Setting

Lucy Peberdy Headteacher Skipton Parish Church CofE Primary School Brougham Street Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 2ES

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Primary School

Following my remote inspection with Marcus Newby, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 3 and 4 February 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to have serious weaknesses.

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Primary School

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, this monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on-site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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Primary School

The inspection took place because the school was judged to have serious weaknesses at its previous section 5 inspection. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in April 2019.

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Primary School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to

provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Context

 Staff changes include the appointment of a new deputy headteacher. Three teachers joined the school when three left. Six teaching assistants have left, and one has joined the school. Two governors joined the interim executive board (IEB) when two governors resigned.

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Context

 Approximately one fifth of pupils have had to learn from home for a period of time, because of COVID-19, during the autumn term 2020. A very small number of individual pupils had repeated periods of self-isolation.

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Context

 During this inspection, the school was open to the children of key workers and to vulnerable pupils. Almost one third of pupils were attending school and two thirds were learning from home. Approximately one fifth of vulnerable pupils were attending school. Approximately a third of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were attending on site.

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Main findings

 Since the last inspection, considerable changes in staffing have settled down. You and your leadership team have prioritised curriculum development over the past year. From September 2020 your redesigned long-term curriculum plans have been in place. Subject leaders make sure that they order these plans to build upon what pupils already know and can do. Leaders have been able to adapt the curriculum that you have, to provide education in the current circumstances.

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Main findings

 You and your leaders have structured a remote education offer for all year groups. Pupils can access this online and through paper copies or resources. Whichever system pupils use, you align this work, where possible, with lessons that are currently taught in school. However, leaders’ systems for checking if pupils are engaging in their remote education are not watertight. As a result, some pupils are falling behind with their lessons. Leaders have been too slow to find effective ways to ensure that all pupils are taking part.

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Main findings

 Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils receive the support they need. This includes making sure that reading is a priority for vulnerable pupils at home or in school. You have provided laptops to those pupils who need support to study the curriculum from home. You check that these pupils are taking part in their education and you take follow-up actions if needed. However, this thorough checking system does not extend to all pupils who are absent from remote lessons. Leaders still have further work to do to improve the ways they check this and the follow-up actions they take.

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Main findings

 Pupils in the earliest stages of reading take part in a daily session of phonics. Pupils who are being educated at home study the same lesson content as pupils in school. Pupils who are fluent readers have access to their usual curriculum for reading and writing whether they are at home or in school. Leaders have provided a wide range of online reading books and resources. Teachers make sure that the books pupils read match the letters and sounds they know. Adults listen to pupils read in school. This helps pupils to practise the reading skills they learn in phonics sessions. Currently, pupils working from home do not have access to this part of their lesson. The reading leader has plans to provide this for pupils at home, through ‘live’ reading sessions.

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Main findings

 Leaders have established clear plans to support pupils with SEND. Pupils receive education, either in school or at remotely. The special educational needs coordinator leads a well-trained team. They know families well. Pupils with SEND who are in school access the same lesson content as pupils at home. Leaders adjust the resources so the activity can meet their needs.

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Main findings

 Members of the IEB check how well leaders’ actions are providing an education for all pupils. They assure themselves that remote education for pupils meets government requirements. You value how the IEB members challenge you to focus sharply on school improvement priorities.

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Main findings

 You receive support and guidance from a range of external partners. The local authority recently carried out an audit of your remote education offer. Your school improvement partner has supported subject leaders to adapt the curriculum. The diocesan adviser works as a link between the IEB members and school leaders. All three external partners recognise the importance of working together to support leaders during the current circumstances.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, school improvement partner, representatives of the IEB, a diocesan adviser and a representative of the local authority to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

Inspectors also listened to pupils reading to adults in school and looked at samples of pupils’ work completed in school and through remote education. They talked to some pupils in key stage 2 about their current experiences in school. Inspectors took account of 27 responses to the staff survey and 44 responses to Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, including free-text commentaries.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the director of education for the Diocese of Leeds, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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