Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Station Road, Middleton-on-the-Wolds, Driffield YO25 9UQ

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Outcome

Middleton-on-the-Wolds 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?

Pupils enjoy attending this small school which they say has a ‘big heart’. The school has a distinctive close-knit ethos. Staff know pupils well. Relationships are close and nurturing. As a result, pupils are happy and safe in school. The school has high expectations for pupils to do their best. Pupils respond positively to these expectations and are well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The whole school environment has an atmosphere of calm purposefulness. Pupils behave well in lessons and at less structured times. Older pupils are positive role models for their younger peers. For example, children in Reception are welcomed into games with their key stage 2 counterparts. They play together positively and cooperatively. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), respond to teachers with enthusiasm and curiosity in their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a number of extra-curricular clubs for pupils to develop their interests. For example, in drama club, pupils revel in opportunities to dress up and rehearse for a performance of The Hobbit. The school recognises the importance of providing pupils with wider experiences to broaden their horizons. On a visit to London, pupils spent the night on HMS Belfast. Primary School 25 March 2025

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

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious. Teachers adapt the curriculum well for the school’s mixed-age classes, ensuring that pupils learn the right things at the right time. Children in the early years follow a sequence of learning that prepares them well for key stage 1. They secure important foundations in the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils build their knowledge well over time. For example, in art, they widen their knowledge of notable artists which informs their budding skills in different artistic techniques.

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

The school is ambitious that every pupil become a fluent reader who takes pleasure from reading. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of books. The school ensures that these represent different genres and diverse cultures. This journey begins in the Nursery when children sort pictures based on the initial sounds in words. Children in Reception develop knowledge of phonics through enjoyable sessions in which they learn the sounds that letters make. However, some pupils who struggle with learning to read do not receive the right kind of support they need to keep up. Gaps in their phonics knowledge are not consistently identified and addressed in a timely way.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. These pupils typically benefit from additional adult support. However, the school has not identified the most appropriate ways for teachers to adapt learning activities for some pupils with SEND. For example, sometimes knowledge is not broken down into manageable chunks for pupils who would benefit from this. This makes it harder for these pupils to progress through the curriculum well.

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

Children in the early years thrive in an environment that is carefully designed to support their learning. Adults’ purposeful interactions with children have a sharp focus on language and vocabulary. For example, children explore the capacity of different vessels using language such as full, half-full and empty. Adults skilfully use questions to support children to think with increasing depth. The youngest children quickly develop confidence and independence. Children play and learn together with high levels of cooperation.

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

Pupils learn to acknowledge and celebrate differences. They are aware of diversity in modern British culture. They compare Christianity to other faiths, for example by visiting a mosque. Elected school councillors are proud of their important role. They help to plan and organise school events such as the school disco, raising money for their chosen charity.

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

Pupils respond positively to the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. They are respectful of each other and adults. They learn the importance of being a positive member of a close-knit school community. The school is relentless in its efforts to ensure that pupils attend school often. However, too many pupils do not attend regularly enough and miss out on important learning and experiences.

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

The school benefits significantly from its work with other schools in its federation. Staff develop their expertise through roles shared across the schools. Staff feel deeply valued Primary School 25 March 2025

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and cared for by leaders and governors who prioritise their workload and well-being. Governors, while unafraid to challenge the school to bring about improvement, also perform a supportive role.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Despite efforts to improve attendance, the school’s actions are not reaching some pupils who are too often absent. These pupils miss significant learning opportunities, which affects their academic progress and engagement with the school community. The school should reinforce its efforts to address persistent absenteeism.  Some of the guidance to support pupils with SEND is not focused sufficiently well on their specific needs. At times, this means that the ways in which teachers adapt learning for these pupils are not as effective as they could be. The school should ensure that staff benefit from guidance that enables them to take full account of pupils’ needs when adapting teaching to meet those needs.  On occasions, the support that pupils receive with their reading is not as well-aligned to gaps in their phonics knowledge as it could be. Where this is the case, it limits the ability of some pupils to catch up and keep up with their peers. The school should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ensure that staff who support pupils with reading have the knowledge they need to implement the school’s reading scheme effectively so that all pupils get the help they need to become accurate and fluent readers.

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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 Primary School 25 March 2025

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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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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). Primary School 25 March 2025

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.middletononthewoldsprimary.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is federated with Bishop Wilton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. Together the two schools form The Wolds Federation.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is also inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The last section 48 inspection of the school was in November 2022. The timescales for reinspection have been extended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. Primary School 25 March 2025

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. They also met with representatives of the diocese, the local authority and members of the governing body.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff. An inspector also spoke with some parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanne Cliff Ofsted Inspector Primary School 25 March 2025

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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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