Osbaldwick Primary Schools

Osbaldwick Primary School The Leyes/The Lane, Osbaldwick, York, North Yorkshire YO10 3AX

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

p.1

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Although school leaders, including governors, have addressed some of the shortcomings in teaching, weaknesses remain.  Recently appointed subject leaders are new to their roles and have yet to develop the skills needed to address weaknesses in teaching and pupils’ outcomes.  As a result of inconsistent teaching, outcomes over time have not been good.  Pupils in key stage 1 have consistently achieved low outcomes since the last inspection, especially in reading and writing.  During some learning activities, pupils of different abilities are not challenged sufficiently, and as a result they are not making the progress they are capable of.  Too often, pupils are not moved on to more demanding work when they are ready, especially in mathematics.  Although differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils in the school and other pupils nationally are reducing for some current pupils, the amount of reduction varies across

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The teaching of phonics is good and as a result the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in Year 1 is above average.  Children make a good start in the early years. The proportion of children who are ready for Year 1 has steadily increased over time.  Pupils’ personal needs are met well. As a result, they feel safe and well cared for.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They like school and attend regularly.  There is some exceptional teaching in a Year 6 class, and recently appointed staff have improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in key stage 2.  The curriculum provides a wealth of learning experiences for pupils.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is good or better and thereby increase the rates of progress for all pupils, but especially for those in key stage 1, by: – ensuring the structure of lessons enables a prompt start to learning – moving pupils on to more demanding work in mathematics sooner so that pupils can apply their arithmetic skills to problem-solving and investigation activities – ensuring that pupils of different abilities, but especially pupils of low and middle abilities, are challenged sufficiently so they make the progress they are capable of in reading, writing and mathematics – swiftly addressing pupils’ misconceptions during lessons – implementing fully leaders’ plans to improve spelling and handwriting.  Strengthen the leadership and management of the school, by: – developing the role of middle leaders so they can challenge underperformance in teaching, learning and assessment

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

– continuing to reduce the differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils in the school and other pupils nationally – using the teaching expertise in key stage 2 to share best practice and support less effective teachers.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 School leaders, including governors, have not tackled fully the weaker aspects of the school’s performance since the last inspection. There remain weaknesses in teaching, especially in key stage 1, and as a result some pupils are not making the progress they should.  The leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is unclear and lacks focus and as a result the progress that pupils make varies.  Over time, leaders have not maintained a sharp focus on the impact of pupil premium spending on disadvantaged pupils’ achievement. As a result, the differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils in the school and other pupils nationally have not diminished. However, evidence collected during the inspection shows that the renewed efforts by leaders to address this are having an impact, and the progress that disadvantaged pupils are currently making is more rapid, albeit not consistent in all

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

classes.  Subject leaders have only recently taken up their roles and as such have yet to develop clear strategies to tackle underperformance in teaching and pupils’ outcomes. They are keen to make much needed improvements for their areas of responsibility.  Leaders have an understanding of where improvements are urgently needed. Plans for improvement are clear, and their evaluation of performance is mostly accurate. School leaders, including governors, have been rigorous in addressing some of the weak teaching in the school and there are early signs of improvement.  Systems for managing staff performance are robust and have been instrumental in eradicating some weaknesses in teaching. Targets for improvement are clear and focused on improving performance further, and teachers have access to good-quality training to help them improve their practice. However, leaders have missed opportunities to share the most successful teaching that exists in the school.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Topic work provides interesting and well-thought-out activities that are enhanced by school visits, such as one to a science museum that supported pupils’ work on volcanoes. The music curriculum teaches all pupils to read music and play a musical instrument by the time they leave the school. French is taught from Years 3 to 6, and pupils are taught information technology skills well, which they use to good effect during lessons.  The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development successfully. Pupils gain a deeper understanding of other faiths and cultures through the curriculum and visitors to the school. School staff effectively support pupils to resolve conflict and develop teamwork. Enterprise projects raise pupils’ aspirations of life beyond school and introduce them to the world of work successfully. As a result, the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, and

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

actively endorses fundamental British values.  As a result of the additional funding through the physical education and sports premium, more pupils have access to a range of sporting activities and staff receive good-quality professional development. More pupils are participating in sporting activities and leading healthier lifestyles.  Pupils have access to a range of extra-curricular activities, including sport, chess, a school orchestra and choir. Pupils take full advantage of these opportunities and participation is good.  The support that the school receives from the Ebor Teaching School is having a positive impact on improving teaching in the school.

p.3

Governance of the school

 Governors have not had enough impact on improving the school. They are now well aware of the issues facing the school, especially pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching. They are beginning to understand how well the school is doing when compared to other schools nationally. Governors are increasingly challenging school leaders and teachers. They have higher expectations of staff than they used to and are starting to hold them to account more effectively.  Governors have been working with senior leaders to tackle weak teaching through the management of teachers’ performance. Although this has taken considerable time it has resulted in an improvement in the quality of teaching.  Governors are beginning to monitor the school’s expenditure well and challenge leaders on all areas of spending, including how effectively the pupil premium is used to raise achievement.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have made sure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff are appropriately trained and receive regular updates on safeguarding issues so they are well aware of changes in processes.  Suitable records are kept and referrals made when considered appropriate. Nothing is left to chance and leaders work with outside agencies effectively to ensure that children are kept safe and secure.  The culture of safeguarding and child protection permeates the school. The school’s pastoral team deals with any personal concerns that pupils may have, and supports families effectively on such things as the inappropriate use of social networking sites.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has not been consistently good since the last inspection. Weaknesses remain, especially in key stage 1.  In some lessons observed by inspectors, too much learning time was lost because pupils were not promptly on-task or moved on to more challenging work when ready. This was the case in both mathematics and writing.  Evidence collected during the inspection showed that in some classes pupils were not given enough opportunities to apply their arithmetic skills to problem-solving and investigations. Often, pupils were completing work that was repetitive and in some instances too easy.  Overall, the most able pupils are challenged with work that is appropriate for their ability, especially in key stage 2. However, for those pupils who are of average and less than average ability, the work they sometimes complete does not provide sufficient challenge. As a result, these pupils do not make the progress they should.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching assistants provide effective support for groups of pupils within the classroom, or outside the classroom where they work with specific groups delivering targeted provision.  The teaching of phonics is good. Teachers use skilful questioning and have high expectations during these learning activities.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from all year groups and the most able pupils read with confidence and fluency. However, the least able pupils often struggled to use reading strategies to attempt unfamiliar words.  Where learning is most effective, teachers challenge pupils with activities that are appropriately matched to their abilities. Observations of learning activities and a scrutiny of pupils’ work in a Year 6 class and a mixed Year 4 and 5 class showed that pupils, especially the most able, were challenged effectively and made good progress as a result.  Leaders have implemented strategies to improve spelling and handwriting. Evidence

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

collected during the inspection shows that this is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ spelling ability and the presentation of their work.  During learning activities, relationships between adults and pupils are positive.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for and enjoy coming to school. Leaders have implemented good systems to address pupils’ emotional well-being, such as the ‘endeavour room’ where pupils can talk to adults about any concerns they may have.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using a computer and in the wider world. They know the different forms bullying can take and say that on the rare occasion that it occurs in school, staff quickly and effectively deal with it.  Pupils have access to a wide range of clubs, both before and after school and during the school day. The sports club that is provided before the start of school has improved the attendance of some pupils whose attendance had been inconsistent.  In lessons, pupils generally work well, but just occasionally they lack perseverance

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are well mannered, calm and courteous as they move around the school. During lunchtimes and playtimes pupils are friendly to each other and chat and play together happily.  Pupils are good at resolving differences of opinion. The ‘debugging system’ for calming potential conflict is understood and used by all pupils.  Overall attendance is broadly average for most groups. The school has good systems in place to check on unexplained absences, and catch-up sessions stop pupils falling behind in their learning because of absence.  Parents and carers are mostly positive about the school and feel that behaviour is not a significant issue and that children are well cared for and kept safe from harm.  Incidents of poor behaviour are recorded accurately and dealt with appropriately by school leaders.  In a minority of lessons, low-level disruption and pupils’ inattention to the work they

p.6

Behaviour

are completing can sometimes slow learning.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Outcomes for pupils require improvement due to pupils not making rapid progress and attaining expected standards since the last inspection, especially at key stage 1.  Outcomes at key stage 1 have been consistently below average since the school was previously inspected and recent results show only slight improvement. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard at the end of key stage 1 remains low, particularly for reading and writing, and given their starting points this represents progress that is less than good.  The progress that all groups of pupils make is inconsistent. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and pupils of average ability, are occasionally not reaching the standards they are capable of because their needs are sometimes not met.  Since the last inspection, disadvantaged pupils have achieved significantly less well than other pupils nationally and differences in progress and attainment have not

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

reduced. The achievement of disadvantaged pupils currently in the school varies; however, there are indications that this is improving in most classes.  Over time, the progress that pupils make in key stage 2 and the standards they achieve have been unacceptably low for all subjects. However, recent results are showing some improvement and pupils are making progress that is similar to the national average.  The teaching of phonics is consistently good, which is reflected in the high proportion of pupils meeting the required standard for phonics at the end of Year 1.  The most able pupils, including disadvantaged pupils who are most-able, make better progress than their peers in both key stages 1 and 2 for reading, writing and mathematics. Recent unvalidated results show that the proportion of pupils attaining the higher standards is now similar to, and sometimes above, average.  Evidence collected during the inspection is showing that the actions that leaders have

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

taken to improve teaching are having a positive impact on the progress that pupils are making, especially at key stage 2. The progress that current pupils make in key stage 1 is not as strong, but early indications are that it is improving.

p.7

Early years provision Good

 Due to changes in admission arrangements, children are now entering the Nursery class with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. This has not been the case for previous cohorts when children’s skills and abilities were significantly less so. Children make good progress from their starting points and the proportion who reach a good level of development is average. This prepares them well for learning in Year 1.  Staff interact with children well and make effective use of questioning, for example when using and introducing new vocabulary, and children are developing a good use of language as a result.  Leadership of the early years is good. The leader ensures that children are taught well, that activities are appropriate and children make good progress as a result.  Areas of provision, both indoors and in the outside area, promote effective learning such as the ‘mud kitchen’ and the outdoor mathematics area.

p.7

Early years provision Good

 Safeguarding and child protection procedures are well understood by all staff. There are no breaches in welfare requirements and all staff ensure that children are well cared for and safe.  Children are happy learners; they cooperate well together and take turns. As a result, their behaviour is good.  Leaders use the additional funding they receive for disadvantaged children to maintain a high staffing ratio and provide speech and language training for the early years staff. As a result, teaching and children’s progress have improved since the last inspection.  Staff make regular observations and record children’s progress. The information is generally used well but assessment procedures need further refinement so that transition from the Nursery to the Reception class is smoother.

p.7

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.8

School details

Website www.osbaldwickprimaryschool.co.uk

p.8

School details

Date of previous inspection 26−27 November 2014

p.8

Information about this school

 Osbaldwick Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Several teachers are new to the school, having taken up their posts at the start of the current school year.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is above average.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  In the early years, Reception children attend full time and Nursery children part time.  The school operates on a split site.  A breakfast club and an after-school club are provided by the school.  The school receives support from The Ebor Teaching School.

p.8

Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. All learning activities in key stage 1 were observed jointly with the headteacher; in key stage 2 they were observed jointly with the deputy headteacher.  Pupils’ work from all classes was scrutinised. This was done jointly with senior leaders and subject leaders for reading, writing and mathematics.  The inspectors listened to pupils read. Pupils selected to read were from all year groups in key stage 1 and key stage 2.  Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, members of the governing body, and two representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors observed pupils moving around the school outside of lessons, on the playgrounds during breaks and in the dining hall.  The inspectors scrutinised the school’s view of its own performance, including current pupil progress data and school improvement plans, as well as documents relating to

p.10

Information about this inspection

attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors analysed the 41 responses that had been submitted to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View).

p.10

Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.10

Inspection team

Helen Hussey 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 .

p.10

Inspection team

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

p.11

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.

p.11

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 .

p.11

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.11

Inspection team

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 .

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11

Inspection team

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

p.11