Knayton Church of England Academy

Inspection of an outstanding school: Knayton Church of England Academy Stockton Road, Knayton, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 4AN

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Knayton is a warm and welcoming school. The school’s values of friendship, kindness and respect are evident everywhere. Pupils and parents and carers say that they are proud to be part of the ‘Knayton family’. Staff and pupils greet each other in the morning with a smile. Leaders ensure that there is a nurturing, safe environment for pupils to flourish in. They encourage pupils to talk openly about their feelings and emotions. Pupils and staff say that everyone cares for each other. Pupils are safe and happy here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have great ambition for the pupils, both academically and personally. They want to ensure that pupils develop a love of learning. Pupils are encouraged to share ideas with each other. They talk with confidence and enthusiasm about learning in mathematics, and about books they are reading. Leaders know that there is more to do to ensure that the curriculum in some other subjects supports all pupils to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ focus on nurture is central to the school’s ethos. Staff teach pupils to be kind and considerate towards each other. Consequently, pupils behave well, both in lessons and at playtimes. They say that bullying doesn’t happen here, but if it did, adults would deal with it quickly. Pupils are confident that adults listen to them. Strategies such as ‘worry monsters’ are used effectively to identify pupils who may need extra help or support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents agree that curriculum enrichment at Knayton is wonderful. They value the wide range of after-school clubs that all pupils can attend. These include clubs such as those for archery, gymnastics and ultimate frisbee.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school. Books are everywhere. Pupils read and listen to stories daily. Leaders have ensured that all staff are trained to teach phonics and promote 5 and 6 October 2022

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reading well. The school’s chosen phonics programme is used consistently in all classes to teach early reading skills. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Staff support them to develop fluency as they read. Pupils who may need more help with reading are spotted quickly and given extra support. This results in pupils becoming fluent, confident readers quickly.

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There is a focus on vocabulary and language from children’s first days in school. Reception children are encouraged to tell, act out and enjoy stories. They ‘collect’ words as they learn and are encouraged to use these accurately. An example of this was heard as a child explained how ‘we breathe oxygen into our body to help our muscles in PE’.

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The teaching of mathematics is strong at the school. Pupils enjoy mathematics lessons. Leaders have developed the curriculum over a number of years. It is well embedded and understood by all staff. In mathematics lessons, leaders support staff to adapt learning to meet the needs of all pupils in the school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are systematically taught core mathematical knowledge, procedures and methods, using consistent teaching approaches. They then use this knowledge, with confidence, to reason and solve problems.

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Leaders constantly review the wider curriculum at Knayton. They are determined to challenge and interest pupils. In all subjects, leaders have identified the end-points of learning for each year group, starting from Reception. In some subjects, such as geography, leaders have refined these end-points and ensured that the knowledge they want pupils to know and remember is clear. However, in some other subjects, leaders have not yet identified the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn, or planned for how this will be taught progressively across the year.

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Leaders are proud of the school’s provision for pupils’ wider development. Pupils value opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being spiritual or sports leaders, librarians or house captains. They are proud to apply for these roles by writing ‘manifestos’. Leaders enable pupils to learn about global issues at an age-appropriate level. They plan for pupils to learn about diversity by inviting other schools to visit them or by taking pupils on residential trips. They have a well-planned curriculum in place, which identifies important learning about areas such as relationships and online safety. However, some pupils do not remember this learning. Some cannot recall important learning about British values or different faiths and beliefs.

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There have been recent changes to the leadership of SEND in the school. The members of the new team are working closely together to ensure that all pupils’ needs are understood. They know the pupils well and provide support to help teachers make adaptations for learning when these are needed. However, there is more to do to ensure that pupil support plans are focused on identifying clear, next steps for learning. A number of parents are anxious about the changes that have taken place and would like more information about their child’s progress.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. Leaders and governors are mindful about staff well- being and workload. The majority of parents are happy with the school. However, a small number of parents are concerned about communication between school and home. 5 and 6 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are determined to ensure that there is a nurturing culture in the school. Pupils’ welfare has the highest priority. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They are clear that it is everyone’s duty to keep pupils safe. Leaders have rigourous and thorough systems in place to record and follow up concerns. Adults provide nurture support for pupils in school who are anxious or have worries. Pupils who attend these nurture groups say, ‘It helps when things are difficult.’

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about risks, safety in the community and safety when online. Leaders use the curriculum to teach pupils about important concepts, such as safe and unsafe friendships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While leaders have created a curriculum that identifies learning across all year groups, some subjects are not yet planned in sufficient detail. This means that, in these subjects, teachers do not always plan coherent sequences of lessons that support pupils to achieve the curriculum aims. Leaders should ensure that all subjects are coherently planned and sequenced.  Recent changes mean that new systems to support pupils with SEND are being introduced. Currently, not every child has clearly identified, measurable targets to identify their next steps in learning. Leaders should ensure that new systems to improve these plans are quickly embedded and that parents are well informed about them.

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Background

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

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Knayton Church of England Primary School, to be outstanding in July 2017. 5 and 6 October 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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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. 5 and 6 October 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Knayton Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in February 2018. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  Since the inspection of the predecessor school, the school has joined Elevate Multi Academy Trust. The new headteacher was appointed in 2021.  This is a Church of England school. The school’s most recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools took place in February 2017.  There is a breakfast and after-school club at this school.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the director of primary education for the trust and wider school leaders. There were also meetings with the trust’s special educational needs leader, subject leaders and teachers. The inspector also met with members of the local governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met the subject leader, looked at curriculum plans, 5 and 6 October 2022

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector also looked at some curriculum planning for other subjects.  The inspector evaluated a range of school documents and looked at information on the school’s website.  The school’s single central record was checked, and the inspector met with the school’s safeguarding leader.  The inspector considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments, and the responses to the staff questionnaire. The inspector talked to parents at the school gate and discussed school life with pupils.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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