Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School

Inspection of Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary School Maple Drive, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 6LP

p.1

Inspection dates: 12 and 13 October 2021

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 October 2021

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend school. Most pupils say that they feel safe. Pupils know that if they speak to adults in school about problems, they will be listened to. Pupils say that bullying is rare and if it happens, adults deal with it. However, a minority of pupils say that other pupils tease them. They say that these pupils ‘do not say nice things’ during lunchtimes. They feel unsafe in these situations and do not always report it.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders support pupils’ emotional health and well-being. Leaders identify pupils who need support to attend school and invite them to a breakfast Sunshine Club. This enables pupils to start the day in a calm and positive way.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They have implemented many rewards and sanctions to create a positive learning environment. However, where staff do not consistently apply these policies, some pupils do not engage with their learning and are off task in lessons.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

On the whole, parents and carers are positive about the school. As one parent commented: ‘Overall, Northstead Primary is a great school, where my child is happy and growing just as they should be. The staff are friendly, open, approachable, dependable and supportive.’

p.2

better?

Leaders know what they need to do to improve the school. However, they are not acting quickly enough. For example, during the spring term 2021, leaders identified the need to develop a curriculum for pupils’ personal development that meets the needs of all pupils. However, leaders have not identified what the key issues are for pupils in the local community. Plans do not define the knowledge and skills they want pupils to develop to keep themselves safe or prepare them for life in modern Britain. As a result, pupils’ experiences of personal, social and health education lessons are variable. Some pupils do not treat others with respect.

p.2

better?

Subject leaders are passionate about developing their curriculum. Plans for mathematics and English set out the detailed knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and remember. However, this is not the case for other subjects, such as history. Plans do not have enough detail about what pupils will know and remember from their lessons. They do not order the knowledge in a way that helps pupils to learn new knowledge. Leaders do not check how plans are being delivered across all year groups. Some pupils do not concentrate fully in lessons or remember what they have learned.

p.2

better?

In mathematics, leaders have a clear vision for what they want pupils to know by the time they leave primary school. Plans set out the mathematical knowledge in small steps. Pupils revisit what they have been taught through ‘recall grids’. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.2

3

However, in Reception, activities to promote children’s understanding in mathematics are limited.

p.3

3

Leaders in the early years have started to check what children know and can do. However, not enough thought has been given to the curriculum. Plans are designed around activities rather than what leaders want children to know and do by the time they start Year 1.

p.3

3

Leaders encourage pupils to enjoy reading a range of books. The annual Northstead Poetry Festival inspires pupils to engage with poetry. The Friends of Northstead, the Parent Teacher Association, ensures that every pupil receives a book at Christmas.

p.3

3

Staff support early readers to ‘keep up, not catch up’ through one-to-one sessions. However, leaders do not check the delivery of phonics lessons. This leads to some pupils not receiving the same quality phonics lessons as others. In addition, some planned one-to-one sessions do not take place. This means that some pupils are not catching up as quickly as they could.

p.3

3

Previous staff absence has meant that the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has not been given the priority it needs. This has led to some parents having concerns about the support for their children. The needs of pupils with SEND are now being better met. Referrals to outside agencies are now timely and leaders are quick to follow up any actions required.

p.3

3

Pupils enjoy a range of organised activities during breaktimes and lunchtimes. They enjoy leadership opportunities in Year 6, such as supporting St Catherine’s Hospice. Leaders are determined that all pupils learn to swim before they leave in Year 6. Pupils who struggle to swim take part in catch-up swimming sessions in Year 5 and Year 6.

p.3

3

Teachers feel that leaders support them to manage their workload. They appreciate leaders’ efforts to ‘make each meeting count’ so that time is used effectively.

p.3

3

Most governors are new to their roles and are not yet able to challenge and monitor the quality of education effectively. However, like the local authority, they understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The local authority continues to support the school in safeguarding, the curriculum, early years and governance. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Systems are in place for staff to record any concerns they have. Although the majority of staff have received training around recent safeguarding updates, this is not the case for all staff. For example, midday supervisors know how to report concerns but have not had the training that they need to identify local safeguarding risks.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are suitable to work with pupils through secure recruitment systems. Governors regularly check with leaders that systems are in place to keep children safe.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some curriculum plans do not set out the knowledge that leaders want pupils to know and remember. They do not order knowledge in a way that helps pupils to build on previous learning. As a result, pupils cannot remember what they have been taught in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum plans are coherently sequenced so that pupils know more and remember more.  Leaders do not act swiftly enough to address weaknesses that they have identified. For example, plans to enhance pupils’ character and prepare them for life in modern Britain are not well thought out or designed. As a result, teaching in this area is inconsistent and some pupils do not treat each other with respect. Leaders need to identify what pupils need to learn to become resilient and independent citizens. Plans need to be implemented as a matter of urgency.  Curriculum plans in the early years do not prepare children for Year 1. Leaders

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

have not identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to know. Leaders need to plan and sequence knowledge coherently in the early years so that it builds on what children know and can do.  Leaders do not know how well their curriculum is being implemented across school. They have not made enough checks on the delivery of the curriculum. Leaders should regularly monitor the implementation of their curriculum so that they can identify where further improvements are needed.  Not all staff have received recent safeguarding training. As a result, some staff do not know local safeguarding risks to pupils in the area. Leaders must ensure that all staff receive regular safeguarding training so that they know local safeguarding risks and how to support pupils. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.5

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.5

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 .

p.5

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.5

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. 12 and 13 October 2021

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10199701 Type of school Primary

p.6

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body/Local authority

p.6

School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 April 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.6

Information about this school

 Northstead Community Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.  The school provides a breakfast club.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and subject leaders, a representative from the local authority and representatives from the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, 12 and 13 October 2021

p.6

7

looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Observations of pupils’ behaviour took place during lessons, at breaktime and lunchtimes and moving around the school.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils both formally and informally. They also considered 65 responses from the online pupil survey.  Inspectors listened to several pupils read and visited extra reading sessions.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day and considered 100 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey.  Inspectors held meetings with staff and considered the 47 responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the school’s single central record.  A range of documentation provided by the school was examined, including the school’s development plan, behaviour and attendance logs and curriculum plans.

p.7

Inspection team

Jennifer Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Gillian Nimer Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 October 2021

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8