Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School Station Lane, Morton-on-Swale, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9QR

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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 Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School is a nurturing and caring school. Recent changes to senior leadership have brought the whole school together. High aspirations for all pupils are clear. The school vision, ’together we love, learn and grow’, developed by new leaders, is shared by the whole school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend here. They enjoy many aspects of school and feel safe. Pupils say great teachers and great friendships are key to this. Leaders and pupils say that bullying can occasionally happen. However, adults across school take swift action to stop it. The recent changes in expectations of pupil behaviour in school have benefited everyone. Pupils recognise this improvement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ revised focus to develop a curriculum where all pupils excel is evident. The progress pupils make against the aims of the new curriculum is variable. Leaders recognise that there is still more work to be done to provide a consistently good quality of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know the pupils well and parents value recent changes made and the ethos of the school. One parent shared, ‘Children are well known as individuals and there is a sense of community and school spirit, which has made our children feel like part of a family.’

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better?

Having recently recognised weaknesses in areas of the curriculum, leaders have made a rapid start to raising standards across school. Their vision for a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils is clear. Aspects of school improvement identify the right actions needed to further strengthen the quality of education. However, several aspects of curriculum development, especially in wider curriculum subjects, are in the early stages of implementation. The impact of the recent changes is yet to be realised.

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better?

Phonics teaching is delivered with consistency and has a high priority within the school. Pupils start phonic lessons from the very start of their time here. Children in the two- and three-year-old provision enjoy learning which is linked to key books. Leaders ensure that the foundations for reading are clear. Most pupils have reading books well matched to their phonic knowledge. This is beginning to support fluency and accuracy with reading as well as enjoyment. Younger pupils thoroughly enjoy daily story time. Older pupils are less enthusiastic about reading. Leaders have recently developed a reading spine to broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding of books and authors.

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better?

In mathematics, leaders have developed a curriculum that clearly builds up the steps pupils need to be successful in this subject. Using external support, leaders are beginning to think about how to support pupils who need to catch up. However, some pupils who need extra support in mathematics do not always get the help they 25 and 26 April 2023

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need. Pupils enjoy mathematics lessons. They talk confidently about how adults in school help them with their learning in mathematics lessons.

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Subject leaders have planned a curriculum that builds knowledge and skills. The planned curriculum for all subjects starts in early years. Children in the early years show focus and enthusiasm in their learning. Adults working with them develop pupils’ communication skills effectively.

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Although leaders have identified the key knowledge and skills to be taught in lessons, beyond English and mathematics the quality of the taught curriculum varies across school. Learning in lessons and books does not always reflect the high ambition of the planned curriculum. Assessment opportunities do not consistently match curriculum aims. Curriculum leaders’ quality assurance of the curriculum is not consistently identifying further areas in need of development.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from experienced leaders. They are knowledgeable about ways to meet the needs of pupils and how to work well with other professionals. Pupils with SEND are supported in a range of ways to engage fully in school life.

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There is a new, clear and consistent approach to managing behaviour. Pupils know and understand this clearly. The rules ‘be ready, be respectful and be safe’ are known by everyone. Pupils are eager to share the rewards that they achieve in school. Pupils who may make poor choices are given the opportunity to put things right. Pupils enjoy school and they know how well the adults in school care for them.

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Opportunities for pupil leadership have recently been established. The school council, health and safety team and mental health champions are rightfully proud of the work they do. Leaders are re-establishing links with the local community to develop enrichment opportunities further. The personal, social and health education curriculum (PSHE) is effectively preparing pupils for life beyond school. Older pupils recognise democracy in action. They understand how to keep themselves safe in a variety of ways.

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Staff feel fully supported by new leaders. Workload is well considered in this small school. Those responsible for governance also ensure that leaders are well supported, using external support where necessary for training and development. Stakeholders, such as trustees, recognise the rapid work the new leaders have put in place to ensure that pupils benefit from a clearer curriculum offer and are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders have taken swift action to ensure that pupils are safeguarded effectively. Leaders responsible for safeguarding keep timely and detailed records. 25 and 26 April 2023

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They are tenacious in ensuring that the correct support is sought for pupils. Staff and stakeholders receive appropriate training. Staff are vigilant to local issues that might impact pupils. Staff are clear on how to escalate concerns. Safeguarding is a clear focus when recruiting adults to work with pupils.

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Pupils feel safe in school. They work with different adults and are confident that all staff know how to keep them safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ learning in some wider curriculum subjects does not match the aims of the teaching plans. Where this happens, pupils are often not benefiting from learning activities that are well matched to the aims of the curriculum and their stage of learning. Leaders should support teachers to strengthen the implementation of wider foundation subjects.  The assessment of what pupils know and remember in wider curriculum subjects does not consistently align with the aims and outcomes set out by curriculum leaders. As a result, precisely what pupils know and remember is not fully understood by staff. Leaders must ensure that the assessment of learning matches the planned curriculum to help build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time.  Curriculum leaders’ monitoring of the curriculum does not routinely identify where pupils’ experiences in lessons fall short of curriculum expectations. This is particularly the case in the wider curriculum. Senior leaders should support

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

curriculum leaders to effectively monitor the learning experiences in their subjects.  There is limited support for pupils who fall behind in mathematics. As such, pupils who have gaps in their learning are not supported to catch up as quickly as they can. Leaders should ensure that opportunities for pupils to catch up in mathematics are planned and implemented.

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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. 25 and 26 April 2023

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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 April 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269262 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy in January 2019. When its predecessor school, Ainderby Steeple Church of England Primary School, was last inspected in July 2018, it was judged good.  The school’s religious character is Christian and it is voluntary controlled. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2016. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of that date.  The school has a new headteacher who took up post in April 2022.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.  There is nursery provision for two- and three-year-olds.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school is a member of the Dales Academies multi-academy trust.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 25 and 26 April 2023

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 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.  Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous Ofsted inspections.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and religious education. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to staff. They spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils at the early stages of reading with a familiar adult. Inspectors also met with leaders for early years, PSHE and leaders responsible for pupils with SEND.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke to staff, pupils and a range of

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stakeholders including governors and trustees. Safeguarding documentation was scrutinised, including the safeguarding policies, and the single central record of recruitment checks. Inspectors spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils and adults. Inspectors also met with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors gathered views of parents informally in person and formally through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff were considered through meetings with them. Pupils’ views were considered through a pupil survey and through pupil meetings.  Inspectors spoke with representatives from the local governing body, the board of trustees, the diocese and those responsible for school development.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, at breakfast club and during breaks and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Harrison Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 April 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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