Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Grange Close, Dishforth, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 3LN

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Outcome

Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has fully embedded its vision of ‘rooted and grounded in love’. Pupils of all ages benefit from the positive relationships they develop with adults. Pupils contribute well to the calm and peaceful environment. They are safe, happy and proud to be members of the community. Pupils’ empathy for one another is tangible.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Many pupils reach these. Where this is not the case, the school puts effective support in place. This enables pupils to build up their learning. The school has also established high expectations for pupils’ conduct. Behaviour across school is positive. Pupils are cooperative and willing to please. They embody the school’s aim of everyone feeling valued and secure. Pupils make positive contributions to the life of the school. They take pride in doing so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ best interests are at the heart of all the school does. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school. Their comments focus on the ‘welcoming and close-knit school’, the ‘wonderful rapport’ that the school fosters and the ‘deep care’ that staff provide for pupils. There is an overwhelming family ethos here.

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

Mostly, the curriculum contributes to pupils developing a rich bank of knowledge. For example, pupils recall and use prior learning when discussing particles in a science lesson. That said, in a few areas, the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is not clearly identified. This means checks on learning at times do not ensure 10 December 2024

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that pupils are embedding this key knowledge over time. This restricts the progress pupils make through the curriculum.

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Staff have secure subject knowledge. They in most cases plan activities which help pupils to understand the learning. For instance, children in Reception confidently discussed properties of shapes. They accurately used vocabulary such as ‘rotated’ to describe a square that has been turned through 45 degrees. However, older pupils sometimes do not get the time they need to practise and develop basic mathematical skills. This leads to some pupils have difficulty in solving more complex mathematical problems.

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The nurturing environment at Dishforth means that pupils love to come to school. Attendance is positive as a consequence. Pupils are kind, polite and considerate. Instances of poor behaviour are exceptionally rare.

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In early years, there is a strong focus on communication and language. Children listen attentively and speak with confidence. They enjoy a variety of songs, rhymes and stories. This helps to develop their confidence further, enabling them to use a wide range of vocabulary in their play. Children develop a strong understanding of number which prepares them well for the next stage of their learning. They rapidly add two numbers together with accuracy, for example. Children also develop firm foundations in their phonics knowledge. They develop well in their learning.

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These secure foundations prepare pupils to develop further as they move into key stage 1. Pupils at the early stages of reading receive quality provision and support to allow them to acquire their phonics knowledge. Older pupils become fluent and confident readers. They enjoy reading and love the attractive, welcoming and well-stocked school library.

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There is a clearly understood process across school for identifying pupils’ needs. These needs are then met through carefully targeted support. This has demonstrable impact. This includes identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Access to well-considered additional support and resources, where required, helps these pupils to achieve well.

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The school’s programme for pupils’ wider development is effective. Pupils of all ages are accepting of others. The ethos of the school consistently shows in pupils’ understanding and appreciation of difference. They have commendable attitudes towards others from different backgrounds, including different faiths and religions. Explicit opportunities to learn about spirituality and different forms of worship across the world help to promote pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils know how to stay safe and healthy. They have a very clear understanding of consent, for example. Pupils enjoy attending clubs in school. This helps them develop interests of their own and promotes resilience.

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A new leadership team, including those responsible for governance, has taken swift and effective action to further improve provision. Decisions made are in the interests of staff and pupils. Leaders take staff workload and well-being into account. Staff feel very well supported. Governors use the information they are given to support leaders but also to challenge and hold them to account where needed. 10 December 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas, the essential content that pupils need to know and remember is not clearly identified. This means that checks on learning are not precise enough to ensure that pupils are embedding this key knowledge over time and this restricts how well pupils progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that the essential content is clearly identified across the curriculum, and that staff have the knowledge and skills they need to assess pupils’ understanding of this content.  Some pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and develop their recall of basic mathematical skills. This means that they struggle to solve more complex calculations and mathematical problems. The school should ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to practise and develop their recall of these basic mathematical skills.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness on 27 and 28 November 2019. 10 December 2024

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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). 10 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Jennifer Crabtree and Kirstie Lowe

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in April 2024.  The co-chairs of the governing body were both appointed in September 2024.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Wrap-around care operates on site under the management of the governing body.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The last statutory inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools was in October 2024. The next inspection is due before October 2029.

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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 this school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 10 December 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other school staff, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at sample of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspectors considered the responses to the online staff and pupil questionnaires, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Richard Beadnall, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Roger Ward Ofsted Inspector 10 December 2024

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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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