Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 13 Mar 2008

Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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117993 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 290993 Inspection number 13 March 2008 Inspection date Amraz Ali HMI 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 143 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Gary Taylor Chair Mrs Barbara Hoggarth Headteacher 1 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection Dorset Avenue School address Skirlaugh Hull HU11 5EB 01964 562454 Telephone number 01964 562043 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 13 March 2008 Inspection date 290993 Inspection number .

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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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and inspected the following issues: the quality of the Foundation Stage; standards and pupils’ achievement; the quality of teaching and learning; some aspects of the support and guidance provided to pupils and leadership and management. Evidence was gathered by observing lessons, examining a sample of pupils’ work, scrutinising the school’s documentation, analysing parental questionnaires, and by talking with pupils, governors, the senior leadership team and subject coordinators. Other aspects of the school’s work were not inspected in detail but the inspector found evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were accurate and justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average primary school serving Skirlaugh, a village 10 miles north east of Hull, in an area of average socio-economic standing. All pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a learning difficulty and/or disability (LDD) is similar to the national average. A higher proportion of pupils than average start or leave during the school year. The school has several awards including a National Healthy Schools Award, the Activemark, the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark and the Heartbeat Award for providing healthy school meals.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good quality of education. The quality of the curriculum, care, guidance and support and pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. The school’s motto of ‘A caring Christian community committed to achievement and attainment for all’, is evident in all that staff and governors do. This is one of the key reasons why all staff work well together and continually strive to improve their work. Pupils and parents value highly what the school offers and this is reflected in a typical comment from a parent who described it as, ‘a warm and welcoming place where the staff are hard working and want the best for all pupils’. Pupils enjoy school and take advantage of the wide range of interesting activities provided. This is reflected in their good attendance. Pupils start school with knowledge and skills that vary but are generally typical for their age. By the time they leave in Year 6, standards overall are exceptionally high and this has been the

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Grade: 2

case for the previous five years. While this represents good progress overall, the rate of progress is uneven as pupils pass through the school. It is particularly strong in their last two years. Progress is very good in mathematics and science, and pupils reach very high standards. Progress in English, particularly writing, is not as strong. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities make exceptionally good progress because they receive well planned support which is reflected in the fact that many of these pupils reach the level expected for their age in English and mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, but it ranges from satisfactory to outstanding. Some high quality, challenging teaching accelerates the progress of older Key Stage 2 pupils who consequently achieve very well. A key feature of this is that work is well planned to meet the full range of abilities and interests of pupils. However, this is not the case

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Grade: 2

in all classes. In some lessons, tasks are not matched closely enough to the needs of all learners with the result that on occasions some pupils are not challenged enough and others find the work too difficult. The good relationships between staff and pupils impact positively on pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning which in turn enhance progress. Teachers track pupils’ progress carefully and effectively and set challenging targets for all pupils. Pupils have a clear understanding of their personal targets for writing and mathematics and are very keen to achieve them. The outstanding curriculum provides a broad and very rich array of experiences with a strong focus on music, creativity and physical education. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a particular strength. Teachers use this effectively to support teaching and learning and pupils use their good ICT skills in many subjects. There are good opportunities for pupils

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Grade: 2

to learn about other cultures and religions alongside their own. Pupils gain good, first hand experiences through trips to places of interest and from the many visitors who come into the school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about theme weeks and special events such as the Big Box, the Big Draw and Jewellery from Junk. These all help to interest and motivate pupils to learn. The curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development and well-being through a recently introduced programme, which develops their social and emotional skills and helps them to develop into well rounded, self-confident young people. Inspection evidence supports the school’s judgment that pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding particularly their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have a very good understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, particularly the

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008 importance of diet and exercise, and they say they feel safe in school. Pupils work well together and are equally confident when working independently. They behave well and eagerly take on responsibility around the school such as playground leaders and lunchtime monitors. They are very welcoming of new pupils who join the school. These good personal qualities combined with very good academic skills give pupils a very good foundation for their future education and economic well-being. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides particularly strong direction and wants the very best for every pupil. The school’s systems and procedures for self-evaluation are good overall. However, the school was over-generous in its evaluation of key areas of the school’s work, notably the quality of teaching and learning and the school’s overall effectiveness.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and teachers with responsibilities for individual subjects regularly monitor the quality of teaching and learning, and provide constructive feedback to help colleagues improve their practice. As a consequence, they are aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The governing body provides good support and challenge to the school. The school provides good value for money.

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Grade: 2

The provision in the Nursery and for Reception children is good. Reception children are taught alongside Year 1 pupils and benefit from the support of the older pupils who look after them and help them settle in. During their time in the Foundation Stage, children are provided with the firm foundations on which to continue their schooling. Progress is good overall because of particularly strong gains in children’s social development, speaking and listening and in their mathematical development. Although those children who spend three terms in Reception often do particularly well, most children achieve the expected levels in all areas of learning by the end of Reception. The care for children is of a high standard and helped by very good links with parents. There is good provision for outdoor play which all children enjoy. Children’s progress is well documented and their successes are shared with parents.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make all teaching as consistently as good as the best. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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?

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 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU11 5EB Thank you all so much for welcoming me to your school when I visited recently to find out how well you were doing. I enjoyed speaking to many of you and particularly enjoyed hearing you sing .You told me that you enjoy coming to your school so much and I can see why you appreciate all of the exciting activities that are on offer. You will not be surprised when I tell you that your school is a good one. The headteacher and staff help you to make good progress in your work. They provide interesting lessons and help you to do your best in all subjects which was clear from your good work in ICT, music and art. You benefit from visits to places of interest; you do some good work in your own village and you learn much about other cultures and religions as well. You are very enthusiastic about your work and keen to achieve your personal targets.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

All of the adults help you to become responsible young people. Mrs Hoggarth, staff and governors are determined that you will get the very best education possible. I have pointed out two ways in which they can make things even better for you. I have asked them to make sure that some of the teaching is made even better. I have also asked them to help you to make better progress with your writing. You have your part to play as well, especially by continuing to work very hard and behave well, which I know you can do. I wish you every success for the future. Yours sincerely Amraz Ali Her Majesty’s Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 13 March 2008

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