Osmotherley Primary School

Osmotherley Primary School Inspection report

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121310 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 292076 Inspection number 19 April 2007 Inspection date Rosemary Rodger 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 Community School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 48 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ken Blackwood Chair Mrs Penny Vernon Headteacher 29 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection School Lane School address Osmotherley Northallerton North Yorkshire DL6 3BW

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01609 883329 Telephone number 01609 883146 Fax number

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5 °11 Age group 19 April 2007 Inspection date 292076 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 Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This very small primary school serves an advantaged rural area in the North Yorkshire Dales. A very small number of pupils have free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The Key Stage 1 teacher was absent during the inspection. The school was awarded a Basic Skills Quality Mark and ActiveMark in 2006. The school will be confederated with a nearby primary school from September 2007.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 2007

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Grade: 2

Osmotherley Primary is a good school. The headteacher, with the support of the governors and staff, works hard to overcome the limitations of the building and makes good use of facilities in the community to ensure all aspects of the school's work are taught effectively. Links with nearby schools are well fostered and valued by pupils. The headteacher's judgement on the school's overall effectiveness is accurate, if modest in some respects, but clearly demonstrates improvements that have taken place recently and what still needs to be achieved. Improvements to standards in writing have been tackled well and show clearly in the above average standards achieved in recent national tests at both key stages. This improvement demonstrates effectively the school's good capacity to improve. Standards in mathematics are not as good as they should be throughout the school. The above average standards reached in English and science are

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Grade: 2

evident in the good progress made in lessons. The school exceeded its targets in the 2006 national tests. Standards on entry are average. All pupils achieve well, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities because they are supported by very committed and effective teaching assistants. The quality of teaching is generally good because of the attention to providing for the individual needs in each class. What pupils are expected to learn is usually shared with pupils and reviewed at the end of the lesson. Pupils' work is diligently marked so they know what to do to improve their work. Older pupils know what they have to do to reach particular levels in the national tests. Sometimes, there is too little demonstration to help pupils learn in mathematics and practical aids are not always used. The impact of training to improve the teaching of writing is very evident in the good quality of pupils' work but less so in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. They really enjoy school and value the care and guidance provided by their teachers. Attitudes to learning are good and pupils mostly behave well. Pupils are well prepared for their responsibilities in later life through the class council and the monitoring roles and responsibilities they undertake. The whole-school assessment system to track individual progress is only partially effective and does not provide guidance on progress throughout each year group to identify potential and actual underachievement. The curriculum is effectively enriched through the liaison with a nearby school to enable pupils to work with more pupils of the same age. This provides the more able pupils with a good level of challenge. Good quality care, guidance and support help pupils to grow in confidence and achieve well academically. The quality and standards in the Foundation

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Grade: 2

Stage are good and vastly improved since the last inspection. Teaching assistants use the dedicated outdoor area in an exemplary manner to make learning basic skills fun. The school gives good value for money and has made good progress since the last inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in mathematics. • Make more effective use of assessment data so that underachievement is more easily identified.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. The overall achievement of pupils by the time they leave school has improved well in the past two years. This improvement is reflected in the good progress they 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 2007 make throughout school, but particularly in Key Stage 2 because of their good attitudes and effective teaching. The children's attainment on entry is generally average, although it is high in personal, social and emotional development. The children attain in line with national averages in all other areas of learning. Standards throughout the school are above average in English and science, although they have been slightly below average in mathematics for the past two years. The numbers of pupils in each year group are very small and variable. This makes comparisons year-by-year unreliable. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well because of the well planned support they receive. More able pupils reach the levels they

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Grade: 2

are capable of by the time they leave school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils give a good account of the ways in which they are encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle. They know they have to eat fresh fruit and take regular exercise and say their school does this well. A healthy eating week, learning about obesity and dental hygiene were particular examples they cited from their work in school. Safety is of prime importance, with some older pupils appointed to be road safety monitors. Bullying is just not seen as an issue in the playground now the whole school has discussed this in assemblies. Behaviour is satisfactory because sometimes a few pupils in Key Stage 1 are less respectful of their teacher than they should be. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The curriculum has been used to foster effective understanding of cultural diversity and equality, with one pupil reciting from memory the Martin Luther King speech, 'I have a dream.' Class councils are formed

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Grade: 2

to give pupils a say in school life, for example, coining the school rules and deciding what outdoor play equipment they would like. Enjoyment is palpable throughout school and well illustrated in comments such as, 'Here, everyone is included all the time' and 'Everyone gets along and respects each other in their own way.' Economic well-being is well fostered in how pupils learn about the outside world, develop responsibilities and are taught to remember more through drama. These examples were cited by pupils alongside the need to work hard and do well in their tests. Attendance has improved this year and is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall, although it is variable between the two classes. Pupils have good attitudes, although minor misbehaviour in the Key Stage 1 class sometimes slows pupils' learning. Good teaching is forthright and makes what pupils are expected to learn precise as well as building effectively on what they have learned before. In both classes, good account is taken of the mixed ages of pupils so they are equally challenged. This is a particularly good feature in the effective use of probing, well matched questioning to ensure all pupils are involved in whole-class introductions. The specific needs of the youngest children in the Foundation Stage are well met and they enjoy a wide range of learning inside and outside. The interesting ways in which they are taught how to recognise sounds in words makes their learning fun. Much of what is achieved in matching work to the individual needs of pupils could not be so

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Grade: 2

successful without the talents and support provided by a strong team of teaching assistants. Pupils' work is diligently marked and they know what to do to improve because they sometimes have targets to guide their learning. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 2007

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is well balanced due to the partnership with a nearby school to plan and teach a range of cross-curricular topics such as the rain forest, Aztecs and the 50's and 60's. The pupils, too, enjoy their work with pupils from other schools as they say it provides them with greater challenge. Every opportunity is taken to enrich learning through visits to places of interest, in nearby York, for example. The pupils' work is well planned to ensure all pupils have equality of opportunity and the work is matched to pupils' individual needs when appropriate. The use of National Curriculum levels for each subject is a rigorous way of ensuring there is good progression in pupils' learning. A high priority is given to outdoor learning for all pupils, but this is most effective for the youngest children in the Foundation Stage whose designated outdoor area provides many opportunities for enjoyment and exercise. Pupils gave

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Grade: 2

many examples of the ways in which what they do in school contributes to their personal well-being.

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Grade: 2

This is a good aspect of the school's work because pupils say they feel safe and trust their teachers. Potential hazards around the school will all be overcome on completion of the new playground. The school works with outside agencies when necessary and generally parents are happy with the day-to-day support for their children. The statutory requirements with regard to safeguarding pupils are in place. Arrangements for risk assessments are now meeting requirements and staff are trained in child protection procedures. The electronic system to monitor pupils' progress year-by-year is satisfactory, but would benefit from an input of additional assessment information throughout the year to show the rate of progress term by term and identify underachievement at a suitably early stage.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher, with regular support from the governing body and staff, leads and manages the school well. She works within the constraints of the building and has successfully campaigned to bring about improvements. Recent staffing changes could have had an adverse impact on teaching and learning in Key Stage 1. However, this has not been the case. The headteacher, with good support from the local authority, has tackled previous falls in standards in writing particularly well and is currently working to improve standards in mathematics through staff training and focused monitoring. School self-evaluation is an accurate, if somewhat modest, assessment of the school. It is supported by rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning. Governors play a key role in school by supporting the headteacher and have a good knowledge of all the school developments. They have worked well with staff to improve the links with the

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Grade: 2

local community. They have also effectively ensured that parents are well informed about changes to the future status of the school. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 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 3 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making my visit to your school so enjoyable. It would have been good to stay longer. You are lucky to attend such a good school. The list below shows what is good about your school and what could be improved. • You all enjoy school and mostly work hard and do well in your tests at 7 and 11. • You are encouraged to live a healthy life and have a good understanding of the consequences of not doing this. • You say you are safe in school and get on well together in the playground. • Your headteacher and teachers work hard to make school enjoyable and are thrilled that you will soon be having some building improvements. • You enjoy your work with a nearby primary school and the use of the village hall for physical education. • You say the trips you make help to make learning more enjoyable. This is what could be improved. • You need to work hard in mathematics and tell your teacher if you do not understand so you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

achieve more in the tests you take. • It would be helpful if the electronic records kept of your progress contained more information. You are very lucky to attend a school in such a beautiful area. You will be even more pleased when the building work is finished and there is more space in school. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Osmotherley Primary School, 19 April 2007

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