Howden Church of England Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Howden Church of England Infant School Hailgate, Howden DN14 7SL

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Outcome

Howden Church of England Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly, welcoming school where pupils are nurtured and well cared for. Parents and carers appreciate the efforts of staff. They are positive about the school. A typical view expressed through Ofsted’s Parent View was: ‘My child is eager to attend school every day and is happy and content.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. The school’s motto is ‘Roots to grow, wings to fly.’ Leaders and staff work hard to ensure that all pupils flourish during their time at school. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and confident. They enjoy coming to school. Pupils respect each other and the adults who help them to learn. Staff foster positive relationships with pupils and their families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils get on well together. They are pleasant and polite. Parents, staff and pupils agree that bullying is extremely rare.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff feel valued and well supported by leaders. Teachers agree that leaders are considerate about their workload. Governors visit the school regularly. This helps them to understand the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils enjoy listening to teachers read stories to them. Reading is taught well in all year groups. Leaders give parents helpful advice so that they can support their children’s reading at home.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff receive regular training in how to teach phonics and wider reading skills. Pupils’ knowledge of sounds is assessed regularly and accurately. This helps teachers to know what phonics knowledge to teach next and how to teach it. Pupils apply their knowledge of phonics to spell words accurately in their written work. Leaders ensure that pupils 27–28 November 2019

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falling behind receive appropriate support. The proportion of pupils passing the Year 1 phonics screening check increased in 2019 and was similar to the national average.

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In Reception Year, both adult-led and play-based activities help children to develop early reading skills. The vast majority of children quickly learn how to blend sounds into words. Most take home books containing simple words as soon as they are ready to do so. However, a small number of children continue to take home picture books unnecessarily.

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Leaders have reviewed and improved the teaching of mathematics since the previous inspection. Teachers know what content to teach and the order in which to teach it. Pupils deepen their understanding of key concepts by confidently reasoning their ideas. Teachers ensure that pupils can recall number facts quickly and understand place value. Pupils apply this knowledge to solve calculations. For example, pupils’ work in Year 2 shows they can add and subtract two 2-digit numbers accurately.

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In foundation subjects, pupils learn about a range of interesting topics. Teachers plan lessons that help pupils learn new skills and knowledge. For example, in Reception Year, children learn to cut and join different materials to make puppets of story characters. There is still work to do to refine the curriculum further in subjects such as design and technology, geography and history. Leaders have not yet finished checking that pupils’ knowledge and skills build as well as they possibly can in every subject.

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Pupils try their very best in lessons. They are keen to learn and cooperate well with their peers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

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Leaders and all staff promote pupils’ wider development well. Pupils contribute to local events at Howden Minster Church. They enjoy opportunities to attend a range of after- school activities. These include art, dance and sewing clubs. Pupils also have opportunities to learn to play the recorder, violin and ukulele.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture in this school. Staff receive timely training. They know whom to report to if they have a concern about a pupil. Leaders complete thorough checks on new staff and volunteers.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. For example, teachers remind them regularly about how to use the internet safely.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in this school. All parents who responded to Parent View agree. 27–28 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In Reception Year, children quickly learn to blend sounds into simple words. A small number of these children miss out on opportunities to practise these skills at home. This is because teachers do not ensure they take home books containing words made up of familiar sounds early enough. Leaders should work with teachers to make sure that children quickly improve their fluency and confidence by practising reading the sounds they have learned.  The curriculum is not yet sufficiently planned in a coherent sequence in all subjects. Leaders should continue to refine the curriculum further so that teaching in all subjects develops pupils’ knowledge and skills fully.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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 27–28 November 2019

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pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 27–28 November 2019

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Inspection number 10110852 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Sarah Warnes

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils receiving support for SEND is similar to the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with five representatives from the local governing body, the local authority school improvement partner, senior leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  I evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding, checked the school’s single central record and scrutinised policies relating to safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour. I met with the designated safeguarding lead and reviewed a sample of case files.  I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. I spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, to discuss their views about their school.  I considered the 22 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, along with the 22 additional free-text responses. I spoke to several parents on the playground before 27–28 November 2019

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school and met with a number of staff members.  I considered the quality of education by looking in detail at the teaching of reading, mathematics, and design and technology. I discussed the curriculum design with leaders, carried out lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers from the lessons visited. I heard pupils read.

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Inspection team

Paul Plumridge, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 27–28 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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