Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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118026 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire LEA 280217 Inspection number 8 June 2006 to 8 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Gianna Ulyatt Reporting inspector

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

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Main Street School address Primary Type of school Sutton-on-Derwent Voluntary controlled School category York, North Yorkshire 5 to 11 Age range of pupils 01904 608440 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01904 608440 Fax number 45 Number on roll Mrs Heather Ryan Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Nigel McNally Headteacher 1 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280217 8 June 2006 - 5 to 11 8 June 2006 Inspection Report: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June 2006

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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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Primary School is situated in a small rural village. The school has two classes. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are taught in one class and Years 3 to 6 pupils are taught in the other. Children enter the school in the term in which they will be five years of age and come from a variety of pre-school settings. Standards on entry are about average, but there are variations between year groups. All pupils speak English at home. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average. There are no pupils who have a free school meal. The school has recently moved into a new extension to the current building.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June

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Grade: 2

Inspection findings agree with the school's own self-evaluation that this is a good school that gives good value for money. The school has some outstanding features. The school aims ‘to create an environment where children gain a sense of worth and realise their potential’. It certainly achieves this and pupils thrive in this positive and comfortable environment. Parents are justifiably delighted with the education and care their children receive. They say, ‘It is more like an extension of the family’. Although some children spend only one term in the Foundation Stage, overall they receive a good grounding in their education and make good progress. This is maintained throughout the school. Standards vary from year to year due to very small year groups. However, there are differences in test results between subjects. Overall, pupils achieve well, particularly in mathematics and science, where standards are high. In English,

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Grade: 2

standards are average, because pupils do not get enough opportunity to practise writing. Teaching is good and a particular strength is in the individual attention given to each pupil through the strong and positive relationships that exist in school. The school makes good use of assessments to track progress and sets individual learning targets to help pupils improve. Pupils enjoy coming to school because they like learning and enjoy being with their friends. They are confident and independent learners who are well behaved and courteous. The curriculum is good and takes account of the different age groups in each class. The school is now considering ways to link subjects together and this means that systems for managing curriculum changes need to be developed. Leadership and management are good and governors and staff work together as a united team for the benefit of the school. There has been good

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Grade: 2

improvement since the last inspection and the school has good capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing so that pupils do as well in this as they do in other subjects. • Devise clearer systems for managing subjects in the light of new curriculum developments.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ achievement is good. Good progress is maintained in both classes. By the end of Year 6, overall standards are consistently high and the majority of pupils reach their targets. In 2005, attainment in the national tests was exceptionally high in mathematics and science and the school was placed among the very best in the country. This very favourable position is mainly due to good, challenging teaching which resulted in a high percentage of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 in mathematics and science. In English, standards are average, with about one fifth achieving at the higher level. This is because pupils do not have enough chances to use their writing skill. The school 2 Inspection Report: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June has begun to address the imbalance in test results, but there is still work to do in this aspect of English.

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Grade: 2

Test results at the end of Year 2 show that in 2005 pupils reached standards that were overall average in reading, writing and mathematics. Those who do not have learning difficulties reached standards that were well above average. Pupils achieve well and make particularly good progress in reading and mathematics. In writing, progress is satisfactory. Some children only spend one term in the Foundation Stage before starting Year 1 and this sometimes has a negative impact on standards for younger children despite their good progress during the short time they have been in school. They attain standards that are broadly in line with those expected nationally for children of this age. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well because their needs are identified early and they benefit greatly from working with competent support staff who help them through their individual learning programme.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. Attendance is good because pupils say they absolutely love to come to school ‘…to learn new things and meet with friends’. In the Foundation Stage, children show good levels of concentration and work and play amicably with others. Throughout the school, there is a good family atmosphere where everyone knows everyone else very well. This secure environment makes pupils feel very safe. Behaviour is outstanding and pupils are well mannered and thoughtful. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Assemblies give pupils the chance to reflect on everyday situations in a prayerful way. Pupils have a good understanding of their own culture but their awareness of cultural diversity within society is less well developed. They are aware of their responsibilities in school and the wider community and play a major role in church services. The school

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Grade: 2

council is effective and has a voice in the school. It is arranging a ‘Fruity Friday’ to help pupils see that eating fruit is fun. Pupils like sporting activity and know exercise and quality food help to make them stay healthy. They truly care about each other, and ‘school buddies’ are always around to help younger children. Pupils gain very good basic skills in numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) that will help them greatly in the workplace.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good with some outstanding features. For example, in this school every pupil is very well known to staff and treated as an individual. Teachers in both classes plan carefully for group work to provide different activities for the varying age groups and varying ability. Those who have learning difficulties and/or 3 Inspection Report: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June disabilities are given well-focused support and the outcome is evident in the good progress they make. The relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and pupils are very good. All staff are very vigilant and pupils are confident to seek help and support when needed. Teachers have a good understanding of how to teach the basic skills of literacy, mathematics and science and make sure the work matches the pupils’ ability so all are very well challenged. This is evident in the high standards that pupils

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Grade: 2

reach. However, in English, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to practise their writing across the curriculum and do not do enough to improve their handwriting skills. Teachers’ marking has developed well and comments clearly help pupils understand how to improve their work. In both classes, older pupils are good role models for younger ones; consequently pupils concentrate well and conduct themselves in a mature way.

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Grade: 2

The quality of the curriculum is good. The school uses national guidance to plan for literacy and numeracy. Teachers make sure that the activities used to help pupils learn accurately meet the needs of pupils of different ages in the same class. The curriculum for reception-aged children is developing well. The school grounds are being improved to ensure that the youngest children have an outdoor curriculum. There is a good reading programme, based on the systematic introduction of letter sounds and whole words for each child, taught individually by support staff and teachers. The school has begun to improve the curriculum for ICT by looking at ways in which technology can enhance learning across other subject areas. Pupils now use laptops competently and teachers are being trained in the use of interactive white boards. The school is currently considering ways to further develop the curriculum so that more subjects are better

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Grade: 2

linked. The enrichment of the curriculum is good. Junior-aged pupils are taught French by a volunteer teacher. Pupils visit areas of local interest and go on residential visits with another school. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities is provided at different times during the year.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. There is a very caring, family atmosphere and adults provide good role models, reflecting the school's Christian values. Relationships are very good. Each child is highly valued, and child protection and health and safety arrangements are thoroughly implemented. The school builds good partnerships with parents and these contribute well to pupils’ progress, particularly in reading. The good emphasis on promoting emotional well-being, through ‘circle time’ contributes to the confidence and high self-esteem shown by most pupils. Staff know pupils and their families well. Strong links with outside agencies complement the support given to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Well constructed individual education plans target the needs of these pupils effectively. There are clear systems in place to assess standards and to track pupils’ progress but the information gained is not always

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June used as effectively in English as in other subjects. Pupils like the individual learning targets that teachers set for them. They say ‘targets make us try harder.’

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a clear vision for improvement. He has managed a number of recent challenging developments well, particularly regarding the school building extension programme. His deep commitment and very caring approach set the tone for the happy and hard-working ethos of the school. He is well supported by enthusiastic staff who work hard to ensure that pupils receive a broad range of educational experiences to help them succeed as they progress through school and beyond. The school promotes Christian values in all of its work and parents are justifiably delighted with the education and care their children receive. The headteacher, governors and staff form an effective partnership and know the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. Together they devise the school improvement plan, which focuses well on the needs of the school. The informal approach to the monitoring of teaching and learning is sufficiently effective in this

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Grade: 2

small school. However, the school does not have clear systems and procedures for the management of subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT. Good leadership has enabled the school to make good progress on the issues raised since the last inspection and to show a good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June .

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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: Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 June 2006 to 8 June

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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 2 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 1 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 1 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 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 The School Council Sutton Upon Derwent Church of England VC Primary School Main Street Sutton-on-Derwent York North Yorkshire YO41 4BN 8 June 2006 Dear Children I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to your school. It will look absolutely superb when the builders have finished their work. Thank you for your friendly and courteous welcome. I was impressed with the group of children who came to talk with me. They are a mature and confident group who spoke highly of the school council and the work it does. I bet you are looking forward to ‘Fruity Friday’. Having ‘school buddies’ is a good idea as it helps to make sure that everyone feels safe in school. Mr McNally leads the school well and helps to create a caring family atmosphere for all of you. Your teachers and support staff know you and your families very well and work hard to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

sure you learn lots of interesting things. You work very well in your classes and it is good to see you helping each other where you can. You seem to enjoy most subjects in school and have the opportunity to be part of the after-school activities. You are also learning to speak French. Well done! You have lots of opportunities to do jobs around school and to be helpful and you can be trusted to be sensible. I like the way you care for the environment, particularly how you manage the school litter. Teachers keep a careful check on how well you are doing and the targets they set are helping you improve your work. You are doing very well in mathematics and science, but in English you are not writing enough and for some of you, your handwriting could be better. I have asked the teachers to help you more with your writing, so I hope you will try extra hard to improve. I have also asked Mr McNally and the teachers to think of easier ways of keeping a check on

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

all the subjects you are learning. I shall remember sharing in the family feeling that is an important part of your school and I hope you keep the good friends you have made in Sutton Upon Derwent CE Primary School. Best wishes

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