Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Hebden Road, Grassington, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 5LB

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Outcome

Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to attend this small, friendly school. They feel safe and nurtured. If they have any concerns, they know who they can speak to. They say that bullying does not happen, but if it did, that staff would ‘quickly sort it out’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Grassington are exceptionally well behaved and respectful. The school value, ‘be the light’, shines through everything pupils do. Pupils show high levels of empathy and respect. They are kind and considerate. Older pupils support younger pupils to take turns and listen to one another. They are proud to have this role. They take pleasure and participate in their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school council contributes to the life of the school. Its members actively find different ways to seek the views of pupils; for example, they have designed a new suggestion box. School councillors have taken on board pupils’ views and work with leaders to make changes. This includes renaming the houses to reflect the local context, such as after a local bookstore.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious and stimulating curriculum. They have identified the exact knowledge they want pupils to remember. To ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged by mixed-age classes, leaders plan ‘Federation Friday and Monday’, where pupils across the federation learn together. Pupils value this opportunity to learn alongside others of the same age. Parents, carers and pupils feel that it widens their learning experience.

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

Teachers carefully plan exciting lessons that capture pupils’ imaginations. Teachers are knowledgeable across subjects. They revisit concepts with pupils before they teach new 18 November 2022

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content. This enables pupils to build on what they already know. As a result, pupils remember detailed information across the curriculum.

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Pupils are good readers; they love to read. They benefit from phonic lessons that teachers deliver well. Teachers quickly identify pupils that initially struggle to read. Pupils receive immediate support that helps them to catch up quickly. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. This enables them to read confidently and fluently. Once pupils are fluent readers, they enjoy choosing their own books from the well-resourced library. Leaders use rewards to encourage pupils to read. Pupils love choosing class books from the local bookstore when they have read five times a week for a term. Other pupils enjoy reading in the ‘nook’, which is ‘cosy and snuggly’, with lots of interesting books they can choose.

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There are warm and caring relationships between staff and children in the early years. Children follow daily routines and enjoy learning in the outdoor area. Leaders have clearly defined expectations in some areas of the curriculum, such as in reading and mathematics. However, in wider areas of learning, plans are less precise. It is not clear what new vocabulary or concepts children need to learn. Activities and resources in the inside and outdoor areas are not carefully planned to support children to learn effectively across the curriculum. As a result, children do not develop language or knowledge as quickly as they should.

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Leaders have systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They help teachers plan support. Most plans are precise and set out the exact provision that pupils with SEND need in mathematics and English. Pupils thrive in these subjects. However, the provision for pupils with SEND in the wider curriculum is inconsistent. Pupils do not receive the same effective support as they do in English and mathematics.

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Leaders plan a personal development curriculum to teach pupils how to care for themselves and lead healthy lives. Pupils know that eating a balanced diet full of vitamins, and keeping active, helps them to stay fit and healthy. They enjoy attending a range of after-school clubs.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn about and have experiences that help them to understand different cultures and faiths. Pupils enjoy visits to multicultural cities and museums and castles beyond the local area. As a result, they are knowledgeable about a range of faiths, such as Buddhism and Sikhism.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders and enjoy working at the school. Staff say that leaders are mindful of their workload and that ‘leaders have thought carefully about communication and collaboration, which has improved the culture and equity of workload’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 November 2022

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Leaders ensure that staff and governors receive the appropriate training to safeguard pupils. Staff are clear about the policies and procedures in place to keep pupils safe. They recognise and report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders quickly respond to these and follow up in a timely and appropriate way.

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Leaders, including governors, and staff understand the local risks that may affect their pupils. Leaders plan a curriculum that equips pupils with the knowledge of how to stay safe. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe online. They know how to protect their passwords and not share information that is private with others. They say, ‘Private does not mean private’.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not planned the exact support pupils with SEND need to be successful in the wider curriculum areas. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not consistently receive the right help at the right time in subjects other than English and mathematics. Leaders should ensure that they precisely identify and implement what pupils need to be successful in these subjects.  Leaders have not planned the precise knowledge that they want children to be able to know in the early years. As a result, children do not progress as well as they should in the areas of learning other than literacy and mathematics. Leaders need to identify what they want children to know and remember. They should support staff in planning the areas of provision to reflect the intended curriculum so that children are well prepared for Year 1.

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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 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 school to be good in May 2017.

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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. 18 November 2022

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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 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240156 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-executive Headteachers Mrs Claire Greenwood Mr Chris Parkhouse Website www.grassington.n-yorks.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation, of which there are three other schools. There are two co-executive headteachers across the federation.  There is a breakfast club.  The school does not use an alternative provider.

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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.  Inspectors held discussions with the co-executive headteachers, the special educational needs coordinators, the early years leader, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the lead inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 18 November 2022

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 Inspectors observed pupils reading to a familiar adult and spoke to pupils informally at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jenny Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Angela Spencer-Brooke Ofsted Inspector 18 November 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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