Anlaby Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Gareth May Headteacher Anlaby Primary School First Lane Anlaby Hull East Yorkshire HU10 6UE

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Short inspection of Anlaby Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 21 February 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2014.

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Short inspection of Anlaby Primary School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection. There is

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Following the last inspection, pupils’ progress in key stage 2, in the core subjects of reading and mathematics, declined considerably. This is mainly because leaders did not prepare well enough for the revised and more challenging national curriculum and assessment requirements introduced in 2014. Pupils’ progress in writing is stronger, as are outcomes in the early years and in key stage 1.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Since your appointment in September 2016, you have managed to arrest this decline. You have developed the knowledge and skills of middle leaders, so there is more capacity to improve the school. You have supported and trained staff, while holding them better to account for pupils’ progress. A completely new curriculum is now much better suited to pupils’ needs. You have established a positive culture, and conditions ripe for further improvement in the face of the most challenging circumstances. As a result, teaching has improved and pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics, including the progress of disadvantaged pupils, is beginning to quicken. However, a substantial minority of pupils, especially in Year 6, have a long way to catch up if they are to reach the standard of which they should be capable.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The governing body does not make excuses for the decline in standards. Governors have offered substantial challenge to leaders past and present. They are perceptive, make regular visits to the school and ask astute questions about the progress that groups of pupils make. They request the right information from you and you provide it. As a result, the governing body understands the strengths and weaknesses in the school’s performance. The governing body is currently carrying out an audit of skills and seeking to appoint additional governors with the appropriate skills and experience. Effective organisation helps governors to carry out all of their statutory duties, including their safeguarding duties.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

At the last inspection, inspectors identified areas to improve. One of these was to extend opportunities for outdoor learning in the early years. The outdoor environment is well organised and well used to maximise children’s learning, including their physical development. Teaching in the Reception Year is a particular strength of the school. Children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum and effective teaching that aid their language comprehension particularly well. The curriculum in key stages 1 and 2 is equally broad, balanced and stimulating.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Inspectors also asked leaders to engage more effectively with parents and carers. You have taken a number of constructive steps. Most of the parents responding to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, are very positive about the school. However, a small but significant minority of parents remain dissatisfied with aspects of the school.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Because adults are properly trained, they know their duties. Adults report any concerns they have to the safeguarding leaders, who in turn take assertive action to make sure that pupils get help, where needed. Leaders keep detailed records of these communications and actions. Recruitment procedures are robust and the record of checks made on the suitability of adults to work with children is complete.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Adults teach pupils how to stay safe, including how to stay safe when using the internet. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say that bullying is rare and that adults deal with it well. All the pupils I asked named adults that they are happy they can confide in. Furthermore, much-improved behaviour contributes to pupils feeling safe.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

A large proportion of adults are trained in paediatric first aid.

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Inspection findings

 The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics by the end of Year 1 is in line with, and has been above, the national average. This still leaves approximately one in five pupils falling behind. Leaders arrange extra help for pupils who fall behind. This helps these pupils to make faster progress, but not all of them catch up fully. While the teaching of phonics is largely effective, practice is not entirely consistent. Leaders do not always notice this, because the checks they make are not regular enough. However, leaders do make sure teachers assess pupils at regular intervals and keep an eye on their pupils’ progress. Pupils practise reading aloud from books that are well matched to their progress in phonics. However, the books that pupils take home to read are not equally well matched to their needs.  The quality and breadth of experiences for children in the early years, and the

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Inspection findings

effective way in which adults interact with them, helps them to make strong progress in all aspects of their development. In particular, adults place a high value on children’s talk and on building children’s vocabulary. This equips children well for learning to speak, listen, read and write.  The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading by the end of key stage 1 is above the national average. Last year, you took action to improve pupils’ reading in key stage 2, where progress has been weak. You have redoubled efforts this year. Support and challenge from external professionals and the development of middle leaders has resulted in teachers having the training and resources they needed to improve the teaching of reading. Teachers now give pupils throughout key stage 2 activities that are more suitable to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding. This is beginning to quicken

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Inspection findings

pupils’ progress. However, not all teachers make the best use of assessment information to make sure they give pupils work that precisely matches their needs. Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching of reading are not regular enough to bring about the more rapid progress needed. There are still too many pupils, especially in Year 6, who have a great deal of ground to make up because of earlier, weaker teaching.  You have taken steps to improve pupils’ engagement with, and enjoyment of, reading. For example, you have shared with parents, in your regular newsletters, lists of high-quality stories they should read to, and with, their children. Teachers, especially in the early years and in key stage 1, read stories, poems and other literature aloud to pupils for enjoyment. Each class is named after a well-known author and plans are in place to celebrate World Book Day. Teachers reward pupils for reading regularly at home. Most key stage 2 pupils I asked

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Inspection findings

could name a favourite author or book. However, the range of books available for pupils to take home do not inspire them to read.  You have taken effective action to improve the teaching of mathematics. Pupils’ outcomes in key stage 2 have not been good enough over the last few years. You have ensured that the mathematics leader has received extensive training and you have empowered her to coach and train teachers and to provide them with the resources they need. The purchase and effective use of mathematics equipment helps pupils to develop a fuller understanding of mathematical concepts. Pupils of all abilities have opportunities to attempt to solve challenging mathematics problems and pupils show increasing persistence. Teachers make effective use of assessment information to provide tasks that are not too easy, nor too hard. Teachers carefully check pupils’ progress in lessons. The probing questions

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Inspection findings

teachers that ask help pupils to develop their reasoning skills. This effective teaching helps pupils to make much faster progress than they did in the past. However, too many pupils, especially in Year 6, still have a long way to go to catch up to the standard of which they ought to be capable, given their starting points.  Last year, disadvantaged pupils did not perform as well as other pupils by the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. You have put in place a suitable plan to meet more effectively the needs of this group of pupils through the spending of the pupil premium funds. You have appointed a ‘pupil premium champion’ who keeps a close eye of the progress of each pupil and makes sure that teachers know what the specific barriers to progress are for each of them. In Year 6 especially, most of the disadvantaged pupils are making faster progress than they were. The difference between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others

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Inspection findings

is beginning to diminish, but is still too great.  You have taken action to improve communication with parents. The school website is a source of much useful information. The unique newsletters you send home every week are equally as informative, giving parents suggestions about how they can help with their children’s learning. Newsletters encourage parents to let you know how you can help. Work remains to be done to build greater trust with some parents so that they better understand the reasons for your policies and practice, and the progress that their children are making.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the quality of teaching of reading continues to improve, especially in key stage 2, so that more of those pupils who have fallen behind, including the disadvantaged, reach the standards of which they ought to be capable  in particular, key stage 2 teachers make more effective use of reading assessment information to match tasks better to pupils’ needs  middle leaders more regularly check the quality of the teaching of reading so that the rate of improvement in teaching accelerates  the improvements in mathematics teaching are sustained and built upon, so those pupils who have fallen behind, including the disadvantaged, reach the standards of which they ought to be capable  they continue to improve communication and build trust with parents so parents better understand the policies and practices of the school and the progress their children make.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for the East Riding of Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

You and I discussed your evaluation of strengths and weaknesses and the actions you have taken to improve the school. I also met with three governors, including the chair of governors. I met with other leaders, and a representative from the local authority. You and I briefly observed some lessons together in every year group. With middle leaders, we scrutinised the work in a sample of pupils’ workbooks. I listened to a few pupils reading and I chatted with groups of pupils about what it is like to be a pupil at the school. I observed the behaviour of pupils as they ate their lunch and played together. I also considered the 33 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey. I examined a number of documents, including the school self- evaluation document, the school improvement plan and the school’s pupil assessment information. I also looked at safeguarding records, leaders’ notes of the checks they make on the quality of teaching, governing body minutes of meetings

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Information about the inspection

and notes of visits from the local authority. I considered the 31 responses to the staff questionnaire, the 75 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, and the 39 written responses from parents.

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