Sheriff Hutton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Sheriff Hutton Primary School West End, Sheriff Hutton, York, North Yorkshire YO60 6SH

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Outcome

Sheriff Hutton Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that one or more areas may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. This reflects in their high attendance. Parents and carers say, ‘The teachers, and especially the head teacher, are approachable, good listeners and genuinely seem to care about all aspects of the children’s welfare.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that the school is a calm place to learn. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Staff help to teach pupils that it is ‘OK’ to make mistakes. They also teach pupils the importance of showing perseverance in their learning. Pupils are proud to share their achievements during weekly assemblies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have helped to broaden pupils’ horizons. They provide experiences that enrich pupils’ cultural understanding. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school has twinned with schools in other countries, including Sweden. Pupils at both schools have learned about and from each other. Pupils relished the opportunity to follow a recipe to make gingerbread. Pupils in Year 6 are looking forward to visiting Sweden in the summer term.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They say that instances of bullying and acts of unkindness are rare. If pupils are mean or arguments happen, then adults help to sort these issues out. Staff are good at helping to support pupils to play and learn well alongside each other.

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

Curriculum leaders and governors are working hard to improve the curriculum. For example, they have rewritten curriculum planning documents in subjects including science, history and geography. Leaders have considered what they want pupils to learn in different year groups. Since the previous inspection, the school has worked with secondary school specialists teachers for science to support its teachers. Teachers appreciate this support. Sometimes, pupils cannot remember and build on their learning 3 March 2020

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from previous years. In science, pupils can recall the practical investigations they have undertaken. For example, pupils could talk about their learning when using magnets. There is some uncertainty, however, about the amount of time dedicated to the teaching of science. As a result, pupils do not learn scientific ideas in enough depth to ensure that it sticks in their memory.

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Pupils, including those with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND), receive support when they have fallen behind in reading. However, pupils do not read books that match their phonics knowledge. Pupils sometimes struggle to read words because the books are too hard. Pupils often need considerable support to help them sound out words. This slows down their reading fluency. Reading records do not consistently help parents to understand what letters, sounds and new words pupils need to practise.

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Leaders have helped to develop a culture and love of reading. Pupils, especially in key stage 2, spoke enthusiastically about the importance of reading. Pupils spoke about the high-quality texts adults read to them on a daily basis. This is helping to instil positive attitudes to reading.

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Since the previous inspection, leaders have changed the way they teach mathematics. They have introduced a new programme for teaching mathematics. Leaders have ensured that staff have undertaken training. Pupils enjoy learning in mathematics. Sometimes, teachers do not provide the right diet of work for pupils, especially the most able. Some teachers do not spot when pupils have grasped concepts and are ready to move on in their learning. This means that some pupils, especially the most able, do not achieve as well as they should.

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The special educational needs coordinator ensures that pupils with SEND receive extra support. The leader helps to support teachers in writing support plans for these pupils. Some of the targets on pupils’ support plans are not as sharp as they could be. As a result, they do not detail all the precise things these pupils need to practise. This is particularly the case in reading.

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Pupils enjoy developing their sporting and creative talents outside of school time. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils have the same opportunities to access these activities. These extra activities enhance pupils’ sporting experiences. They include judo and triathlon. The school makes every effort to ensure that pupils become responsible citizens. Pupils enjoy taking on meaningful responsibilities. They enjoy the challenge of leading assemblies and running a healthy tuck shop. Pupils show care for the environment. They have asked food suppliers to reduce plastic containers used for healthy snacks.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. They say that leaders are considerate about their workload and well-being. Staff enjoy working together as a team.

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In discussion with the headteacher, we agreed that mathematics and science may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 3 March 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders do all that they can to ensure that pupils are safe in school. Staff receive regular training to help them ensure that children are safe. They are aware of the signs that a pupil may be at risk of abuse or neglect. They know how to report concerns if the need arises. Leaders work closely with outside agencies to get pupils the support they need.

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Safeguarding

The school teaches pupils how to stay safe when working online. They also teach them how to be safe when using technology. Pupils understand the importance of not disclosing personal information to strangers.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out careful checks on employees to ensure that they are suitable to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not have enough opportunities to learn science in enough depth. This means that pupils are unable to recall and remember as much as they should. Leaders should ensure that sufficient time is dedicated to the teaching of science. They should support teachers to ensure that curriculum plans are well implemented to help build on pupils’ prior learning.  The books some pupils use to practise their reading should be matched to their phonetic knowledge. Some of the books are too difficult for pupils, especially those with SEND, to read. This slows down their fluency skills. Leaders and teachers need to make sure that the books pupils read help them to succeed, without over-relying on adults to support them.  Pupils’ reading records are not detailed enough about pupils’ learning and next steps. This means that parents are not fully clear about the sounds and words that pupils need to practise at home. Leaders should ensure that parents are provided with more

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

information to better support reading out of school.  Leaders have introduced a whole-school approach to the teaching of mathematics. However, some pupils, especially the most able, are not sufficiently challenged. This is because teachers spend too long on unnecessarily repeating work pupils can already do and are not moving them onto more difficult work. Leaders should support teachers to develop strategies to identify pupils who are ready to move onto more difficult work when they are ready to do so.  Teachers are caring and nurturing for pupils with SEND, including those with complex needs. The support plans for some of these pupils, however, are not specific enough to address their individual needs. Leaders should ensure that targets for pupils with SEND are more precise to address and overcome their barriers to learning. 3 March 2020

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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 or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence 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 20–21 October 2015.

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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. 3 March 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–21 October 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the early years are taught in a single-aged class. There are three other classes. One class has pupils in Years 1 and 2. The other two classes have pupils in Years 3 and 4 and pupils in Years 5 and 6.  The school operates a breakfast club and an after-school club each day. It offers wraparound care for pupils who attend the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, teachers, other members of staff and governors. These discussions considered the quality of education, pupils’ wider experiences at the school and pupils’ behaviour. An inspector held a telephone conversation with an officer of the local authority.  Inspectors looked closely at provision for mathematics, reading and science across the school. This entailed discussions with curriculum leaders, visits to a range of lessons, looking at samples of children’s work and discussions with teachers. 3 March 2020

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 An inspector listened to pupils read and talked with them about how the school teaches reading.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff, governors and parents about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Inspectors considered the information available to parents about safeguarding online and in documentation at the school. An inspector examined the single central record of the checks undertaken to make sure that staff are suitable to work in a school.  Inspectors considered the 40 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, the nine responses to the online staff survey and the 21 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Brian Stillings, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Collier Ofsted Inspector 3 March 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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