Setting

Julie Newby Headteacher South Cave Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School South Cave Brough HU15 2EP

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Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Following my remote inspection with Alex Thorp, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 16 March 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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Voluntary Controlled 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 require improvement.

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Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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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Voluntary Controlled Primary School

The inspection took place because the school has received three successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in January 2019.

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Voluntary Controlled 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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 refine curriculum plans so that teachers can identify the knowledge that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), need to understand, so that they can achieve well in the wider- curriculum subjects.

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Context

 Since the last inspection, three new governors have been appointed.

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Context

 Approximately six out of ten pupils were educated at home in the spring term before the school re-opened to all pupils. Over half of vulnerable pupils and those pupils with an education, health and care plan, were educated on site during that time.

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Context

 At the time of the inspection, almost all pupils were being educated on site.

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Main findings

 Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking the necessary actions to provide education in the current circumstances. Leaders have started to review the school’s curriculum and are beginning to establish what knowledge needs to be taught and when. Governors regularly check that leaders do the right things for all pupils. Parents and carers appreciate the work of leaders. A typical comment was, ‘staff have always been available to discuss any queries, particularly with the home schooling’.

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Main findings

 Leaders listened to the views of parents to help improve the remote education offered by the school during the partial closure. They made sure that pupils working from home accessed the same curriculum as those in school. Staff contacted pupils regularly to check that they understood the content taught.

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Main findings

 Leaders have improved the curriculum since the previous inspection. They have set out what they want pupils to know and remember in most subjects, starting from the early years. However, in some subjects of the wider curriculum, leaders have not identified precisely enough the knowledge that pupils need to understand so that they achieve well. Leaders’ arrangements to provide training for subject leaders have been delayed by the pandemic. Plans are in place so that this training can go ahead during the remainder of the academic year.

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Main findings

 Leaders are improving the reading curriculum. Pupils read books that are matched to the phonics knowledge they have. Prior to the school partially closing on 23 March 2020, leaders responsible for English received training arranged by the local authority. They used the training to improve the quality of the curriculum for reading and phonics.  Leaders and teachers adapt the curriculum so that all pupils can continue to learn, whether in school or at home. For example, teachers deliver more theoretical parts of practical subjects, such as science currently. Plans are in place to teach practical content during the remainder of the academic year. In computing, teachers made changes to the sequence of learning so that coding is taught in the summer term, when pupils will have ready access to specialist equipment in school.

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Main findings

 Leaders adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND. For example, teachers provide additional learning materials and break information down into smaller chunks. However, some curriculum plans do not identify the knowledge which pupils need to learn so that they achieve well.

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Main findings

 Leaders check what pupils have learned and remembered in reading, writing and mathematics, so that gaps in knowledge are identified. Pupils who fall behind get extra help to catch up. Leaders are using government funding to provide a tutor for some of this support. Pupils receive extra lessons in phonics as well as additional reading time with staff. Leaders check the impact of the planned curriculum on pupils’ learning. However, leaders have not yet set out precisely enough, the knowledge which pupils are expected to learn in some of the wider curriculum subjects, such as art, music and technology.

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Main findings

 The governing body is skilled and experienced. Governors are committed to improving the school. The governing body receives a wide range of information from leaders and the local authority. Governors use this information well, to support leaders and hold them to account for decisions.

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Main findings

 The local authority provides support and challenge to help leaders address weaker areas of the curriculum. For example, it arranged training for leaders to help them improve the curriculum for reading.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, the assistant headteachers, the special educational needs coordinator, two subject leaders, three members of the governing body 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

We also scrutinised a range of curriculum plans and listened to pupils in Years 1 to 3 read. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including nine free-text responses, and 16 staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

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

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