Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School Roman Road, Leeming, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9SG

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Outcome

Leeming and Londonderry Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are determined that every pupil can find something they shine at. They experience a broad curriculum. All pupils go swimming. Participation in singing competitions gives those with a good voice the chance to take centre stage. A range of after-school clubs are offered. Different visits take place to widen pupils’ knowledge. Any difficulties which may jeopardise pupils from taking part are overcome.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love outdoor learning. They enthuse about eating lunch in the open air. Learning outdoors brings science to life. Pupils enjoy using a flint and steel to light a fire. They use knowledge about animal habitats to make suitable dens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and adults have warm, caring relationships. Adults know all pupils very well. They know what they do well and what they need to get better at. Adults know pupils’ individual interests. They use this information to engage pupils well. Pupils enjoy school and learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Poor behaviour is rare. When pupils fall out with each other adults help them to resolve disputes quickly. Pupils feel safe and secure in school. They are adamant that there are no bullies, but if there were they would trust adults to sort out any problems.

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

Leaders and governors have managed recent changes to the school. They remain ambitious for all pupils. When the school more than doubled in size they adapted the curriculum. Leaders realised that there were gaps in new pupils’ phonic knowledge. They struggled to become fluent readers. Leaders took decisive action. They changed phonics teaching. They adopted a more structured approach and made sure all staff had extra training. This helped pupils catch up. All pupils, including those who have a special educational need, now learn to read well. They read and comprehend increasingly complex books. 28 January 2020

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Leaders also wanted to make sure that the ethos of the school, ‘the Leeming way’, was maintained. They made sure all pupils understood the importance of teamwork. Pupils have many opportunities to work together as a team. As a result, all pupils cooperate with each other. The school is a harmonious place. Older pupils enjoy their lunchtime responsibility to care for younger pupils.

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Federation with another small school has helped to speed up curriculum developments. Subject responsibility and expertise are now shared across both schools. Plans to create a coherent, well-sequenced curriculum in each subject are well underway. The plans take account of the range of pupils’ ages and capabilities in each class. In mathematics the curriculum is broken down into small steps. Pupils can practise new knowledge until they are confident to use it to solve problems. Pupils achieve well in this subject.

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In other subjects, such as art and geography, plans are not as well developed. Sometimes the small steps pupils need to make are not clear enough. Leaders and teachers know this. They know that more work is needed to map out the small steps and resources needed to make the curriculum better sequenced.

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The approaches used to teach pupils new knowledge and help them remember it are successful. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together. All adults are clear what pupils need to learn. For example, pupils have good knowledge of the science they have been taught since new plans were introduced in September. However, there has not been enough time to close all the gaps in their knowledge in science or in other subjects.

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Leaders want to help all pupils ‘be the best they can be’. Pupils gain many of the skills needed to succeed in life. Leaders also want pupils to know about the diversity of life in modern Britain. Pupils have good knowledge about different religions, for example. Although pupils show tolerance, their knowledge of diversity is underdeveloped. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to make a difference.

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Children make a successful start to school, supported by sensitive, caring adults. They integrate quickly into a class with older pupils. They become confident, keen readers. Adults help them learn new knowledge in the right order and in the right way. But sometimes adults miss opportunities to deepen children’s thinking as they play. Some of the resources they play with do not extend their knowledge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Appropriate systems are in place to keep pupils safe. They are regularly checked and updated where necessary to ensure that they remain suitable. Staff know each pupil very well and are quick to spot anything which might be a concern. Staff are clear about the procedures they must follow. Their training is up to date.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure they follow up concerns and they work with a range of partner agencies if the need arises. 28 January 2020

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Staff know that it is important that pupils learn about the dangers of being online and what to do to use the internet safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet detailed or well sequenced enough in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken that they are in the process of bringing this about.  The quality of curriculum planning varies across different subjects. In subjects such as geography and art planning is not detailed enough. Plans do not say exactly what pupils should know or when it should be taught. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge cannot be easily identified. The sequence of learning new knowledge is not clear enough. Leaders are aware of this shortcoming. They should check plans and add more detail where it is needed. They should ensure that resources to teach the knowledge are appropriate.  The curriculum to develop pupils’ knowledge of diversity is not well developed. Therefore, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. They know about different religions but not about racism or different lifestyles. Leaders are already developing plans to address

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

this. They should implement these plans and check that pupils gain a better understanding of diversity.  Sometimes children in the early years are not prompted to deepen their knowledge as they play. Adults’ questioning can limit children’s thinking. Some resources are not useful for developing children’s knowledge. Leaders should review resources to ensure that they usefully extend children’s knowledge. Some adults should be helped to develop the range of ways they talk with children as they play.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 2–3 December 2015. 28 January 2020

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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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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 pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 28 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110814 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Rowena Sykes (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Website http://www.leeminglondonderry.n- yorks.sch.uk/ Date of previous inspection 2–3 December 2015

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Information about this school

 The school has been federated with Pickhill CE Primary school since October 2018. The two schools have the same executive headteacher and governing body.  The number of pupils on roll has more than doubled in the last three years.

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Information about this inspection

 We looked in depth at reading, mathematics and science. We had discussions with the executive headteacher and subject leaders, visited lessons, met with pupils to discuss their work and heard some pupils read. We looked at pupils’ work and visited the after- school science club.  We met the executive headteacher to discuss the curriculum and school priorities and developments. We also discussed special educational needs in the school. Meetings were held with three members of the governing body and with a representative from the local authority.  We talked to children and staff and we considered responses to the online questionnaires completed by parents and staff.  We observed the behaviour of pupils in lessons, at lunchtime and around school. 28 January 2020

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 We scrutinised a range of documents including those relating to safeguarding and the curriculum.

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Inspection team

Susan Waugh, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Julia Norton Foulger Ofsted Inspector 28 January 2020

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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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