North Stainley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: North Stainley Church of England Primary School North Stainley, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 3HT

p.1

Outcome

North Stainley Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. They told an inspector that it’s a great school where they ‘learn fun things’. They say that they never get bored. Some speak about wanting to get a good education to get a good job. Pupils think that the teachers are kind and helpful. Playtimes are thoroughly enjoyed by all. Pupils make imaginative use of a range of ‘scrap’ items. For example, they enjoy making vehicles with it to pull each other around.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers expect pupils to work hard and try their best. Despite this, some younger pupils’ reading skills are held back because they cannot read words in their reading books. Some older pupils have books that they do not understand because they are too hard. Pupils’ basic skills in mathematics are learned well. However, pupils do not have enough chances to use their mathematics skills. Subjects other than English and mathematics are not yet well planned and taught.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk with understanding about the newly introduced school values such as friendship, respect, aspiration and empathy. One parent astutely wrote: ‘My child thrives in a very loving and supportive environment. It is clearly evident in the way the children support and help each other.’ Pupils benefit from strong community links. These include the rural arts group and many sporting opportunities.

p.1

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

The school’s curriculum provides exciting opportunities for pupils to explore and learn about the wider world. This starts just beyond the school gates in the immediate locality. The school makes good use of its ties within the local community. Activities with the village arts group give pupils a chance to take part in drama activities. This includes pantomimes. Pupils also share the village’s love of cricket. The school puts a high priority 20 November 2019

p.1

2

on dance, music, drama and public speaking. This raises pupils’ self-belief and confidence.

p.2

2

The newly appointed headteacher has hit the ground running. She has accurately identified the key areas that need to quickly improve in the school. She has started with mathematics. Important areas of the mathematics curriculum are now planned well. Lessons are taught in an order that helps pupils understand. However, pupils have few opportunities to apply their increasing mathematical knowledge in problem-solving and reasoning activities.

p.2

2

The curriculum is not planned consistently well in all subjects. Pupils’ knowledge is not built up so that they can remember what they have learned. Improved whole-school plans have recently been devised in science; religious education; personal, social, health and economic education; and design technology. These make clear what pupils need to learn and in what order. However, teachers have not yet started using these new plans. For other subjects, whole-school plans are timetabled to be changed so that the whole curriculum is coherently planned in the same way. Work in the other subjects has not yet begun. Additionally, sometimes teachers do not present knowledge clearly enough to pupils.

p.2

2

Younger children’s phonics knowledge is improving. Some younger children are extremely skilled and fluent readers. For those pupils still learning how to decode words, reading books are becoming matched to their reading skills. This means some can read with confidence on their own. However, not all pupils have reading books they can read by themselves. These pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they should. For some older pupils, more difficult books are used to foster a love of reading. However, some of these books are too difficult. Some pupils cannot enjoy a book because it is too hard. They cannot read some words and then struggle to understand the book. This puts some pupils off reading.

p.2

2

Children are making a strong start in the early years. They can work both independently and alongside their friends. Children benefit from having older pupils with them. They aspire to keep up with them. Some steps have been taken to improve the indoor and outdoor learning environment. These improvements need to continue.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and know how to keep children safe. Staff with designated responsibility for safeguarding know pupils and their families well. The school can show how it has had a significantly positive effect on certain pupils and their families. The regular updates for staff give them information about risks to watch out for. Governors fulfil their responsibilities in respect of safeguarding. The local authority recently completed a thorough safeguarding audit. The school is acting on its few recommended actions. Where appropriate, staff communicate effectively with outside agencies.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to the teaching of phonics is becoming stronger. However, pupils’ reading books are not consistently matched to their phonics knowledge. This slows their progress in learning to read. Leaders need to make sure that all pupils who are learning to read use books to practise that contain only the sounds they know. Similarly, too often, pupils who have secure phonics knowledge try to read books which are too difficult. This hampers their understanding of what they read. Leaders must ensure that pupils regularly read books which are appropriate for their reading skills.  Leaders must make sure that all pupils have secure mathematical understanding as they deepen their mathematical fluency and understanding of number. Pupils need to be given many more opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills in a range of problem-solving and reasoning activities appropriate for their age.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is in the early stages of becoming more coherently planned and sequenced. However, teachers are not yet using these new plans. This means that pupils’ knowledge is not built so that they remember their learning. Leaders must ensure that plans are implemented effectively. Further work is also needed so that the remaining subjects are coherently planned and sequenced. Leaders must also ensure that teachers present subject matter clearly based on secure subject knowledge in all curriculum areas.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 30 November to 1 December 2010.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 20 November 2019

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 20 November 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10110777 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Mr Nathaniel Potts

p.5

School details

Website http://www.northstainley.n-yorks.sch.uk/

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 1 March 2016

p.5

Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school runs a daily breakfast club for pupils and an after-school club.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is close to the national average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, subject leaders and other members of staff, including the school administrator.  We met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. We spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority who had worked with the school.  We took account of the 16 responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View. We also scrutinised the 13 parents’ comments on the free-text facility. There were no responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. 20 November 2019

p.5

6

 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at playtimes. Inspectors gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussions.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including newly written subject plans and safeguarding documents. Inspectors also evaluated information relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors looked in-depth at the following subjects: reading, mathematics and science. This included discussions with leaders of the subjects, visits to lessons, discussions with teachers, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Phil Scott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Sharon Stelling Ofsted Inspector 20 November 2019

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7