Rosedale Abbey Community Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248240 Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rosedale Abbey Primary School Rosedale Abbey Pickering North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Anthony Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 25 – 27 November 1997 Rosedale Abbey C P School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 2607 Brian Griffiths Registered inspector 11358 Victoria Lamb Lay inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Yorkshire Education Services 16 Burn Hall Darlington Road Croxdale Durham DH1 3SR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Rosedale Abbey C P School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Rosedale Abbey is a very small Community Primary School that serves the village of Rosedale Abbey, within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, and the wider dale, whilst a handful of pupils travel from farther afield to attend. In all there are 32 pupils on roll. There are two classes; one consists of four- to seven-year-olds and the other of eight- to eleven-year-olds. Almost all pupils are from white British backgrounds. A small proportion is of mixed heritage. A below average proportion of pupils (nine per cent) is eligible for free school meals. Seven pupils are identified by the school as having special educational needs - a below average proportion. Pupils’ special needs include moderate learning and emotional and behavioural difficulties. Pupils come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. Attainment on entry to the school is very varied but taken overall is below average. Since the last inspection there have been many changes at the school;

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

numbers on roll have fallen, there have been considerable changes of staff and the building has been modified.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school at which children make very good progress in order to reach above average standards in most aspects of their work by the age of eleven. A rich curriculum is presented very interestingly and is well taught. Standards are high because all concerned with the school work well as a team, responding enthusiastically to high quality leadership. Even though costs are relatively high the school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards. • Pupils develop very well personally and socially, and have very good attitudes to learning. • A rich and very interesting curriculum is taught well and sometimes outstandingly. • The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by governors and staff.

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What could be improved

• Pupils’ attainment in writing. • The challenge for higher attaining pupils. • The accommodation in order to fully provide for all aspects of pupils’ learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection, in November 1997, the school has steadily improved. It has strongly embedded the good levels of education and leadership identified then. Relatively minor weaknesses in the annual reports to parents about their children’s progress have been eradicated and most parents now speak highly of them. The accommodation has been improved a good deal, but there remains only limited provision for pupils’ outdoor play, gymnasium facilities and administrative space. Although the provision for children in the reception year is still adversely affected by the limited outdoor play space, their curriculum is otherwise good.

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STANDARDS

Rosedale Abbey C P School - 8 The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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schools

2000 2001 2002 2002 English C E C D mathematics B E* C D science A E* E E well above average above average average below average well below average very low A B C D E E*

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schools

With such small numbers of pupils in each year group, the scores reached in tests in any one year are not reliable indicators of pupils’ achievements. However, pupils in Year 2 have reached above average to well above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics for several years and this is a true reflection of their attainment

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schools

The results of national tests for pupils in Year 6 have varied considerably in recent years as can be seen from the above table. Last year’s results were a little disappointing, in that several pupils just failed to reach the next highest level - most markedly in science. The year before that, results were well below average. However, there were only three pupils in that year group and one of these was on the school’s register of special educational needs. (This is a good illustration of the general point made in the first sentence of this section; one pupil in a small year group forms a large percentage of the total.) Almost all pupils in the two year groups had made at least satisfactory progress in the preceding four years and a good proportion had made good progress.

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schools

The inspection judgement is that pupils make very good progress between the ages of four and eleven. Pupils reach standards that are above average in English, in which reading is good, speaking and listening often very good and writing standards average. In mathematics and science standards are also above average. Ambitious targets are set for Year 6 pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics; they are worked at hard and usually reached.

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schools

Improved provision for information and communication technology is raising standards and making an increasing contribution to learning in other areas. Above average standards are reached in music.

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schools

Children in the reception year make rapid progress in most areas of learning and reach average standards overall. Progress is least impressive, though still satisfactory, when provision is limited by the difficulty experienced in providing well-supervised outdoor play.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy school and its activities, settling well to work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils happily meet the school’s high expectations of their behaviour both in lessons and at other times. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils respond very well to responsibility and form mature relationships with adults and each other. Attendance Satisfactory.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Very good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Not only is teaching never less than good but at times it is either very good or outstanding. Almost all lessons are characterised by very good management of pupils that is based on mutual respect and affection. This ensures that pupils concentrate very well on their work and learn at a very good rate. English, including literacy, and mathematics, including numeracy, are taught well overall and very well in Years 1 and 2. Teachers’ good knowledge both of their pupils and of the subjects that they teach is harnessed effectively to ensure that pupils learn very well in all subjects. The planning of lessons is satisfactory overall although learning objectives sometimes lack clarity and the focus of the teaching is not always clear. In the great majority of lessons, all pupils benefit substantially. In a few lessons, older, potentially higher attainers are not given sufficiently advanced work .

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. A broad curriculum is made very interesting for pupils by the use of visiting experts and enthusiasts, and by well-planned educational visits. All statutory responsibilities are fully met. Children in the reception year experience a rich curriculum, although the provision for physical development is only satisfactory. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. They make good academic progress and those with behavioural difficulties respond well to the school’s skilled, patient and positive approach. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school works hard and very successfully to ensure that pupils develop into rounded, caring, well-informed young people.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. There are very carefully thought-through systems to ensure pupils’ health, welfare and safety. Pupils’ progress is carefully monitored.

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Aspect Comment

The school works closely with parents and is at the centre of many community activities. Parents particularly value the ready access that they have to staff, and how well members of staff know their children. On occasions the ‘personal closeness’ is felt to make it more difficult to hold conversations about concerns but all (parents and staff) work hard to overcome this .

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a carefully considered and ambitious vision for the school that is fully shared by all partners. Informal but effective management strategies support the implementation of this vision. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors fully understand their roles and meet their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Although largely informal, the school’s systems for checking on its effectiveness work well. Rosedale Abbey C P School - 10 The strategic use of resources Good. Funds are spent in ways that fully support the school’s aims. Governors understand and act on the need to spend wisely and so they obtain best value.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing levels are appropriate to the size of the school and the needs of its pupils. There is a good range of academic expertise. Learning resources are more than adequate in most subjects, although the most advanced readers could do with ready access to more demanding fiction and non-fiction books. An awkward building has been modified intelligently and is used imaginatively. However, play space is very limited and there is nowhere for adults to hold confidential conversations nor to work quietly.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school’s high expectations of their children. • Children’s behaviour is good. • Children enjoy coming to school and are taught well. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • The arrangements for setting homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. Whilst the amount of homework set is reasonable, its use is not sufficiently systematic. Rosedale Abbey C P School - 11

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

1. Taken overall, attainment on entry to the school is below average and when pupils leave at the age of eleven they are at above average levels in most subjects and have made equally, very good, progress in their personal, social and emotional development.

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

2. Children starting school come from a wide range of backgrounds but very few of them have experience of nursery education – the nearest provision being 10 miles from the village. Some children have mixed with adults and other children and they have relatively complex social lives with the associated skills. Others do not often mix with other children due to the remoteness of their homes. Around one-half of pupils come from families that do not include both natural parents. However, even though attainment on entry, taken overall, is below average, the children’s own underlying self-confidence and the school’s high quality provision allows them quickly to settle in and begin to make rapid progress in most areas of their learning.

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

3. The class in which children start is small - currently ten pupils. For a good proportion of the day it is staffed by a learning support assistant, (working mainly with one pupil) as well as the teacher. This good adult to child ratio is used very well. All pupils benefit from the good and very good teaching, a significant ingredient of which is the provision for their personal, social and emotional development. The youngest children are encouraged to settle to work and play very well by expert and supportive teaching. In this they are helped by the rapidly developing caring attitudes of the slightly older pupils who welcome newcomers and give friendship and support. As time passes and other, younger, children join the class, the cycle continues so that there is a climate of care for others that not only enhances children’s personal development but also supports learning in all other areas. By the time that children reach the end of the reception year they are already

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

reaching average levels in personal and social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, creative development and the knowledge and understanding of the world. Physical development is at close to average levels but much of this is due to the skills that children bring with them, as the school’s provision is limited by a lack of space; the classroom is not sufficiently large to allow a broad enough range of activities that develop physical dexterity and there is very limited access to the outside play area.

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

4. This good progress continues in Years 1 and 2. Standards reached in national tests in English, mathematics and science have risen steadily in recent years and the current above average standards are an accurate reflection of pupils’ attainment not only in those key subjects but also in others. The all-pervading sense of fun and purpose that characterises most lessons ensures very good progress. Pupils benefit greatly both socially and academically from the use of two additional part-time teachers who teach, throughout the school, art and design and music respectively. This arrangement allows pupils to form relationships with a greater number of adults than would otherwise be the case (thus helping their personal and social development) and also gives them access to specialist knowledge and enthusiasm in those subjects.

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

5. Good progress is maintained in Years 3 to 6, so that standards at the age of eleven are above average. National test scores in English, mathematics and science for this school have been at or above the national average in four of the last five years; the current Year 6 is on track to meet the targets set for it and to match national averages, whilst the current Year 5 is already working at close to the levels expected of Year 6 pupils and likely to reach better, or much better, than average standards by the age of eleven. The fluctuations in test results in recent years are largely the result of differences in the composition of the year groups and are often seen in small schools. These fluctuations have had more impact on the attainment of older pupils mainly because the younger ones, unlike the older, have been taught for many years by teachers who know the school and its pupils well and have taught there for several years. Throughout the school,

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

Rosedale Abbey C P School - 12 lower attaining pupils are well supported, work hard and do well both in lessons and in national tests; potentially higher attainers achieve satisfactorily but more of them are capable of reaching higher standards. The school is aware of this, and is working at it; hence the progress of the current Year 5 pupils and the improving progress being made by Year 6. Pupils read, speak and listen better than most others of their age. Standards in writing vary a good deal. At their best, pupils produce, for example, poetry of high quality. After a visit to a glassworks one pupil wrote:

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

‘Obsidian gloom, Mysterious looking glow Shattering glass shards’

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

‘Boiling, licking flame, expandable, elastic, translucent thin twist’.

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

6. However, these are not typical, and whilst overall standards of writing are in line with the national average, pupils do too little writing in their own words to reach regularly the very high standards of which some are capable

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The great majority of pupils make very good progress and reach above average standards

7. In other subjects, standards are most clearly good in music and art and design. As in the class of younger pupils, these subjects are taught by part-time, expert and enthusiastic teachers for whom pupils work hard and progress well. Standards in information and communication technology and in science are rising, and are now above average, largely because of the improved provision and more expert teaching.

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Pupils develop very well personally and socially and have very good attitudes to learning

8. The most marked feature of the school, quickly obvious to and often remarked on by visitors, is its very positive learning atmosphere. Pupils and adults share a real pleasure in learning, and lessons are characterised by a well-balanced sense of both purpose and fun. Even the youngest pupils pick up on this. In one lesson a four-year-old listened to the teacher explain, with a smile, that she was to do harder work with Year 1 children, and that made her ‘an honorary Year 1’; several times over the next half-hour she reminded herself and others that ‘I’m an honorororary (sic) Year 1’ – finally getting it right, to broad smiles from pupils. The result of this approach, throughout the school, is that pupils listen carefully to teaching and to the contributions of other pupils and settle very well to work. They co-operate very well with each other, and boys and girls, younger and older and higher and lower attainers share mutual respect and friendship. This is the outcome of a

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Pupils develop very well personally and socially and have very good attitudes to learning

carefully considered view of teaching and learning that comes from the top but which has the whole-hearted commitment of all of the other adults connected with the school. Pupils thrive in this atmosphere. They almost invariably behave very well. On the occasions when a pupil does not reach these high standards they are dealt with firmly but with respect and understanding. Other pupils have a mature and helpful approach on these occasions; this supports both the pupils and the staff as well as enhancing all pupils’ coping skills and social development. The result is that even those pupils who find good behaviour difficult, respond increasingly positively.

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Pupils develop very well personally and socially and have very good attitudes to learning

9. All pupils enjoy taking responsibilities. The younger ones enjoy, and learn from, simple tasks such as looking after animals like the giant African land snail or the recently hatched chicks and this fits them for more demanding responsibilities higher up the school. Older pupils accepted a major part in the publication of the community newsletter, ‘Uphill, Downdale’ after its future was in doubt; they manage aspects of a substantial number of fundraising events for charity and organise and staff stalls at jumble sales and other local events.

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Pupils develop very well personally and socially and have very good attitudes to learning

10. Pupils are prepared well for future learning in high school. Any suspicion that pupils who thrive in such a small school may not do so when they transfer to a much larger high school is Rosedale Abbey C P School - 13 dispelled when their performance there is considered. They transfer as a year group of, on average, five or six to a year group of 170 at the local high school. There they are seen to adapt very well and are ‘…known for their sense of appropriateness and responsibility’. Rosedale Abbey pupils match the academic performance of other pupils and take responsibilities such as membership of the School Council – to which they have to be elected by fellow students.

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A rich and very interesting curriculum is taught well and sometimes outstandingly

11. Even with its small staff there is a good range of academic expertise in the school, partly because governors have made careful appointments and partly because part-time teachers take management responsibilities for areas in which they have good subject knowledge. For example, music is co-ordinated by a teacher who works for half a day each week. Well-focused expertise, largely from the local education authority, is used to help develop the curriculum – for example in mathematics – when the school feels that external viewpoints would be valuable. Good use is made of written guidance from both the local education authority and national sources. These materials and this advice have been welded together well to ensure that the curriculum is well matched to most pupils’ needs. The resultant curriculum is then allocated to the two classes, using a rolling programme that effectively limits the amount of repetition that could occur when pupils

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A rich and very interesting curriculum is taught well and sometimes outstandingly

spend up to four years in the same class. Thus, medium and long-term planning are more than adequate. In addition, regular and effective steps are taken to prevent the school from being too insular in its relatively isolated position. The curriculum is considerably enriched by the use of well- planned and relevant visits and by visiting experts who share their enthusiasms and skills with pupils in ways that capture their interest and promote good learning. These have included artists, craftspeople, musicians, theatre groups and several sports coaches. The school is regularly involved in local and regional initiatives to promote learning. For example, under the auspices of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, pupils worked with a sculptor to design a sculpture/seat that is now at a vantage point overlooking the village. Much of pupils’ best work draws on these experiences, particularly their best writing. One small room is equipped with computers and acts

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A rich and very interesting curriculum is taught well and sometimes outstandingly

as a ‘village-based learning centre’. Members of the community use it for a variety of purposes, enhancing the close links that have existed for some time; for much of the week, teachers and pupils have access to this rich resource and careful organisation and good teaching have contributed substantially to raising interest and standards in information and communication technology.

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A rich and very interesting curriculum is taught well and sometimes outstandingly

12. All of the teaching observed during the inspection was in the range from good to excellent. A substantial body of other evidence points to this being an accurate reflection of the work of the school. The major positive qualities of teaching centre on teachers’ good knowledge of the subjects they teach, high quality relationships, good management of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, the teaching of basic skills, especially in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology and the teaching of pupils with special educational needs. In the best lessons observed all of these qualities were present in abundance, teachers’ explanations were animated so that a real sense of excitement was engendered and learning resources were of good quality, matching the teachers’ intentions for what pupils were going to learn. In good lessons that could have been better, learning was not planned with sufficient clarity. It was not made sufficiently

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A rich and very interesting curriculum is taught well and sometimes outstandingly

clear what pupils were to learn, nor what help the support assistants were to give, particularly during whole-class explanations by the teacher.

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The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by governors and

13. Since the last inspection there have been many changes at the school. None-the-less the school has maintained its strengths and has improved in a number of areas – particularly in those identified by the last inspection. This is mainly because the headteacher, who has been at the school throughout this period, has established a very clear sense of purpose which existing staff Rosedale Abbey C P School - 14 and newcomers support enthusiastically. There are sensible, well-documented policies and management systems that have been carefully debated and improved upon by governors, and are meticulously implemented by all concerned. There is a very positive working atmosphere both within and between staff and the governing body. Relationships are friendly and mutually supportive, with a strong sense of shared purpose. When questioned separately, the staff and governors identified almost identical strengths and areas for further development; this was clearly

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The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by governors and

the outcome of a shared vision and an understanding of the need to establish agreed priorities.

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The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by governors and

14. The headteacher teaches a class for around three-quarters of the week and sets a very good example in this teaching; it is characterised by warm relationships and a sense of excitement in learning. This supports very well and brings to life the agreed, written documentation on teaching and learning and strongly encourages others to do the same. This they do. A teacher who was new to teaching as well as to the school less than three years ago has been inducted well into the school’s vision and methods so that she contributes fully to its work. In addition she brings expertise in areas that were less strong until her arrival and the school’s informal but effective ways of sharing understanding and expertise have allowed her to give a real impetus to work in a number of areas, notably information and communication technology. Part-time staff more than pull their weight and bring good leadership and management skills as well as effective teaching; their

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The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by governors and

subjects are managed well and they contribute a good deal to the school’s sense of direction.

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The headteacher provides very good leadership and is ably supported by governors and

15. The governing body is active and well-informed. It contributes effectively as a critical friend for the headteacher and staff and brings its own imaginative ideas to bear on debate.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

16. Overall, most pupils do well to reach sound standards in writing by the end of Year 6. Most of the best writing draws on activities that pupils have undertaken in connection with other subjects or that have been designed to provoke interest that in turn leads to good writing. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 wrote about the finger puppets they had made in design and technology; the pleasure they had experienced whilst designing and making spilled over into the content of the writing and, because they were deeply interested in the work, they tried hard with spelling and handwriting - which was better than other pieces written at around the same time. On a number of other occasions the writing forms part of English exercises or is being done for the sole purpose of practising a particular style of writing; on these occasions even the best writers make too many careless mistakes and the content lacks the flair seen in other situations. There are too few

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

opportunities made for writing longer pieces so that when these are attempted they do not have the sustained quality that pupils’ other work suggests they could achieve.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

17. When pupils achieve best, teachers have planned precisely what they intend pupils to know by the end of the lesson or series of lessons and what they, and the learning support assistant are to do throughout each lesson in order to ensure that the learning takes place. On some occasions, there is a lack of clarity about the purpose of the lesson and the learning support assistant has not been fully briefed in order to make a full contribution, including during whole-class explanations by the teacher.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

18. Much time is given to English exercises; in a recent two-month period, twice as many exercises had been undertaken as pieces in pupils’ own words. Some of the exercise work is successful and leads to, for example, good spelling and accurate use of speech marks. On some occasions skills apparently acquired in an exercise do not transfer to pupils’ own writing; on other occasions careless mistakes begin into creep into the later stages of the exercises themselves. Older pupils are sufficiently mature and positive in their outlook to enjoy learning and generally work well; however, they explain that sometimes work is boring and they do not work as hard as when Rosedale Abbey C P School - 15 the work ‘…makes us think…’. Pupils’ writing is not as good as it should be largely because they do too little original work and some of what they do does not capture their interest.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

The challenge for higher attaining pupils.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

19. Potentially higher attaining pupils reach above average standards in most subjects. In some areas they do very well – for example in music, and in aspects of information and communication technology, history, geography and art. However, there are some occasions when work is not demanding enough for them, especially the older ones, to show themselves at their best, even though they approach all lessons with maturity and commitment. The great majority of lessons follow the pattern of an explanation of the work, followed by the setting of the tasks for each of the three, four or five groups (chosen by a combination of age and ability). When these explanations are complex, as they sometimes have to be, the oldest pupils often have to listen to instructions intended for the younger ones. This has the virtue of helping them to revise work that they have done earlier, but it reduces the time that they have for their own work and so limits the standards

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

that they reach. There are too few occasions when the higher attainers are taught throughout the lesson at a level that demands enough of them.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

20. Teachers usually plan lessons by identifying how far they are along the track of their longer- term curriculum plans. Whilst these plans are good for their intended purpose, they do not allow the teachers to make full use of their good knowledge of pupils’ recent achievements to identify carefully what pupils should learn next and then to plan work at that level. This adversely impacts most on the older and potentially higher attainers, as the work of which they are capable is sometimes beyond that envisaged in the longer-term plans. On the occasions when a lesson plan identifies what is expected of pupils of differing abilities, as in an excellent music lesson, the work that results demands much of all pupils, so that all, including the higher attainers, make good progress and achieve very close to their potential.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

The accommodation, in order to fully provide for all aspects of pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

21. Since the last inspection many imaginative improvements have been made to the accommodation, including the outside play areas. These improvements have included:

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

• work on the entrance which, although still small, is now welcoming, • modifying the stairs – making more usable space, • improving the administrative area, • the provision of a community room equipped with computers that are available for school as well as community use and • better central heating.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

In addition, more large outdoor play equipment has been provided for the younger pupils. However, there is still no large gymnastic equipment and this limits work in physical education for pupils of all ages; the playground is small and is not only shared with the church for whom it is the main entrance but also has a public right of way running through it. There is no grassed area, although the school has access to a nearby field.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

22. The restricted outdoor play facilities limit the physical development of younger pupils and, because it is not readily and regularly provided, such play does not make its full contribution to their social and emotional development nor to their language skills. The school does well in other ways to compensate – hence children’s good progress during the Reception Year.

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Pupils’ attainment in writing

23. The lack of internal space makes it difficult for staff and parents to hold confidential conversations and this may contribute to some understandable worries about the difficulties experienced in holding potentially sensitive discussions when the staff member and parents are Rosedale Abbey C P School - 16 friends and part of a small community. Because the school building and site is surrounded by roads, housing and the church, it is very difficult to make many further improvements. However, governors have done well in this regard and they are ambitious for the future. Rosedale Abbey C P School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

24. In order to improve the school’s provision and the standards reached by pupils, the governors, headteacher and staff should act on the following.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i] Improve pupils’ attainment in writing . In order to do this it will be necessary to: - ensure that lesson planning makes clear what pupils of all abilities are going to learn; - place more emphasis on pupils’ writing in their own words, if necessary by reducing the amount of time spent on exercises; - use the skills of learning support assistants more effectively, especially during teachers’ whole-class explanations; (See paragraphs 5 - 6, 11 - 12, 16 - 18)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii] Improve the standards reached by the oldest higher attainers by: - planning harder work for them that draws on their successes with earlier work; - making more opportunities for them to be supported as a group whilst they work for longer periods on higher level tasks; (See paragraphs 5, 12, 18 – 20)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii] Continue to pursue opportunities to improve the accommodation . In particular: - strive to ensure that children have sole and safe access to space, play materials and equipment that extend their physical skills; - accommodate the need for members of staff and parents to hold confidential discussions. (See paragraphs 3, 21-23) Rosedale Abbey C P School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents a almost seventeen per cent of the total.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 32 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 1 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence % % School data 6 School data 0 Rosedale Abbey C P School - 19 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Rosedale Abbey C P School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year2)

Scores are not published when numbers are ten or less. Rosedale Abbey had eight pupils in this year group.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 7 7 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 13 11 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

School 93 (67) 79 (67) 86 (67) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 10 10 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

School 71 (67) 71 (67) 71 (67) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Separate scores are not given for boys and girls because in each case numbers are 10 or less

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 31 0 0 White – Irish 0 0 0 White – any other White background 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 0 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0 Black or Black British – African 0 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0 Chinese 0 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 Rosedale Abbey C P School - 21 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded .

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Questionnaire return rate Number of questionnaires sent out 35 Number of questionnaires returned 27

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My child likes school. 56 33 11 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 33 56 11 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 59 41 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 37 30 4 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 37 19 4 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 52 33 4 11 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 48 44 7 11 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 37 44 7 11 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 41 44 7 7 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 37 7 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 44 37 11 7 0

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OTHER ISSUES RAISED BY PARENTS

Rosedale Abbey C P School - 22 Parents were very supportive of the ways in which the school responds to pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some of the areas in which parents had reservations were felt by many to be closely linked to the school’s small size and closeness to the tight-knit community that it served.

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