Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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117983 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 312768 Inspection number 16 °17 April 2008 Inspection dates John Heap 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 controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 73 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Simon Fry Chair Mrs Christine Bennison Headteacher 1 January 2005 Date of previous school inspection Station Road School address Middleton Driffield YO25 9UQ 01377 217323 Telephone number 01377 217323 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 16 °17 April 2008 Inspection dates 312768 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 small primary school serves a rural area with some social and economic disadvantages. It is federated with a neighbouring school. The headteacher allocates time to each school and spends a greater proportion of her time, wherever she is based, leading and managing the federation as a whole. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average. A very small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and none are at the early stages of learning English. A well below average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has successfully achieved the following awards: Healthy School; Active Mark; Investor in People.

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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: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008

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Grade: 2

The inspection confirms the school’s judgement that it is good and provides good value for money. Parents and pupils are highly appreciative of the work done by the school and typical views about the school include, ‘A good school. Good standards, making sure every child gets a good education.’ and ‘The school is a gem.’ The challenges presented by federating with another local school have been met and the school has made good progress since the last inspection. Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. This is because of the high quality aspects within a good curriculum and good overall care, guidance and support. Moral and social development is particularly strong and lead to excellent behaviour and very good attitudes to work and school. Consequently, pupils thoroughly enjoy their time at the school. Pupils have a very strong appreciation of what is

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Grade: 2

needed to lead healthy and safe lifestyles. Plenty of opportunities are provided by the school for pupils to take on responsibility, both within the school and outside. They grab these with both hands and show very mature attitudes and skills that prepare them well for the next stage of education. Achievement is good. Children’s levels of development on entry to the Foundation Stage (Reception) are a little below those typical for their age. They get a good start and show skills and abilities that are typical for their age by the time they enter Year 1. Results in national tests often change from year-to-year because of the effects of changes in the pupil population and the proportion of pupils with extra learning needs in each year group. Nevertheless, the trend at the end of Years 2 and 6 has been upwards in recent years. Currently, standards are a little above average with some pupils on track to reach the higher than average Level 5. Writing

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Grade: 2

standards are lower than the other subjects, particularly for the more able pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those from minority ethnic backgrounds also make good progress towards their targets. Given that pupils achieve well and their attitudes to school and work are good, they are preparing well for the future. Overall, the school provides well for the pupils. The good progress made by pupils owes much to the good teaching. The pupils benefit from the increased resources gained from becoming a federated school, such as small groups and the good opportunities for joint planning, sharing expertise and developing specialist teaching. The curriculum promotes academic development well because it is full of activities that interest and challenge pupils. Moreover, it is adjusted to meet most of the needs of individual pupils whether they have some difficulties with learning

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Grade: 2

or have gifts and talents. Pupils are very well cared for and there are effective methods for monitoring their needs. The tracking of academic achievement is improving. It could be used more effectively to give a clearer picture of whether all pupils are making the progress expected of them. None of the strengths identified above would be possible without the good leadership and management. The headteacher has a strong vision for the development of this school within the federation structure. This is shared by the effective key staff and governors. As a result, the school is well placed to improve further. Governance is good and innovative. Financial management is prudent and benefits from the federation having a full-time business manager. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in Reception, particularly in communication, language and literacy. This is because they are taught well and benefit from a good curriculum and a very caring atmosphere. There is a good balance between the amount of direction provided by staff and the amount of time the children have to choose their learning activities. For example, in one session, there was a continuous use of a range of activities to support learning about safety. These included a role-play area with children using police and firemen; the sand pit being used to test trucks and children painting pictures of fire engines in the creative area. Teaching and learning is good and it was particularly good when practitioners use challenging questions such as when they talked about modifying the ‘tests’ by: using a longer, or steeper, ramp; making the truck heavier. Good links with pre-school providers ensure that induction is effective and

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Grade: 2

children settle quickly into routines. Leadership and management are effective and this has led to good improvements in monitoring.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve progress in writing in Key Stage 2, particularly for the more able pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the use of the system for tracking pupils’ achievement to check more closely whether all pupils are making the progress expected of them.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ progress and achievement are good overall. Currently, standards are a little above average by the end of Year 6, particularly in reading, mathematics and science. Progress in writing is satisfactory but more uneven, and standards are lower than the other subjects, particularly for the more able pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress towards their targets as do pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. Across the school, there is no significant difference in the standards of boys and girls. While caution is necessary when interpreting national test results because of the small cohorts of pupils, there has been an improving trend since 2005 in the national tests at the end of Year 2. Results show a significantly above average picture in 2006 and 2007. However, no pupils got the higher than average Level 3 in writing. By the end of Year 6, results were on an upward

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Grade: 2

trend to 2006, but fell back in 2007 due to higher levels of pupils with extra learning needs.

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Grade: 1

In all areas of the school, pupils’ behaviour is excellent and they are polite and very willing to take and share responsibility. Pupils respond very well to the opportunities provided by the school, such as exploring social and moral issues in collective worship. For example, in an assembly for the youngest pupils, their responses and agreement with points made showed that they understood everyone makes mistakes and that they need to admit them, say sorry and move on. These attitudes help pupils play a very strong part in the school’s care for all, particularly the way that the older ones help the youngsters join the ‘family’. Wider responsibility is fostered by the pupils’ readiness to identify and contribute to a range of charities and the school council plays a large part in this. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and attend regularly. They recognise that the regular physical activities and notice paid to sensible eating are the

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Grade: 1

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008 foundations of a healthy lifestyle. Pupils say that the school is safe and secure and their approach to playtimes shows that they understand the need to be careful and vigilant. Pupils gain a good level of basic skills and this prepares them well for their future lives.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ good learning is fostered by small teaching groups and the sharing of expertise with the federated school. In particular, pupils benefit from the specialist teaching in subjects such as science. This has led to a good improvement in pupils’ progress since the previous inspection. Typically, there is good classroom management and this means that there are few interruptions to learning. From an early age, effective questioning requires pupils to think and make good choices in their learning. The development of basic learning skills is an important part of teaching and learning, for example, a good knowledge of letter sounds for younger readers and how to work out mathematical problems systematically for the older ones. Teachers’ marking in their written work does not always give pupils a clear idea of how well they have done and what to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum promotes personal development exceptionally well. The school has paid particular attention to developing personal, social and health education and its success has been recognised in the Healthy School award. The school day, week and year are packed with opportunities to take responsibility, learn from each other and develop an understanding of life beyond the village. A key factor in this is the way the school introduces activities that enrich learning such as visits, visitors and out-of-school clubs. The bi-annual visit to France is keenly anticipated and promotes pupils’ knowledge and understanding of modern foreign language well. The school promotes academic development well. The quality of the external premises supports learning very well; from the canopied outdoor area for Reception to the overgrown area of the field for science investigations. Pupils are provided with sound opportunities to develop basic

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Grade: 2

skills such as literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology across other subjects, but there could be more opportunities to write. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities benefit from the effective adjustments made to the curriculum. Gifted and talented pupils also gain from the good links the school has with outside agencies, such as sports coaches and local secondary schools.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are very well cared for. Staff know them and their families well and this is much appreciated by all. One pupil described the school as ‘Small school, but big family.’ Procedures for safeguarding, child protection and equality of opportunity meet national requirements. The monitoring of behaviour and attendance are effective. The achievement of each year group is tracked vigilantly and there is a clear view of standards overall. One of the methods used is the highly visual and effective ‘brick wall’ tracker that shows standards achieved. This could be used more extensively to identify whether all pupils are making the progress expected of them, particularly in writing. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has a strong vision for the development of the school and this has fuelled the good improvements since the previous inspection and indicates a good capacity for further improvement. Clearly, a lot of the attention of leaders and managers in recent times has been on ensuring the federation of the two schools has been successful. The flexibility fostered by this arrangement has brought benefits, such as, specific teaching expertise, the opportunity to form a senior leadership team and the employment of a full-time business manager. Within this framework key staff and governors are highly supportive and make a good contribution. Monitoring of teachers’ performance is accurate but there is too little emphasis on monitoring pupils’ learning in lessons. School improvement planning identifies the correct priorities and the indicators of success are often measurable. Self evaluation is mostly accurate. The school

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Grade: 2

employs a wide range of monitoring techniques and these include some very useful work by governors, particularly in areas such as health, safety and finance. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 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? 3 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

18 April 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, YO25 9UQ I thoroughly enjoyed my time in your school this week. I am very grateful for the warm welcome, courtesy and help you provided. These are some of the key findings about your good school. What I really liked about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The appreciation and support your parents show for the good academic achievements and pastoral care shown by the school; ■ The happy, ‘family’ atmosphere in the school and the way you support and consult each other; ■ The good teaching that promotes the good progress that you make;

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your great enjoyment of school, your excellent behaviour, your very good attitudes to work and school and the way you are really well prepared for the future; ■ The good contribution that you make to a safe and caring ethos in the school;

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your response to the good and interesting range of activities that enrich your curriculum;

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The good leadership and management, including the contribution of the school council to day-to-day and longer term matters, such as advising on charitable matters. To make your school even better the staff will help you do even better in your writing. You will want to be a great help by continuing to always do your best work and by following the advice and guidance from staff. Staff will also make further use of the information they hold about your achievements to help you make more progress. Good luck for the future and best wishes. John Heap Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Primary School, 16 °17 April 2008

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