Starbeck Community Primary School

Starbeck Community Primary School High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 7LL

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 With quiet determination, integrity and a belief in discovering the best in people, the headteacher has won the hearts and minds of his team. Leading by example, he has positively transformed the school since the previous inspection.  The local authority has been instrumental in implementing the change required. Early intervention, through sourcing an experienced headteacher, significant strengthening of the governing body and targeted work with the leaders of mathematics and English have brought about rapid improvement.  Leadership at all levels is effective. High-quality training has empowered leaders to have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their respective areas.  Governors are knowledgeable, driven and passionate. They hold leaders fully to account for their plans and actions.  Pupils make good progress across all year groups in school. Standards have improved.  The quality of teaching, learning and

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

assessment has improved and is good. Work is well matched to the different learning needs of the pupils.  The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a key strength of the school. Pupils are well supported because teaching assistants receive the training and support they require to be effective.  Teaching assistants provide high levels of care and are skilful in adapting their teaching to meet the individual needs of each pupil.  The school’s work around personal development and well-being is outstanding.  Pupils behave well. They enjoy their lessons and take pride in their work.  The quality and standards reached in art, music and physical education (PE) are key strengths of the school.  Beautifully presented, high-quality learning journals document good progress and examples of imaginative learning across early years.  Further work is required to consolidate the recent improvements in standards and

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

curriculum planning across the school.  The location of the outdoor learning area for Reception children makes it difficult for them to access.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Consolidate the recent improvements in reading and mathematics across the school, including early years, to raise standards for all pupils, by ensuring the most able pupils receive sufficient challenge to enable them to make the progress of which they are capable.  Continue to design and develop changes to the foundation curriculum in order to further extend and develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding.  Improve access to the outdoor learning environment for Reception children.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Effective collaboration between the local authority, the new headteacher, governors and existing senior leaders has brought about rapid change since the previous inspection. The vast majority of teachers, support staff and leaders worked at the school at the time of the last inspection. As a result of structured training and development work, they have been empowered to make the changes required to improve standards across the school. Staff morale is high, resulting in high staff retention rates. Work with Northern Star Academies Trust is providing ongoing support to the leadership team.  The headteacher shows integrity and has a clear vision for the school. He and the deputy headteacher lead by example, modelling the behaviour and attitudes they wish to see. Consequently, staff and pupils replicate the values modelled, resulting in a shared positive ethos across the school. There is a strong sense of ‘everyone is in this

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

together’ because everyone is working to the same goal. One member of staff stated, ‘The headteacher considers the mental health and well-being in relation to workload. He is supportive of concerns, acting quickly and will be the first to roll up his sleeves.’  The re-structuring of the leadership team has re-energised leaders because they are given responsibility and time to lead their own subjects. All leaders speak of being newly equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to be effective in their roles. Bespoke training, along with opportunities to work alongside the headteacher and specialists, have enabled them to develop other staff and have a positive impact on the standards pupils reach.  The leaders for English and mathematics have addressed the inconsistencies in teaching that they and colleagues identified from their monitoring work across the school. They have supported staff through extra training and by delivering

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

demonstration lessons. Subsequently, a higher consistency of good-quality teaching was evident across the school, and pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are now good and improving.  A more rigorous approach to the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning, along with careful tracking of ongoing assessment information, are helping to increase the expectations of what pupils can do. Leaders use the monitoring information well to help them track the progress of different groups of pupils and individuals and to put extra support in place for pupils who need to catch up. Teachers are now more accountable for the progress their pupils make because they identify all pupils who are not making enough progress.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the changes made by the headteacher. Nearly half of the 22 free-text responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View questionnaire refer to the improvements made. One parent wrote, ‘Since the change in

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

leadership, we have seen such a remarkable change in the way this school runs. The teachers have all worked incredibly hard and we are happy with this school.’ Another parent stated, ‘The school has been turned around fantastically over the last couple of years and I would recommend this school to anybody now.’  Leaders and governors have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Improvement plans are effective and are supporting leaders to continue to drive improvements.  The leadership of provision for pupils with SEND is good. The experienced special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that all pupils with SEND are identified, supported and monitored. Carefully targeted training for teaching assistants and teachers has resulted in particularly effective support for all pupils, particularly those with, or awaiting, education, health and care (EHC) plans.  The use of the primary PE and sport premium is effective. The leader for PE highlighted

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

how rapid improvements have been made since the new headteacher has ‘allowed and empowered’ her. Pupils receive a rich and varied programme of sports, including bowling, cricket, archery, tchoukball, cross-country and basketball. Recent successes in inter-school competitions have enthused pupils and given sport a higher priority. Targeted work to identify and track inactive pupils has been particularly successful and resulted in higher rates of activity and fitness.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide support for disadvantaged pupils who are falling behind or need extra support in order to catch up. Teachers now know which pupils are entitled to support through this funding and are held accountable for their pupils’ progress. As a result of more rigorous monitoring, a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils are currently on target to reach both the expected and higher standard this year.

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The curriculum is being further strengthened and refined. Links between subjects are being made and educational visits are planned in order to enhance learning. Work to develop science is under way, along with art. However, the skills, knowledge and understanding in some foundation subjects are not as well developed. The teaching of music is a key strength of the school. Pupils are given very many opportunities to learn to play a variety of instruments, to sing, to play in the orchestra and to perform for audiences. Pupils enjoy a wide range of after-school clubs.

p.4

Governance of the school

 Governors have introduced systems through which they hold leaders fully accountable for their work. They ensure that leaders present their plans and identify the impact of any improvements they have made. They check for themselves, through governor visits, and they present challenge at meetings. As a result, they are well informed, show good understanding of the needs of the school and provide a valuable ‘critical friend’ for school leaders.  Governors no longer receive additional support from other professionals because they now possess the skills and abilities they need to carry out their roles. They are rightly proud of the improvements they have been part of, but are not complacent. They recognise that the job is not finished because they want to consolidate what they have achieved.  The new chair and vice-chair of the governing body have high expectations of any new governors. They have carried out a skills audit to enable them to look for additional

p.4

Governance of the school

skills required to further strengthen their team. They expect all governors to play an active part in monitoring the work of the school. As the chair of governors stated, ‘You don’t do your work in the meetings.’

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture, which ensures that everyone is safe and understands their responsibility for keeping children safe. The designated safeguarding leaders keep their own training up to date and provide regular updates for other members of staff in order to remind them of their responsibilities.  Appropriate checks are carried out on each member of staff prior to appointment. The record of these checks is routinely monitored by the headteacher and the chair of governors to ensure it is up to date.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and parents and staff agree. This is because safeguarding is given a high priority. Staff act quickly and take appropriate action when concerns arise. Record keeping is detailed and presents a comprehensive picture of procedures followed.

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Phonic outcomes have improved because teaching focuses on what pupils need to learn. Pupils learn and apply their phonic knowledge through a series of short, fun activities designed to hold their interest and build on previous learning. As a result of the strong phonics teaching in Year 1 and early years, reading standards are improving across key stage 1.  The teaching of reading is effective. Improvements to the way in which teachers teach reading are having a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes. Whole-class reading books provide opportunities for less able readers to access more challenging texts, extend vocabulary and develop their understanding. The changes are not fully embedded across the school. However, the school’s own information shows that rates of progress in pupils’ reading are improving.  A scrutiny of pupils’ work in books shows that cursive handwriting is now firmly established across the school. Teachers are increasingly skilful in scaffolding the

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

learning in writing lessons in order to develop vocabulary. The approach now used enables pupils to learn new vocabulary and apply it to their own writing. Writing standards are consistently good both in dedicated English work and in all work in other subjects across the curriculum.  The use of effective questioning techniques allows teachers to check pupils’ understanding throughout mathematics, reading and writing lessons. Pupils’ answers show depth of learning. Some teachers quickly adapt their questioning to extend learning further. Teachers address common misconceptions in lessons and model what they want to see. Teachers have focused on ensuring that a higher proportion of pupils reach the expected standard over the last year, and evidence in books shows that this has been successful. Although books show that pupils receive opportunities to work at greater depth, this is not always consistent in reading and mathematics across the

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

school.  As a result of effective training, teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge across a range of subjects. Teachers plan work carefully to meet the needs of pupils, especially in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching assistants are clear about what they need to do in class to support learning. They follow planning and give feedback to teachers to help inform next steps for pupils’ learning. Where teaching assistants work with individual pupils with SEND, they adjust their tasks to motivate and reward their pupils, taking account of their emotional and learning needs. Consequently, pupils with SEND access the curriculum and make good progress. Learning for other pupils is uninterrupted.  The teaching of subjects other than English and mathematics is still developing. However, there is a wide range of high-quality work in books. Good links are being made between subjects.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils’ welfare is at the heart of learning. Leaders recognise that pupils need to feel safe and happy to be able to learn. Staff identify pupils who find lunchtime challenging. They timetable support for these pupils through activities and friendships to provide a positive experience and ensure that all pupils enter school in the afternoon ready to learn.  Work with the wider community provides a range of opportunities for pupils to extend their knowledge about the world around them. Weekly visits to the local special school through ‘sing and sign’ sessions provide positive opportunities for pupils to get to know other children, and to learn to respect people with difficulties.  Strong links with the local church and regular prayer clubs provide pupils with opportunities to develop their spirituality.  Pupils show understanding of, and respect for others. The whole-school approach to

p.6

Personal development and welfare

behaviour is rooted in the five key principles of motivation, empathy, self-awareness, social skills and managing feelings. Consequently, pupils are alert and aware of the needs of others. They enjoy coming to school, are eager to learn and take pride in their work.  Leaders have successfully created a positive learning culture that is evident across the whole school. Pupils share in each other’s successes and are genuinely proud of their own and other’s achievements. Classrooms are well cared for.  Pupils willingly undertake a range of leadership responsibilities around school. School councillors play an active role in suggesting and making improvements and other pupils take on responsibilities as play leaders.  After-school provision is well run. Pupils receive warm snacks and drinks after their day in school. All relevant checks are in place to ensure pupils are safe. Activities, including table football, imaginative play areas and games, allow pupils to relax and enjoy

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are polite and friendly and they welcome visitors with a smile. They respond well to instructions given by adults and are keen to work hard because they enjoy their lessons.  Behaviour logs are detailed and record clearly ways in which staff have responded to any incidents. Pupils can describe what bullying is and regularly explore bullying through assemblies, classroom work and anti-bullying weeks. Parents, pupils and staff say that pupils are safe, that there are no incidents of bullying and pupils behave well.  Pupils with exceptionally challenging behaviour are managed well and so they regain motivation and productivity. The behaviour policy is clear and followed by all across the school.  The number of exclusions has fallen and is now well below the national average. This is because leaders target support to where it is most needed, and highly skilled teaching

p.7

Behaviour

assistants are vigilant in their roles.  Work on improving pupils’ attendance is ongoing. Attendance is now above the national average and has improved over time. The number of pupils who are persistently absent from school is falling because leaders have effective procedures in place and are tenacious in their work with families. Governors have also been involved in meeting with parents to instil the importance of regular school attendance.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Good

 In 2018, at the end of key stage 2, pupils’ progress and attainment in reading and mathematics rapidly improved and is now similar to those of other schools nationally. In writing, attainment is in line with the national average and progress is now significantly above that seen nationally. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of learning. Leaders’ analysis of current pupils’ attainment and progress rates is thorough and provides a useful tool through which to target extra support for those who need to catch up. It also identifies those pupils who are making better rates of progress than others at the school.  The most able pupils make good progress, although sometimes opportunities are missed to further challenge and develop their thinking.  The high proportion of boys with SEND and EHC plans, some of whom are disadvantaged, had a significant impact on published attainment information in 2018.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Good

Leaders have unpicked their current information to check for similar patterns to ensure that all pupils make the best progress of which they are capable. Work in books validates that boys with SEND are making good progress from their starting points, because provision is tailored tightly to meet their needs.  Pupils who are disadvantaged make similar rates of progress to other pupils at the school. Disadvantaged pupils with SEND also make good progress from their starting points. Teachers track the progress of disadvantaged pupils and highlight where additional support is required. A higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils across the school than in the past are now on target to reach the expected and higher standard.  The proportion of pupils achieving the required standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 is in line with the national average for the first time in the last three years.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Good

 Standards at the end of key stage 1 have improved significantly because teachers have higher expectations about what pupils can achieve. Attainment is now in line with that of other schools nationally.

p.8

Early years provision Good

 All welfare requirements are fully in place.  The youngest children are well supported in their first stage of education. Strong routines provide a safe learning environment in which children feel safe, cared for and happy. New starters are particularly well supported in their first experience of school.  Children show high levels of interest and self-motivation because the learning is well planned and resourced. Children play well together, displaying well-developed social skills. They share, take turns and hold conversations with each other, listening to and responding appropriately to one another.  Harmonious relationships result in confident children who are happy to come to school. Children quickly develop positive attitudes to learning. When children struggle with their emotions, for example, anger, they are quickly supported by soft words and listened to, before being reminded about what the right thing to do is. Adults skilfully

p.8

Early years provision Good

redirect children’s attention to enable them to continue learning. As a result, children learn to control their emotions because adults are always there to support them.  Behaviour is good. Children follow instructions and work well together, forming strong relationships with each other and adults.  Children learn mathematical language through play, for example by building towers and comparing heights to understand positional language of taller than, shorter than and the same as. Children are given opportunities to follow their own interests through the range of classroom activities on offer. Adults support and extend learning well through effective questioning and discussion to promote deeper thinking.  Children in Nursery produce high-quality observational paintings because adults model what to do. Children concentrate, follow instructions and have opportunities to mix their own colours. As a result, they are proud of their work and their fine motor skills

p.8

Early years provision Good

are developing well.  Children’s records of learning, known as ‘learning journals’, are of high quality and show the wide range of activities on offer. Photographs alongside work samples and teacher annotations provide a wealth of assessment information across both the Nursery and the Reception class. Individualised learning is evident because the journals are different for each child.  The immediate outdoor space for Nursery children, although small, is well planned and provides appropriate learning opportunities for young children. Across early years, good use is made of other outdoor learning spaces when the weather allows. However, in Reception, the outdoor space is separate from the main building and this limits children’s access. The Reception teacher makes best use of the designated outdoor area; however, it is not ideal.

p.8

School details

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

p.10

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.10

School details

Email address headteacher@starbeck.n-yorks.sch.uk

p.10

School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 April 2017

p.10

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and chair of governors have joined the school.  Starbeck Community Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is slightly below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with support for SEND is slightly below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with an EHC plan is above the national average.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club for its pupils.  It is planned that the school will become an academy with Northern Star Academies Trust in August 2019.  The school hosts an enhanced mainstream school (EMS) provision that has a specialist team to meet the needs of children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

p.10

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups. Some observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors talked to pupils, listened to a selection of pupils read, and observed pupils in the classroom, at after-school club and at lunchtime.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the leader responsible for special educational needs, the early years leader, three teaching assistants and a range of other leaders. The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and the chief executive officer of Northern Star Academies Trust.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ books across all subjects and year groups. Some reviews were carried out jointly with subject leaders. Early years learning journals were also reviewed.  Inspectors took account of the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent

p.11

Information about this inspection

View, and the 22 free-text responses from parents received during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke to some parents during the inspection process. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire. Inspectors reviewed the 27 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

p.11

Inspection team

Janet Lunn, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.11

Inspection team

Mark Evans Her Majesty’s 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.11

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.12

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.12

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.12

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.12

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.12

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.12

Inspection team

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

p.12

Inspection team

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

p.12