Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School

Inspection Report Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School

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117881 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire LEA 280175 Inspection number 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 Inspection dates Keith Bardon Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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West Ella Road School address Primary Type of school Kirk Ella Community School category Hull, HU10 7QL 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01482 657208 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01482 657208 Fax number 557 Number on roll Mrs Linda Hibling Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sue Bush Headteacher 1 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280175 17 October 2005 - 4 to 11 18 October 2005 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is very large primary school providing education for boys and girls aged between 4 and 11. It is situated between Hull and Beverley in an area of social and economic advantage. Most pupils attend one of the many private nurseries in the district and start school with attainment that is, overall, similar to that usually seen. A small number of pupils come from minority ethnic groups. All pupils are fluent in English. A small proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. This judgement confirms the accuracy of the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness. Parents feel that the school meets with their expectations and are confident that their children receive a good quality of education. There is a happy atmosphere and the many smiling faces make the school a pleasant place to be. Pupils enjoy learning and apply themselves well to the tasks they are set. Good teaching ensures that throughout their time in the school pupils make clear and sustained progress and leave well equipped to take on the rigours of secondary education. The stimulating provision made for children in the Reception classes gets them away to a flying start and provides a very secure foundation for their future learning. The school has built successfully on the good inspection report it received in 2000, maintaining what was most effective and strengthening those areas that

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Grade: 2

needed to improve. However, while pupils read extremely well, their writing, particularly that of the boys, is not of the same high standard. The school recognises that more work is needed to narrow the gap in these two aspects of English. Senior staff and governors work together keeping a close eye on how well the school is doing and looking for ways to make further improvements. Plans are in place to restructure the senior management team to ensure that the school continues to develop and prosper. The school spends the funds allocated to it efficiently and gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• From the strategies the school has identified, construct and rigorously implement an action plan to raise the quality of writing, particularly that of the boys. • Take the opportunity provided by the restructuring of the senior management team to extend and enhance the procedures for monitoring and developing teaching and learning.

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Grade: 2

Children settle into school quickly and make excellent progress in the Reception classes. This confirms the view many parents expressed to inspectors. With very few exceptions, by the end of their time in Reception children achieve the standards expected for their age and enter Year 1 with a good range of basic knowledge and skills. This secure and productive start is built upon successfully and as they move through the school pupils make good progress. The school’s results in the national tests are consistently above average. Challenging targets are set for pupils’ performance which the school regularly meets. Pupils read very well; their writing is satisfactory but not as good. In 2005, for example, three out of five Year 6 pupils attained the upper level in the national reading test, but only a little over one in eight attained this level in writing. Boys do not write as well as girls. The content of what they write is often weaker and they make more

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Grade: 2

basic errors with spelling and grammar. The school has put measures in place to improve the quality of pupils' writing and particularly that of boys. These are carefully considered 2 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 and well structured, but need to be pursued systematically and rigorously if they are to have maximum effect. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive well judged support and make good, and at times very good, progress against the targets set for their learning. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds achieve well and maintain a similar rate of progress to others in the class. Pupils continue to achieve high standards, particularly in mathematics and science, as they did at the time of the last inspection.

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Grade: 2

The school considers this area as good and the inspection team agrees. Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning, which is reflected in their enjoyment of school. Standards of behaviour are good but younger pupils in particular can, on occasions, be excitable and noisy. Pupils generally respond well to the calming strategies teachers use, but there are times when lessons do not flow as well as they should. Attendance and punctuality are good, although a minority of parents take their children away for holidays during term time. Pupils feel safe in school and feel that they can turn to an adult for help or advice if they need it. They have high regard for the lunchtime supervisors; ‘They’re just like Mums and Dads’. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils of all ages are keen to take on responsibilities around school. Acting as playground buddies gives older pupils valuable experience

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Grade: 2

of caring for others. This extends to the wider world with pupils giving careful consideration to the plight of those devastated by recent world events. Pupils are proud of the fact that the school listens to them and acts on their suggestions. They have been effective in bringing about changes, for example, the construction of bike sheds and the provision of air fresheners in the toilets. Pupils are actively involved in working towards the Healthy School award and support and run the healthy tuck shop.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that teaching and learning are good overall. There are examples of outstanding and sensitive teaching and other examples of less brisk, but nevertheless satisfactory teaching. The school has effective strategies for monitoring teaching which give confidence to self-evaluation. Learners acquire good skills because they are taught well, ensuring their good progress and achievement. The consistent strengths of learning are generally good behaviour and an eagerness to participate. Pupils work well individually and together. Their work, especially that of older pupils, is often accurate and thoughtful. The teaching is well planned to ensure that pupils within the year groups have equal opportunities to learn. Recently, teachers have sharpened their focus on the learning needs of boys, but there are still occasions when opportunities are not fully exploited. Activities are carefully calculated to match

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Grade: 2

tasks to pupils’ prior learning, and good use is made of resources to help pupils learn. 3 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 Teachers have effective strategies to manage behaviour, although there are times when restlessness slows the pace of lessons. Teachers work well with skilled learning support assistants to make sure that all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, are suitably motivated and challenged.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that the curriculum is good. It is relevant to pupils needs, meets all requirements and responds effectively to national and local initiatives. Joint planning by teams of teachers ensures that pupils in different classes benefit from all the learning opportunities provided. Effective arrangements are made to provide learning opportunities both for pupils who learn quickly and those who find learning difficult. The curriculum is well planned to ensure that pupils acquire the skills which will equip them well for adult life. Close attention is paid to pupils’ personal and health education with well constructed lessons providing a clear understanding of sex and relationships, drug use and misuse and maturing personal relationships. The curriculum is further enriched by a good range of visits out of school, including a residential opportunity and interesting visitors into school. A diverse and interesting

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Grade: 2

range of extra-curricular activities provide pupils with further opportunities for learning and personal development, which they enjoy and value. In the Reception classes a creative curriculum and exciting and imaginative activities support all six required areas of learning, both in and outside of the classroom, through structured and child initiated play opportunities.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good, as the school believes. Adults provide pupils with effective support and guidance, well calculated to sustain the positive ethos of the school. Good arrangements are in hand for the care and protection of pupils, although the school has identified the need to refresh staff training. Risk assessments ensure that the school has considered all likely contingencies. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who may be at risk are well cared for. Good procedures are in place for the identification and support of those who find learning difficult, although there is some inconsistencies in the way pupils’ targets are evaluated and refined. The school uses comprehensive strategies to measure pupils’ progress and to monitor their development. Teachers assess pupils’ work regularly and use the information constructively to identify what pupils need to learn next. Challenging

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Grade: 2

targets for learning are set and helpfully shared with parents and with the pupils themselves. Assessments in the Reception classes are used particularly effectively to guide children’s learning. The support of outside agencies and of parents is used well to enhance the level of care and guidance pupils receive. 4 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and the school’s evaluation is accurate. Under the purposeful leadership of the headteacher the school promotes pupils’ achievement and personal development well, year on year. Despite the school’s very good track record in the national tests, there is no complacency and senior staff are continually looking for ways to enhance and improve the education of all the school’s pupils. However, sometimes the school does not concentrate sufficiently on its main priorities. The issue surrounding pupils’ writing is a good example. While staff have been made aware of the strategies to use to improve the quality of pupils’ writing, these have not been broken down into specific objectives against which they can plan their teaching. Members of the senior management team have an accurate picture of how well the school is performing because the procedures they use for self-evaluation provide good

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Grade: 2

quality information. Some of the strategies used by the different age group teams, such as the scrutiny of pupils' work and the moderation of standards, would work more effectively if they were employed across the school as a whole. Although this is a large school it has strong family ethos. Parents and pupils are consulted regularly and their views given close consideration. Changes for the better have resulted, including improved facilities at playtimes and the timing of parent consultation evenings. Governors work hard on behalf of the school and meet their statutory responsibilities well. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development, and play a full part in decision-making. The school gives good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School, 17 October 2005 to 18 October 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School West Ella Road Kirk Ella Hull HU10 7QL Wednesday 19 October 2005 Dear Children Thank you very much for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school recently. Although we were with you for only two days, we enjoyed finding out about the work you do and a special thanks to those who talked with us about the school. Kirk Ella St Andrew’s is a good school and we can really understand why you enjoy it so much. These are the things we particularly liked about the school: the school is a happy place to be everyone works hard and because of that children make good progress children are polite and friendly adults are very caring and helpful children behave well (although they can sometimes get a little too excited and noisy) children are encouraged to think about the needs of others and to help whenever they can

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

staff listen to children and if they have a concern, such as a lack of playground equipment or smelly toilets, the school tries to do something about it there are lots of after school clubs with something to interest everyone. We also looked at things the school might do next. Here are some of the things we suggested: look for ways to make children’s writing as good as their reading (particularly boy’s writing) make sure that the very best methods are used to find out how well children are doing and to identify what teachers need to focus on next. With best wishes Keith Bardon (Lead Inspector) Annex B

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