Otley All Saints CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Otley All Saints CofE Primary School Lisker Drive, Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 1DF

p.1

Outcome

Otley All Saints CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ vision to provide ‘Learning, love and laughter every day’ is certainly put into practice at Otley All Saints. The caring relationships between staff and pupils help everyone to feel happy and safe in school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum in English and mathematics. Leaders also provide creative learning opportunities through the wider curriculum. Pupils participate in charity work to support those less fortunate than themselves. This helps to develop pupils’ understanding of their responsibilities as global citizens.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

In music, pupils achieve highly in a broad range of musical tuition. Many pupils perform in the school orchestra. The school choir performs in the marketplace at the annual ‘Otley Victorian Christmas Fayre’. Opportunities to perform in public enrich the wider curriculum and build pupils’ confidence.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are not currently achieving an equally high standard in other foundation subjects. This is because leaders have not finalised assessment arrangements in these curriculum subjects to identify what pupils know and what they can do.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave consistently well. There is hardly any bullying. Most pupils and parents are confident that if bullying did occur, adults will deal with it swiftly. A very small minority of parents are dissatisfied with leaders’ response to bullying. Leaders are determined to ensure that all pupils feel equally happy and safe at school.

p.1

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

Children in the early years get off to a strong start, including in early reading and mathematics. They learn how to manage their personal needs independently, for example re-applying sunscreen when outdoors. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.1

2

Teachers fully understand how the youngest children learn. When some children in Nursery Year take a long time to gather their thoughts and explain their thinking, teachers wait patiently and give children all the time they need. Other children show self-regulation by controlling their impulse to help. They wait until it is their turn. This is giving all children equal opportunities to develop their speaking skills.

p.2

2

The ambitious curriculum engages all pupils’ interests. This is partly why pupils in all key stages have such positive attitudes to learning and behave so well in lessons.

p.2

2

Reading and mathematics are strengths of this school. The curriculum for early reading is implemented consistently well. Pupils quickly learn to read with fluency and confidence. Teachers’ love of reading shines through when they read aloud to each class daily. This is helping pupils to enjoy hearing stories and further develop their own love of reading.

p.2

2

The mathematics curriculum is implemented equally well. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They use technology effectively, including providing translation apps to support pupils who speak English as an additional language. All staff have high expectations in mathematics lessons, including of the most able pupils. This is helping all pupils to achieve well. Leaders have increased opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge to reasoning and problem-solving. Leaders enrich the mathematics curriculum creatively. For example, pupils recently drew on their mathematical skills in an outdoor orienteering event. This is helping pupils to really enjoy mathematics.

p.2

2

In reading and mathematics, teachers use assessment precisely to check pupils’ learning. This helps teachers to identify learning gaps and address this quickly. Assessment arrangements are less effective in some wider curriculum subjects. This means that teachers are not aware of gaps in pupils’ prior learning in these curriculum subjects. There is insufficient depth to pupils’ knowledge for their age. Teachers do not adjust the sequence of lessons to reinforce prior learning for pupils who need this. As result, pupils are not achieving as well as they could in some wider curriculum subjects.

p.2

2

Teachers adapt the curriculum well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in all curriculum subjects. For example, teachers provide pupils who struggle with processing information with a ‘little and often’ approach. Teaching assistants reinforce pupils’ learning by providing additional practice in short bursts. This helps pupils with SEND to retain knowledge securely over time.

p.2

2

The curriculum for pupils’ broader development is a strength of the school’s work. There is an extensive list of clubs and educational visits that enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils’ moral education is linked to their character development. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of democracy and the rule of law. For example, pupils showed empathy when a Year 12 visitor described his feelings and experiences as an Afghan refugee.

p.2

2

Staff appreciate the headteacher’s efforts to protect teachers’ healthy work-life balance. This includes ensuring that teachers have a reasonable workload. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders make all the necessary safeguarding checks when recruiting staff.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders increase vigilance when staff have noticed signs that indicate that pupils may be at risk of harm. The learning mentor has daily check-ins with these pupils.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have adapted the curriculum to take account of the school’s particular context. The River Wharfe runs through Otley, so staff regularly remind pupils about water safety. They remind pupils of the risks of walking on ice, when freezing conditions raise the potential risk of the River Wharfe freezing over.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not use assessment well enough to check pupils’ understanding and inform teaching in foundation curriculum subjects. They do not identify gaps in pupils’ learning quickly enough. As a result, pupils do not develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum and achieve well in all subjects. Leaders should establish effective assessment arrangements in foundation curriculum subjects that take account of teachers’ workload and avoid creating unnecessary bureaucratic burdens.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

p.3

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. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.3

4

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10255861 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 16 January 2018 under Section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Otley All Saints is a voluntary controlled school with a Christian character. The Diocese of Leeds completed a section 48 inspection in March 2018. Section 48 re-inspection dates have been delayed following COVID restrictions.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The reading, mathematics and history subject leaders met the inspector separately.  A meeting was held with three governors including the vice-chair of the governing body.  The inspector met representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Leeds. 14 and 15 June 2023

p.5

6

 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading and phonics, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with senior staff who lead the wider curriculum and with the learning mentor.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety were evaluated at breakfast club, in lessons and at lunchtime.  The school business manager and senior safeguarding leaders met the inspector to discuss recruitment and safeguarding records.  The inspector reviewed Ofsted Parent View, and survey responses from staff and pupils. The inspector spoke to several parents before the start of the school day and during the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 June 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7