Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School

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121555 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire LEA 281041 Inspection number 28 June 2006 to 29 June 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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Burton Leonard School address Primary Type of school Harrogate Voluntary controlled School category North Yorkshire HG3 3RW 5 to 11 Age range of pupils 01765 677412 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01765 677412 Fax number 55 Number on roll Mr A Wells Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Calvert Headteacher 17 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281041 28 June 2006 - 5 to 11 29 June 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Burton Leonard Primary is a Church of England, Voluntary Controlled School, which serves a rural area of economic and social advantage. With 55 pupils, it is much smaller than the average sized primary school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is very low. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is very small and there are no pupils in the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well below average. Pupils enter school with knowledge and skills that are broadly average for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The school judges its overall effectiveness to be good, and inspectors agree. Starting with attainment that is broadly average, pupils make good progress throughout school to achieve standards that are above average by the end of Year 6. The school is successful at promoting pupils' personal development and well-being, which are good. Pupils are helped to develop into mature and confident individuals. Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good. Teaching is well planned and organised, and makes effective use of a wide range of teaching strategies. However, teachers do not give pupils enough responsibility for their own learning. The curriculum offers pupils a good range of learning opportunities, but does not make sufficient use of links between subjects to enhance learning. This is a caring school which helps pupils towards achieving their potential. School leadership and management have responded

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Grade: 2

well to the issues raised in the last inspection and ensured that standards have improved. This improvement has been based on rigorous self-evaluation, followed by an effective programme of staff and curriculum development. However, procedures for planning improvement lack focus, and do not include sufficiently effective criteria for determining whether objectives have been achieved. Improvement since the last inspection and its capacity to improve further are good. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Involve pupils more consistently in evaluating their own work to give them greater responsibility for their own learning. • Develop the curriculum so that it makes greater use of links between subjects to enhance learning. • Sharpen the focus of the school's development plan to concentrate on the most important priorities for improvement and set more rigorous criteria to judge the outcomes.

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Grade: 2

The last inspection judged progress throughout the school to be no better than satisfactory, and recommended that the school undertake a programme of action to raise standards in English, mathematics and science. The school has responded positively to the challenge, instigating and sustaining a focus on raising achievement and standards, by making improvements to teaching and the curriculum. In Reception, teaching is now well grounded in effective early years' practice and children get off to a good start. Teachers have high expectations and, as a result, pupils now meet challenging targets and make good progress throughout school. Given that the group being assessed has ranged in number from as little as five to fourteen pupils, it is to be expected that group performance will vary. However, standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 have shown an overall improvement and 2 Inspection Report: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

are now above average. Within this positive picture, standards in writing are improving more slowly than those in reading. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The school has a very strong commitment to this aspect of the curriculum and, as a result, pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is also good. The school's Christian ethos provides a firm foundation for developing pupils' spiritual awareness and understanding of right and wrong. Good relationships between all members of the school's community are at the heart of pupils' social development. The school offers pupils very positive opportunities to experience other cultures and faiths and, as a result, pupils develop tolerance and respect for those who are different. Although the school offers much encouragement to enjoy a healthy diet and take exercise, pupils are still at the early stages of understanding the importance of practising a healthy lifestyle. Pupils can talk with maturity about the need to keep themselves safe. They are positive about

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Grade: 2

school and enjoy their learning, and this is reflected in above average attendance. The school's positive approach to behaviour management is effective and pupils' behaviour is good. They value the opportunities to exercise responsibility in school and fulfil those responsibilities well. The school council plays a significant role in school life and pupils feel that their voice is heard. They are well prepared for the next steps in learning and the world of work.

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Grade: 2

In recent years, the school has engaged in a sustained and effective programme of professional development. Staff have responded positively to the lead given by the headteacher, and played a full part in securing the improvement that has been made. As a result, teaching is good and pupils make good progress. In Reception, children experience a wide range of practical and imaginative activities. Teachers throughout the school manage their mixed-age groups well, providing work that meets the diverse needs of the pupils in their classes. The school has rightly identified the need to involve pupils more effectively in their own learning. Teachers already explain learning objectives to pupils to help them understand what is expected in a lesson, and they have begun to involve pupils in evaluating their own work, but these strategies are not yet consistently implemented across all learning. Significant investment in hardware

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Grade: 2

and training for information and communication technology (ICT), since the previous inspection, has improved the quality of teaching and learning in this subject. Teaching assistants provide effective support to enable pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make good progress. Teachers make good use of the partnership with parents to extend learning through the use of homework. 3 Inspection Report: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage curriculum is well designed to meet the needs of children in their first year of formal education. A rich curriculum is provided throughout the school, underpinned by good provision in English and mathematics, which contributes to the rising standards in these subjects. The curriculum is increasingly well planned and meets all statutory requirements. It is enhanced by a developing focus on key skills. For example, in science, pupils have more opportunities to explore ideas through experimentation. However, the curriculum makes too few connections between subjects and, therefore, misses some opportunities for extended study and learning. The personal, social, health and cultural educational programme is a strength of the school. Enhancements to the building and grounds offer all pupils greater opportunities for learning. A good range of after-school activities, visits out of school, residential trips

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Grade: 2

and visitors who come into school, increases pupils' enjoyment and provides extra opportunities for success in drama, music and sports.

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Grade: 2

This is a caring school which effectively ensures the safety and well-being of its pupils. The school is an orderly and safe place where pupils feel secure. They are confident that, if they were in difficulty, the staff would give them the help they need. This feeling of confidence makes a strong contribution to pupils' enjoyment of school. Arrangements to ensure health and safety and child protection are in place. The school makes effective use of data about pupils' progress to plan provision, meeting their individual needs and, as a result, all groups of pupils achieve well. The school has good partnerships with the parents of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the agencies who support their learning. There are effective arrangements for introducing children to school in the Foundation Stage, and transfer to the high school benefits from good links with secondary schools.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher manages her heavy workload effectively, finding an appropriate balance between her leadership role and teaching commitment. Under her leadership, the school has successfully addressed issues raised in the last inspection, including raising standards in English, mathematics and science. At the same time, the school has sustained a strong focus on promoting pupils' personal development and well-being. This has been achieved through a rigorous process of monitoring and evaluation, which successfully identified weaknesses in teaching and the curriculum. Significant investment in hardware and training for ICT, since the previous inspection, has improved the quality of teaching and learning in this subject. The school is taking action to further develop the skills of subject leaders, so that they can play a more effective role in continuing improvement. Governance of the school

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 is good. Governors are supportive and committed to the school, and are effective in helping the school to move forward. However, better understanding of school performance data on the part of governors is necessary to ensure they can play their part to the full. Current procedures for planning improvement lack focus. They do not include sufficiently effective criteria for determining whether objectives have been achieved. The school has strong support from parents, who are consulted about aspects of school life and feel that their views are listened to and acted upon. 5 Inspection Report: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 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: Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 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 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 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 3 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

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: - 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 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 and the good school council which helps the school to run well - the good range of activities the school offers to make the work you do exciting and interesting. I have asked the governors and all the staff in school to work together to: - make more regular use of learning objectives and asking you to decide how well you are doing - set more work that makes links between subjects - ensure that when they think about how they are going to make your school even better, they

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

do this really carefully, so that their ideas are as good as they could be.

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