Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of Embsay Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Pasture Road, Embsay, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 6RH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in October 2011 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school has not been inspected for eight years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection. 25–26 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school at the heart of its local community. The distinctively Christian ethos is welcoming. Pupils are interested in the opinions, lives and cultures of others. Their understanding of what is fair and just is well developed. Pupils organise and run events for local and global charities. Their cake stalls raised money for cancer research. They are proud to help and make a positive difference for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. The curriculum is well thought through and planned. Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils in each key stage achieve well in most subjects. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils like many subjects, including history and mathematics. Their talents and interests in music, art and sport develop well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. Their attendance and behaviour are good. Pupils feel safe and know that their views matter to staff. Responsibilities, such as pupil council roles and ‘play pals’, build pupils’ confidence. They cooperate well with others and develop a healthy competitive edge. Pupils say bullying is rare, but they know what to look out for. ‘Worry boxes’ help pupils to share their thinking. Pupils find staff kind, saying that they always ‘sort things out’.

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better?

There have been several changes in leadership since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up post in September 2016. A settled team now works well to make a positive difference for pupils. There are close links with the local community and diocese. The large majority of parents feel that leaders have high expectations for their child. Pupils achieve well.

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better?

Leaders make learning purposeful. The curriculum is varied. Leaders are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Most subjects, including mathematics, history and art, are well planned and sequenced. Pupils become better and better at drawing, painting and sculpting over time. Each class created a beautiful stained-glass silk painting. These hang proudly in the local church. Pupils create and compose music. They use their voices expressively and some learn to play brass and string instruments. Pupils remember the most important things about each subject. Their knowledge grows each year.

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better?

Subject leaders know their area of the curriculum inside out. Some development plans, however, lack detail. Reading and history plans are vague in places. They do not pinpoint clearly what improvement actions will take place, when and by whom. At times this makes it hard for staff to understand how to improve their practice and subject knowledge over time. 25–26 February 2020

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Embsay has a warm, inclusive ethos. Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. They make good use of professionals and specialists, so pupils get the right help at the right time. All pupils are fully involved in the life of the school. They enjoy exciting learning tasks and experiences. Horse riding is a favourite among some. Leaders make skilful adjustments to the curriculum where needed. Pupils with SEND achieve well. This includes those who access the SEND resource base. Most parents agree that their child’s needs are well met.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils talk about their favourite stories and authors with enthusiasm. They like the exciting books on offer in the school library. Children learn sounds and letters straight away in Reception. In Year 1, most pupils pass the phonics screening check. Staff in early years and key stage 1 teach early reading well. Pupils usually read books that match their phonics knowledge and their interests. Any pupil who needs extra help gets it. By the end of Year 6, pupils are ready for the demands of the secondary curriculum.

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A few members of staff, however, are less knowledgeable and confident with phonics. They select books for pupils to read that do not match pupils’ phonics knowledge precisely. This slows the progress of some pupils.

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Pupils are kept safe and are well looked after. They are kind, respectful and polite. Their behaviour in classes and outside is good. Pupils know the different forms that bullying might take. They say occasions of bullying are rare. Pupils are confident that adults will sort out any worries they may have.

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Reception children achieve well. They are ready for the demands of Year 1. Lots of fun, interesting tasks capture children’s interests. They listen to stories every day and often sing, dance or cook together. Children were proud of the tasty pancakes they made during the inspection. They are well looked after by kind, encouraging adults. Personal, social and emotional development is strong. Children play and learn happily together. They are kind to each other and behave well. Sometimes the attention of the most able children drifts. This usually happens when reading, writing and/or mathematics tasks lack challenge for them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff take the protection and safety of pupils most seriously. They work well with other services, seeking support and advice where needed. Systems for recording information are detailed and well maintained. This helps leaders to see when and where they need to take action to keep pupils safe. The headteacher is persistent in ensuring that vulnerable families and pupils get what they need, when they need it.

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Safeguarding

Staff get regular, good-quality training. They understand their duties well and know how and to whom they must report concerns. Their knowledge of matters related to the Prevent duty is suitably well developed. 25–26 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They ensure subjects are well planned and sequenced so that pupils’ knowledge and skills build cumulatively year-on-year. Pupils achieve well in most subjects. Nonetheless, some subject improvement plans, including those for reading and history, are imprecise. They do not spell out precisely who needs to do what and when they should do it. Leaders should ensure that plans are detailed and achievable within a suitable timeframe. Leaders should make sure that plans are sufficiently well focused on building subject knowledge among staff, improving their practice over time.  Overall, pupils achieve well in phonics. Most teachers are well trained in the development of early reading. However, a few members of staff are less confident. Some staff select books for pupils to read that do not match pupils’ phonics knowledge precisely. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

necessary expertise in phonics. Staff must ensure that all pupils read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge.  Most children enter Reception with at least typical knowledge and skills for their age. Most achieve well in each area of learning. However, at times, staff do not demand enough of the most able children in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders must make sure that all Reception children experience a curriculum that is suitably challenging.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 25–26 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121903 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18–19 October 2011

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Information about this school

 Several senior leaders and governors are new to the school since the previous inspection. The headteacher took up post in September 2016. The chair of governors was new to post in September 2019.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character was on 4 May 2017, when it was judged to be outstanding.  The school currently has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The provision supports up to six pupils on-site with communication and interaction needs. Specialist staff also work off-site with pupils in a range of local schools. The local authority has plans in place to decommission this specialist provision by the end of the summer term 2020.  The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils who receive additional support for SEND, however, is lower than national averages.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act. 25–26 February 2020

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The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in October 2011 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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The school has not been inspected for eight years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made most outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection.

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 We did deep dives in reading, mathematics, history and art. This involved meeting with senior leaders, curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils. We looked closely at pupils’ work and I listened to pupils reading. We also visited lessons in each key stage across both days of the inspection. Some lesson visits were undertaken with leaders. ◼ We looked closely at matters of safeguarding and child protection. We scrutinised documentation, including policies and records. We met with pupils and discussed their views. We talked with those responsible for safeguarding. Throughout the inspection, we checked adults’ knowledge and understanding of their duties and responsibilities to keep pupils safe and free from harm. ◼ We observed pupils’ behaviour indoors, in lessons and outside. We talked with pupils formally in meetings and informally during lesson visits, and at lunchtime and playtimes. We considered the views of 46 parents and carers who responded

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to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View. We also met with parents face to face at the end of the school day. ◼ We met with a range of leaders and staff, including the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and the early years leader. We met subject leaders and those responsible for the curriculum. We met with several groups of pupils from each key stage. ◼ I met with governors, including the chair of the governing body, and looked at governors’ work and plans. I also met a representative from the local authority.

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Inspection team

Fiona Manuel, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julia Norton Foulger Ofsted Inspector 25–26 February 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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