Scarcroft Primary School

Inspection of Scarcroft Primary School Moss Street, York, North Yorkshire YO23 1BS

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The predecessor school, Scarcroft Primary School, was judged outstanding in 2009. 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Scarcroft Primary School are safe and happy. Leaders expect pupils to ‘be ready, be respectful, be safe’. Pupils generally do this well. Behaviour in lessons is usually calm and focused. However, this is not consistent. Leaders are addressing pockets of poor behaviour. Pupils report their concerns about behaviour. Teachers manage behaviour incidents quickly and effectively. At social times, pupils play well together. Bullying is very rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Pupils access an appropriately ambitious curriculum relative to their needs. They are nurtured. Other pupils are supportive of their peers with SEND. There is a strong sense of community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are deeply committed to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. Their philosophy is based on the idea of ‘Developing All of Me.’ There is a vast range of wider opportunities available. Leaders ensure pupils develop as active citizens. For example, pupils support the local foodbank and regularly take part in charity fundraising.

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better?

Curriculum planning is detailed and well sequenced. Core knowledge is revisited to help pupils remember important ideas. Subject leadership is strong. Teachers address misconceptions and scaffold learning effectively, especially for pupils with SEND. Some pupils are not moved on as quickly and effectively as they could be. In some subjects, such as art, teachers use assessment well. They identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and know what pupils need to learn next. However, assessment is not used well consistently. Leaders have identified the need to develop this.

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better?

Leaders have developed ‘the nest’ in school This welcoming space is used to support pupils with SEND, including those with complex needs. This is a highly effective approach. Pupils who need extra support get the help they need. In mainstream lessons, pupils with SEND keep up well. Teachers know how to support them academically and socially.

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better?

Children learn to read quickly. Staff follow a consistent approach to teaching early reading. The books pupils read match the sounds they know. However, in some phonics lessons, pupils struggle to remain attentive. Teachers are not consistent in insisting lesson routines are followed.

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better?

The early years staff are highly knowledgeable and ambitious for children’s learning. Curriculum planning covers the important areas of learning that children need. Children are prepared extremely well for Year 1. Teachers design activities that children access independently well. These activities build on the teacher-led sessions. Children are immersed in learning and enjoy the tasks set. Adults take 18 and 19 October 2022

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every opportunity to develop pupils use of language. Children remember the planned curriculum.

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The chief executive officer (CEO), trustees and governors are highly knowledgeable and deeply committed to the school. There is a positive ethos and collaborative way of working between all senior leaders. This is allowing for the rapid development of middle leaders. Staff highly value the training opportunities available to them. Staff feel workload is well managed. Morale is very high.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is thoughtfully planned. However, there is variability in how well pupils remember aspects of the PSHE curriculum. Pupils know how to stay safe, including online. They are less secure in their understanding of fundamental British values, such as democracy.

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Pupils experience educational visits at least one per term. These visits are deliberately planned to build on what pupils learn within the curriculum. Leaders ensure they are developing pupils’ individual interests and talents. Leaders collate information about pupils’ interests. They use this information to help decide what extra-curricular clubs to offer pupils. The clubs are rotated each term, so that pupils have regular opportunities to learn new skills. The ‘about me’ displays in each classroom also promote pupils’ interests and celebrate their achievements. All pupils participate in regular debates and discussions as part of the planned curriculum. This helps pupils to build skills in explaining their ideas clearly and appropriately.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are extremely knowledgeable. They know local families well and offer early help when needed. Staff are trained well. They know how to identify pupils who might be at risk of harm. Staff report all concerns, however minor, to leaders. Leaders act on concerns quickly and effectively. They stay in close contact with other agencies, including the local police, to ensure they are aware of emerging risks to pupils. The designated safeguarding lead carries out regular reviews to ensure best practice is being followed.

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Safeguarding

Checks are carried out to ensure staff and visitors are appropriately vetted before they are allowed into school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not use assessment consistently well to identify pupils’ current un- derstanding and what they should learn next. On occasion, the work that is set 18 and 19 October 2022

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does not match pupils’ learning needs. Leaders should further develop assess- ment strategies to ensure staff know pupils’ starting points and know when to move them on across the curriculum.  Sometimes, staff do not maintain the highest expectations of pupils’ behaviour in lessons. In these lessons, pupils do not focus as well as they could. Leaders should continue to embed strategies to improve pupils’ behaviour and raise staff expectations, so that they are consistently high.

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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242433 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website http://www.scarcroft.york.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of two registered alternative providers. These are Danesgate Community Pupil Referral Unit and St Oswald’s Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.  The number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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.  The lead inspector held several meetings with the headteacher during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with several governors, four trustees and the CEO. 18 and 19 October 2022

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 Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where appropriate, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school.  Safeguarding documentation and records for behaviour and attendance were checked.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school.  Inspectors reviewed the parental responses received through the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also

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considered the responses received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Dom Brown Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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