Goathland Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Goathland Primary School Beckhole Road, Goathland, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 5ND

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this small, rural school. The relationships between staff and pupils are nurturing. Pupils are confident, happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is aspirational for pupils. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well considered. However, the school’s curriculum is not as well developed as it needs to be. The school has recently introduced new curriculum plans. These plans are not fully embedded. In some subjects, there are gaps in what pupils know and can do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The small, mixed-age classes develop strong relationships between pupils. Pupils work together well in lessons and are keen to contribute their ideas. Behaviour is very positive across the school. Pupils treat each other with high levels of respect. They play together wonderfully. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to recognise risks and keep themselves safe. They know how to use the internet responsibly. The forest school provides regular outdoor learning opportunities, while also developing a sense of pride for the local area and heritage.

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

The school has very recently introduced a revised and more ambitious curriculum. Pupils now benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. This is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ subject knowledge. However, the school’s work to improve the content of the curriculum is at an early stage. Pupils have not had the opportunity to cover some subjects in sufficient depth. Where this is the case, pupils do not have the breadth of understanding they need to support new learning. 10 July 2024

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Pupils enjoy their lessons. They confidently discuss their current learning. Pupils accurately use recently taught vocabulary. They benefit from staff’s expertise and the high-quality resources available to them in lessons. However, some pupils struggle to remember what they covered in lessons previously. The school’s checks on what pupils understand are not as precise as they need to be. In some subjects, pupils do not have a secure knowledge base to build on.

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The school develops pupils’ reading skills. Pupils enjoy sharing stories together. Staff choose ambitious and exciting texts to read in class. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start in Reception. Staff implement the school’s chosen phonics programme correctly. However, the school does not identify when pupils need additional help with reading as effectively as it needs to. This means some pupils do not get the timely help they need to catch up quickly.

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Children make a positive start in the early years. They are happy and confident. Children benefit from the calm and engaging classroom environment. They independently engage with activities that develop their understanding of patterns and shapes. Staff skilfully use mathematical language in conversations with children. This helps children to remember new vocabulary. Children have nurturing relationships with staff and older pupils. This adds to the harmonious atmosphere in the school.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. It encourages pupils to try new activities. The school celebrates pupils’ talents and skills. Pupils are proud to be recognised on the school’s ‘achievement board’. They learn about the world around them. For example, the whole school visit to a gurdwara has helped pupils understand more about Sikh beliefs and traditions.

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The school has a well-established behaviour system. Staff implement the school’s reward system consistently. Pupils enjoy receiving positive behaviour points from staff and having celebratory messages sent home. This contributes to pupils wanting to behave well throughout the school day.

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Governors are highly supportive of staff. They are deeply committed to the improvement journey of the school. There have been many staff and leadership changes over the past year. This has hindered the school’s planned curriculum improvement work. The governors monitor the school’s development closely. Governors use their skills and understanding to ask pertinent questions of leaders. Staff are well supported by leaders. Recent changes to school systems have improved staff’s workload and well-being. Staff are proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has made widespread curriculum changes in a short period of time. Some of these changes are not sufficiently well established. This means, in some subjects, pupils do not have the breadth of understanding they need to support new learning. The school should prioritise completion of its curriculum improvement work in order to ensure there is an effective and ambitious curriculum that builds pupils’ understanding securely over time.  Some of the school’s assessment systems are not accurately matched to the important subject knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each year group. As a result, the school does not recognise where pupils have gaps in their knowledge and is not able to fill these gaps in a timely manner. This is limiting pupils’ achievement in some subjects. The school should review how it checks what pupils know and can remember in order to ensure that pupils have the essential knowledge they need to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

support the next stage in their learning.  The school does not consistently identify, or address, gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge. This means that some pupils who need additional help in reading do not get the effective and timely support they need. The school should ensure that gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge are addressed effectively and quickly.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.

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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. 10 July 2024

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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). 10 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 At the time of this inspection, there was an interim headteacher in post. The interim headteacher had been in post since April 2024. This is a much smaller than average- sized school. Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes. Children in early years and pupils in key stage 1 are taught together. There is a key stage 2 class comprising of pupils from Years 3 to 6.  The school provides a breakfast club.  The school does not use 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to senior leaders, including members of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority. 10 July 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors listened to pupils from different year groups read.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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. Inspectors also spoke to leaders, teachers, governors and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors analysed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. They reviewed answers from the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Georgina Chinaka, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Horn Ofsted Inspector 10 July 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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