The Boyle and Petyt Primary School

The Boyle and Petyt Primary School Inspection report

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121621 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 292180 Inspection number 20 °21 March 2007 Inspection dates 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 Voluntary aided School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 62 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Colin Crabtree Chair Ms Imogen Addy Headteacher 14 January 2002 Date of previous school inspection Beamsley School address Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 6HE

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01756 710378 Telephone number 01756 710378 Fax number

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5 °11 Age group 20 °21 March 2007 Inspection dates 292180 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 is situated in the hamlet of Beamsley close to Skipton. Pupils attend the school from a wide area with several coming from nearby Ilkley or Skipton. The school is oversubscribed. There are very few pupils' who are eligible for a free school meal, which reflects the general socially and economically advantaged area. There is a below average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD). A vast majority of pupils are White British. A pre-school is held every morning in the school hall. The recently appointed headteacher has been in post for almost two terms. The school has achieved Investors in People award.

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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: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 March 2007

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Grade: 2

The Boyle and Petyt Primary School is a good school. The commitment, hard work and talents of the headteacher are successful in leading good improvements to the school following a period of staffing turbulence and a dip in standards between inspections. Now, standards are rising. Parents acknowledge 'the tremendous difference', the 'strong sense of direction' and rising standards. The school's judgement on its overall effectiveness is modest, but accurately identifies what needs to be improved. The zeal with which these improvements have been tackled is impressive: boys' writing, standards in mathematics, pupils' behaviour throughout school and the provision for the youngest children are all much improved and a credit to all the hard work by the headteacher, governors and staff, with effective support from the local authority. Roles and responsibilities have been delegated to staff, but in some cases, staff are

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Grade: 2

not yet fully effective in taking the lead. Standards on entry to school are average. Pupils reach significantly above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave school. This capability is evident in the pupils' confidence and quality of work displayed around the school. Pupils with LDD are well supported and fully included in lessons. Their progress is good. The school's analysis of progress shows some underachievement in one year group which is beginning to be tackled by raising expectations of what these pupils need to learn. Pupils enjoy school and express their gratitude for the improvements made to playground facilities and their stimulating teaching, especially in English. Pupils' good achievement is well reflected in improvements to attendance figures which are above average. The pupils' care, guidance and support are given a high priority. Pupils are known very well individually and respond well to their familiar surroundings. The

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Grade: 2

links with a local cluster of schools provide good opportunities for additional sporting activities and joint residential visits. These activities make a good contribution to pupils' personal development and well-being and helps to prepare them for their move to secondary education. The vibrant curriculum serves the pupils' needs well and includes firm links with the local community. Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good and this is a strength of the school which is a good improvement since the last inspection. Links with the pre-school on site help to develop a smooth transition to school so the children settle quickly and securely into the routines of their mixed age Key Stage 1 class. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Despite having many teachers last year, older pupils have good relationships and respond with enthusiasm to the high expectations of their teaching. They enjoy learning, especially the

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Grade: 2

Kung Fu punctuation lessons. Work is generally well matched to the needs of the mixed age classes. Assessments are meticulously recorded and analysed and provide the headteacher with a very informative map of progress throughout school.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure all year groups achieve as well as they can. • Develop the roles of subject leaders.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and standards are significantly above average. Children start in the Foundation Stage with average standards in all areas of learning. They make good progress 4 of 10 Inspection Report: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 March 2007 because of skilled teaching and imaginative use of the indoor and outdoor environment which ensures that children really enjoy learning. Key Stage 1 pupils achieve well and make good progress because of their good attitudes and enthusiasm for learning. In 2006, pupils in Year 6 achieved very well as a result of the impact of effective support from the local authority given because pupils had seriously underachieved previously. Older pupils continue to make good progress due to the consistently good teaching. Targets were exceeded in 2006. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well. Progress throughout the school is generally

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Grade: 2

good, although there is some underachievement in one year group because of the lack of challenge for more able pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils know what to do to keep fit and healthy which is why they value the recently acquired outdoor equipment in school so highly. Drinking water daily and eating healthy foods at lunchtime and playtimes is very important to pupils. Because of the creation of golden rules, pupils feel safe at playtimes. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They feel confident enough to talk to their teachers if they have problems, or use the suggestion boxes in class. Older pupils carry out their increasing responsibilities well, for example, caring for younger pupils, as lunch time servers and their understanding that they are seen as role models for the rest of school. Attitudes to learning are good. Attendance is above average and much improved this year because of increased enthusiasm for school. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and sets pupils up well to be considerate and caring members of the

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Grade: 2

school and larger communities. Participation in community events such as the village treasure hunt increases pupils' confidence. Personal, social and economic skills are well developed through the participation in cluster events such as residential visits and involvement in activities associated with the management of the Bolton Abbey estate. Pupils settle quickly and confidently into the Foundation Stage due to the close liaison with the pre-school and well planned provision in the improved accommodation.

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Grade: 2

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) enriches learning very well and provides excellent stimuli to promote interest and engagement in writing in Years 5 and 6. Lessons are planned to meet the needs of most pupils so they are all appropriately challenged and make good progress as a result. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good and makes effective use of the outdoor area to enhance enjoyment and enthusiasm, well demonstrated in the excitement surrounding the construction of the houses for the Little Pigs. Pupils with LDD are well supported and always included alongside others in their class. Parents are keen to support their children's learning at home, but some would like more guidance on what they could do and what their children are going to be doing. Recent actions to provide pupils with targets to improve their work, along with the helpful comments made on their marked work,

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Grade: 2

are helping pupils know what to do to improve. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy the breadth in the good curriculum which on the whole includes plenty of challenge for those working at a high level. The curriculum is suitably planned. Recently, several subjects have been combined into themes, for example, Ancient Egypt, The Good Old Days and Keeping Healthy. These are popular with pupils who enjoy applying their skills in ICT, literacy and numeracy to research and write in innovative ways. For example, the information leaflets about Bolton Abbey made by Year 2 pupils demonstrated this admirably. The history of the local environment is used well to enrich learning through visits and visitors. Well known children's authors have visited the school. This enrichment contributes to the pupils' enjoyment of learning. Pupils also enjoy high quality singing in assembly.

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Grade: 2

The friendly, caring ethos of this small school promotes the personal development of pupils effectively. The arrangements to cluster with other schools at several levels are invaluable and particularly appreciated by older pupils ready to transfer to the next stage of their education. All aspects of health and safety are dealt with well and arrangements for child protection and safeguarding pupils are in place. Assessment arrangements are good. The progress of individual pupils is meticulously tracked and underachievement is quickly identified and acted upon.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher is doing a good job, with considerable support from the governors in getting the school back on track following a decline in standards. She leads very effectively through the example of her high expectations and excellent teaching. The calm, peacefulness and order across the school since the start of the year are appreciated by all staff. The contribution of the local authority has been vital in the recent past and is providing invaluable support and challenge. The headteacher, with support from the governors has accurately identified the school's priorities based on a thorough analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. The actions taken so far, to improve boys' writing, standards in mathematics in Key Stage 2 and the pupils' emotional and physical health are making a good impact. The recent allocation of responsibilities to other teaching staff is not yet fully effective and leads to a considerable workload for the headteacher.

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Grade: 2

Governors have played a key role in bringing about improvements to their own awareness of the school's strengths and weaknesses by more active involvement in the school and supported by training. This has resulted in a well-informed chair of governors, supported by an equally effective governing body. Improvement since the last inspection is good: there continues to be a planned programme of refurbishment and alterations to the building which impact well on pupils' learning. The school has a good capacity to continue the improvements already underway. The budget benefits from additional funding acquired by the headteacher from various successful bids and the increasing numbers of pupils joining the school throughout the year. The school provides good value for money. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 March 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: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 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 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 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?

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: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, Skipton, BD23 6HE Thank you for making my visit to your school so enjoyable. You are so lucky to attend a good school in such a beautiful area. I enjoyed talking to many of you and finding out about your work and what you like to do in school. I have listed below what is really good and what needs to improve. • You have good attitudes and like learning especially when your teachers use the interactive whiteboard. • You have lots of equipment to play on outside that helps to keep you fit. • When you start school, there are so many interesting things to do inside and outside. • Your new headteacher has made a big difference so now you all know that you must behave well all the time. • The displays of your writing around school are fantastic, especially the leaflets about Bolton Abbey. There are two things that will make your school even better. You can help too by saying if your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work is too easy. • Provide more challenge for some pupils so they make even better progress in their learning. • Your headteacher needs to have more help with all the work she has to do. Thank you again and enjoy the rest of your time in school. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: The Boyle and Petyt Primary School, 20 °21 March 2007

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