Layfield Primary School

Inspection of Layfield Primary School Everingham Road, Yarm, North Yorkshire TS15 9TF

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2023

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 25 and 26 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff work together to fulfil the vision for their school to be a place where every pupil ‘reaches higher by learning and growing together’. From their start in the early years, leaders make sure that children are ready for the next steps in their education. Parents and carers welcome the home visits that staff make to ensure children have the best possible start. Parents enjoy joining the many visits on offer such as a trip to the local theatre.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils follow the school rules of ‘Respect, Ready and Safe’. They are polite and respectful towards staff and each other. Pupils enjoy ‘golden time’ after demonstrating good behaviour. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that adults will always help them. They are confident to report any concerns they have. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning new sports and developing their musical talents. They take part in competitive games such as dodgeball. They enjoy opportunities to play at the local cricket club. Pupils win votes to become school councillors. They learn to lead others in roles such as head boy and head girl. Pupils are proud to contribute to their school and the local community. For example, the school council has taken action to improve the school by making sure the tarmac underneath the trim trail was replaced with turf.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum identifies the precise knowledge that leaders intend pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6. This means that teachers are clear about what to teach and how to teach it.

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better?

In mathematics, in the early years, teachers show groups of children how to make five and then 10. Staff ensure children have plenty of opportunities to revisit making numbers by counting objects. This helps children to develop mathematical knowledge. In later years, children confidently split numbers in useful ways when calculating. However, in a few subjects, such as geography, teachers do not plan enough opportunities for pupils to revisit knowledge over time. Some pupils are not given the opportunity to practise the knowledge and skills they need to be able to build new knowledge into larger ideas.

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better?

Leaders have made learning to read a priority. Pupils enjoy reading stories every day. Older pupils value fiction books such as ‘The Firework-Maker’s Daughter’ by Philip Pullman. They discuss texts and learn how to infer characters’ feelings. Phonics teaching starts in Nursery where children learn to recognise and write initial letter sounds. Teachers check children’s understanding so that children learn to read and write accurately. Teachers identify pupils who need extra time to practise. Staff help pupils in small groups or one to one to catch up quickly. However, in a few 25 and 26 January 2023

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lessons, some teachers do not systematically check pupils’ understanding. They do not provide feedback often enough to help pupils improve their work.

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Children in the early years develop the detailed knowledge they need to achieve well in the next stage of their education. For example, children show high levels of concentration as they learn how to balance and breathe deeply in a yoga lesson. This helps to prepare children for gymnastics in Year 1. Children learn about good hygiene. They wash their hands thoroughly, making connections between clean hands and good health. In the early years, equipment is easy to access, well organised and supports children’s learning and play. Staff support children extremely well to practise reading and writing.

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Staff get to know children and their families from the start in early years. This helps staff to identify children with SEND. Throughout the school, pupils with SEND access the full curriculum because staff know how to help them. Leaders make sure staff attend training so that they have expert knowledge to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders help pupils and their families to access the help of specialists. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Pupils show respect. Sometimes teachers give reminders of behaviour expectations. This helps pupils to focus on their learning in lessons. At breaktimes, pupils enjoy time with their friends. They move in and out of school calmly. In the early years behaviour is exceptional. Staff help children to manage their own behaviour well. Children know how to cope in different situations such as when listening to live music in a large group.

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Leaders have designed a curriculum to help pupils understand life in modern Britain. Pupils show respect towards those with different views from their own. Assemblies and meaningful activities help pupils to understand responsible citizenship. For example, pupils recycle clothes and conserve energy by creating solar energy. Older pupils take part in activities such as canoeing and wall climbing at Carlton Adventure residential visit. This helps pupils to develop resilience and confidence.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the practical measures that leaders have taken to improve their workload. Governors and the trust oversight board know the school well. They support and challenge school leaders. This ensures the changes leaders make are benefiting pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff know pupils and their families well. They know how to report any concerns they might have. Leaders make sure referrals to external safeguarding agencies are made swiftly. Leaders follow up on referrals to make sure that pupils and families receive the help they need. 25 and 26 January 2023

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. Leaders make sure pupils learn about local risks such as railway safety. Pupils feel confident to report any concerns to staff. They know staff will act quickly to keep them safe.

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Leaders ensure that all staff have undergone appropriate employment checks before working in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, such as geography, pupils are not provided with the opportunity to regularly revisit the important knowledge and practise the skills that leaders want them to remember. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall what they have learned before. Leaders should ensure that there are regular opportunities for pupils to practise and rehearse what they have previously learned so they can build their knowledge over time.  Some teachers do not regularly identify misunderstandings in pupils’ work, including incorrect letter formation. Some teachers do not provide prompt feedback so that pupils can improve their work. This means that a few pupils keep repeating the mistakes. Leaders should ensure that teachers make regular checks on pupils’ understanding and adapt teaching so that pupils can improve their work.

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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. 25 and 26 January 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has not previously been inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  Layfield Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2018. When its predecessor school, Layfield Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of The 1590 Trust.  The school has a nursery on site for three-year-olds.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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. 25 and 26 January 2023

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 Inspectors met with the chief executive officer, the director of standards and an executive headteacher of The 1590 Trust. The lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher online. Inspectors also met with senior leaders, teachers and the school’s special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector held meetings with two members of the local governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector also met with two members of the board of trustees, including the chair of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics geography and physical education. 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 a sample of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector met with the

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designated safeguarding lead, examined school records and spoke to leaders, teachers and pupils about safeguarding. The lead inspector reviewed the single central record and checked that there are thorough systems in place when recruiting new members of staff.  Inspectors met with parents and carers at the start of the school day to hear their views on the school. Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and free-text responses. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  Inspectors met with pupils to gain their views and observed pupils’ behaviour during lunchtimes, breaktimes and in lessons.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicole Park Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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