Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Green Hammerton Church of England Primary School York Road, Green Hammerton, York, North Yorkshire YO26 8BN

p.1

Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

p.1

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 February 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Green Hammerton school embody the school’s values, including courage, compassion and friendship. Happiness radiates throughout the school. Pupils form highly positive relationships with staff and one another. This ensures that the classroom environments across school are productive and purposeful. The pastoral support for pupils allows them to thrive. As a result, pupils exemplify the school’s aim of ‘nurturing and developing each individual’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

High expectations abound across the school. Pupils strive to meet these. Over time, some pupils have not achieved as well as they should, however. Pupils are beginning to benefit from improvements that school leaders have introduced recently. The impact of these improvements is not seen in some published outcomes at this point in time.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show high levels of empathy. They are respectful to one another and to adults. Behaviour in school is positive. Where a small number of pupils occasionally struggle to meet the school’s high standards of behaviour, staff provide sensitive and effective support. These well-trained and vigilant staff ensure pupils are safe at school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Comments such as the school being a ‘happy and safe place’ and ‘a wonderful nurturing environment’ accurately reflect the findings of the inspectors.

p.2

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

The school has developed quality curriculums that are designed to meet the needs of all pupils. The processes for identifying pupils’ specific needs are rigorous. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, for some pupils with SEND, provision is not matched precisely to their individual targets. This means they do not achieve as highly as they might.

p.2

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

Pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read, benefit from consistent teaching of phonics. Those who struggle receive effective support to allow them to catch up. Staff are vigilant in addressing any misconceptions in pupils’ phonics knowledge. As pupils progress through school, many become fluent and confident readers. However, a number of older pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they might in reading and writing. This means that these pupils are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they should be.

p.2

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

Pupils’ behaviours for learning are very positive. Lessons proceed without disruption. Pupils enjoy their learning. They have opportunities to embed and expand their skills and knowledge. Skilled staff address misconceptions. They adapt their lessons for pupils who might find things difficult. Pupils clearly articulate their learning and apply their knowledge to new tasks. For example, younger children discuss confidently and use properties of shape in mathematics. Older pupils make clear links to prior learning when developing passing and positional skills in netball. 25 and 26 February 2025

p.2

3

Children in early years get off to a strong start. Knowledgeable staff teach a well-designed curriculum with consistency. A clear focus on communication and language allows pupils to discuss their learning through play. Children talk about ‘babies who can’t eat some sorts of food because they don’t have any teeth’. Others manipulate numbers with increasing accuracy. Children in early years are well prepared for the next stage of education.

p.3

3

Pupils’ attendance is high. They are punctual and love coming to school. Leaders accurately analyse reasons for absence. They seek to support families to improve attendance in the small number of cases where this is an issue.

p.3

3

Pupils’ wider development is a high priority in school. Through educational visits to different places of worship, pupils develop a keen appreciation for other faiths and religions. They develop a compelling sense of equality and tolerance for all. A comment from one pupil reflected the views of others: ‘It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter if you have a disability, we’re all people and we’re all the same inside’. Pupils make significant contributions to the school and the wider community. For example, the reading ambassadors talk with pride about their involvement in the ‘reading rainforest’ initiative in school. Others have their written work for Remembrance Sunday displayed in the local church or sing at Harrogate Royal Hall.

p.3

3

Leaders have pupils’ best interests at the centre of all they do. The school has made improvements to further develop pupils’ academic progress. These improvements still need to be embedded, however. Governors are knowledgeable and well informed. They offer supportive challenge to school leaders. Despite the changes that have occurred over a short period of time, leaders ensure this does not impact negatively on staff’s workload and well-being. The school seeks to engage productively with parents for the benefit of pupils’ education and wider development.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Over time, some older pupils have had inconsistent experiences in the provision for reading and writing. This means that they do not progress through the curriculums as well as they should. The school must ensure that recent improvements in the curriculums for reading and writing enable pupils to achieve more highly in line with the school’s intent.  The provision for a small number of pupils with SEND does not precisely link to their individual targets and needs. This means that these pupils do not consistently secure the basic knowledge they need to be able to achieve more highly. The school must 25 and 26 February 2025

p.3

4

ensure that the provision for pupils with SEND is precisely targeted to address their needs and allows them to achieve more highly.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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' 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). 25 and 26 February 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Headteacher Davinia Pearson (executive headteacher)

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school has undergone a significant change in senior leadership since the previous inspection. The current headteacher is the third since 2019. She was appointed in January 2024. The headteacher is the executive headteacher of this school and another local primary school.  More than three quarters of staff who responded to the online questionnaire were not working at the school when it was last inspected.  The school is working in an informal collaboration with the school over which the executive headteacher also has responsibility.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.  The school operates wraparound breakfast and after-school childcare under the management of the governing body.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is also inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The last such inspection was in February 2018. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due before February 2026.

p.5

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders, some school staff, members of the local governing body, a representative of the diocese and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. 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 looked at examples of plans for pupils with SEND alongside their work in

p.6

Information about this inspection

books.  An inspector also looked at sample of pupils’ work in books across a number of other curriculum subjects.  An inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1, 2 and 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.  An inspector also spoke to some parents at the end of the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online staff and pupil questionnaires and spoke to some staff about their workload and well-being.

p.6

Inspection team

Richard Beadnall, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Alison Black Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

p.6

7

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