Eastrington Primary School

Eastrington Primary School Inspection report

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117841 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 312722 Inspection number 10 April 2008 Inspection date Eric Jackson 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 125 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Hark Hubbard Chair Mr Chris Bullough Headteacher 1 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Portington Road School address Eastrington Goole DN14 7QE 01430 410219 Telephone number 01430 410219 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 10 April 2008 Inspection date 312722 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 is a smaller than average primary school serving mainly a settled village community. Almost all the pupils are of White British heritage, with very small numbers from an Asian or East European background. Fewer than average pupils are identified with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. No pupils take free school meals as meals are not provided by the school. Socio-economic circumstances locally are slightly above average. A new headteacher was appointed in September 2007.

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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: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features, maintaining its strengths from the previous inspection. This judgement also confirms the school’s own view of itself. It has a good reputation locally and is very popular with parents, whose support for the quality of their children’s education is very strong. Pupils also praise the school and its staff, one school councillor summarised others’ views in stating, ‘Everything here is perfect.’ His comment typifies the parents’ and pupils’ regard for the school. This is not surprising as pupils’ behaviour, personal development and well-being are outstanding and their academic achievement is good. The school’s support for pupils’ moral and social development is excellent. Pupils’ progress in these areas is outstanding, in very close and effective partnership with parents and carers. The school is a safe and caring community and all required safeguarding and child protection

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Grade: 2

measures are in place. Pupils have an easy grace in their relationships with other pupils and with adults and develop high levels of moral understanding for their age. Very good work in the arts adds strongly to pupils’ good spiritual and cultural learning and has led to a firm recommendation for the coveted national Gold Artsmark. Large painted interpretations of some Pop Art images by Year 6 provide striking evidence to support this. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sport and physical exercise both during lessons and after school, supported strongly by links to the local schools’ Sport Partnership. Their understanding of healthy lifestyles is extremely well-developed, illustrated when children in Reception chose their snacks from a range of healthy options, one four-year-old saying, ‘This is all the good stuff.’ Standards in national tests have regularly been above average by the end of Year 2 and Year

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Grade: 2

6, with a higher than average proportion of pupils achieving higher levels in English, mathematics and science. Standards at the end of Year 2 in 2007 rose well and were significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress and achievement has generally been good. In 2007, whilst girls maintained these high levels, boys did not achieve as well, especially in English. Effective measures are in place to ensure that all pupils continue to make good progress. Inspection evidence and school data show that the current Year 6 appears to be on track to match and possibly surpass the levels achieved in previous years. Year 6 pupils say that they have made better progress in writing this year because they have had a lot of practice and this is confirmed in workbooks. However, in Years 3 to 5 many pieces of writing are short and incomplete, giving pupils insufficient opportunity to

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Grade: 2

develop their writing skills through practice. Learning is generally good and sometimes outstanding because the staff have high expectations and work together very well as a team. Lessons are interesting and planning takes account of different pupils’ needs, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, as in angle work in mathematics in Years 4 and 5. There are also good links made between different areas of the curriculum, such as between history and English in Years 1 to 3. Pupils are motivated and behave excellently and good monitoring and development planning identifies and brings about improvements. A good example of these strengths is in the immediate and effective support given to new pupils from abroad who join the school with little English. A parent of one of these pupils wrote in praise of the school, summarising her views as, ‘I have been very impressed with the effort,

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Grade: 2

standard of teaching and the kindness of all the teaching staff.’ From discussion with pupils 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 2008 and work analysis it is clear that the staff mark and assess all pupils’ work thoroughly and effectively. However, some lessons are not timed well enough to give pupils sufficient time to extend their ideas in writing. However, the range of local and national awards, covering healthy lifestyles, information and communication technology, physical activity and international links, testifies to the width of the good curriculum. The school has maintained its very good status by continually seeking to update its provision, ably supported and challenged by strong senior leaders and an active governing body. Despite some concerns expressed by a small group of parents about class sizes, the school’s partnership with them and the local high school helps prepare pupils extremely well for the next stage of

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Grade: 2

their education. The recently appointed headteacher has settled in well, developed good relationships with pupils, staff and parents and has set out with other senior staff and governors a clear plan for improvement. This is based on an accurate evaluation of the school’s current strengths and areas for development. The school is well-placed to continue to offer a good and improving quality of education for its pupils.

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Grade: 2

Provision is good in the Reception class and children make good progress in all the areas of learning. Their personal, social and emotional development is exceptional and they work and play together very confidently. A new staff partnership has been developed, providing a well led and managed setting that is stimulating and attractive with good opportunities for children to choose activities in or outdoors. Children are safe and very well cared for here, understanding and following the carefully planned routines with real enjoyment. Occasionally, time is lost when children move between activities, but in general the day flows smoothly and children enjoy active and worthwhile tasks that promote their learning well. Imaginative role-play has extended the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world well through ‘visiting’ other countries on holiday in the school, and they re-tell these experiences enthusiastically. One girl

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Grade: 2

showed how well her understanding had grown when she said, ‘We didn’t really go to Spain; it was just pretend.’

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Allow pupils in Years 3 to 5 more time to complete extended pieces of writing in order to accelerate their progress and raise their achievement in English 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 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: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 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? 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 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?

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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 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: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 April 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Eastrington Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 7QE Thank you for looking after me so well when I visited your school. You will remember that I came to check how well your school helps you to learn and grow. You and your parents or carers made it clear that, in your view, Eastrington is a lovely, friendly school where you enjoy yourselves and make good progress in your learning. I agree with you and think that you go to a good school that has some outstanding features. Would you please thank your parents or carers for sending me their views by returning the questionnaire? It was clear that you really like the school from the happy way you arrived in the morning. You and your parents, as well as the school, can take credit for how well you behave and work together so successfully. This lets lessons and activities flow smoothly so that you can get on

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

with your learning. I also liked the way that you concentrate even when there are other activities that could distract you. Your school has a very good name locally because most of the children who have been there made good progress in their learning. Those of you in Year 2 and Year 6 showed me that you are now achieving the levels that the school usually reaches. This is because you get on with your work and because the staff prepare interesting and challenging tasks and activities for you. Year 6 told me that they have made good progress in writing because they get plenty of practice. I feel that some of you in Years 3 to 5 could make better progress in writing if you had more time to finish what you are doing. The staff are going to help you with this and you could help by making sure that all the ideas you have are written down before you say, ‘Finished!’ Finally, may I wish all of you real success in your learning and in your future lives.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours sincerely Eric Jackson Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Eastrington Primary School, 10 April 2008

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