Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School

Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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118122 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 291032 Inspection number 15 °16 March 2007 Inspection dates 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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Primary Type of school Foundation School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 109 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Karen Longster Chair Mr John Nielsen Headteacher 1 February 2001 Date of previous school inspection Flat Lane School address Barmby Moor York North Yorkshire YO42 4EQ

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01759 304409 Telephone number 01759 304409 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 15 °16 March 2007 Inspection dates 291032 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Almost all pupils attending this small village school are from White British family backgrounds. The proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals and having learning difficulties and disabilities are well below average. The number of pupils who leave or join the school partway through their primary education is higher than that typically found in most schools. Pupils are taught in mixed age classes.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school with some good features. Parents rightly describe it as a `friendly and welcoming school, where every pupil is known well as an individual.’ Making sure that pupils enjoy learning, are safe, healthy, gain basic skills and play an active part in their community is high on the agenda. As a result, pupils’ personal development and well-being are good and pupils are well prepared for their future lives. Standards in Year 6 are above average, representing satisfactory achievement from pupils’ starting point at the end of Reception. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage (Reception class) is good, and has improved well since the previous inspection. In this class, good teaching, a well-adapted curriculum and particularly close monitoring of children’s progress result in good achievement. Between Years 1 and 6, pupils make satisfactory progress because of satisfactory teaching and learning and a satisfactory curriculum. Although pupils attain above

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Grade: 3

average standards, they could do better than this, particularly in writing. The main reason for this is that pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their writing skills as part of work in other subjects. Furthermore, teachers do not always know enough about what pupils can already do, track their progress thoroughly and match their work tightly to pupils’ varying ages and capabilities. As a result, they do not always identify quickly where additional support for pupils is needed and provide sufficiently challenging work and targets for the more capable pupils or consistently support less able pupils. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Leaders and managers are committed and hard working. They work together closely, taking a shared responsibility and with the best interests of the pupils at heart. Although they are right in their view of pupils’ good personal development and have correctly identified the main priorities for the school, for example, to raise achievement

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Grade: 3

in writing, their evaluation of pupils’ achievement and the school’s effectiveness is too generous. This is because the plans and efforts of leaders, managers and governors to check on the consistency and pace of individual pupil’s progress, the quality of teaching and learning, or the suitability of the curriculum, do not always identify where further refinements are necessary. Nevertheless, the maintained above average standards, satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection, and the enthusiasm of staff and headteacher to embrace new initiatives, indicate that it has a satisfactory capacity to improve. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Collect sufficient information about what pupils can already do, track their progress over time more effectively, and match work tightly to varying ages and capabilities and set challenging targets for their future learning. • Ensure that plans for improvement are rigorous enough to help the school to move forward at a faster rate. • Provide more opportunities for pupils to extend their writing skills across different subjects in the curriculum.

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Grade: 3

When children start in the Reception class, their attainment is broadly above average, although it is lower in aspects of literacy and personal development. A strong focus on these aspects 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007 ensures that children make good progress and by the time they enter Year 1, standards exceed all the learning goals set nationally. Achievement of girls and boys through the rest of the school, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, is satisfactory. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make satisfactory progress so that standards by Year 2 are above average. Standards by Year 6 are above average. National test results are usually above average, although performance of Year 6 in the 2006 dipped to broadly average. This was because this class included a high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and pupils

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Grade: 3

who had recently joined the school. Academic progress across the school varies over time and across subjects; for example, more pupils reach a higher level than expected for their age in reading and mathematics than in writing. Although the school has identified raising achievement in writing across the school as a key priority, targets set for pupils currently in Year 6 remain insufficiently challenging to make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral social and cultural development are good. The school is a happy, harmonious place to learn. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. The good personal, social and emotional development of children in the Reception class ensures that they settle well into school life. Pupils have a good understanding of appropriate ways to behave and so the vast majority behave well. Occasionally, however, pupils find it difficult to stay focused on their learning when working independently. Pupils enjoy making their school a happier and safer place to be. They willingly take on responsibilities, particularly looking after one another and helping resolve differences in the playground. They have a good understanding of why it is important to eat healthily and to take regular exercise. Pupils develop a keen sense

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Grade: 2

of social responsibility; showing great sensitivity to the needs of others less fortunate than themselves. Pupils gain good levels of basic skills; they enjoy opportunities to organise and participate in many fund raising activities. This prepares them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress as a result of satisfactory teaching and learning. A sense of fun and enjoyment, positive relationships, interesting and purposeful activities and effective use of computerised boards are strong features of most of the teaching. Teaching in the Reception class is good because regular assessments of how well children are getting on ensures that work meets the varying needs of the children. Although there are examples of good teaching in other classes, teaching quality is not consistently good. Teachers embrace initiatives to raise standards with enthusiasm; for example, ensuring that they assess pupils’ achievement in writing more frequently. Assessment of pupils’ attainment and their progress over time is inconsistent. As a result, the work planned does not always match the varying ages and capabilities within the mixed age classes. Teachers do not always have high enough expectations

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Grade: 3

of what pupils are capable of and this means that pupils spend time completing activities that do not move learning on at a consistently good rate. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with good features. Pupils have good opportunities to participate in a wide range of exciting activities; including clubs, trips, visitors and residential visits. Such activities make a strong contribution to pupils’ enjoyment of school and influence how well they develop as young people. A strong commitment to art and design results in standards that are above national expectations. Staff have recently adapted the curriculum to respond to the priority to raise achievement in writing; such as, by including more opportunities for them to learn to speak and listen before they begin to write. There remains scope for providing more opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills as part of work in other subjects. Support programmes to boost learning in mathematics, for example, by using interactive digital technology, are contributing to good progress in this subject.The curriculum does not

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Grade: 3

consistently provide sufficient challenge for the more capable pupils or support less able pupils effectively enough to allow them to build upon their existing knowledge, skills and understanding.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support for pupils are satisfactory. Procedures to protect and safeguard pupils are in place. Pupils benefit from committed and experienced staff that know pupils well and show genuine care for their welfare. Consequently, pupils readily seek help if difficulties arise and say that they feel safe at school. Effective links with external support agencies ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities benefit from good support. However, plans and programmes to support pupils making insufficient gains in their learning are not always put into place quickly enough to boost learning before the pupils fall behind others. Guidance for children in the Reception class is good because staff regularly check children’s progress; set challenging targets and involves children in understanding their next steps in learning. These good practices are not yet used consistently across the school.

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Grade: 3

Leadership, management and governance are satisfactory. The school helps pupils to enjoy their education and to achieve well in their personal development. Parents appreciate the open and welcoming approach of staff. The headteacher works hard to achieve a balance between his teaching commitments and his leadership and management responsibilities. Consultation with parents and pupils ensures, for the most part, a good understanding of the views of the school community. The school has accurately identified that pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school and the need to improve pupils’ achievement in writing. Although leaders, managers and governors aim to keep their eye on the ball, their work is not always done with sufficient rigour to ensure that all pupils make consistently good academic progress over time and across different subjects. This is because their plans for improvement do not always clarify

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Grade: 3

their precise responsibilities and criteria to judge the success of their efforts. As a result, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and schools overall evaluation of its own effectiveness is too generous. Nevertheless, the school has successfully addressed issues from the last inspection, 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007 particularly the improved provision for Reception age children, has maintained above average standards, and so demonstrates that it has the capacity to continue to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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

3 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 3 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 2 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?

3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School Flat Lane Barmby Moor York North Yorkshire YO42 4EQ 15 March 2007 Dear Pupils Thank you for making me so welcome when I visited your school. You were all very polite and keen to talk to me. You answered all of my questions really thoughtfully. Your behaviour was good and most of you worked hard in your lessons. I particularly enjoyed seeing so many of you enjoying the special `Red Nose Day’ activities. You get lots of chances to take part in interesting and exciting activities in and out of school. I can see why you say that you enjoy coming to school. All the adults care about you. I am particularly pleased to know that if you have a problem or are upset, there is always someone on hand to help, including your `peer mediators’. This makes sure that you feel happy and safe in school. Your headteacher, teachers, governors and other adults are working hard to make your school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

even better. I have asked them to keep a closer check on how well you are getting on with your learning so that they find out how you might do even better and quickly get the help that you need. I have also asked that your work in your lessons is never too easy for you and that you always have the chance to show what you are capable of. Finally, I have asked the school to make sure that you get even more chances to practise your writing so that you do as well in this subject as you do in your reading or mathematics. You can help your school become even better by making sure that you know and understand what your targets are and by checking all the time what you have to do to reach them. Also, you should make sure that you tell your teacher if your work is too easy or 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

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Kathryn Dodd Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School, 15 °16 March 2007

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