Lady Elizabeth Hastings' CofE VA Primary School, Thorp Arch

Inspection Report Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch

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108010 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287995 Inspection number 4 °5 October 2006 Inspection dates Linda Murphy Reporting inspector

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

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Dowkell Lane School address Primary Type of school Thorp Arch, Wetherby Voluntary aided School category West Yorkshire LS23 7AQ 5 °11 Age range of pupils 01937 842566 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01937 842566 Fax number 121 Number on roll (school) Mrs G Alan Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs P Edwards Headteacher 15 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287995 4 °5 October 2006 5°11 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. Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October 2006

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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 smaller than average primary school which serves a wide rural area. The pupils are mostly White British. A small number are from minority ethnic groups: a few are learning English as an additional language. There is a low proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October

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Grade: 2

A pupil's comment, 'If you want to learn - this is the school for you' sums up this successful school, which provides pupils with outstanding care within a strong Christian ethos. This sets pupils up exceedingly well for the future. Pupils' excellent personal development encompasses high levels of self-respect and respect for others. They know they are valued and listened to and take great joy in almost everything they do. They have a very keen sense of responsibility, for themselves and others. Parental views are overwhelmingly positive and past pupils remember this school as giving them a 'fantastic legacy' upon which to build. The curriculum, including that in the Foundation Stage, serves the pupils well. It is exciting and in Years 3 to 6 incorporates French and German, as well as a flourishing focus on music. It carefully underpins the good quality of teaching and learning. Teaching is very successful in addressing pupils' interests and enjoyment but does not

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Grade: 2

always address their different learning styles. Fun and enquiry are part and parcel of everyday learning, which is supported by regular homework linked to the day's work. Assessments of pupils' learning are well informed and accurate: they provide a secure base for tracking pupils' progress. Slower learners are given extra support to reach their targets. The more able learners are beginning to be challenged to exceed their targets but are not always given work that allows them to do this. Leadership and management are of good quality and teamwork is innovative. Priorities are well founded in self-evaluation. This has helped the school to pick itself up from a dip in standards at Year 6 a few years ago and make headway, so that pupils now achieve well throughout the school. From a broadly average level on entry, with relative weaknesses in writing and numeracy, pupils attain above average standards at the end of Year 6. The advance the school is making is good; for example, pupils'

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Grade: 2

behaviour and attitudes have improved dramatically since the last inspection. This sets them up well to concentrate in lessons and try their best. The school takes good account of the views of parents and pupils. It works very well with the local communities to broaden the range of opportunities for pupils. Governance is good. The governing body meets all requirements. The school's capacity to improve is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the challenge for more-able pupils so that a greater proportion of pupils attain higher levels at Year 6. • Ensure that teaching addresses the full range of pupils' learning styles so that all are learning as effectively as they can. 2 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well from the time they enter the Reception year to the time they leave Year 6. Although Year 6 standards dipped in 2004 because of changes in staffing, the school has overcome this. Standards improved in 2005 and are continuing to do so: pupils are doing well in their academic work. A focus on problem solving is helping to raise standards considerably in mathematics. Workshops for parents further support pupils' progress, for example, in calculation. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well because of carefully matched support and good quality individual education plans that have sharp, achievable targets. Pupils learning English as an additional language settle well and receive lots of extra help. As a result, their language skills develop quickly and so they too achieve well. More able learners make good progress overall but with more consistent challenge in lessons they are capable

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Grade: 2

of making even faster progress and reaching higher levels.

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Grade: 1

The school is rightly very proud of the excellent way it promotes pupils' outstanding personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Spirituality is evident in the pupils' enjoyment of their studies in many subjects, for example, their expressive development in music. Pupils have much respect for themselves and others and develop close friendships. They are especially kind and thoughtful to others. Pupils are confident that they are safe from bullying in school. They are exceedingly clear that they have the utmost confidence in all staff to help them. Attendance is consistently above average and reflects pupils' very keen attitudes to school. They work hard, enjoy what they do and have high aspirations for themselves. They benefit from healthy lunches served in a family atmosphere. The school works very closely with a number of community groups. This gives pupils a strong sense of

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Grade: 1

citizenship. The outstanding links with the community supports pupils' learning very well indeed.

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Grade: 2

Excellent relationships pave the way for the good quality of teaching and learning. Classrooms are conducive to learning with plenty of prompts to support pupils' independence. Marking is of good quality and helps pupils know what they have done well and what they need to do next to improve. Teachers' expectations for learning and behaviour are made clear so pupils are more than ready to participate in lessons. Overall, staff modify the tasks they set to take account of different ages and abilities. However, the tasks for the more able are not always at quite the right level for them 3 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October to fast track to higher levels. Lessons are lively and well planned so no time is wasted. Pupils say how much fun the lessons are and this enages them well. Lessons are well organised and prepared and allow plenty of time for explanation. Teaching assistants

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Grade: 2

are deployed well to support pupils' learning. The school has rightly identfied the need to broaden the styles of teaching so that they take more account of the pupils' different ways of learning. For example, to make sure that pupils have plenty of time for valuable discussion.

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Grade: 2

Pupils greatly enjoy school because they have lots of opportunities to participate in a good range of interesting activities, which really engages them. The Foundation Stage curriculum nurtures children's personal development particularly well and makes good use of the outside environment. Opportunities to work with pupils from other schools, for example, in dance, enhances pupils' understanding of different cultures and the diversity within society - something the school promotes very well. Pupils really enjoy the weeks set aside to study themes in depth. Last term, for example, they went 'globe trotting' with a 'magic carpet' taking them to many countries to learn about different cultures. Of the good range of extra-curricular clubs the jazz club is particularly popular and adds to the many opportunities pupils have to participate in the expressive arts.

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Grade: 1

Parents agree that, 'New children joining the school are quickly made to feel welcome and safe'. This is because the school prioritises the pupils' care in a healthy and safe environment. A learning mentor contributes very well to the pupils' guidance and support. Pupils know that if they ask for help it is given sensitively and at the right time. Academic guidance is built around the pupils understanding for themselves how well they are doing and what they need to improve. In Years 1 and 2, for example, pupils are proud to explain their 'next steps' and older pupils refer to their targets as part of their 'educational journey'. The arrangements for assessment and setting targets are easy for staff to use and generally very effective.

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Grade: 2

The very effective leadership by the headteacher is well supported by the assistant headteacher. The strong leadership of personal development ensures that the climate for learning is good. Leadership and management responsibilities are distributed to teams of staff and reflect the strong commitment to improvement. Individual strengths are drawn on well, for example, to lead new inititiatives or to use particular subject expertise in curricular development. Furthermore, the work is underpinned by plenty of professional development and training for all staff particularly through the strong 4 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October partnership with other local schools. The school knows itself well - in nearly all respects inspection judgements agree with the school's view of itself. Where there is a discrepancy it is because the school has been overly cautious in recognising its success.

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Grade: 2

Monitoring of pupils' performance is thorough and action is taken to improve standards and achievement. This has yet to fully impact on the standards and achivement of more able pupils. The management of provision for pupils with extra needs is good. As a result, these pupils achieve well. The school works well with outside agencies and the local and church communities to provide the best it can for its pupils. Governors carry out their roles and responsibilities well and ensure equal opportunities are fostered. The school provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school. I would like to tell you about the findings from the inspection. I judge that the school gives you a good education and many of your parents agree with this. Your school is a friendly place in which you achieve well. This is because the adults in school go out of their way to keep you safe and happy so that the good teaching and learning flows smoothly. Your teachers trust you and for your part you behave outstandingly well and have excellent attitudes to school. The staff are all helping you to make good progress. They set you realistic targets in your work, which help you to concentrate on what you need to do to improve. The curriculum is interesting and fun and includes excellent links with the village and the church. The headteacher leads the school well and is regularly checking how well it is doing and identifying where improvements can be made. Just as you are set targets or 'next steps' to help

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you improve, there are two targets I have set with the school. Firstly, to help those of you who are capable of learning quickly to make even faster progress and secondly for the teachers to broaden the ways in which they help you to learn. You can all help by working hard and always doing your best. 9 Inspection Report: Lady Elizabeth Hastings' Church of England Primary School, Thorp Arch, 4 °5 October

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