Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School

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121551 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire LEA 281039 Inspection number 18 May 2006 to 19 May 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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St John's Road School address Primary Type of school Bishop Monkton Voluntary controlled School category Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 3QW 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01765 677583 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 07165 677583 Fax number 60 Number on roll Mr M Skelton Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs C Duffield Headteacher 6 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281039 18 May 2006 - 4 to 11 19 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 Church of England voluntary controlled school is a small rural primary, serving an area of social advantage. The majority of its pupils live in Bishop Monkton and the remainder come from neighbouring villages or nearby Ripon. There are no pupils eligible for free school meals and none from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is lower than average. The proportion of pupils entering or leaving school during the year is above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspection findings agree with the school's evaluation that this is a good school. Standards at the end of Year 6 are broadly above average, the quality of teaching is good and, as a result, pupils make good progress. This is an improvement upon recent years. Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good. Pupils' personal development and well-being, promoted by good levels of care and the broad range of experiences offered through the school's curriculum, are outstanding. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning, behave very well, want to succeed at school and appreciate the commitment of staff to making learning enjoyable. Care, guidance and support are good, although the procedures for promoting attendance, which has fallen below average recently, are not sufficiently comprehensive. A start has been made with the introduction of strategies to help pupils to improve their own work, but these

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Grade: 2

are not yet consistently implemented across the school. The curriculum is good and well supported by a wide range of enrichment activities. However, the use of the key skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) is not sufficiently integrated into all subjects. Leadership and management, including governance, are good. Major projects, such as the development of the new building and improved provision for ICT, have been well managed. The school provides good value for money, it has made good progress since the last inspection and its capacity to improve still further is also good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure the consistent implementation of strategies to help pupils improve their own work. • Develop the application of skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT in other subjects. • Work with parents and carers to improve attendance.

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Grade: 2

Children enter school with skills and knowledge that are broadly above average. The results of national tests in recent years show that pupils typically attained similar standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This indicates that pupils were making satisfactory progress throughout school. This level of progress was despite a lengthy period of staffing disruption in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 which led to some weaknesses in teaching and assessment and adversely affected transition between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Recent consolidation of staffing, building work which has brought classes onto one site, and the introduction of rigorous tracking and target-setting have resulted in improved teaching and learning. Although the impact of these improvements has not yet been reflected in performance in national tests, they are evident in the good teaching taking place in school and the standard at which

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Grade: 2

pupils are working. As a result, pupils are making good progress and are on track to 2 Inspection Report: Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 meet challenging targets. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well provided for and are also making good progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. They enjoy school and are keen to do well. This is reflected in their excellent behaviour. They form very good relationships among themselves and with staff. Pupils share, take turns and cooperate very well with each other. Older pupils are proud of the opportunities they have to look after younger ones, and do so with commitment. They take full advantage of the many opportunities to exercise responsibility, not least on the annual occasion when they 'rule the school', when Year 6 pupils teach the others. Pupils value the school council, which takes a lead on the school's many efforts to raise money for good causes. Pupils have a good understanding of the need to live a healthy lifestyle and a very mature awareness of how to keep safe. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Through the school's links with an inner city school, pupils

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Grade: 1

are developing a very good understanding of cultures different to their own. They are very well prepared for secondary education, developing personal qualities of independence, responsibility and self confidence. Poor attendance by pupils from a small number of families and children being taken out of school for holidays has contributed to attendance falling below average. However, this does not reflect the very positive attitudes of the great majority of pupils towards school and their appreciation of the positive support they receive from staff.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and, as a result, pupils make good progress. Classrooms are well organised and staff make effective use of imaginative displays to support learning. Teachers set clear objectives for learning and lessons are conducted at a good pace. They manage their mixed age groups well, making good use of assessments to provide work that meets the diverse needs of the pupils in their class. Teachers make good use of group and individual work to encourage team work and to develop independence. A strong team ethos and effective cooperation between all staff promote consistency in planning and teaching. The school has identified a range of strategies, including, for example, pupils' assessment of their own work to involve them more in their own learning, but these are not yet consistently applied throughout school. Teaching assistants give pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

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Grade: 2

strong support and contribute well to the good progress those pupils make. 3 Inspection Report: Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006

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Grade: 2

The school has judged the quality of the curriculum and other activities to be outstanding; the inspection finds that they are good, with strong features. The school provides a rich and stimulating curriculum which meets the learning needs of all pupils. Provision for English and mathematics is good, as recognised in the achievement of the basic skills quality mark. The provision for ICT is good and much improved since the last inspection. However, insufficient emphasis is placed on planning the precise use of literacy, numeracy and ICT across all subjects. Music, French, physical education and the arts are strengths in the wider curriculum. There are a wide range of enrichment activities; good use is made of the school's wildlife garden and local study. There are a wide range of visitors and visits, including residential trips, which have a positive impact on pupils' learning and personal development. A good range of extra curricular

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Grade: 2

activities, including the school orchestra and a good range of sports clubs, involves a high proportion of pupils.

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Grade: 2

The school has judged care, guidance and support to be outstanding; the inspection finds that they are good. The school is an orderly and safe place. Pupils have confidence in staff and know help is always available if needed. One child commented, 'my teacher always has time for me'. Arrangements for health and safety, including child protection, are secure. Procedures for tracking pupils' academic progress ensure that they have the support they need to do well at school. School policies for promoting attendance are satisfactory, but are not sufficiently comprehensive. This is an inclusive school, in which pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported sensitively and well, as recognised by the local authority's special needs quality mark. The school has good partnerships with the agencies that support learning and works well with parents.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The school's judgement of outstanding in this area is a little over generous. Development planning is effective and the school has been successful in maintaining and building upon its strengths. Issues raised in the last inspection have been addressed well and, as a result, pupils' progress is good. These include a well managed building programme that is having a good impact on learning. The school is particularly successful at promoting pupils' personal development and well-being, which is outstanding. The headteacher manages her heavy workload very well, expertly balancing the roles of leadership and teaching. There have been significant changes in staffing in recent years and the headteacher has been successful in creating a staff team that works well together. Governance of the school is good. Governors work hard, are committed to the school and are effective in helping the

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Grade: 2

school to move forward. The school's work with a range of partners, including parents, 4 Inspection Report: Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 other schools and the local authority, is a real strength. Parents are consulted about aspects of school life, feel that their views are listened to and give the school strong support. 5 Inspection Report: Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006 .

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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: Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, 18 May 2006 to 19 May 2006

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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 1 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 3 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 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 3 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

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your school and being so 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 school life, for example the good school council which helps the school to run well - how hard all the staff in school work, how well they look after you and keep you safe, and how well they teach you - the good range of activities the school offers to make the work you do exciting and interesting, including the orchestra, wildlife garden and the teaching of French. I have asked the school to do the following to make things even better: - give you more opportunities to mark your own work and think for yourself about how to do things better - use other subjects such as science, history and geography to teach you the skills of literacy,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

numeracy and ICT - work with your parents and carers to make sure that you attend school every day. I enjoyed meeting you and seeing you in your lessons and I wish you all well for the future.

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