Osmotherley Primary School

Inspection of Osmotherley Primary School School Lane, Osmotherley, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 3BW

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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 Requires Improvement 25 and 26 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Osmotherley Primary is a happy school. Pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy coming to school. They talk very positively about learning and lessons. They feel very safe because relationships between teachers and pupils are kind and caring. While bullying is not an issue, pupils trust adults to help them if they report it. Behaviour in lessons is calm, and pupils enjoy the activities that their teachers plan.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a very well-developed sense of respect. They know they can be themselves at school. Pupils’ understanding of values such as democracy is well developed because they are given a voice in, for example, decisions about matters in the school that affect them. Leaders ensure that all pupils access the recently developed curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

An effective personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum ensures that pupils develop knowledge about Britain beyond the area where they live. For example, pupils enjoy trips out, such as a recent visit to Liverpool, which helps them to understand religion through visits to different places of worship. Pupils were also enthusiastic about the chance to see the work of sculptor Anthony Gormley.

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better?

Leaders have worked on all areas of the curriculum in recent years. There has been a shared vision to ensure that the knowledge pupils need in each subject is clearly defined. This planning begins in the early years and is carefully structured up to Year 6 to ensure that pupils can build on prior learning. Governors have strengthened monitoring systems so that they have a good understanding of the impact of changes to the curriculum. This work is now bringing success.

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better?

Teachers have been trained in the school’s chosen phonics programme and, as a result, there are high levels of consistency in the way phonics is delivered. There are short, regular intervention sessions for pupils who need help. Leaders have designed these sessions so that pupils do not miss out on essential learning in other areas of the curriculum. Pupils are learning to read quickly because of this curriculum. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the books they read at home and in school.

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better?

In other areas of the curriculum, leaders have focused on the small steps that pupils need to take in each subject. Regular checks on pupils’ learning ensure that teachers identify and intervene where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils can recall what they have learned very well. For example, in art and design, pupils in younger year groups know what the primary colours are. Older pupils can link this knowledge to artist such as Mondrian to talk about how artists use primary colours. In science, pupils in key stage 2 can recall what they learned about plants in key stage 1. 25 and 26 May 2023

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Knowledge developed about multiplication in mathematics is helping pupils as they learn about area of shapes.

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Leaders have correctly identified that they need to give pupils more opportunities to apply what they have learned and to develop their writing in more detail. This will help to build independence as pupils move through the school.

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Behaviour in the school is strong. Several pupils told inspectors they ‘love’ the school. One pupil told inspectors that the ‘school feels like home’. Inspectors agree that the school has a welcoming atmosphere, where pupils feel valued. The school values of empathy, respect and resilience are shared by all and help to create the positive behaviour seen consistently by inspectors. Social times are well ordered, and pupils play happily together.

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When inspectors visited, they were able to see the school’s celebration assembly. This was an incredibly positive event and well attended by parents. Pupils were proud to win ‘learner of the week’ and perform piano recitals. Recent learning in music workshops was also shown to parents. Topical assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to speak about current affairs. Fundamental British values are woven into all aspects of the curriculum. Pupils are involved in charity work and have leadership opportunities as, for example, eco-leaders. Leaders’ plans in these areas serve pupils’ broader development extremely well.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They are involved in key decisions and can see the improvements being brought about. There is strong collaboration between all members of staff to ensure that any changes are well understood and embedded. Parents also told inspectors about how much they value the school. The comment of one parent, that this is a ‘caring and nurturing school’, is typical of what many parents think and of what the inspectors saw during this visit.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have clear systems to identify and help the most vulnerable pupils. There are regular briefings for staff to be updated about the risks that individual pupils face. Leaders ensure that they have a good overview of the knowledge of staff through regular safeguarding quizzes. They use this to provide extra training, where needed. Leaders make links with external agencies as necessary.

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Safeguarding

Local safeguarding risks, such as water safety, are well understood by pupils. Pupils’ knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online is well developed. This is because leaders ensure that the PSHE curriculum covers these important topics. 25 and 26 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils are not given enough opportunities to develop independence. This includes in developing their writing. This means that pupils’ ability to apply and express the knowledge they have gained is not as well developed as it could be. Leaders should continue the work they have started to ensure that pupils’ writing skills develop.

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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 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268308 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 20 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average sized primary school.  The school makes no 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, a local authority representative and four governors, including the chair of governors. Inspectors also met with representatives of Yorkshire Collaborative Academy Trust, who have been providing support to the school. 25 and 26 May 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, art and design, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, spoke to pupils and spoke to teachers.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised documents relating to safeguarding and spoke to pupils about how they are taught to keep themselves safe. Inspectors also spoke to staff about the training and information they receive in relation to safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to the special educational needs coordinator and looked at plans for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with pupils both formally and informally to ask them about their experiences of the school.  Inspectors took account of the views of staff, parents and pupils through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 May 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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