Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

p.1

121563 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire LEA 281043 Inspection number 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Margaret Lewis CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Acre Lane School address Primary Type of school Grassington Voluntary controlled School category Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 5LB 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

p.1

01756 752365 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 1756 752365 Fax number 74 Number on roll Mr C Maude Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss H Clayton Headteacher 29 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281043 3 May 2006 - 4 to 11 4 May 2006 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one additional inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is much smaller than average. All pupils are of White European heritage and almost all speak English as their first language. Pupils have a wide range of family circumstances and an above average number join or leave the school at other than the usual times. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is above average. On entry to the school pupils' attainment is broadly in line with expectations for their ages. The school has charitable status, holds a Healthy Schools Award and has gained Eco-School status.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

Grassington C of E Primary School is a good school with a number of outstanding features. Financial management is excellent. The school offers very good value for money. It promotes an extremely positive and 'can do' ethos within a Christian foundation. Parents and pupils are extremely proud of the school and work hard to maintain the good standing it has in the community. Senior staff and governors have an accurate understanding of the school's effectiveness, although in some aspects of its work their evaluations are too modest, with the inspector judging pupils' personal development and well-being and the care, support and guidance given to pupils to be outstanding. In this school every child matters. Pupils of all ages are extremely well cared for. They have an excellent understanding of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and how to keep themselves safe. Standards and achievement are good, as is the quality of teaching and learning. Children

p.4

Grade: 2

get a good start in the Foundation Stage. Particularly good attention is given to children's personal, social and emotional development and the development of communication and language and mathematical skills. However, there is a need for additional resources, together with frequent planned and structured activities to increase and widen children's physical development and skills in the outdoor area. The curriculum is good, although information and communication technology (ICT) is not used sufficiently across subjects. The leadership, management and commitment of the headteacher and staff are good overall and outstanding in setting a clear direction for the school to promote a high quality of care and education. The school analyses its work very carefully and is successfully addressing pupils' writing and numeracy across the school in order to raise standards further. The good improvements already

p.4

Grade: 2

made since the last inspection, in school development planning, provision in ICT and in the standard of pupils' handwriting and presentation, demonstrate the keenness and capacity to improve further.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the resources and increase the use of the outdoor area for the youngest children in the Foundation Stage. • Make further use of ICT to extend learning across subjects of the curriculum.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and attain above average standards at the end of both key stages. All, including those with LDD and those who join the school late, make good progress and achieve at least the expected level in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave the school. The progress of those at an early stage of learning English is 2 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 equally as good as that of other pupils. Children make sound progress in the Foundation Stage and reach the nationally expected standard in all areas of learning by the end of Reception. Progress accelerates rapidly and by the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing are consistently above average. Results in mathematics rose last year to above average. The current group of pupils in Year 2 are on line to achieve or exceed the nationally expected level in

p.4

Grade: 2

reading, writing and mathematics with a significant proportion on course to reach the higher level 3. Standards in writing are rising. In the 2005 statutory tests, pupils in Year 6 exceeded the challenging targets set by the school in all subjects, although in that particular group of pupils few reached the higher levels in English and mathematics. However, the standards of current work are better and a significant proportion of pupils in Year 6 are likely to reach the higher levels in the tests. The rise in standards successfully builds upon the maintenance of sustained above average standards and reflects the determined efforts of the school to improve the teaching of writing and mathematics for all pupils.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils like school very much; they arrive on time eager to start the day. Attendance is above average. Their excellent behaviour, attitudes to work and relationships with others help create a very happy atmosphere that contributes to their success. Pupils quickly become mature and responsible and their actions reflect the values the school teaches them. They know the importance of being kind and friendly to each other and older pupils are helpful and caring of the youngest. The vast majority of pupils are polite, respectful and considerate. The school is extremely successful in developing pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The links with its twin schools in St Lucia and Sierra Leone are instrumental in developing pupils' awareness and understanding of other cultures. Social skills are particularly well developed and helped by regular opportunities for

p.5

Grade: 1

pupils to work and play together. Pupils develop a very good understanding how to take care of themselves and the environment. They know a lot about balanced diets, exercise and keeping safe. They make an important contribution to the community through links with local, national and international charity work. Pupils are well prepared 3 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 for the future; for instance, in Years 3 and 4 they are involved in composting, growing, packing and selling herbs.

p.5

Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers have a high level of subject knowledge and expertise that promotes learning well. Reading, for instance, is taught extremely well in Key Stage 1 and this develops pupils' confidence for learning and gives pupils an excellent foundation. Teachers plan lessons very thoroughly, ensuring that work is well matched and relevant to pupils' ages and needs. The use of themes linking the teaching of some subjects motivates pupils by giving purpose to their work. Assessment information is used to good effect. Marking informs pupils of what they have done well and, usually, how they can improve their work. This impacts well on pupils' progress and ensures that all pupils work to their full capabilities. Teachers provide good support for pupils with LDD and ensure that high flyers are challenged to extend their learning. Interactive white boards are used effectively to promote

p.6

Grade: 2

learning and engage pupils' interest. ICT skills are taught well although the use of ICT is not fully utilised across subjects. High expectations of behaviour, the rate at which pupils work and the presentation of work, along with plenty of praise and the rewards system, encourage the pupils to try their best at all times. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent and this underpins learning and achievement very well.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school rightly judges the curriculum it offers to be good. It is well planned, complies with national requirements and meets pupils' needs well. There is a particularly strong emphasis on developing pupils' literacy, numeracy, social skills and their independence. However, provision for ICT, whilst satisfactory, is not used fully to enhance learning across the curriculum. Clear plans and targets for pupils with LDD contribute to the good progress they make. The many worthwhile activities provided include a wide range of visitors into school and visits, including residential visits for older pupils. These greatly enrich pupils' learning. Clubs and activities after school extend opportunities for pupils' achievement and social skills. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is good, although planning of structured activities for children's physical development in the outdoor area is limited. Keeping safe and healthy is an important

p.6

Grade: 2

element of the curriculum. Exercise, healthy eating and the risks that pupils face as they get older are regular planned features of the personal, social and health and citizenship (PSHCE) programme. 4 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

p.6

Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding and are provided by a strongly united and very caring team. Pupils are helped to feel special and confident and to do their best. This support is reflected in their good achievement and exceptional personal development. Staff keep a very close check on pupils' academic and personal progress and take prompt action when any factors arise that could threaten their continuing development. Pupils' safety in school is paramount and any child who has difficulties or could be vulnerable is sensitively and effectively supported. Child protection procedures are well understood and conscientiously applied by all staff. Pupils benefit from trusting relationships with adults, helping them to feel safe. As a result, they learn well. The PSHCE programme and the well organised school council provide good opportunities for pupils to express their views and share in decision-making.

p.7

Grade: 2

The school rightly judges leadership and management to be good. This leads to pupils achieving well and making good progress. The headteacher, who has a heavy teaching commitment, has built a strong team and created extremely favourable conditions for learning. The leadership, management and commitment of the headteacher and staff are outstanding in setting a clear direction for the school to promote high quality care and education. Self-evaluation is considerably enhanced by seeking, taking account of and acting upon the views of parents, pupils and local authority personnel. Equality of opportunity is at the heart of the school's work. The headteacher leads by example and is particularly skilled in developing links with other schools, the community and outside agencies. The clear way that teachers' personal targets are linked to priorities in the school improvement plan ensures that the whole school pulls together effectively

p.7

Grade: 2

to make changes. The continual focus on all staff developing their professional skills makes success in achieving improvement all the more likely. Staff promote pupils' personal development and well-being extremely effectively and this creates a happy environment where pupils thrive and do well. Despite changes in the governing body in recent years and one position unfilled, a good partnership is in place. All statutory requirements are met. Governors plan strategically for the future and have a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. They provide good support and work effectively for the benefit of pupils, staff and parents. These factors illustrate the strong commitment to improvement and reflect the school's good capacity to move forward. 5 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 .

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Grassington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

p.8

Overall

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

p.9

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

p.9

Achievement and standards

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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

NA 1 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 1 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

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 1 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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for welcoming me into your school during my recent visit. I very much enjoyed the chance to meet and talk to you and your teachers. You told me lots about your school, the things you do and how you enjoy it. Your school gives you a good education and the care it provides is outstanding. It looks after you and helps you to develop as people exceptionally well. I was impressed by how friendly, polite and well behaved you are and the pride you take in your school. You are kind to each other and play happily together. You are keen to take on responsibilities and to support each other. I agree with you that school is enjoyable because there are interesting things to do in lessons and after school. You never miss it unless you really have to. You work hard during lessons and listen carefully to your teachers so that you learn and do well. Your teachers teach you well and all the adults in school work hard to help you

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

do your best. I was pleased to find out that you know a lot about eating healthily and also about looking after animals and the environment. Your headteacher runs your school very well and is very clever. She cares very much about every one of you and knows exactly how you are doing. To make things even better I am asking your headteacher and teachers to make sure that the children in the Reception class have more fun in the outside area with more frequent opportunities to use a wider range of outdoor equipment and for all of you to use computers more and in different ways for learning across the subjects of the curriculum. Once again, thank you for talking to me and being so helpful during the inspection.

p.11