures that are clearly understood and accurate – monitoring teaching and learning more rigorously to secure consistently good practice and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching and learning is consistently good or better, by: – making sure that teachers set work that is appropriately matched to the needs and abilities of pupils, particularly within English and mathematics – providing teachers with effective, easily understood systems for assessing pupils’ work and recording pupils’ progress to aid accuracy in planning – addressing the inconsistency with which teachers intervene to support or challenge pupils – promoting high standards of presentation, particularly within writing, across subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders, including governors, are not securing rapid enough improvement. Over time, their work has not brought about consistently good teaching and learning. Pupils do not reliably make the progress or reach the standards that should be expected of them, particularly within English and mathematics.  Leaders’ improvement planning is not focused clearly enough on core priorities and actions are based on an overly generous impression of school performance. Analyses of the impact of leaders’ actions therefore lack sufficient relevance and accuracy.  Leaders and managers have not yet agreed nor are they clear about the manner in which pupils’ progress and achievement are assessed and tracked. This means communication with teachers and governors lacks precision and expectations are too vague. Holding staff accountable for pupils’ achievements becomes tricky.  Senior leaders undertake a range of monitoring activities to check on the quality of teaching and learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

However, checks do not reliably focus on learning and outcomes for pupils, becoming instead checks on whether school processes and procedures are being followed. Practices therefore are not consistently effective.  Subject leaders are enthusiastic about their roles, valuing the professional opportunities that they have been given to lead and manage core aspects of the curriculum such as English. Several, however, are new to post and are developing the skills needed to secure improvement in their areas of responsibility. Their work has not yet resulted in bringing about consistently good teaching and learning.  Leaders use the additional money for supporting disadvantaged pupils to good effect in some areas, with achievement gaps last year narrowing overall between this group and others in relation to reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders use the primary school sports funding well. Pupils have benefited from increased participation in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

local school competitions, breaking running records, winning inter-school swimming galas and topping local school football leagues. Pupils have also developed their skills in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs: archery, dance, fencing and tag rugby. Teachers’ skills, knowledge and understanding of physical education have also been enhanced, for example with several members of staff recently completing the football association primary teachers’ award.  The governance of the school – Governors bring a broad range of valuable skills to the school. They use their skills to check finances and are clear about arrangements for linking teachers’ performance to pay. – Governors visit regularly to see for themselves what it is like to be a pupil in this school, checking on the work of leaders and managers. They use this first-hand information to ask some insightful and challenging questions of leaders. However, governors come to share leaders’ overly positive

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

impression of the school’s performance because they do not probe the information they receive with enough depth. The lack of clarity about assessment information and the precise progress of pupils compared to national standards impedes governors’ effectiveness.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors ensure that stringent checks are carried out prior to making any staff appointments. Safety and the protection of pupils are consistent features of recruitment practices and governors and leaders undertake appropriate training regularly to ensure that safeguarding standards are maintained.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because there is variability across subjects and year groups. Where teaching is weaker, teachers do not consistently tackle errors or pupils’ misconceptions, meaning that learning is hindered.  Not all teachers plan tasks and activities that take sufficient account of the needs of different groups of pupils. This means that some pupils find work too difficult while others find it too easy. Progress and achievement suffer, with some pupils practising things they already know.  Pupils’ presentation of their work in books and on laptops is variable across subjects. For example, neatly presented work in some pupils’ English work is not upheld in their topic books. Furthermore, scruffy handwriting or poorer-quality work is not consistently challenged by teachers, meaning that pupils are not supported to sustain good-quality work across subjects.  Pupils have too few opportunities to practise and apply their physical skills of writing, including

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

handwriting. This leads to a lack of legibility, fluency and speed, with too many pupils holding negative attitudes and perceptions of writing with mediums other than laptops.  Pupils use laptops innovatively and with skill. Indeed, as a ‘cloud-based school’, pupils spend much of their time utilising this resource at home and in school. Pupils can quickly access programmes, assess each other’s work and communicate suggestions for improvement to each other across classes. They also have easy access to their own individual English and mathematics targets. However, not all teachers are adept at recognising when pupils would benefit from using resources other than the laptop to further develop skills, knowledge or understanding.  Some teachers make effective use of their good subject knowledge to ensure that pupils are well- informed and fully engaged in the learning. Some teachers ask interesting questions that encourage

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

pupils to think more deeply or consider alternatives and they make sure that pupils’ understanding is secure by skilfully explaining new or unfamiliar concepts, providing concrete examples and offering a variety of resources to develop understanding. However, these strong features are not consistent across all teaching.  All teachers use the school’s marking policy and praise pupils for their efforts and work. The regular ‘reflection and response’ times are used well in providing opportunities for pupils to improve their work. Even so, the more-able pupils unnecessarily continue to practise skills they already have.  The social and emotional needs of pupils who have special educational needs and disability are well met. Teachers have strong, positive relationships with parents and external agencies; the support for pupils with particular vulnerabilities is a strength. The extra help given to improve pupils’ reading, writing and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

mathematical skills is not, however, checked and analysed with sufficient rigour for impact, meaning that those falling behind or stalling in their academic progress are not picked up quickly enough.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is a strength of the school. They are unfailingly keen to learn and come to school well equipped with a wide range of existing knowledge and skills. Some teachers capitalise on this firm foundation.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good because adults in the school care about each individual pupil. Every effort is made to meet the social and emotional needs of pupils and families. Parents and pupils are confident that staff take good care of them, listen carefully to their concerns and respond positively to any queries or requests they may have.  Pupils know how to keep safe and the school prepares them well for life in a digital, technological world. Online safety is high on the school’s agenda and pupils talk competently about the safe use of the internet and social media.  School is a happy, friendly place to be at. An atmosphere of pride and consideration exists. ‘Buddies’ and pupils in general show kindness and help each other during social times. They are exceptionally proud of not just their own but others’ achievements, keen to share sporting successes and accomplishments with

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Personal development and welfare

inspectors.  In lessons, giving peer support and making comments about each other’s work, pupils are respectful and thoughtful. They are encouraged to listen respectfully to others and consider the views and feelings of other people before responding. Leaders are aware that this good work needs developing further to fully prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Several teachers have already embarked on making links with charities and strengthening links with other countries and cultures.  Pupils say that instances of bullying are few and far between. They can talk about the different forms of bullying and have faith that adults in the school will address those rare occasions that arise. Pupils will not tolerate the use of inappropriate or derogatory language and work with adults to combat any issues.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good and pupils’ positive conduct is a strength of the school. Moving around the school, pupils are well-mannered, calm and sensible. They hold doors open for adults and friends and always respond with a positive comment to thanks offered. Pupils are unquestionably respectful, caring and polite.  Pupils say that poor behaviour happens occasionally but teachers take immediate action to deal with it fairly and firmly. Pupils have a clear understanding of why and how others might misbehave. This indicates the care that has been taken by teachers to help pupils recognise their own and others’ feelings or reactions and how these might in turn affect other people. Good behaviour is promoted in this proactive manner.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are eager to learn. Disruption in classes is therefore minimal even where work is not sufficiently challenging, is repetitive or is too difficult. Pupils try their best

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Behaviour

and get on with what they have been asked to do.  Attendance has improved due to the actions of leaders and is currently slightly above the national average. Most pupils attend well and want to be in school. The level of persistent absenteeism, however, continues to be a focus for improvement. Leaders are taking an increasingly firm stance to ensure that the small group of pupils who are persistently absent have the support and challenge needed to attend school regularly. These actions are yet to have a significant impact on this aspect of attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Progress for pupils is too variable across subjects, groups and across classes. In 2015 pupils’ progress in all subjects was significantly below that seen nationally. Reading and writing were particular areas of weakness, with certain groups of pupils underperforming; boys’ progress in writing, for example, was below average. This indicates that issues identified at the previous inspection have not been tackled with sufficient urgency by leaders and the quality of teaching has not been consistently good over time.  Gaps narrowed in 2015 for disadvantaged pupils in terms of reaching national standards overall. Progress for this group, however, was not such a positive picture, sitting well below others nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Too few disadvantaged pupils reach the higher standards that should be expected of them given their entry capabilities.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability made the progress expected of them in

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

mathematics and writing in 2015. They did not, however, perform as well in reading, and their progress here was significantly below average expectations. In not accurately monitoring the impact of extra support given to these pupils to determine precisely what works well and what is less effective, support packages are consequently less effective than they might be.  Overall most pupils reach standards broadly in line with national averages and there has been incremental improvement across the last three years in all subjects. Pupils achieved particularly well in relation to English grammar, punctuation and spelling in 2015, compared to the previous year. However, currently progress is neither rapid enough nor applicable to all groups of pupils.  The proportion of girls and pupils of middle ability reaching expected standards in mathematics, reading and writing combined was significantly below others nationally in 2015, with too few reaching the higher

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

levels expected in mathematics and writing.  The progress of current pupils continues to show a mixed picture. Gaps in achievement between groups and across subjects persist. The school’s own evaluation indicates that the current Year 5 are not making expected progress across subjects and Year 4 are not making expected progress in reading. However, the school’s processes of monitoring lack accuracy. This is making it difficult for school leaders to know precisely where and when to intervene to secure better outcomes for pupils.  Overall, the proportion of more-able pupils reaching the standards expected of them is broadly in line with others nationally and the school are rightly proud of the small group of pupils who attained the very highest standards in mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling in 2015.

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School details

Unique reference number 121459 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10002074

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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 Junior School category Maintained Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 252 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Bozeat Headteacher/Principal/Teacher in charge Harvey McCarthey Telephone number 01723 513076 Website www.filey-jun.n-yorks.sch.uk Email address admin@filey-jun.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This is a junior school catering for pupils between the ages of seven and 11. It is equivalent in size to the average primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding is higher than average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after by the local authority.)  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and there are no pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability who receive support is slightly higher than the national average. There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has had many changes in staffing since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited all classes to observe lessons. Two observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher of the school.  The behaviour of pupils in classrooms, in the playground, in the dining hall and around the school was observed by inspectors.  A range of school information and documentation was examined, including pupils’ progress and attainment information, records of the performance of teachers and monitoring of teaching and learning, information about safeguarding and behaviour and documents relating to improvement planning.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local authority as well as governors, including the chair of the governing body. Meetings were also held with several other leaders in the school.  Pupils’ work was sampled informally in lessons and children’s work in books and on laptops was scrutinised. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their work informally during lessons, listened to

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Information about this inspection

pupils reading and met with groups of pupils, including the Pupil Council, to discuss their learning and listen to their views about their school.  Inspectors took account of all 24 staff questionnaires returned and the 52 responses from parents on Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents). Inspectors also considered the views of those parents spoken with informally at the school gates.

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Inspection team

Fiona Manuel, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Catherine Morgan Ofsted Inspector Brian Stillings 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

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Inspection team

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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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