Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School Skelton-on-Ure, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5AJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 5–6 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

The new headteacher has faced several challenges since she started in January 2019. These include falling pupil numbers and lots of staff changes. These challenges have affected the quality of education. The staff are now a settled team. Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics is improving but is not good overall. Staff are aiming high. They are working together to improve the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are extremely supportive within this very small school. Everyone knows each other very well. Most pupils enjoy their learning. They particularly like working outdoors. Pupils look forward to residential trips in the older year groups. The new staff team ensure that the happiness and success of each child is at the heart of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sometimes, the behaviour of a small minority of pupils disrupts the learning of others. These pupils receive help to manage their behaviour. Pupils agree with the headteacher that behaviour has started to improve. Pupils have a good understanding of bullying. Everyone agrees that if bullying does happen an adult would sort things out. Pupils say that they feel safe and are well looked after. Parents value the care and support their children receive.

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better?

The headteacher knows that some pupils’ achievements have not been good enough. She is being well supported by staff from across the federation, the county council and diocese to strengthen the school. Leaders accurately understand what works well in the school and what needs to be better.

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better?

Leaders have improved the mathematics curriculum. New plans are in place to help teachers to structure pupils’ learning effectively. Pupils are becoming more fluent in calculating and show confidence when working mathematically.

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better?

Too many pupils in key stage 2 have gaps in early reading skills. Staff have received some training to help them teach phonics. The headteacher has planned more training so that all staff can teach phonics to a high standard. Leaders have purchased new reading books. These books usually match pupil’s phonics knowledge, but not always.

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better?

Some fluent readers struggle. They find it difficult to explain the information they have read. The English leader has recently introduced a new reading comprehension programme. This programme matches reading material to pupils’ abilities. This is helping pupils to read with greater understanding.

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better?

Pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum, but this is not well structured. Pupils are not taught the right things at the right time. They have gaps in their knowledge 5–6 March 2020

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in subjects such as art, geography and personal, social and health education. Subject leaders have created new ambitious plans for improving the curriculum. These plans help teachers know what to teach and when. Teachers have very recently started to use these plans.

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Pupils support charities and take part in events within the local community. They enjoy taking on areas of responsibility, for example as school ambassadors and collective worship leaders. Leaders know that pupils have had few opportunities to study diversity effectively. The new curriculum plans have already started to help fill these gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work well with their peers. Support is in place to help pupils catch up. The new SEND coordinator has made a good start in reviewing and amending support plans. However, she knows further checks are necessary to ensure staff use these plans successfully.

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Leaders are taking effective steps to improve behaviour across the school. Staff use a consistent approach to deal with pupils who are disrupting learning. Staff are becoming more skilled in managing the small number of pupils who show challenging behaviours.

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Subject leaders are very keen to help improve the school. Many are new to their role. They have created plans for improvement but have not had enough time to implement these fully. The headteacher has planned for these new leaders get the training and time they need to improve the quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that every adult in school understands the important role they have in keeping pupils safe. Frequent training and a culture of discussing concerns help staff to remain vigilant. The governing body checks the single central record.

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Safeguarding

Staff are confident about using the school’s systems to report concerns. However, occasionally, the recording system is not as strong as it needs to be. A small number of records lacked detail.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know who to go to if they are worried. Pupils say that they feel safe in school. The curriculum helps pupils understand how to stay safe when online and when outside school. 5–6 March 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of reading is not effective for all pupils. Planned phonics training must be completed for all staff. Leaders need to ensure that the teaching of phonics is accurate and consistent.  The curriculum is not coherent or sequenced well. Leaders should ensure that all staff fully implement the new curriculum plans. Within these plans, leaders must also ensure that pupils have a greater depth of knowledge of other faiths and cultures. This will help pupils to be better prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders should check regularly that staff deliver the plans in the agreed way. Leaders should also check whether pupils are remembering and understanding important knowledge.  Recently appointed middle leaders have had limited opportunities to carry out their responsibilities. Training should continue to support middle leaders’ developing skills. Senior leaders should ensure that middle leaders have the time

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

and support they need to implement their plans for improvement effectively. Additional support should be provided to help middle leaders to carry out checks on the implementation and impact of their plans.  The recording system to log safeguarding concerns is not as strong as it needs to be. A small number of records were not detailed enough. Staff need further training on how to complete records of incidents to ensure they contain all relevant information. Leaders must ensure that all records are completed meticulously.

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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. 5–6 March 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.skeltonnewbyhall.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9 February 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has recently added a nursery class which caters for three-year-olds.  There are currently no pupils in key stage 1.  Since the last inspection, there have been several staff changes including the headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, we explored the curriculum by carrying out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and science. We visited lessons with the headteacher. We talked to teachers and pupils about the lessons we visited and the work in pupils’ books. We also evaluated curriculum planning and met with curriculum leaders.  We met the headteacher and members of the local governing board, including the chair. We also spoke to a county council representative and a representative of the diocese. 5–6 March 2020

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 We heard pupils read. We observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at breakfast club, playtimes and lunchtimes.  We gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussions.  We met staff to discuss the training they have received, how leaders support them and how leaders manage their workload.  We carried out a range of activities to check the arrangements for safeguarding pupils. We scrutinised the school’s policies relating to safeguarding, spoke with the designated safeguarding leader and considered records of the pre- employment suitability checks. We talked to staff about how they keep pupils safe. We also asked pupils for their opinions about safety, behaviour and bullying.  We considered comments sent by parents and questionnaires completed by staff and pupils. Parents also gave their views at the start of the school day during the inspection.

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 We examined a range of documentation. This included the school’s self-evaluation and school development plans. We examined published information about the school’s performance in national assessments. We studied the information published on the school’s website.

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Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Zoe Carr Ofsted Inspector 5–6 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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