Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection Report Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

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121610 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 292176 Inspection number 13 September 2006 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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Egton School address Primary Type of school Whitby Voluntary aided School category North Yorkshire YO21 1UT 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01947 895369 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01947 895369 Fax number 43 Number on roll (school) Mr Roger Everett Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs E Orland Headteacher 23 September 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 292176 13 September 2006 4 °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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a very small primary school that serves a wide rural area. A high proportion of pupils is bussed to and from school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. A below average number of pupils is eligible for a free school meal. A slightly above average number of pupils has learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including one pupil with a statement of special educational need. Pupils are taught in two mixed age classes. The village hall is used for physical activities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006

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Grade: 2

Egton Church of England primary school has much to be proud of. This is admirably reflected in the overwhelmingly positive comments of parents, one of whom said, 'My son has developed in all areas beyond belief with the absolute care and understanding of all the staff'. Pupils, too, comment very favourably about their school, 'No-one is left out. We all have talents, and are one, big happy family'. The inspection wholeheartedly supports these views. Pupils thrive in this school and are exceptionally well cared for in a safe environment. The headteacher judges the school's effectiveness accurately, if somewhat modestly: it is good. She has high expectations and leads exceptionally well by the example of her own good teaching. As a result, progress since the previous inspection has been excellent in improvements to the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils and the excitement and enjoyment provided in the learning

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Grade: 2

of all pupils. The school has a good capacity to improve and gives good value for money. Results in the national tests fluctuate considerably year by year because of the small cohorts. In some years, such as 2005, they were exceptionally high. In other years, such as 2006, they were lower. The overall picture is one of strong achievement and all pupils make good progress. Pupils' personal development and well-being are excellently fostered: pupils appreciate the encouragement to eat healthily, keep fit, learn to swim and exercise regularly. They develop a strong sense of justice, concern and compassion for others because all aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are so successfully developed. Respect, meaningful involvement in decision-making and their great pride in understanding budgeting equip pupils well for the responsibilities of later life. All pupils achieve well because they enjoy learning and their teaching is good. The

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Grade: 2

inclusion of a range of relevant visits and visitors enriches the work they do. Pupils and teachers together have worked well to improve mathematical learning and are now well placed to tackle whole school improvements in writing, which is not as good as it should be. The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good: the needs of the youngest children are particularly well met because of the skilled support of well experienced teaching assistants and well planned use of the outdoor environment.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the teaching of writing so that pupils know exactly what is required of different types of writing and apply basic punctuation and grammatical skills more consistently.

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Grade: 2

Results in the national tests fluctuate considerably year by year because of the small cohorts. In some years, such as 2005, they were exceptionally high. In other years, 2 Inspection Report: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006 such as 2006, they were lower. The overall picture is one of strong achievement and all pupils make good progress from their starting point, which varies from year to year. Vulnerable pupils make equally good progress because of the excellent support they receive from experienced teaching assistants. Pupils achieve equally well at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. When they start in the Reception class, children's attainment is what is expected of four year olds and they make good progress through the Foundation Stage. By the time they start Year 1 standards are above average. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2. This is reflected in the Year 2 assessments in reading, writing and mathematics. The

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Grade: 2

good progress is particularly evident in mathematics because of the support provided to improve teaching throughout the school. The slight fall in English standards in the 2006 tests was because of weaknesses in writing. This was not unexpected as the school is aware of this and following the successful targeted support for mathematics it is well placed to do the same in English.

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Grade: 1

Pupils make outstanding progress in developing the personal skills that equip them very well for later life. This is because they are encouraged to take responsibility and have their views taken into account, for example, choosing colour schemes, designing the playground markings and giving their views on the new homework policy. The high priority the school gives to safety is well understood by all pupils who feel safe in school, know what to do in emergencies and value the security provided by their teachers. Twice weekly physical education, including very challenging training with sports coaches, and daily healthy meals and snacks all contribute excellently to promoting healthy lifestyles. Empathy with others less fortunate than themselves is reflected very well in successful fund raising for charities. Pupils' maturity and confidence are well developed through the central role the school plays in the community; regular performances and links

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Grade: 1

with other schools are also contributing to the pupils' enjoyment of school. Attendance is above average. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils in and around school are exemplary. This is a great improvement since the last inspection and an excellent reflection of the headteacher's exacting expectations. Pupils collaborate well in lessons and show high levels of care for other children. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is well fostered. Pupils spoke passionately of their dislike of racist comments reported in the local press. 3 Inspection Report: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good because teachers know the needs of individual pupils exceptionally well, have excellent relationships and provide well matched activities for them in lessons. This is a particularly good feature in mathematics. An industrious hardworking buzz of activity was evident in the Key Stage 2 class as the pupils rose to the challenge of solving mathematical problems. The good impact of mathematics teaching on learning is consistent for all pupils. Planning generally takes account of the wide age range in each class and what pupils are expected to learn is clearly displayed. Improvements to information and communication technology have been impressive: teachers demonstrate good levels of skill and confidence in using interactive whiteboards. Sometimes, the expectations of what pupils are required to do when writing are not fully explained in Key Stage 2 and in Key Stage 1 there is too little demonstration of the writing process. The

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Grade: 2

leadership of the school has identified this as an area to develop as a result of the slight fall in results this year. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. The youngest children are very often guided to practical activities outdoors to make learning fun. For example, children enjoyed counting using buckets of sand and talking about their learning.

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Grade: 2

Improvements to the curriculum are good. The introduction of themes and long term plans ensure there is continuity in pupils' learning. The introduction of French and the good use of visits linked to different subjects enrich the curriculum effectively. Impressive displays of pupils' past work illustrate very appropriately the good breadth of the work pupils do. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good because they are well integrated into lessons. The school skilfully provides a broad range of after school and lunchtime clubs, which are provided because the pupils have requested them. Many pupils learn to play a musical instrument. This also contributes to the good levels of confidence and self-esteem of the pupils. Provision for pupils to learn the basic skills is generally given a high priority, although attention to the good presentation of work and careful, accurate writing has slipped recently. The Foundation

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Grade: 2

Stage learning is well planned and makes good use of the outdoors for practical learning.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are excellent. The warmth of relationships is obvious to any visitor to the school and is continually seen in the high quality relationships 4 Inspection Report: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006 throughout school. Child protection issues are sensitively handled and the utmost care is taken to keep pupils safe when they go on educational visits. The youngest children settle well into the Key Stage 1 class because of the staged entry process. Very effective links are made with parents and a range of agencies to safeguard the needs of vulnerable pupils. Pupils grow in confidence and have, as one parent commented, 'a strong sense of self belief'. Pupils are known individually very well. The school has recently changed its system to track the progress pupils make as they go through school to make it more manageable and to identify those pupils who do not make the

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good, but that of the headteacher is outstanding because of the excellent improvement since the last inspection in all aspects of the school's work. She leads effectively by the example of her own strong teaching, quiet determination and encouragement that others too can succeed. The school has recovered well from the behaviour and relationship issues at the time of the previous inspection. It is highly valued in the local community because of the associations forged by the headteacher with the effective support of governors, staff and pupils. Communication is excellent. Her vision for the school is very clear: she knows there are still improvements to be made to meet her high expectations. The school's procedures for checking its work are robust and used to identify areas for improvement. The analysis of standards in English has been used effectively to

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Grade: 2

identify the need to improve writing. The limitations in the accommodation do not deter the school from providing pupils with every opportunity to succeed. 5 Inspection Report: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006 .

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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: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006

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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 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006

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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: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I would like to thank you all for making my visit to your school so very enjoyable. I have said you have a good school with some outstanding features. Everything you said has helped to make that judgement, especially the discussions I had with several of you. What is good about your school • You are all encouraged to work hard and behave well in lessons. • Your headteacher is outstanding and makes sure you are very well cared for so that you feel safe and enjoy your time in school. • Some of you achieve exceptionally well in the national tests and your teachers know what to do to support those of you who find your work more difficult. • Your parents say your school is excellent. • Your work is much more interesting because you go on many visits and have lots of practical activities to make your learning exciting. • You all said that physical education is great, especially the sports coaching you have.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

What could be better about your school • Some of you do not do as well with your writing as you could and I have asked your teachers to explain how you can improve. You can help too by always reading what you have written and making sure you write in sentences, use full stops and capital letters correctly and spell simple words accurately. Good luck to all of you. I hope the rehearsals for your next performance go well and you continue to learn well and work hard at Egton school. 9 Inspection Report: Egton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 September 2006

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