Beswick and Watton CofE (VC) School

Inspection of a good school: Beswick and Watton CofE (VC) School Beverley Road, Beswick, Driffield YO25 9AR

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is part of The Wolds Federation. The executive headteacher has strengthened the way the three schools work together, to increase opportunities for pupils and staff. Leaders have a clear vision for their federation curriculum. They want it to enable pupils to be ‘agents for change’ in their own lives, their community and globally. The curriculum structure of some subjects supports this. However, there are other subjects that need improvement to uphold this vision.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Beswick and Watton are friendly, polite and say that school is fun. They understand the school’s behaviour policy and believe that it is fair. Pupils could recite the school’s four rules and were confident that everyone followed them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what bullying is and say that it doesn’t happen often at this school. Pupils feel the staff do all they can to keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love the outdoor space around the school. They describe the garden and field as calm and peaceful. A dedicated environmental teaching assistant, alongside the whole staff, ensures outdoor learning builds pupils independence, resilience and confidence. Pupils are challenged outdoors to build shelters, cook on an open fire and complete team- building tasks.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders recognise that they are on a journey to ensure the school’s curriculum teaches the right things in the right order. Leaders have created a broad curriculum across the three federated schools. Subject leaders lead their curriculum area across the federation to share expertise. They tailor the curriculum to the needs of the pupils in each school. Leaders have prioritised the subjects for continuous development. As a result, some of 4 May 2022

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the wider curriculum areas are not sufficiently sequenced to build on what pupils already know. Leaders are now focusing on developing history and geography. Other areas of the curriculum, like music, art, design and technology and modern foreign languages, will become the focus in the next plan to improve the school. Some staff absence related to COVID-19 impacted on the pace of improvements.

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Leaders introduced a new phonics scheme this year. All staff have received training to deliver it but further training needs have been identified for some staff. This will help ensure consistency and continuity in the teaching of phonics. Due to the small early years and key stage 1 class, teachers can assess pupils’ phonics knowledge daily. They identify pupils who need more support and provide group or individual sessions to help them to keep up. In the early years and key stage 1 class, the pupil who is the ‘leader of the day’ picks the story to share with the rest of the class. Teachers have ensured there are a wide range of books to choose from.

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The federation mathematics leader has a clear rationale of how to teach mathematics to mixed-age classes. There is a strong emphasis across the school to teach number bonds and times tables. There is a wide use of mathematics resources like cubes, counters and clocks in early years and key stage 1. This can help to support independence.

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In the wider curriculum, activities chosen by the teachers did not always support pupils to learn and remember more. As a result, pupils found it difficult to relate the task they were doing to the teacher’s learning intention. Leaders recognise there is more work to do on assessment in the wider curriculum. Each subject is at a different stage of assessment development. Leaders should decide how to record what pupils have remembered and use it effectively to inform their curriculum thinking.

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Leaders use a scheme recommended by the diocese to teach aspects of personal, social and health education (PSHE). For example, from early years to Year 6, the unit ‘Don’t forget to let love in’ teaches the concept of consent. Pupils know that everyone is different. They understand some protected characteristics more than others. They can talk about ethnicity and faith but found it more difficult to articulate the importance of equality. Pupils’ understanding of British values was weak. Leaders accept that this is an area to work on to help ensure pupils are prepared for life in Britain.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at this school. They are proud to be associated with the school. The local authority and diocese share the same positive view of the school’s leadership. The executive headteacher has secured a strong unity between the three schools.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have implemented an electronic safeguarding recording system. This ensures the designated safeguarding lead can access any concerns or disclosures across the three federated schools. Leaders use the local authority advice line to talk through any potential 4 May 2022

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safeguarding referrals. Pupils know they can speak to any adult or a friend if they have a problem.

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Leaders are proactive in managing persistent absence. Their robust approach means that attendance for the small number of persistently absent pupils is improving. Leaders provide staff with annual training. This ensures they are informed of all safeguarding changes. Governors are knowledgeable about their safeguarding responsibilities.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have prioritised their curriculum thinking in areas of the school’s curriculum like mathematics, phonics, writing, science, religious education and physical education. Other subjects are not as well organised. This means these subjects do not always build on what pupils already know. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the current areas of the foundation curriculum that need developing. They should ensure all foundation subjects build on what pupils already know. This will help to ensure teachers have the right subject knowledge to deliver appropriate activities that meet the curriculum goals for each age phase.  Leaders do not have a complete assessment system across the wider curriculum. Each subject is at a different stage of development. Leaders should decide what information they want to record and ensure they use it to inform future curriculum thinking and planning.  Pupils found it difficult to talk about British values, protected characteristics and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

equality. Leaders know they need to refine their PSHE curriculum to explicitly include these aspects. This will help to ensure pupils are better prepared for life in Britain.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2012. 4 May 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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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. 4 May 2022

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Kate Johnson (Co-Chair) Sara Dace (Co-Chair) Headteacher Elizabeth Harros (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average primary school.  The school is federated with Bishop Wilton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School and Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. Together they form The Wolds Federation.  They share an executive headteacher and a governing body.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The last section 48 inspection of the school was in April 2019. The timescales for reinspection have been extended because of COVID-19.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 May 2022

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 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, curriculum leaders, staff and pupils. Meetings were also held with representatives of the governing body, the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with curriculum leaders, spoke to pupils and teachers, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors heard pupils read.  Inspectors examined safeguarding records, attendance figures, curriculum plans and policies.  The views of parents were considered from the 19 responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire.  The views of staff were considered from meeting with them and from the seven responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  The views of pupils were considered from meetings with them and from their response to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Annali Crawford Ofsted Inspector 4 May 2022

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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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