Follifoot Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Follifoot Church of England Primary School Main Street, Follifoot, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1DU

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 15 and 16 July 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This small, rural school sits at the heart of its community. The school’s values of ‘love, learn and thrive’ are realised through the kindness pupils show towards one another. Deeply respectful relationships exist between adults and pupils. This means pupils feel happy and safe. They rightly describe their school as ‘small and beautiful’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school considers pupils’ opinions when changes are made. Pupils value the opportunities they get to contribute to the life of the school. Digital leaders help their friends to stay safe when they work on computers. Reading ambassadors promote a love of reading by recommending books for others. The well-being team help their peers feel calm and happy. Such roles and responsibilities develop pupils’ leadership skills and self- confidence.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils. Where necessary, adaptations are made to the curriculum so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included. Pupils are articulate, respectful and proud of their school. Supported by the community, the school ensures that pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences and opportunities that develop their character. A recent visit to a mosque, as well as links with local charities, helps pupils see life and cultures beyond Follifoot.

p.2

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

The school has recently been through an unsettling period due to repeated changes of leadership. With support from the local authority and the diocese, this situation has been well managed by governors and senior staff. This has now settled, and current leadership arrangements have brought increased stability and consistency for the school. However, this recent disruption has led to delays in establishing effective systems for checking the quality of the wider curriculum. As a result, those with responsibility for governance do not have a clear enough picture of the impact the curriculum is having on pupils’ learning. This means that some areas for improvement are not identified swiftly enough.

p.2

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work towards the same ambitious curriculum end points as their peers. Staff have a detailed understanding of these pupils’ needs. This means the curriculum is well adapted and inclusive. The school reviews the support it provides to pupils with SEND to ensure that it is well matched to their needs. This helps them to make strong progress in their learning.

p.2

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

During lessons, teachers make regular checks on pupils’ learning. This information is used to plan what needs to be taught next. Teachers quickly address pupils’ misunderstandings. Pupils’ previous learning is regularly revisited. This helps them to remember more of what they have been taught. In subjects such as mathematics, new concepts are clearly modelled for pupils. They quickly become confident and proficient mathematicians.

p.2

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

Reading has remained a high priority for the school. Well-trained staff teach phonics well. Pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme get the extra help they need. 15 and 16 July 2025

p.2

3

As a result, most pupils leaving key stage 1 can apply their phonics knowledge in their writing. However, pupils who are in the early stages of learning to write are sometimes taught more complex grammatical features before they can use basic punctuation. Therefore, some pupils’ writing is punctuated incorrectly. This hinders their ability to write fluently. Teachers share stories with pupils regularly. This encourages pupils to read widely and often. Pupils have positive views about reading and enjoy accessing the well-stocked school library. ‘Book Battles’ give pupils the opportunity to recommend their favourite read to their peers.

p.3

3

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and apply these consistently. Pupils’ behaviour in school is calm and orderly. Lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils understand the importance of their ‘golden rules’ and are determined to uphold the school’s values. The house points and merits that pupils can earn motivate them to work hard.

p.3

3

The school’s offer for pupils’ personal development is well thought out. When local issues arise, the school is swift to adapt the content so that pupils know how to stay safe. This includes visits from the police to share important safety messages. Pupils recognise the importance of uniqueness and know that some characteristics are protected by law. Older pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. This includes an awareness of more mature themes such as consent. The school’s computing curriculum ensures pupils understand the benefits and dangers of the internet. Pupils have been taught strategies to keep themselves safe online.

p.3

3

Staff are fully committed to the school and its community. Staff work across the federation to access training and share ideas and resources. They appreciate the way that leaders take account of their views when implementing changes. Morale is high. Staff are positive and excited about the school’s future.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, younger pupils are taught the more complex grammatical features of writing before they have a secure understanding of basic punctuation. This results in errors in pupils’ written work. The school should ensure that the foundational skills of writing are given sufficient focus before moving on to more complex punctuation and grammar so that pupils write with greater accuracy.  Those with wider curriculum responsibilities, including those with governance responsibilities, do not check the impact of the school’s curriculum well enough. This means that some areas for improvement, such as those in writing, are not identified and addressed swiftly enough. The school should ensure that systems are established to improve the ability of leaders at all levels to evaluate the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning and use this to inform future improvement. 15 and 16 July 2025

p.3

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). 15 and 16 July 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Headteacher Nicky Kilvington (Interim Executive Headteacher) Website www.follifootandspofforth.co.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this school

 At the time of the inspection, the school was using a registered alternative provision.  The school is part of a federation with Spofforth Church of England Primary School. Both schools share the same headteacher.  Children in the early years receive their education at Spofforth Church of England Primary School. When the early years provision was last inspected at that school in July 2022, it was judged to be good.

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.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education 15 and 16 July 2025

p.5

6

provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the interim executive headteacher, senior teacher in charge and special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors held discussions with staff to consider their views.  Meetings were held with the governors, including the chair of the governing body.  An inspector met with the local authority senior education adviser and the school’s diocesan adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. 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 also discussed the school’s work and reviewed pupils work in some other curriculum areas.

p.6

6

 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.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club and spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  To evaluate pupils’ behaviour, inspectors visited lessons, analysed behaviour records, met with groups of pupils and observed their play at breaktime and lunchtime.

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Pearce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 July 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