Carlton Miniott Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Carlton Miniott Primary Academy Carlton Miniott, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 4NJ

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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?

Pupils at Carlton Miniott Primary Academy look forward to coming to school. They achieve well in some subjects, such as reading and mathematics. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects in the wider curriculum, such as history, because leaders have not set out clearly what pupils should be taught.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Their vision for the school is ‘kindness, respect, learning, community, wellbeing’. This is evident in all aspects of pupils’ work and in their behaviour towards each other. One pupil stated, ‘Being kind is going to play with someone when they are sitting alone at breaktime.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and taking part in a wide range of school activities and clubs. They are respectful to staff. Pupils feel safe. On the few occasions that bullying does happen, staff take swift action to resolve it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the staff and leaders at the school. They feel part of the school community. One comment from a parent, representing the majority, stated, ‘All problems are rectified quickly and fairly. My children are happy and thriving.’

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

Children in the Reception Year begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. Leaders have introduced a new phonics programme. Well-trained staff support pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read. Staff teach sounds accurately and use teaching resources consistently well. As a result, pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to read confidently and with fluency. There is a love of reading across the school. Pupils enjoy choosing from a wide range of texts, including poetry and non-fiction. 11 and 12 May 2022

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In some subjects, such as mathematics, leaders have identified and organised the important knowledge that should be taught to help pupils build their understanding over time. However, in some subjects, such as history, leaders have not identified the knowledge that pupils should learn well enough. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

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Leaders have begun to develop the skills and subject knowledge of curriculum leaders and staff. This work is further along in subjects such as English and mathematics. In these subjects, as a result of this work, the curriculum is taught well and pupils achieve well. In other subjects, some teachers and subject leaders do not have strong subject knowledge. As a result, the curriculum design is weaker, these subjects are taught less effectively, and pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Pupils with SEND are fully included in every aspect of life in school. Their needs are precisely identified. Staff use this detailed information to plan support for pupils with SEND. Teachers’ use of assessment is regular and enables them to check where pupils may need more help. This ensures that pupils with SEND keep up, rather than needing to catch up.

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Pupils engage well in lessons. There is little disruption to their learning. Routines are well established in all classes. Pupils follow school rules and respect adults and other pupils. Pupils move calmly around the school.

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Pupils are proud of their school and the opportunity to lead within the community. They vote for sports leaders and school council representatives. Pupils have leadership roles linked to projects in the school, such as ‘well-being lead’ and ‘active girls lead’. Pupils talk passionately about these projects and why they are important. They understand the need to be healthy. Pupils recognise the diversity in Britain. They demonstrate the fundamental British values of tolerance and respect for faiths and beliefs. Pupils understand the importance of equality and the need to help and represent people with protected characteristics, such as on the basis of age and gender.

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Leaders have prioritised the well-being of staff. Governors have ensured that staff have support to manage their mental health. Governors challenge leaders to ensure that resources are directed to support pupils. However, governors and trustees have not monitored the development of some subject curriculums. As a result, the quality of education is inconsistent.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders undertake appropriate checks when recruiting new staff. Governors ensure that records and checks are maintained and accurate. Staff understand how to record and report safeguarding incidents. As a result, safeguarding concerns are dealt with quickly by the designated safeguarding lead. 11 and 12 May 2022

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Staff attend regular safeguarding training. They understand the safeguarding risks within the community and are confident at identifying and reporting concerns. Leaders ensure that the personal, social, and health education curriculum is adjusted when new safeguarding risks emerge.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum in foundation subjects is well planned. As a result, pupils do not develop detailed knowledge and skills in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the important knowledge to be taught in each subject is well understood by all staff.  In some subjects, teachers and subject leaders do not have strong subject knowledge. As a result, they are not able to plan an effective curriculum or accurately teach subject-specific knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers are trained to have the subject knowledge required to design and deliver a curriculum that prepares pupils well for their next stage in education.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Carlton Miniott Community Primary School, to be good in October 2013.

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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 . 11 and 12 May 2022

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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. 11 and 12 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227611 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Carlton Miniott Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in February 2018. When its predecessor school, Carlton Miniott Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Elevate Multi Academy Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 This is the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of staff. The inspector met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector also met with the school improvement leader from the trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives into early reading, mathematics, and history. They met with curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, visited lessons, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Leaders were involved throughout the deep dive activities. 11 and 12 May 2022

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 The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult and visited reading and phonics lessons in Reception and Years 1 to 5.  The inspector reviewed curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other curriculum subjects.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents relating to safeguarding, including records of employment checks and safeguarding incidents.  The inspector also reviewed the responses that were received through the Ofsted online questionnaire Ofsted Parent View, which included free-text comments. The inspector considered the responses that were received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Christine Durand, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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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