Great Smeaton Academy Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Great Smeaton Academy Primary School Great Smeaton, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 2EQ

p.1

Outcome

Great Smeaton Academy Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and welcoming. They were keen to tell us about all that they like about their school. We saw them socialising and working together happily. They told us they feel safe at school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are positive and confident and have excellent manners. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well at all times of the day. Pupils say they are kept safe and that bullying does not happen. They are very confident that staff will sort out any problems or worries should they arise.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the opportunities provided to broaden their experiences. They go on many educational trips to learn new things, including a residential visit to an outdoor activity centre. Pupils are given opportunities to help with the day-to-day running of the school. They say that there are many clubs, with enough to meet everyone’s interests.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this inclusive, friendly school community. The school promotes pupils’ personal, social and emotional development very well. Pupils show high levels of respect for each other, their school and their local community.

p.1

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

Pupils feel safe and welcome in this small school. Relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves are very positive. They listen respectfully and politely to each other. All are quick to offer a please, hello or thank you, including to visitors. They try hard in lessons and work well with others. They understand the importance of respecting difference.

p.1

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

The teaching of early reading has a high priority from when children join the school in the

p.1

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

early years. Teachers and teaching assistants teach phonics systematically. Leaders 10 December 2019

p.1

2

quickly intervene to ensure that all pupils are taught well and read well-sequenced, challenging texts. Pupils achieve highly in the phonics check at the end of Year 1. On the odd occasion, some of the words in the books used in class are not quite matched correctly to the sounds pupils are learning. Leaders are aware of this. They have ordered new texts that better support pupils’ learning in phonics. Older pupils are taught to analyse texts and discuss their findings in detail. This helps pupils to read, enjoy and understand a wide range of subject-specific books.

p.2

2

Pupils enjoy listening to adults read aloud to them. Pupils read books for pleasure. Reading helps them learn new vocabulary and gain lots of knowledge.

p.2

2

Pupils do well in mathematics. Teachers have clear guidance and plan well. Lessons help pupils build knowledge and practise applying their skills. Teachers use images and equipment well to help pupils understand mathematics.

p.2

2

Teachers’ subject knowledge is a strength in mathematics and literacy. In some of the foundation subjects, however, teachers’ subject knowledge is not as strong. This means that sometimes teachers do not maximise opportunities to further broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

p.2

2

Leaders and teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ needs. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers plan learning well. This meets pupils’ personal, medical and learning goals.

p.2

2

Pupils are generally eager to learn. They have positive attitudes to all aspects of school life. They are keen to take part in all that the school has to offer. Pupils are rarely distracted in lessons. When necessary, teachers remind pupils of the need to behave, and learning continues.

p.2

2

Pupils’ personal, social and emotional development is a strength of the school. Staff build strong partnerships with external agencies. They are quick to seek the right support. The needs of pupils and families who may be vulnerable are identified and managed well.

p.2

2

Staff in the school are very positive and passionate about their work. Leaders and the governing body are considerate of teachers’ workload. They try to think of ways of reducing unnecessary tasks. They also show their recognition and appreciation when staff lead extra activities such as school clubs.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders work with parents and other agencies to promote a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Records of pre-employment background checks of staff are clear and well organised. There are well-understood systems in place for staff to report any concerns. Leaders, governors and staff follow the school’s procedures. This safeguards pupils, including children in the early years. In the online surveys, parents and staff agree that pupils are safe here. Pupils are happy 10 December 2019

p.2

3

at school. Parents’ views of the school’s work are also positive. Pupils learn how to use the internet safely and the potential dangers of social media. Staff maintain high levels of supervision to protect pupils’ safety and well-being.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is not as well sequenced as in other subjects. Leaders should make sure that all teachers have clear oversight of the sequencing of different subjects, including English and mathematics. This will help them to be sure that pupils are learning the right things in the right order and teachers will have more guidance on what to teach. This will also enable leaders to be more effective in checking that pupils’ knowledge builds more effectively over time.  In some subjects, teachers’ subject knowledge is not as broad as in others. Leaders should further improve teachers’ subject knowledge so that they are able to use this to help pupils to build on their prior learning and remember more in all subjects. Stronger subject knowledge will help teachers to respond better to pupils’ needs.

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 first section 8 inspection since we judged Great Smeaton Academy Primary School to be good on 2 December 2015.

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

4

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

4

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. 10 December 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10097588 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 2 December 2015

p.5

Information about this school

 Great Smeaton Academy Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school offers before- and after-school provision.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, that is, those pupils eligible for support through pupil premium funding, is below average.  The overwhelming majority of pupils are of White British heritage.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the headteacher, the senior leader and other staff. We met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative of the local authority. Discussions explored a wide range of subjects, including safeguarding arrangements.  We discussed SEND support plans chosen by the school, scrutinised pupils’ work, saw pupils at work in the school and talked to the special educational needs coordinator.  Throughout the inspection, we looked at how well school leaders provide safeguarding training and updates for staff, and create a culture of vigilance. We talked to the designated lead for safeguarding, and reviewed the school’s documents and records 10 December 2019

p.5

6

relating to safeguarding.  We carried out curriculum deep dives into reading, mathematics and science. The deep dives consisted of visits to lessons, review of documents, scrutiny of pupils’ work, and discussions with senior leaders, curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Geoffrey Seagrove, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Dawn Foster Ofsted Inspector 10 December 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