Carlton-in-Snaith Community Primary School

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

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Mr Jon Watson Headteacher Carlton-in-Snaith Community Primary School Townend Avenue Carlton Goole DN14 9NR

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Short inspection of Carlton-in-Snaith Community Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 5 June 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 July 2014.

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Short inspection of Carlton-in-Snaith Community 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

Since your appointment in September 2015, you have worked tirelessly to instil an ambitious ethos in the school. Staff wholeheartedly appreciate the vision and direction you have provided and are unanimous in their view that the school is improving. They feel valued and are beginning to adopt your uncompromisingly high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Despite considerable turbulence in staffing, you have sustained the caring, warm atmosphere which is evident in the school. In addition, you have introduced initiatives which are enabling pupils to take ownership of their learning. As a result, pupils are confident, keen to be challenged and enjoy deepening their thinking.

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

At the previous inspection, your predecessor was asked to improve communication between the school and parents. Because of the work you have done to strengthen relationships with parents, the majority of parents feel that dialogue with the school is effective. You have ensured that parents are kept well informed about events through regular newsletters and electronic mailing systems. Parents describe you and your staff as available and approachable. They also appreciate the information they receive regarding their child’s progress. Parents who spoke to me during the inspection were unreserved in their praise for the school and feel fully involved in the school community. The last inspection report also challenged leaders to improve the progress of pupils, including some of the least able and some boys, in reading across key stage 2. Although improving from 2016 to 2017, pupils’ progress in reading in both years

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

was below average by the end of Year 6. This lack of progress was heightened for your least able pupils. Leaders have now ensured that provision is in place to support pupils who have gaps in their knowledge of phonics in key stage 2. This group of pupils are targeted for additional teaching and have regular opportunities to read to an adult in school. However, leaders are yet to evaluate the effectiveness of this provision. Additionally, the quality of teaching of phonics in the early years and in key stage 1 is inconsistent. Adults do not always use assessment information to match phonics activities to pupils’ needs. As a result, some pupils do not develop early reading skills as quickly as they are capable.

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

At the start of this academic year, leaders accurately recognised that improvements in the teaching of inference skills were necessary to accelerate pupils’ progress in reading. They have acted to tackle this but have not yet measured the difference their actions have made to pupils’ outcomes. Leaders have had success in encouraging pupils’ enthusiasm for reading. A number of strategies, including the introduction of a school library, have resulted in pupils increasing the frequency and breadth of their reading practice.

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

Your predecessor was also asked to improve the quality of teaching further by ensuring that activities in all subjects are sufficiently challenging and are matched to pupils’ needs. In mathematics, this has been effected through the introduction of regular opportunities for pupils to apply their skills to problem solving and reasoning contexts. For some pupils, this represents appropriate challenge and, as a result, they make strong progress. However, leaders rightly identify that this practice is not yet embedded across all year groups or subjects. Some pupils receive work that is too easy and does not stretch them to think deeply. Consequently, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are inconsistent across school and pupils’ progress is variable.

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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.

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

The pastoral support for pupils is a strength of the school. Adults have secure, caring relationships with pupils and support their emotional needs effectively. As a result, pupils said they are happy and safe in the school. Parents confirmed this, with several parents reporting that their children ‘look forward to going to school’.

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

Pupils said they feel confident to confide in a trusted adult should they have any concerns. Staff are aware of their responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe. They take swift action to protect vulnerable pupils from potential harm.

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

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and are knowledgeable about how to avoid potential risks online. Pupils’ behaviour around school is calm and orderly; instances of poor behaviour or bullying are very rare. Pupils are mature and conscientious in their approach to learning. Occasionally, pupils lack focus in lessons. When this is the case, it is because the quality of teaching is not engaging them.

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Inspection findings

 You had already identified that senior and middle leadership required strengthening. Turbulence in staffing has meant that improvements have taken longer than you desired. Recent appointments include an experienced deputy headteacher due to start in September and a school business manager.  You are accurate in your evaluations of teaching and learning and are honest about the work that needs to be done to improve outcomes for pupils. You are assisted and challenged by a strong and effective governing body. Governors have suitable expertise and use this to good effect to check on the school’s performance. You are aware that leaders’ improvement plans require an increased level of precision to enable governors to hold leaders to account with maximum impact.  You have established a team of new middle leaders. In partnership with the local authority and the teaching schools’ alliance, you have accessed appropriate

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Inspection findings

external support for these leaders. For example, joint English leaders, who are new to the role, have benefited from the advice of a specialist leader in education. They are becoming increasingly adept in identifying necessary improvements within their areas of responsibility. For instance, leaders have correctly identified that some pupils would benefit from further opportunities for extended writing to consolidate their skills and build stamina. Similarly, leaders with responsibility for subjects in the wider curriculum are beginning to prioritise improvements effectively. However, you acknowledge that many leaders remain at an early stage of their development and are yet to effect improvements in pupils’ outcomes.  In the early years, leaders have made improvements to the quality of the outdoor provision. Children now benefit from an increased range of learning opportunities. However, both adult-led activities and those which are child-

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Inspection findings

initiated are not consistently matched to children’s needs. Therefore, children do not always receive an appropriate level of challenge or support to enable them to make rapid progress.  You have recognised that disadvantaged pupils have made variable progress over time and are, therefore, not catching up quickly with other pupils nationally. You are taking part in a national research project which has enabled you to access external support from consultants with considerable expertise. Through this project, you have introduced a number of strategies aimed at enhancing the educational experiences of disadvantaged pupils. For example, you intend to improve outcomes for this group of pupils through access to ‘Forest Schools’ and metacognition lessons, which pupils are able to explain as ‘teaching them to think about how they learn’. You also reinforce basic skills through targeted interventions. Although early signs are positive, it is too early to measure the

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Inspection findings

impact on current pupils’ progress.  Leaders are not checking carefully on the quality of provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator has a secure knowledge of individual pupils and their needs. However, leaders are not checking that appropriate targets are set for this group of pupils or that teaching meets their needs. As a result, the progress of this group is variable.

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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, learning and assessment is at least good in all subjects  pupils receive work which is matched to their needs and provides a suitable level of challenge  middle and senior leaders drive improvements in their area of responsibility effectively  improvement plans specify precisely how the teaching and learning of reading, including phonics, will raise attainment and progress at all key stages  provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective  pupil premium funding is spent effectively to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

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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 North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I met with you, middle leaders, a local authority representative and a group of governors. I observed teaching and learning jointly with you in classes across all key stages. I spoke to pupils about their learning and considered the responses by 44 pupils to Ofsted’s online questionnaire. I scrutinised pupils’ work alongside the English leader. I spoke to parents at the start of the school day and considered the 58 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, along with the 51 free-text responses. I reviewed school documentation, including the school’s improvement plans, evaluations of teaching and learning, as well as information about pupils’ outcomes, behaviour and attendance. I spoke with staff during the inspection and considered the 16 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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