Appleton Roebuck Primary School

Inspection of Appleton Roebuck Primary School Appleton Roebuck Primary School, Main Street, Appleton Roebuck, York, North Yorkshire YO23 7DN

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected

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The headteacher of this school is Martyn Broom. This school is part of The STAR Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ian Yapp, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nick Sheppard. The Headteacher, Martyn Broom, is also headteacher at one other school. 17 and 18 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to attend this caring and inclusive school. They enjoy extremely positive relationships with adults. Pupils know that if they have a concern, they can turn to any adult for help. Pupils are happy and safe at school. They attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school has a strong family feel where pupils genuinely care for each other. Pupils of all ages get along well, with older pupils supporting younger ones. Parents and carers comment positively about the nurturing ethos of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. This starts in the early years where children demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning that grows as they move through school. Behaviour is positive. Pupils are polite and well mannered, and they engage well with adults. Pupils behave sensibly in lessons. They move calmly around school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a kind and tolerant place. Pupils develop an understanding and respect for those who are different from themselves. Pupils’ individuality and achievements are recognised and celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils welcome the opportunities to attend a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including gardening, coding club and athletics. They are keen to take on positions of responsibility, such as junior leaders and librarians.

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

In recent years, the school has reviewed its curriculum. The school has thought about what pupils learn and in what order they learn it across all subjects. There is an effective two-year cycle in place to meet the needs of pupils within mixed-age classes. Pupils study an ambitious curriculum. They achieve well across a range of subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) study the same curriculum as their peers.

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

Teachers carefully design lessons that help most pupils learn and remember essential knowledge. Lessons are purposeful and engaging. Teachers promote high-quality conversations in classrooms. In mathematics, for example, pupils consider and discuss challenging problems. Right from the early years, adults develop children’s speaking skills and encourage them to share their ideas.

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

The school’s provision for some pupils with SEND does not always meet their needs well enough. This means that some pupils find accessing the content of some lessons difficult. Leaders have begun to review this provision.

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

Pupils have positive attitudes towards reading in school. They appreciate the wide selection of books that are available to choose from. Younger pupils use phonics knowledge to decode words accurately and fluently. The school quickly identifies pupils who need additional support when learning to read and ensures that these pupils access 17 and 18 December 2024

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regular extra phonics sessions. Pupils progress well in reading, becoming more confident and expressive over time.

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The writing curriculum focuses on the rich texts pupils enjoy reading across school. Pupils are taught to form their letters correctly and to spell the words they can read in phonics lessons. However, they are not routinely given sufficient opportunity to practise these skills. As a result, some pupils find more complex writing tasks, such as stories and descriptions, too difficult because they are still trying to concentrate on basic handwriting and spelling.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Adults build on children’s interests to support learning. Staff embrace children’s curiosity to learn and question. The learning environment is exciting and engaging. Children stay focused on their tasks. For example, they work together to gather ingredients for a potion to make Christmas even more exciting!

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The school’s approach to supporting pupils’ personal development is a strength. It prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Lessons and assemblies cover important themes and the school’s values. Pupils have a secure knowledge of fundamental British values. They learn about different religions and faiths. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations outside of school, including when online. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to become active citizens. Pupils know they can make a difference in school, in the local community and in the wider world. Their poster campaign to keep the local villages clean and tidy is having a positive impact.

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In recent years, there have been significant changes to leadership and staffing. Leaders and those responsible for governance have taken effective action to achieve a stable position on which to build sustainable improvements. Governors have clear oversight of the school’s priorities. They ask probing questions and hold leaders to account. They are diligent and fully committed to putting pupils’ interests at the centre of their decision- making. Staff report high levels of support for their workload and well-being. Staff are wholeheartedly committed to improving opportunities for pupils across all aspects of the school’s work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not routinely get sufficient opportunities to practise the letter formation they are taught in phonics lessons. This means that pupils do not securely progress to composing pieces of writing with confidence and accuracy. The school should ensure 17 and 18 December 2024

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that early writing skills are taught effectively so that pupils build the same fluency in their writing as in their early reading.  The school has not matched its provision for some pupils with SEND precisely to their identified needs. This means that some pupils’ needs are not met fully. The school should continue to review its identification of, and provision for, pupils with SEND so that all pupils can access the curriculum to their fullest ability.

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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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of The STAR Multi Academy Trust since July 2018.  The headteacher was appointed in April 2022.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision for any of its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 17 and 18 December 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the headteacher, the CEO and other school and trust leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive inspectors, 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 also discussed the curriculum and looked at samples of pupils’ work in some other subjects.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers at a school event.  The lead inspector met with members of the trust board and the local governing board.

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Inspection team

Tracy Duffy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 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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