Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School

Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School Inspection report

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121336 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 313952 Inspection number 1 °2 July 2008 Inspection dates Joy Frost HMI 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 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 237 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Bowdidge-Harling Chair Mrs Karen Hyatt Headteacher 21 February 2005 Date of previous school inspection Hawthorn Walk School address Eastfield Scarborough North Yorkshire YO11 3HW 01723 582360 Telephone number 01723 583699 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 1 °2 July 2008 Inspection dates 313952 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 of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Overdale is an average-sized primary school in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The catchment area suffers from high levels of social and economic disadvantage. Pupils who attend the school are predominantly White British with a few who are from minority ethnic backgrounds, although none are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion who are entitled to free school meals is nearly double the national average at 31%. The proportion who have a learning difficulty or disability is in line with the national average, but the proportion who have a statement of special educational needs is below the national average. This masks the fact that some pupils have complex social and behavioural needs. The school has suffered from a falling roll in recent years, and long term staff absences have caused difficulties to the continuity of teaching and nearly half of the staff are new to the school.

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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: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Years of staff turbulence including long term sickness absence have hindered the school's ability to move forward. The headteacher, who works three days a week, and the relatively new deputy headteacher, who leads the school two days a week, are setting a very clear direction for the school. Together they have forged ahead with planned actions for improvement which have had a very positive impact on all areas of school life. A new Foundation Stage leader is having a positive impact on early years education, which is giving children a good start to their education and building good foundations for future learning. Standards across the school are around average and improving year-on-year. Achievement for all groups of pupils is good. In Key Stage 1 standards are still slightly below the national average in reading and writing and average in mathematics, representing good achievement from very

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Grade: 2

low starting points. Attainment in writing, though improving, is historically weaker than other subjects across the school. The school's good target setting system is soundly based on accurate data about pupils' progress, and staff set realistic and challenging targets which take increasingly good account of national benchmarks. The analysis of progress in English and mathematics is used effectively to plan the curriculum and to direct the focus of work on specific areas of need in the daily 'target time' and guided reading sessions. Pupils are well-informed about their level of development and they particularly value these well structured and enjoyable short sessions of targeted learning. The development of this approach to assessment and planning has contributed significantly to the increased progress of pupils. Teaching and learning have improved in all areas of the school and the majority is now good

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Grade: 2

and often very good in the teaching of basic skills. Planning is detailed and takes account of different abilities within the class. Where teaching is weaker it is because activities do not match closely enough all pupils' needs. Teaching assistants are used well to work intensively with small groups of pupils across the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and those with behavioural difficulties are well supported and make good progress. There are still pockets of satisfactory teaching and the school is working hard to make all teaching good. The use of interactive whiteboards and information and communication technology (ICT) is developing well, but there are currently too few opportunities for pupils to use computers in classrooms to enrich their learning. Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils say they enjoy school and their learning. Pupils are polite and courteous and well aware of the school's code of conduct which the vast

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Grade: 2

majority follow. They told inspectors that they feel safe in school and are knowledgeable about how to live a healthy lifestyle. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils make a good contribution to the community through many fundraising opportunities. Pupils are well prepared for the next steps in their learning because of the good transition arrangements and improvement to their basic skills. Leadership and management at all levels are good. The headteacher acknowledges that due to staffing difficulties pupils' progress slowed in recent years. However, the school is now back on track and her drive to raise standards and achievement across the school is shared and understood by all staff. The governing body is very well informed about the school and works in partnership with senior leaders to ensure that planned actions are carried out. The school's self-evaluation is accurate, leaders know what is needed to be done and actions have

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 2008 had a major impact in raising standards and achievement. The school has demonstrated good progress since the last inspection and has a good capacity to continue to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Foundation Stage (Nursery) with knowledge and understanding that are well below that expected for their age, especially in linking sounds and letters, reading, writing, and personal and social development. They make a very good start to their education because teachers and support staff work intensively on developing their personal and social skills so that they are soon ready to start learning. Most recent assessments show that they now leave the Foundation Stage (Reception) with most having reached or exceeded the learning goals expected for their age which represents very good progress. Teaching and learning are consistently good and often outstanding and the unit is very well led and managed by the new Foundation Stage leader. There is a good balance of teacher-led activities and activities children choose for themselves within a well planned play-based curriculum. Teachers and support staff

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Grade: 2

develop children's speaking and listening skills well through qood questioning and support, which enables children to make the most of their learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve standards and achievement in writing across the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure that teaching is consistently good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve opportunities for pupils to use ICT in classrooms.

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Grade: 2

Standards are average and improving and achievement is good. Previous underachievement over a number of years has been successfully eradicated. In the most recently published data, 2007 national tests for 11-year-olds, standards improved and were just below national average in English and science and in-line with national average in mathematics. Fewer pupils attained the higher levels in English due to weaker writing skills. This represented very good progress for these pupils especially in mathematics where progress was in the top 10% of schools nationally. Pupils' basic skills when they enter the school are below what would be expected for their age. By the end of Key Stage 1 standards are still below national average in reading and writing and in-line in mathematics. This represents good achievement. The school's involvement in the 'Intensive Support Programme' for the last two years has raised

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Grade: 2

standards significantly and the latest test results which arrived during the inspection show that standards are continuing to improve and are now in line with national average in all subjects for the first time for the current Year 6 pupils, although writing remains a weakness. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported by experienced teaching assistants, both individually and in small groups, which helps them to make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. They learn about other faiths and cultures through art, religious education and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 2008 assemblies. By Year 6 the majority of pupils are confident youngsters with a good sense of moral justice and fairness. The school is a well ordered environment and pupils throughout the school demonstrate an awareness of right from wrong and the majority of pupils happily follow the behaviour code. Pupils say they enjoy school: 'We like everything about it and want to change nothing'. They are encouraged to play a part in the life of the school particularly through the work of the school council and many fundraising opportunities. They say they feel safe and are confident that any incident of bullying is quickly dealt with. They feel adults listen to them and would

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Grade: 2

help them if they were worried. Attendance has improved and is now satisfactory. Pupils increasingly understand how to keep safe and healthy and value key elements of healthy lifestyles, such as diet and exercise, through an effective programme of personal, social and health education. Visitors such as 'Crucial crew' provide good guidance on drugs, alcohol and appropriate sexual health. Pupils are well prepared for moving on to secondary school through good transition arrangements and induction days at which they are accompanied by buddy pupils from their next school.

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Grade: 2

The school has successfully eradicated any unsatisfactory teaching. The school is recovering from a legacy of numerous staffing changes over recent years. Many improvements have been made and the majority of teaching is good. There are still some inconsistencies due to the number of new staff and the necessity to repeat previous training. The school is aware of this and is working alongside teachers to improve the consistency of good teaching. In the best lessons, there is a clear focus on identifying what the children need to learn with identified success criteria, the pace of the lesson is brisk, pupils are managed well, work is well matched to pupils' abilities and they are actively involved in a range of interesting activities. Teachers have positive relationships with pupils and the behaviour of the majority of pupils is satisfactory. Some pupils do not conform to the school's behaviour expectations. However, this is managed

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Grade: 2

effectively to avoid any disruption to the education of other children. Rigorous assessment practice contributes significantly to rising standards, and target time and key skills recall, 'KIRFS', significantly promotes learning. Teachers plan and prepare lessons well and show secure subject knowledge. Teaching assistants support pupils' learning well when delivering specific programmes of work with small groups of children. Effective use is made of interactive whiteboards and the information and communication technology (ICT) suite; however, computers in the classroom are underused.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. This agrees with the school self-evaluation and is a marked improvement since the last inspection. The school has worked hard to make learning interesting and relevant to its pupils by restructuring its curriculum. This helps pupils enjoy their learning. The school is making useful links between subjects and recognises it is now well placed to enrich it further to make a creative curriculum more specifically tailored to the needs of its pupils. A good range of opportunities for pupils to extend their learning exists in lunchtime and after-school clubs, 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 2008 such as football, ICT and rugby. Year 6 pupils enjoy their residential visit to East Barmby. One child wrote, 'I enjoyed canoeing on the River Esk and drinking hot chocolate with a Kelly kettle . delicious!' During the inspection Year 1 and 2 pupils enjoyed a visit to the Sealife centre.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Teaching and support staff are highly committed to the care and welfare of pupils. Staff know individual pupils well and have access to good systems for identifying and reviewing their needs and for providing a range of additional support. The school works well with other agencies to help individual children with health, attendance, behaviour and learning difficulties. The quality of marking and feedback to pupils is good, pupils are provided with key pointers on how they can improve their work. A very small number of pupils, mainly boys, have behaviour difficulties and the school has provided additional training for teaching and support staff to deal more effectively with their challenging behaviour. This has been partially successful but there are still times when a few pupils are off task when lessons are not sufficiently interesting or challenging. The school complies with the legal requirements for safeguarding and promotes pupils' health

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Grade: 2

The school is well led and managed. New appointments have strengthened the leadership team. The headteacher and deputy headteacher now job share and the senior leadership team works well together with a common focus on raising standards and achievement across the school. Their rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures ensure that planned actions are having the required impact across the school. Their participation in the 'Intensive Support Programme' has enabled the school to focus on the actions necessary to improve basic skills across the school through improved teaching and learning, target setting and monitoring. These systems are now in place and understood by all staff. Subject leaders play a key role in monitoring and checking progress. Good support is offered to staff to improve their practice including coaching and team teaching, lesson observations and feedback. All of these actions are linked to rigorous

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Grade: 2

performance management procedures. The governing body has developed its skills from acting as a critical friend to constantly supporting and challenging the school's work. Governors have high expectations of what the school can do and have supported the school in making radical changes which were not always popular in the community. The chair of governors has a very good understanding of where the school is and is realistic about how it can continue to improve. He is committed to the planned improvements and has encouraged his colleagues to become involved with the school and extend their knowledge so that many of them are now experts in various fields of the school's work. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 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: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 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?

2 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 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 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: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 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: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave to me and my colleague when we visited your school recently to see how well you are doing. I am writing to tell you what we found. We think you go to a good school. We were impressed with how well you get on with each other and how well your teachers care for you. We think you are all now making good progress with your work and we especially enjoyed talking to you about your daily target sessions which you told us you enjoy enormously. You are knowledgeable about how to lead a healthy lifestyle and get many opportunities to go on visits which helps you to have a good understanding about the wider world. The youngest pupils get a very good start to their education and really enjoy working together in the Foundation Stage unit. We agree with you that your school has improved very well over the last few years. We have asked Mrs Hyatt and Mrs Tandy to make some improvements which will make your school even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We would like all of your lessons to be consistently good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We want you to improve your writing so that it is as good as your reading.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We have asked that you get more opportunities to use the computers in your classrooms to enrich your learning. It is not just down to your teachers, you have your part to play too! You can help your school improve by making sure that you all attend as often as you can and try to be on your best behaviour at all times. We wish you all the very best for the future 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary School, 1 °2 July 2008

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