Hellifield Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hellifield Community Primary School Kendal Road, Hellifield, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 4HA

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good 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. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hellifield Community Primary School is a kind and caring community. All staff emphasise the school values of love, kindness, friendship and respect. Pupils reflect these in their positive relationships with each other and staff. Everyone is made to feel welcome. Bullying is very rare and always dealt with quickly if it occurs. Pupils feel safe and are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well at all times. They participate actively in lessons and are keen to learn. At social times, there is a calm and positive environment around the school. Pupils are polite and friendly. Staff are consistent in their expectations of pupils. Pupils meet these expectations. Staff know pupils well and work hard to achieve the best for every pupil in their care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to read quickly and fluently, and leaders help pupils to develop a love of reading. Pupils also develop secure knowledge and skills in mathematics. In some subjects in the wider curriculum, pupils do not develop detailed knowledge and skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a range of opportunities to take on responsibility in school. This helps pupils to become confident and responsible. For example, pupils often deliver assemblies to their peers. Leaders listen to pupils’ views about how to make the school better and act on these views, such as when making changes to school equipment or introducing school pets.

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Leaders have ensured that staff at Hellifield Community School are knowledgeable about how to teach mathematics and early reading well. Staff receive regular training. Leaders check that pupils are taught well and are developing their knowledge in mathematics and reading. However, there is more to do to ensure that pupils are developing detailed knowledge and skills across the range of subjects they are taught.

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Pupils are taught to read from the start of Reception. Teachers are skilled at developing pupils’ knowledge of phonics. They use a consistent and effective approach, modelling new sounds clearly and ensuring that pupils have lots of opportunities to practise what they have learned. Teachers revisit sounds that pupils have learned often. This means that pupils develop a secure knowledge of phonics quickly. If pupils have gaps in their knowledge, they receive regular support, which is effective in addressing these gaps. Teachers are generally effective at identifying these gaps quickly, although in some cases they do not check individual pupils’ knowledge as regularly as they could.

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The teaching of mathematics is effective. Teachers are clear about what pupils need to know and be able to do. Teachers provide pupils with opportunity to practise what they are being taught. Teachers revisit prior learning to make sure that pupils remember what they have learned and are able to apply it. As a result, most pupils develop secure knowledge and fluency in mathematics. In some cases, teachers do not check that pupils are secure in their knowledge of facts and calculation methods before moving on. This means that some pupils are not able to access more complex tasks.

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Pupils study a broad range of subjects. However, in some subjects in the wider curriculum, such as music and history, leaders have not ensured that a coherent and well- sequenced curriculum is in place. In these subjects, leaders have not given clear guidance to teachers about what pupils need to know and be able to do. As a result, some teaching does not build on pupils’ prior learning. Teachers assess pupils’ knowledge less frequently than they should and are not always clear about the most important knowledge pupils need to know. As a result, they do not always identify gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are taught the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers ensure that all pupils are able to access what they are learning. However, the information that is shared with teachers about pupils with SEND is not clear enough to ensure that all staff know how to best support them in their next steps in learning.

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Pupils experience a wide range of opportunities across their time at Hellifield Community Primary School. Leaders have planned trips and visits carefully to ensure that pupils develop an understanding of their local area and have a range of wider experiences. For example, pupils have had visits to learn about local wildlife and the local environment, as well as trips to Edinburgh, and forthcoming trips to London are planned for pupils to experience different environments. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have not provided pupils with sufficient opportunities to develop their talents and interests in areas such as art and music. Leaders have plans to widen the range of extra-curricular activities in the future. 25 January 2023

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Leaders emphasise the importance of respect. Pupils learn about a range of different cultures and backgrounds. They have opportunities to interact with children in other schools and learn about their religions, cultures and experiences. Pupils are taught about protected characteristics. The importance of respect for other people is emphasised by all staff. Pupils take this seriously, and they respect and care for one another.

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Leaders have ensured that Hellifield Community Primary School is a positive place to work. Staff are very motivated and say that leaders are supportive and open. Staff receive meaningful support from across the federation of schools. The school has meaningful links with its local community and is highly valued by parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe and are proactive in doing so. If staff have any concerns about a pupil, they make sure that these are acted upon. Leaders ensure that pupils get any help or support they need by working with external agencies as appropriate.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to manage some of the risks they might face. Staff are very knowledgeable about the risks that pupils may face online and know how to manage these. Pupils have been taught about some of the physical risks in their local area, such as railways and open water. However, leaders have not considered the wider range of risks that pupils might encounter in their specific context. Leaders could do more to ensure that pupils know about these.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders are not clear enough about what pupils need to know and be able to do. This means that some teaching does not build upon pupils’ prior knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not develop detailed knowledge and skills in all subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time in all subjects.  In some subjects, teachers do not check regularly to see what pupils have learned and remembered. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified or addressed as quickly as they could be. Therefore, pupils who need extra support, including those with SEND, do not always get it. Leaders should ensure that teachers make effective use of assessment to identify specific gaps and misconceptions so that these can be addressed.  Leaders and teachers do not have a detailed awareness of some of the risks that pupils might face in their specific context. This means that pupils do not get as much

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

information as they could about how to manage these risks. Leaders should ensure 25 January 2023

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that all staff are aware of the contextual risks that pupils might face and how they can equip pupils with the knowledge to manage these risks.

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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 March 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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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. 25 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255827 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Hellifield Community Primary School is a smaller than average school in a rural setting.  Pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes. However, pupils are separated by school year for some of their teaching.  The school is part of a federation with two other local schools. These schools are led by an executive headteacher, who is the headteacher at each of these schools.  The current executive headteacher was recently appointed to this role as an interim post. She took up the post in January 2023.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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. 25 January 2023

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 Inspectors met with the interim executive headteacher, senior leaders and representatives of the governing body and local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and music. 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 looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders and teachers about the curriculum in other subjects. They looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about what they have learned in other subjects.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and reviewed records of how leaders have acted to keep children safe. They spoke to staff about how they keep children safe and spoke to pupils about what they have learned about how to manage the risks they might face. Inspectors reviewed plans to support pupils with SEND. They

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spoke to pupils with SEND and visited lessons to see how they are supported.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the personal development of pupils, visited an assembly and spoke to pupils about the wider opportunities they get in school.  Inspectors spoke to parents and reviewed the results of Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also reviewed the results of a questionnaire of staff in the school.

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Inspection team

Tim Jenner, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michele Costello Ofsted Inspector 25 January 2023

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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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