Francis Askew Primary School

Francis Askew Primary School North Road, Hull HU4 6LQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ progress is uneven, particularly in reading and writing at key stage 2, because the quality of teaching is not consistently good.  Relatively recent strategies to raise pupils’ achievement in these subjects have not had sufficient impact on raising standards securely.  A number of subject and key stage leaders are relatively new to their roles and have not had sufficient time to improve the provision in their areas of responsibility.  Leaders do not check closely that the work teachers plan meets the needs of all pupils effectively and challenges them appropriately.  Pupils do not apply their handwriting, spelling, grammar and punctuation accurately when working independently. Some spelling and grammar errors are often linked to pupils’ weak spoken English.  Middle-attaining pupils sometimes lack the confidence to progress to harder tasks and thus make the progress they could.  Teachers do not routinely provide pupils with

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enough opportunities to write at length in other subjects. As a result, too few pupils get the practice they need to develop their writing to attain the higher standard.  The quality of pupils’ learning and written work in subjects other than English is weak. Pupils of all abilities often undertake the same tasks and this limits their achievements.  In reading, while pupils are confident in their decoding skills to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary, they do not always understand their texts well enough to demonstrate fluency and accuracy.  Continued staffing issues, especially in key stage 2, have slowed school improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher has established a strong senior leadership team that is very capable of moving the school forward quickly and effectively.  Governors are skilled in supporting school improvement and holding leaders to account.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics throughout the school.  Children in the early years make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well throughout the school.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are kind and courteous to others and enjoy being at school.  Enrichment activities for pupils are very popular and broaden pupils’ experiences.  The school’s calm environment helps pupils to feel safe, happy and well looked after.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the effectiveness of leadership and management further by ensuring that:  teachers’ planning suitably challenges all pupils to make the progress they should  where necessary, teachers are supported to improve their skills and practice  subject and key stage leaders take the actions necessary to improve teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility urgently  leaders hold teachers to account more rigorously for the progress that pupils make in every subject.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently good or better in reading, writing and other subjects, particularly at key stage 2, by ensuring that:  teachers’ expectations of what pupils should achieve are consistently high  teachers ask probing questions to check and extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding  teachers use the assessment information they have to greater effect in planning activities that consistently challenge pupils throughout the school

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 teachers support less confident middle-ability learners to move on more quickly  teaching staff listen to pupils more attentively when they read or speak in order to identify and correct errors in pupils’ spoken English  pupils read with fluency and accuracy and fully understand their texts  pupils have sufficient opportunities to develop and apply their writing skills across a range of subjects  pupils check for errors in their spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting and take greater responsibility for improving their work.  Ensure that pupils’ learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is consistently challenging to broaden and deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Numerous staffing changes since the school’s previous inspection in 2017, including at senior leader level, have resulted in a slowing down of school improvement during that time. Teaching and learning are still not consistently good across the entire school and in all subjects. As a consequence, pupils are not making the progress they should in all subjects.  The headteacher, along with the deputy and the assistant headteacher, has continued to address weaknesses in teaching and learning systematically in the last two years. Although some staffing issues still prevail, the school is moving forward and is well placed to improve further. School leaders, including governors, are ambitious for the school and its community and want the best for all pupils.  The actions that leaders have already taken show that children in the early years continue to make a good start to their learning and pupils make good progress in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

mathematics throughout school. Elsewhere, pupils are starting to make more secure progress and outcomes are rising.  The school’s improvement plans are appropriately focused on improving teaching and learning. Staff know what is required of them and have swift access to the training and support they need to develop their knowledge, skills and practice. However, most middle leaders are still relatively new to their roles. While very committed to developing their areas of responsibility, some have not been in post long enough to exert a greater impact on improving teaching so that it is consistently of high quality in all classes.  Senior leaders collate useful information about pupils’ progress and check that it is accurate and reliable. However, they do not check sufficiently closely that teachers use this information to plan work that is suitably challenging for all groups of pupils.  The leader for pupils with SEND provides effective support for class teachers and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

oversees the range of interventions in place for these pupils. Pupils make good progress as a result.  A high proportion of pupils in the school are eligible for pupil premium funding. Leaders make effective use of this funding to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Most make the same rates of progress as their non-disadvantaged classmates. However, a few do underachieve because their low aspirations hold them back considerably.  The school’s sport premium funding is used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in physical education (PE) and sport. Many engage in school teams for various sports and enjoy representing their school in competitive events, where they achieve success.  The overall curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of experiences to broaden their knowledge and skills. Enrichment through visits out and visitors in school is well planned and includes a range of opportunities to learn about the world beyond school. However,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

learning in history, geography and science, for example, is not sufficiently challenging to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively.  By contrast, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through assemblies, trips and events. Pupils learn about traditions in other countries as they acknowledge and celebrate the diversity represented in the school. They have a fair overview of the society in which they live and of wider Britain today. They learn about the values that they need to become responsible young citizens. They know to respect others and to abide by society’s rules of fairness equality and tolerance.  School leaders, including governors, consider any external reports about the school’s work carefully. They seek advice from the trust and partner schools to evaluate their own school’s performance and consider options to raise pupils’ outcomes further. Leaders are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

still working on the findings of the review undertaken by an external body in 2018, which highlighted inconsistencies in teaching, learning, leadership and management.  Most parents are positive about the school and value the school’s support for their children’s learning, care and well-being. As one parent said, ‘My child loves it here.’

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Governance of the school

 Governors continue to support school leaders and challenge information they receive on the impact of actions to make improvements. Governors are regular visitors in school and examine school data regarding pupils’ performance. Generally, governors understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school well, but rely on senior leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance as being wholly accurate. Leaders’ evaluation is over generous. Teaching has improved, but there are still inconsistencies to address.  However, governors do keep a close check on the impact of specific funding to support pupils. They know that the pupil premium budget is benefiting disadvantaged pupils in their academic, social and emotional progress as these pupils, in the main, achieve as well as their classmates.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a strong culture to ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for at school and every effort is made to support their safety and well-being outside school. A number of pupils face very challenging issues in their lives, and support for their physical and emotional care is high priority. The mental health of some pupils is a growing concern. The school seeks timely advice and support from relevant authorities when necessary.  Safeguarding arrangements meet all current statutory requirements. All governors and staff and have up-to-date training and guidance to ensure that they carry out their duty of care responsibilities diligently. Every step is taken to minimise any potential health and safety issues in school. Pupils learn about how to stay safe at school and home and the dangers posed by the internet and social media sites if used without due care. They also

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Safeguarding

know to report any concerns or worries to staff or parents immediately.  Staff know pupils and their families well and know to follow up any punctuality and attendance issues more urgently where vulnerable pupils are particularly at risk. Record- keeping is generally sound, but leaders do not always check that any notification letters to parents regarding concerns about their children reach home promptly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching over time is not consistently good. This is particularly the case at key stage 2, but there is variability at key stage 1 too. In reading, writing and across other subjects, these inconsistencies result in pupils making uneven progress in their learning.  In writing, pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise the skills they learn in order for the basic rules of spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting to be entirely secure. From the early years onwards, teachers do introduce these skills systematically, but too often, pupils rely on support and reminders to work accurately. In English, pupils are more careful in what they write, but this is not sustained across other subjects because these skills are not securely embedded to the extent that they are routine.  In reading, children in the early years learn phonics well to build sounds and words. The modelling of phonics is generally good and most teachers make sure that pupils repeat

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

sounds accurately. However, over time, pupils only speak accurately when under scrutiny. Consequently, teachers fail to identify pupils’ errors when they read or speak to make sure that sounds are reproduced accurately.  In addition, while pupils decode unfamiliar words reasonably confidently, they are often not sure of the meaning. For example, a few did not know the word ‘brewery’ and so did not understand a text fully. Elsewhere, a few insisted on saying ‘they was’, when they meant ‘there was’. Other similar words and phrases, such as ‘should of’ instead of ‘should have’, are subsequently replicated erroneously in their written work.  Generally, pupils are keen to learn and behave well. Teachers encourage pupils to contribute in question and answer sessions, but some, while not disruptive, remain passive and say little. Where teaching does not challenge pupils sufficiently, a few disengage and become restless and chatty. The most able pupils say that sometimes the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

work is too easy when everyone starts with the same tasks, especially in subjects other than English and mathematics; they feel they could do with harder work sooner.  There is good teaching in the school. Some teachers probe and assess pupils’ progress through effective questioning to identify where pupils need further support. However, this is not routine in every class, especially at key stage 2. Often teachers do not have high enough expectations to ensure that all pupils make the progress they should.  Leaders’ assessments are generally accurate. Occasionally, for example in writing, there is a tendency to be over generous, especially when assessing pupils as working at the higher standard. However, not all teachers use assessment information precisely enough to inform their planning and to meet pupils’ needs fully. Also, frequently, pupils’ misconceptions and errors go unchecked, so pupils make the same mistakes repeatedly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support teaching and learning. Leaders identify where pupils are at risk of falling behind and organise additional support to help them catch up. The most able pupils are often challenged well. However, some less confident middle-ability pupils do not move on to more challenging tasks quickly enough to achieve as well as they could. Many are capable of achieving more.  Teaching assistants use their skills and expertise well to tailor support for SEND pupils. They are sensitive to the needs of individual pupils and work hard to help them in their behaviour and learning. Teaching assistants and teachers are equally aware of those disadvantaged pupils who have specific gaps in their learning and address these well.  Throughout the school, the teaching of mathematics is good and improving. Strategies to teach reasoning and problem-solving skills are developed well. Pupils particularly enjoy

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

the timed tests to speed up their mental skills, and problem-solving, because, as one Year 6 pupil explained, ‘It’s all about looking for patterns and it’s always the same’.  In most classes there is a positive climate for learning. Pupils know that teachers are there to help them. Most pupils respond well to all that is asked of them and try hard.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Most pupils show that they enjoy learning and try their best. They settle to tasks promptly, work with each other sensibly and productively, eager to succeed. The school works hard to raise pupils’ aspirations. A number of pupils eloquently explained that one day they wanted to be doctors, teachers, scientists or ‘dinner ladies’ because, ‘These people help you and I want to be like them. You learn things if you come to school.’  Pupils follow the good role models they see in their teachers, are polite and respectful towards others and help if they see someone struggling. They know that some pupils need help with their learning, and lend a hand if they can. They work and play together sensibly and respond appropriately if anyone is worried or upset.  Pupils take responsibility as members of the school council to speak on behalf of

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Personal development and welfare

classmates. They help around the school and look after younger ones in the playground.  Staff make sure that pupils understand that bullying can take many forms. Pupils said that bullying does sometimes happen but teachers deal with it straightaway. They also know that name-calling is very unkind and will not be tolerated in school. Pupils know the dangers when using the internet, especially social media sites. As they explained, ‘It’s where strangers trick you by being nice but can be very bad people sometimes.’  Pupils learn how to stay safe at school and at home. They learn about the emergency services and how to seek help in a hurry. They learn also to adopt healthy diets and the consequences of over eating. They know that regular exercise is important to stay fit. Staff provide effective care, nurture and support for pupils who have specific needs. Parents appreciate the extra care the school offers if families need any help or guidance.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most parents and staff agree that this is the case.  Pupils are very friendly, polite and welcoming. They enjoy talking about the school and how much fun they have there. Despite the various mishaps on their trip to Scarborough, pupils said, ‘It was great, even when people were sea-sick and the water came over the top!’ Pupils say that they feel safe and well looked after at school and that staff are kind.  Pupils’ behaviour is typically good throughout the school day. Lunchtimes are lively but sociable occasions. Pupils are well supervised and despite the two days of rain during the inspection, pupils continued to behave well, happy to dodge the showers in order to run outside when possible. Even when the occasional lapses in pupils’ behaviour occur when teaching is not sufficiently engaging, most continue to behave well, even those few who occasionally struggle to manage their behaviour without support.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ attendance has improved and is now close to the national average. Leaders monitor attendance carefully and work closely with families to address any attendance issues that arise. Most pupils arrive punctually, well prepared to learn.

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Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

 Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken effective steps to improve teaching and learning and raise outcomes for pupils across the school. Standards have risen in the last two years but overall progress still requires improvement in some subjects.  Outcomes over the last two years have been broadly average at key stage 1 across reading, writing and mathematics. At key stage 2 in 2017, pupils’ progress was weak in reading and average in writing and mathematics. Progress remained broadly average in 2018, although attainment improved significantly, particularly at the higher standard, where it was above average in all subjects.  Evidence in books and from listening to readers show that progress over time has been variable across subjects. Improved teaching in mathematics has had a marked impact on raising outcomes, but pupils’ written work in subjects other than English is well below what is expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. There are also inconsistencies in the

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Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

quality of pupils’ work in classes within the same year groups. So, while there is good progress evident in some areas and improvements in teaching are having impact, inconsistencies remain.  Leaders’ assessment records are more positive than the work seen suggests. Although information states that increasing numbers of pupils in Year 6 are now working at the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics, this is not borne out by the work seen, especially where pupils work independently. The picture is even more variable in Years 3, 4 and 5, where progress is uneven because teaching is too variable. Pupils’ books show that teachers’ expectations are generally not high enough for all pupils.  The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check was slightly below the national average in 2018 and similar to phonics outcomes in 2017.  Most pupils enjoy reading, and technically, pupils have a fair grasp of phonics to help

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Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

them read unfamiliar words. However, pupils are less careful when applying the phonics accurately when speaking or writing. For example, some pupils read and spell ‘saw’ as ‘sor’, ‘other’ as ‘uver’, ‘an ice-cream’ as ‘a nice-cream’ and ‘build’ as ‘bilt’. These errors, mostly due to pupils’ weaknesses in spoken English, if not checked, become the norm and so detract from pupils’ reading and writing over time. Occasionally, less confident learners tend to read individual words rather than gathering a complete sense of the whole phrase or sentence. This lack of fluency stops some from achieving more.  Strong readers in the school can confidently and fluently read challenging texts, and explain their understanding and why they like the books they read. They discuss their favourite books, explaining their preferences for authors and different types of books or stories. Pupils indicate that they like reading with teachers, where they explore

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Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

vocabulary and features of writing that make books interesting. However, less confident readers are not as fluent in their understanding. A few who find reading difficult, especially if they do not read regularly, make slow progress.  In mathematics, most pupils make good progress and an increasing number are working at the higher standard. Teachers make sure that pupils understand their learning and apply their skills accurately when completing complex, multi-step tasks. They check for errors in how pupils set work out in order to minimise mistakes. Nevertheless, untidy presentation and taking short cuts sometimes detract from the overall quality of the work that pupils complete. Middle-ability learners could be challenged further by moving to harder tasks as soon as they are ready to do so.  Disadvantaged pupils receive support tailored to their specific needs, frequently on a daily basis. This teaching is skilfully planned to help close any gaps from previous

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Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

learning. Most of these pupils make good progress and attain as well as their classmates. Pupils with SEND are also supported well. Most make good progress as a result.  Pupils apply basic skills well in their mathematics and English work. However, they do not apply what they learn well enough in other subjects. Written work in pupils’ topic books, for example, is of a much lower standard than that found in their English books. Far too many careless errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation occur in these books. Very little of the work is of the quality that the same pupils produce in English or mathematics.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years leader is relatively new to the school but very experienced in the role. She has already made considerable changes to strengthen the curriculum. Teaching is consistently good. Children make good progress and are prepared well for Year 1.  Teachers’ assessments are accurate and reliably inform the activities that staff plan to support children’s abilities, needs and interests. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been close to the national average in the last two years, and an increasing number are exceeding this expectation. A few are already working at levels typical for Year 1 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children start in the Nursery with knowledge and skills that are generally below those typical for their age. Their communication and speaking skills are particularly weak and a good number need speech and language support urgently when they start.

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Early years provision Good

 Staff place a high focus on speaking and listening from the Nursery onwards. They intervene purposefully as children work and play, asking probing questions to extend children’s thinking skills and develop their language. Staff introduce new vocabulary with clarity and children rehearse these words as they play, for example, in the mud kitchen, making ‘squidgy soggy cakes’, or explain that, ‘It’s not rain, it’s a light drizzle!’ Staff ask questions such as ‘What will happen if…?’ and ‘How can we measure which container has the most water in it?’ and insist that children explain their ideas confidently.  The curriculum promotes effective learning in all areas and staff check that children try everything regularly. While outdoor play, wheeled toys and construction activities are very enticing, especially among the boys, the routines are very clear. All children also spend time on reading, writing and number activities to develop their literacy and

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Early years provision Good

numeracy skills. Children do phonics on a daily basis and explore number through rhymes and puzzles. Occasionally, the most able children could be challenged further.  Children settle into school quickly because induction arrangements before they start are effective. Parents appreciate this thoughtful planning and praise staff in the early years. Opportunities to work with their children in school encourage parents to support their children at home. Staff nurture relationships between home and school sensitively and effectively to benefit children. They identify any children with specific needs early on and tailor plans to meet their needs so they are included in everything others do.  Children’s safety and welfare are high priorities. All safeguarding procedures are followed diligently. Staff carry out daily checks of the environment and equipment. They make sure children know how to keep safe in school and at home.

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School details

Unique reference number 141078 Local authority Kingston Upon Hull City Council Inspection number 10087576 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 425 Appropriate authority The board of trustees Chair Michael Smith Headteacher Ruth Murray Telephone number 01482509627 Website www.francisaskewprimary.org/ Email address head@francisaskewprimary.org Date of previous inspection 3–4 May 2017

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Information about this school

 Francis Askew Primary School is a larger-than-average-sized primary school and has grown substantially over the last few years.  Children attend part-time in the Nursery class and full-time in the Reception classes.  The school has a much larger proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium funding than found nationally.  The majority of pupils are from a White British background.  The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is slightly below average. Most of these pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school has a lower proportion of pupils with SEND than that found nationally.  A breakfast club, funded by the school, is available for pupils.  The school has experienced high staff turbulence since its previous inspection.  The school is part of the Constellation Trust, a multi-academy trust which supports a number of schools in Hull.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school, with senior leaders joining them on several occasions. They also looked at pupils’ work in their workbooks, records of children’s learning in the early years and other information about pupils’ attainment and progress with senior leaders.  In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read and held discussions with two groups of pupils. They also talked informally with pupils around the school.  Inspectors met with the chair of the governing body. They had discussions with various staff in the school, including the leader responsible for managing the support for pupils with SEND, the leader for the early years and the leaders for English, mathematics and science. There was also a meeting with a representative of the trust to which the school is affiliated.  Inspectors examined a range of documents. These included information about pupils’

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Information about this inspection

attainment and progress, leaders’ reviews of the school’s performance, and records of monitoring visits by other providers. They also examined safeguarding documentation and various records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors considered the 25 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and talked informally with a number of parents during the inspection. They also took into consideration the 25 comments submitted to Ofsted by parents. Inspectors also took into consideration the 24 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Rajinder Harrison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Larissa Thorpe 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

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 .

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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

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.

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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 .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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