Leeming RAF Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Leeming RAF Community Primary School Gatenby, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9NQ

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Outcome

Leeming RAF Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the minute pupils walk into Leeming RAF Community Primary School they are nurtured and supported in ways important and particular to them. Adults swiftly develop relationships with pupils to help them feel special in this unique school. Pupils move schools more frequently than normal here. Despite this, they feel safe, make friends quickly and enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all its pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff swiftly identify the educational and pastoral needs of pupils. Everyone then works together towards the school’s vision of excellence in learning and excellence in character. Pupils know how this is embedded throughout the curriculum. They relish the range of opportunities they have to develop their character, such as becoming ‘Respect Ambassadors’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They know adults will help them to solve any problems quickly if they arise. Pupils say adults teach them how to solve problems independently. They know how to stay safe online, in the community and around the airbase in which they live. Behaviour in lessons and around school is good. Off-task behaviour is extremely rare. Pupils are courteous towards each other and adults alike.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As one parent proudly stated: ‘We specifically requested the move to RAF Leeming over all other UK bases because of the school. It has exceeded our expectations.’

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

Reading is a priority for the school. Leaders have carefully chosen an early reading programme which is taught consistently well. Teachers are well trained. They deliver lessons well. Teachers check pupils’ understanding during lessons to help them keep up wherever possible. They provide carefully targeted support to those who need it. Pupils make good progress from their starting points. They read books which match the sounds 5 and 6 March 2024

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they are learning with increasing fluency. Pupils foster an early love of reading. They develop this throughout the school by reading books from a variety of authors.

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Leaders have worked hard to improve the curriculum in all areas. For example, the mathematics curriculum provides pupils with an early grasp of number. Children in the early years enjoy mathematics. Adult-led activities enable children to acquire and secure early mathematical skills. In key stages 1 and 2, the school has prioritised learning key facts such as times tables and ensuring that pupils have secure calculation strategies. Learning is carefully broken down into small steps. Teachers and other staff have a good understanding of pupils’ needs. They adapt lessons carefully so that all pupils, including those with SEND, keep up. However, in a small number of lessons, teachers do not address misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ understanding before moving learning on.

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Adults model language clearly across the curriculum in the early years. They use a variety of questions to develop children’s understanding. Leaders ensure that adult-led activities are designed well to extend children’s learning. However, activities that children access independently sometimes lack the same level of clarity. Across the school, in subjects such as history, teachers share their subject knowledge well. Pupils enjoy the different learning activities staff provide. The curriculum in some subjects is in the early stages of development. As a result, the school has not had the opportunity to monitor the impact on learning for all pupils.

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Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils have numerous opportunities to develop their ‘Respect’ skills. They are well informed and have a mature understanding of areas such as the protected characteristics and how this applies to them. They relish the chance to learn more about themselves or other faiths and religions through educational visits. Leaders care about their pupils. They personalise the school’s offer well. A wonderful example of this is ‘The Haven’, a place where pupils’ mental health and well- being is supported through activities such as Lego therapy.

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Pupils attend well. Leaders are ambitious to secure the highest attendance for all pupils. They deal sensitively with any absences related to the school’s context. Leaders use highly effective systems to support pupils whenever they start school. This includes an individual welcome meeting in the third week of a child’s education and careful tracking of pupils as they leave for their new schools.

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Leaders, including governors, consider the well-being of staff thoroughly. They make careful decisions in relation to curriculum materials to ensure that there is no unnecessary workload. New initiatives and improvements are carefully planned. Staff recognise and appreciate this. Governors know and support the school well. Everyone – pupils, staff and parents – has a tangible pride in a school that is truly at the heart of its community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some areas of the curriculum, particularly in the foundation subjects, are in the early stages of implementation. This means the school has not had the opportunity to evaluate and refine its two-year phased cycle. The school should ensure that it considers how pupils, at each stage of the phase, are supported to secure, extend and embed their subject knowledge.

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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 February 2019.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 31 January and 1 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is situated on the RAF Leeming airbase. Almost all pupils have parents who serve in the British armed forces.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school leaders. The inspector also met with teachers and a range of support staff.  The inspector met seven members of the local governing body and spoke to the local authority school improvement partner.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, looked at 5 and 6 March 2024

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils and teachers, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector looked at a range of curriculum documents.  The inspector listened to a range of pupils from different year groups reading aloud.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits and during other times around school. He spoke to pupils about their views of the school and of behaviour.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the well-being and workload of staff. He took note of the responses and comments from Ofsted’s staff survey, including comments made by staff about their well-being.

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 The inspector considered the views of parents and carers through the responses to the online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including some written comments.

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Inspection team

Paul Martindale, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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