South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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121516 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire LEA 281031 Inspection number 20 March 2006 to 21 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Peter Howard CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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

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South Kilvington School address Primary Type of school Thirsk Voluntary controlled School category North Yorkshire YO7 2LR 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01845 523 191 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01845 523 191 Fax number 64 Number on roll Mr D Tyson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs L Taylor Headteacher 16 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281031 20 March 2006 - 4 to 11 21 March 2006 Inspection Report: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March 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 an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a small rural primary school serving a wide area. The social and economic background of children is mixed. Most children start school with skills and knowledge typical for their age. However, given the small size of each intake, there is variation around the average from year to year. The proportion of children eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. A very small number of children are from minority ethnic groups, but none are in the early stages of learning English. There have been some significant recent changes to staffing.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March

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Grade: 3

The school judges its overall effectiveness to be satisfactory. The inspection agrees and also finds that the school has some good features. It is particularly successful in promoting children's personal development and well-being. A strong commitment to providing high quality care and support for all children, based on a Christian ethos, results in children developing as confident and mature individuals. Relationships are good; children respect the feelings and needs of others, they enjoy school and their behaviour is good. Children's academic achievement is satisfactory, but they could do better. Emerging from a period of transition, quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory, but are now well placed to improve. Test results at the end of Year 6 can vary significantly each year because of the small numbers in year groups. Overall they are broadly average and reflect satisfactory progress. Teaching is

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Grade: 3

satisfactory. Improvements to assessment strategies are beginning to have an impact on children's learning, but teachers do not always use the information gained to plan tasks sharply matched to children's needs. The curriculum is satisfactory, with a good range of enrichment activities. The headteacher provides effective leadership, but the contribution of other staff to the leadership and management of the school is in the early stages of development. Progress since the last inspection has been good. The school knows its strengths and areas for development well and staff are committed to taking the school forward. In this context, the school has good capacity to improve further. Value for money is satisfactory.

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What the school should do to improve further

Raise standards and achievement by ensuring that: • information gained from the assessment of children's work is used more accurately to plan the next steps in their learning • subject leaders develop subject knowledge and leadership and management skills so they can fulfil their roles more effectively.

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Grade: 3

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Reception children make steady progress in all areas of learning and by the end of the year they attain the expected early learning goals. At the end of Year 2 in 2005, standards attained by children in national tests were broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. These results are typical of recent years. Test results at the end of Year 6 have varied significantly over time, ranging from well above average to well below. However, school data shows that over the last three years each Year 6 group made the progress expected of them. Standards for the current Year 6 group are broadly average and reflect satisfactory progress. The school's recently improved tracking systems are helping to ensure that children are set more challenging targets, but the impact of these is not yet evident in test results. 2 Inspection Report: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March

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Grade: 3

Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive effective support and are making satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

The inspection agrees with the school's evaluation that children's personal development and well-being are good. Children are polite and friendly; they work hard, behave well and enjoy school. Spiritual and moral development is promoted effectively through the school's Christian ethos. The very good relationships evident in school strongly promote children's social development. Children value the school council; they feel it gives them a voice in school that is listened to. This, and the many other opportunities they have to exercise responsibility, for example, by looking after younger children in the playground, contributes to children's increasing maturity and their sense of involvement in school life. Children are developing a growing understanding of beliefs and views that are different from their own. They gain a good awareness of community through links with the church and by taking part in local events. They are becoming

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Grade: 2

aware of the benefits of healthy eating and participate well in the school's good range of sports clubs. The school's high expectations in regard to behaviour and the opportunities given to children to take responsibility, prepare them well for the world of work. All of this is reflected in children's above average attendance.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, which reflects the school's own evaluation. However, there are several good features. A positive learning climate, for example, ensures all children gain confidence to take a full part in lessons. Consequently, most show they are keen to learn through their enthusiasm to ask and answer questions. Teachers' good organisation and planning, with clearly established and consistent routines, form a secure foundation for learning. New strategies to involve children in their own learning, for example by explaining learning objectives and setting targets, are beginning to have a positive impact, helping children to develop into more reflective learners. Teachers are making increasingly effective use of the school's recently introduced systems for tracking children's progress. However, teachers do not consistently make accurate use of the information to plan tasks sharply matched

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Grade: 3

to children's needs. As a result, some teaching lacks sufficient focus and challenge to ensure good progress for all. Information is well used to identify additional support for groups of children making slower progress. Teaching assistants contribute positively by supporting individuals and groups, particularly those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. 3 Inspection Report: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March

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Grade: 3

The quality of the curriculum and other activities is satisfactory overall, with several good features. This agrees with the school's evaluation. The school has made good use of its restricted accommodation to provide a stimulating environment. A planned building programme this year will allow it to further extend the opportunities for learning. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is well planned to provide a wide range of activities both inside and outdoors. The curriculum for all other children meets statutory requirements and rightly prioritizes literacy and numeracy for continuing development. The school is aware of the need to increase links between subjects to broaden and deepen children's learning. Imaginative support for children's personal development is a strength. There is a wide range of enrichment and after school activities that enhance the work in classrooms; for example, visits to places of interest,

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Grade: 3

including a residential week for Year 6, and visitors into school such as an African dance group.

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Grade: 2

The inspection agrees with the school's evaluation that the quality of care, guidance and support is good. Provision to promote children's personal and emotional development is a strength of the school. Good relationships at every level ensure that all children feel safe. One child said, 'Adults are friendly and never say no when you ask for help'. Children know that bullying is not tolerated in school and this gives them the confidence to manage issues that arise. The way children are helped to support each other is a strong feature of the school. New assessment strategies and systems for tracking children's progress are beginning to be used to help children to have increasing understanding of the quality of their work and what they need to do to improve. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are accurately identified and supported by well targeted and effectively delivered support programmes. Policies

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Grade: 2

for health and safety and child protection are thorough and the procedures are in place.

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Grade: 3

The inspection agrees with the school's evaluation that the quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The headteacher is thoughtful and committed. She has set a clear direction for improvement and acts as a strong stabilising force in the school. Her evaluation of the school is accurate and provides a good platform upon which the school can move forward. Since the last inspection, the school has been very successful in improving provision to promote children's personal development. There has been considerable progress in the organisation and presentation of the accommodation. Major changes in staffing, particularly significant in a small school, have been well managed and the positive impact of these changes is becoming evident. The school 4 Inspection Report: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March has been less successful in making improvement to standards and progress. The

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Grade: 3

headteacher has implemented a range of appropriate strategies to address this issue, including new approaches to assessment and the tracking of children's progress. These are beginning to have an impact on children's learning, but are not yet consistently applied across the school. The staff work together well as a team, but subject leadership is at an early stage of development. Governors are very supportive of the school, but need a more informed and detailed understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses to play their part to the full. The school has strong support from parents who appreciate its commitment to the children. One wrote saying, 'There is a genuine sense of community amongst all the groups belonging to the school'. 5 Inspection Report: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March .

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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: South Kilvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 20 March 2006 to 21 March

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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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 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 3 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 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your school and being so polite and friendly. I enjoyed my visit. What I liked most about your school: - the conversations I had with you that showed me how grown up you are when you talk about school life - that you behave so well and work so hard - the way you get involved, in what goes on in your local community as well as in school - how hard all the staff in school work, how well they look after you and keep you safe and how much they want you to do well in school - the way the staff have been so imaginative in their displays - inside and in the playground - to make your school such an attractive place. I think there are lots of good things going on in school, but one or two could be done even better. I have asked the staff to make sure that they set you work that is just right for you, so that you can all make as much progress as you can in every lesson. The staff take responsibility for leading different subjects and I have asked the school to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

sure that they are helped to do this as well as they can. I enjoyed meeting you and seeing you in your lessons and I wish you all the best for the future.

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