Husthwaite Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of Husthwaite Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Low Street, Husthwaite, York, North Yorkshire YO61 4QA

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement School 11 and 12 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils of Husthwaite are its biggest advocates. They feel safe and happy, and are harmonious in their work and play. Pupils take on leadership positions such as ‘collective worship leader’ with pride, and see themselves as part of a big school family. They say, ‘There’s a job for everyone.’ This is because leaders make sure that all pupils have opportunities to share their ideas about how to improve their school, their local area and the world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Kindness is at the heart of this school. Pupils are welcoming and accepting of all. Pupils cannot remember a time when bullying has happened, but they know that adults would address it if it did.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the opportunities and experiences provided for them. For example, pupils are inspired by visitors, such as a mountaineer, a local MP and an author. They grow their own vegetables on the school grounds and enjoy being part of the Husthwaite Hummingbirds choir.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ ambitions for pupils are high. They have recently improved the way in which pupils learn to read. Their actions have been effective. However, these high ambitions are not always realised in the rest of the curriculum. Leaders have not yet fully sequenced the precise knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember in all subjects, from early years to Year 6. As a result, teachers are unable to revisit and build on pupils’ prior knowledge effectively.

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better?

Work to develop the culture and ethos in the school has been a key priority for the headteacher and committed governing body. This has impacted positively on the behaviours, attitudes and personal development of the pupils. Pupils and staff live the school’s values along every corridor and through every interaction.

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better?

Parents and carers value the school’s strong sense of community. Leaders plan opportunities for pupils to take an active role in their local area. For example, pupils visit older residents of the village at ‘primetime’ sessions to play, chat and learn alongside each other. In addition, the ‘money makers’ group raises money to support those devastated by the floods in Pakistan.

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better?

Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. They hold doors open for adults and show courtesy and respect towards staff and visitors alike. In lessons, pupils behave well. They are keen to learn and work hard on the tasks given to them to complete. Pupils quickly receive support when they need it.

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better?

Calmness and spirituality are key parts of the school day. Each classroom has its own reflection corner for pupils to think, consider and ‘be’. Pupils love spending time with Conker, the school’s therapy and reading dog. Attendance and punctuality are School 11 and 12 October 2022

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high. Pupils want to be in school every day. At playtimes, pupils explore the extensive grounds and pick their own apples.

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Pupils learn a well-planned personal, social and health education curriculum. This develops their understanding of healthy relationships and online safety, and knowledge of the wider world. Pupils are confident and articulate, and embrace difference. The oldest pupils demonstrate mature views about religion, diversity and acceptance. They claim that what others choose to wear, believe or feel is not for them to judge.

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Children in early years settle into school quickly. There are warm relationships between adults and children. Staff know individual children very well. An exciting outdoor area provides learning opportunities beyond the classroom. The ‘playground squad’ supports the youngest children to learn new games and make friends. In lessons, staff are not always used well enough to ensure that the children in the mixed-age early years and key stage 1 class are taught most effectively. Sometimes, the pitch of learning is too high for the youngest children as the curriculum is not fully matched to their needs.

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Recently, the school has adopted a new way of teaching pupils to read. Leaders have prioritised time and resources to ensure its success. Staff receive training to deliver the new phonics programme effectively. It is already showing a positive impact on the reading skills of pupils.

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In other subjects, such as science and physical education, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge and vocabulary pupils should learn. The learning is not sequenced in a logical way that builds on what pupils already know from early years onwards. Teachers are unable to check what pupils remember. As a result, pupils sometimes forget what they have learned.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well to access the curriculum. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works with pupils, families and outside agencies to identify and meet pupils’ additional needs.

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Staff well-being is a high priority for leaders and governors. They have audited staff workload pressures and have produced an action plan to address issues that staff have raised. Staff are supportive of the school’s leaders and enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of safeguarding across the school. Pupils feel safe in school and know that adults will always listen to their worries or concerns. They feel that they can ask and share anything with staff and they will always get the help that they need. School 11 and 12 October 2022

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Staff are trained to identify when a pupil or family might need help. Leaders prioritise regular ‘bite-size’ training sessions to ensure that staff’s safeguarding knowledge is regularly refreshed. Governors undertake their safeguarding responsibilities by checking on the school’s policies and the procedures leaders have in place. Teachers teach online safety effectively. As a result, pupils have a strong understanding of keeping themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified the precise knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember in all subjects, from early years to Year 6. This means that teachers do not build pupils’ knowledge progressively and cannot easily revisit and assess prior learning. Leaders should ensure that specific knowledge and vocabulary are identified and planned sequentially in all subjects. They should ensure that the most important content is assessed and revisited to check that pupils retain their learning in the longer term.  Leaders have not planned carefully enough the delivery of the curriculum in the mixed-age class (early years and key stage 1). This means that the content of lessons is not always suitable for children of all ages in the class. Leaders should review the delivery of the curriculum for the youngest children to ensure that their learning needs are more consistently met.

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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.

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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. School 11 and 12 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Chair of governing body

Louisa Carolan and Jim Squelch (Co- chairs) Headteacher Fiona Bennett

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Date of previous inspection

5 and 6 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with Sessay Church of England Primary School. The schools share one headteacher and governing body, with co-chairs of governors.  The school’s religious character is Christian. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2017.  The school admits Nursery children from the age of three.  The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. School 11 and 12 October 2022

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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.  Inspectors did deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and physical education. Inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum and met with teachers from the lessons visited. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read from different year groups.  Inspectors met with the SENCo, the school business manager, members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority and diocese.  Inspectors looked at the single central record of recruitment checks and spoke to leaders, staff, governors and pupils about safeguarding.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons visits, at lunchtime and during a visit to the school’s breakfast club. Pupils also gave inspectors a tour of the school site.  Inspectors considered the 31 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 17 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the 11 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire and 49 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire. Inspectors met with staff to discuss their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Mark Dent, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynda Florence Ofsted Inspector School 11 and 12 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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