Aldbrough Primary School

Inspection Report Aldbrough Primary School

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117823 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 290937 Inspection number 22 February 2007 Inspection date Kathryn Dodd 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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Headlands Road School address Primary Type of school Aldbrough, Hull Community School category East Riding of Yorkshire, HU11 4RR 3 °11 Age range of pupils

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01964 527422 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01964 529003 Fax number 132 Number on roll (school) Mr Martin Davies Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Susan Ulph Headteacher 1 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290937 22 February 2007 3 °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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Almost all the pupils attending this smaller than average rural school are from White British family backgrounds. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils who leave or join the school partway through their primary education is higher than that typically found and is increasing. Pupils are taught in mixed age classes. The widely fluctuating year group sizes mean that there is no established method of grouping pupils into classes. The current headteacher was appointed in 2004, and there have been several changes of leadership since the previous inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with an accurate view of its own effectiveness. Pupils achieve well and reach above average standards by Year 6. Their personal development is good. Parents say that this is a friendly, caring and welcoming school, where children grow in self-confidence and basic skills flourish. Making sure that pupils enjoy learning, keep safe and healthy and play an active part within the community have a high priority in the curriculum and in the day- to- day life of the school. As a result, pupils are prepared well for life beyond school. Pupils, including children in the Nursery and Reception classes, make good progress as a result of good teaching and effective learning. Provision is good and children achieve well. Although by Year 6, pupils usually attain above average standards, the rate of progress across the school varies. Pupils make most rapid gains between Years 3 and 6. In these classes, teachers use the information they collect about what pupils

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Grade: 2

already know and can do to plan lessons that consistently challenge pupils of all ages and capabilities. This good practice, however, is not yet seen consistently in Years 1 and 2 and so the more capable pupils in these year groups could sometimes achieve more. Leaders, managers and governors work together well with the best interests of the pupils at heart. They accurately highlight where pupils’ achievement could be improved. This has led to good recent changes to the curriculum, particularly providing earlier support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and promoting higher achievement in writing. Leaders and managers have pinpointed the main priorities for improvement, but their plans do not show clearly enough how the success of actions taken will be evaluated nor who will conduct evaluations. Nevertheless, this is a school that is not afraid to say where it can do better, and shows great determination to do

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Grade: 2

so. This, along with the effective steps taken to promote improvement since the previous inspection, demonstrates that it has a good capacity to improve in the future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use assessment information to plan lessons with sufficient challenge, especially in Years 1 and 2. • Clarify the methods to be used for evaluating the success of initiatives to promote school improvement and the roles of leaders, managers and governors in evaluation.

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Grade: 2

The achievement of girls and boys, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, is good and standards are usually above average. When children start in the Nursery or Reception class, their attainment is in line with that which is typical for their age. A strong focus on personal, social and emotional development and basic literacy and numeracy skills ensures that their learning gets off to a good start. By the 2 Inspection Report: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007 time children enter Year 1, most have attained the nationally agreed learning goals in all areas of learning. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make satisfactory progress so that standards by the end of Year 2 are average. Although standards in reading are above average, fewer pupils attain a level higher than expected for their age in writing. Between 2001 and 2005, results at the end of Year 6 were above average. This represented good progress from pupils’ starting points. Pupils tested in 2006 achieved

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Grade: 2

well but reached only average standards. This was because of an unusually high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties, a significant proportion that had recently joined the school, and a few pupils with challenging behaviour. Standards in the current Year 6 are above average. The school has, rightly, identified that progress in Years 1 and 2 could speed up, especially that of the more capable pupils. Initiatives to promote better writing skills across the school are starting to pay dividends, and a greater proportion of pupils achieved a higher level of attainment in the Year 6 national writing tests in 2006.

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Grade: 2

The good attitudes and behaviour of the vast majority of pupils make an important contribution to their good achievement and their enjoyment of school. Good personal, social and emotional development in the Foundation Stage ensures that children settle easily into school life. From this point, they grow in confidence and mature into confident young citizens, well prepared for life beyond school. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They have a keen sense of social responsibility because of the many opportunities they have to support charities and to understand the plight of others. Pupils know how to keep fit and understand why it is sensible to eat healthily. They make an important contribution to the community, both at school and in the locality. Older pupils particularly enjoy taking responsibility for helping younger ones, especially with reading. There is scope for pupils to have greater

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Grade: 2

involvement in deciding the direction of the school. Attendance is satisfactory. The school works hard to discourage parents from taking children on holidays during term time.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress as a result of good teaching and learning. Good organisation, interesting and purposeful activities that involve pupils, and positive relationships are strong features of most of the teaching. As a result, pupils are attentive and open to learning. The marking of pupils’ work in Year 5 and 6 is particularly good. Teachers ensure that there is additional help for those pupils who need an extra boost to their learning. Consequently, pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Assessments of what pupils can already do and what they need to learn next 3 Inspection Report: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007 are used well in Years 3 to 6, thus ensuring that pupils’ work matches their varying ages and capabilities. This is not always the case in Years 1 and 2 and, as a result, pupils capable of reaching higher levels of work are not always challenged sufficiently

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Grade: 2

The curriculum enables pupils to make good progress. The school places high priority upon providing an enriching curriculum that enlivens learning. This is seen in a good range of interesting lessons, extra-curricular activities, educational visits, visitors and links within the locality. Consequently, pupils enjoy their learning. The curriculum has recently been adapted to address weaknesses in pupils’ achievement. For example, there is now a good range of opportunities for to pupils to practise their writing skills across the subjects of the curriculum. Earlier identification and a wider range of support programmes now meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Older and more capable pupils benefit from a good range of activities that challenge them to think harder. Further curriculum adaptations are needed, however, in order to ensure that provision is well matched to the varying ages and capabilities of pupils

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Grade: 2

in Years 1 and 2, enabling the more capable pupils to make greater progress.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Parents appreciate the fact that their children are cared for by staff as though they were `part of their own family’. Key to this is that adults know children and their families very well. Careful arrangements to safeguard pupils are in place, and pupils say that they are confident that staff will help them to overcome any difficulties. Classroom assistants contribute well to the good progress made by pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. The school works tirelessly to ensure that pupils requiring specialised support from external agencies receive the help they need to achieve well. Good links with parents ensure that they are kept well informed of how well their children are getting on. The school has, rightly, identified that the academic guidance given to pupils could improve. Although older pupils are aware of their learning targets, particularly in reading and writing, not all

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Grade: 2

pupils know how well they are doing or what they need to learn next.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management, including governance, are good. By working together, staff and governors have created an ethos of promoting good academic achievement and personal development. This is reflected in pupils’ enjoyment, confidence, and the above average standards usually reached by Year 6. The headteacher has led the school positively though a challenging period, including the allocation of new management roles and an increasing number of pupils joining and leaving the school partway through 4 Inspection Report: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007 their primary education. Furthermore, fluctuating year group sizes means that there is a continual challenge of organising pupils into manageable class sizes, while keeping within the constraints of the budget. Despite these challenges, most pupils make good progress. The school accurately evaluates its effectiveness. It does this by seeking the

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Grade: 2

views of staff, governors and parents, and by accurately interpreting information that shows pupils’ progress over time, Although the school has pinpointed the most important priorities for future improvement, plans for measuring and evaluating the success of initiatives lack clarity in terms of the precise responsibilities of senior staff and governors. 5 Inspection Report: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007 .

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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: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007

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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?

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

2 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: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007

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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: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Aldbrough Primary School Headlands Road Aldbrough Hull East Riding of Yorkshire HU11 4RR 22 February 2007 Dear Pupils Thanks you so much for the very warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school. You were all friendly and polite and keen to talk to me. You answered all my questions really thoughtfully. I can see why you told me that you enjoy coming to school and why most of your parents are pleased with the school.. All the adults care about you doing well and are working hard to make sure you get even more chances to take part in interesting and exciting activities in your lessons. I am particularly pleased to know that if you have any problems or are upset about anything, there is always someone you can talk to and get help and so you feel happy in school. I enjoyed hearing your thoughts in assembly; especially because you already understand how important it is to eat fruit and vegetables so that you stay healthy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your headteacher, teachers, governors and the other adults that help in school are working hard to make your school even better. I have asked them to make sure that the work you are given in your lessons is never too easy for you and always gives you the chance to show what you are capable of. I have also asked them to make sure that they are all clear about how they intend to check up on how well you are learning and if your school is getting better. You can help your school become even better by making sure you understand what your targets are and checking all the time what you still have to do to reach them. You should also make sure that you tell your teacher if your work is too easy or too hard for you and, of course, continue to try your very best in everything that you do. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Kathryn Dodd Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Aldbrough Primary School, 22 February 2007

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