Tadcaster East Community Primary School

Tadcaster East Community Primary School Inspection report

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121446 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 313993 Inspection number 20 °21 February 2008 Inspection dates Christopher Keeler 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 141 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Tony Morgan Chair Mrs Donna Bedford (Mrs Julie Higgs, deputy headteacher) Headteacher 19 May 2003 Date of previous school inspection Grange Avenue School address Tadcaster North Yorkshire LS24 8AN 01937 833795 Telephone number 01937 833795 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 20 °21 February 2008 Inspection dates 313993 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.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average primary school situated in a semi-rural residential area of mixed rented and privately-owned housing on the outskirts of the small brewery town of Tadcaster. Around 11% of pupils come from outside the immediate area. Approximately 7% of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average. The school has provision for the half-time equivalent of 26 children in the Nursery. Five pupils are identified as having special educational needs, which is in line with national averages. The majority of pupils are white and British in origin. One pupil speaks English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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Grade: 3

Tadcaster East Community Primary School provides pupils with a satisfactory education. There exists a strong family ethos in which pupils receive good quality care and support that effectively promotes their personal development and well-being. This is acknowledged and appreciated by the overwhelming majority of parents. One parent commented, 'Tadcaster East creates a warm, caring and supportive environment that all my children have benefited from.' From a low starting point, pupils enter Foundation Stage with skills that are generally below those typical of their age. They make good progress and pupils enter Year 1 with skills that are broadly average with many pupils performing better than expected for their age. This is as a result of a well planned curriculum and good teaching. Throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils make satisfactory progress overall, so that by the time they leave Year 6 standards in

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Grade: 3

English, mathematics and science are in line with the national average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also make satisfactory progress. Teaching and learning across the school are satisfactory. There are good features to be seen in some classes where teaching reflects high expectations, challenge and high levels of focussed interaction between the teacher and pupils that engage them in their learning. As a result pupils know what is expected of them and are keen to learn. However, some teaching is not as well planned as it could be, pupils' learning needs are not assessed and responded to quickly enough and expectations are not as high as they should be. As a result some pupils are not making the progress that they are capable of as they move through the school. The way in which the school nurtures pupils' personal development and well-being is a strength. The behaviour of pupils is good, during play-time and during lessons, and teachers are conscious

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Grade: 3

of the need to ensure that standards of conduct are maintained. This is especially the case in upper Key Stage 2 where the behaviour of pupils in Year 6 is very good. Many pupils display a developing sense of maturity and self-confidence. This is due to the good quality care and support that is shown by all adults that work in the school towards every pupil. At the end of Year 6, pupils are emotionally and socially well placed to move on to the next phase of their education. Academic guidance is less secure as the quality of marking is inconsistent throughout the school and pupils are not set individual targets to help them progress. Pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum that reflects statutory requirements. Good links with a specialist sports college and the local comprehensive school mean that pupils are able to access specialist teaching in sports, mathematics and business enterprise. The school makes

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Grade: 3

every effort to bring the curriculum to life through visits to places of interest. There is no consistent format and expectation in relation to the planning of literacy and numeracy across the school. As a result teachers' planning varies in quality and this impacts on pupils' progress. The senior leadership team has worked hard to create a caring, happy school where pupils feel safe and are able to develop into well-rounded, self-confident individuals. School leaders are aware that standards could be improved and school self-evaluation correctly identifies this as a priority. However, the pace of change is too slow. Those in the school leadership team must take increased responsibility for securing improvements to teaching and learning, and monitor their implementation with increased rigour. The governing body has good systems in place to monitor the work of the school and is well placed to monitor improvements.

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Grade: 3

Key members of staff recognise the need to review practice and demonstrate the willingness 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 and ability to do so. The school has satisfactory capacity to improve and provides satisfactory value for money.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. At the beginning of the Foundation Stage children enter with social and speaking and listening skills that are below those expected for their age. Close links with the Nursery and parents help children settle quickly. The organisation and provision of interesting activities stimulates children and they begin to develop good levels of concentration. The curriculum is well planned and due regard is given to the teaching of early literacy and numeracy skills. They make good progress, particularly in Reception, so that by the time they enter Key Stage 1 many attain the expected levels and a significant number exceed them.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that all members of the senior leadership team are involved in securing improvements in teaching and learning through systematic monitoring. ■ Ensure that agreed policies in relation to lesson planning, assessment and marking are adhered to consistently. ■ Provide individual pupils with short-term targets for improvement in relation to the development of literacy and numeracy skills. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit from an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' attainment on entry to Key Stage 1 is broadly average with a number exceeding national expectations for their age. The performance of pupils in the end of Year 2 national assessments in 2007 indicate that pupils made good progress through Key Stage 1 and attained standards in reading and mathematics that exceeded the national average. Performance in writing, particularly in relation to the higher Level 3 was below the national average. However, a scrutiny of pupils' work and observation in lessons during the inspection showed that pupils are currently making satisfactory progress and standards are currently in line with national expectations. In recent years pupils in Years 3 and 4 have not progressed as well as they might due to issues surrounding the quality of teaching. These issues have now been resolved. By the end of Year 6, in 2007, the percentage of pupils that attained the expected levels in English, mathematics

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Grade: 3

and science, reflected the national average. Pupils' work seen during lessons indicates average standards, even though, according to school tracking data, a significant number of pupils are on line to attain the higher levels. Given the starting point of pupils at the beginning of Year 1, this represents satisfactory progress overall, because many of the pupils should be making better progress as they move through the school. The small number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also make satisfactory progress. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Pupils' behaviour is good both during lessons and as they move around the school. Pupils say that they enjoy school and this is borne out by good attendance. They display good attitudes to learning, particularly in Year 6. They listen attentively and respond enthusiastically to teachers' questions and this helps them with their learning. Relationships are good and pupils work well together and independently as the occasion demands. Pupils are aware of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. Through a programme of personal, social and health education, pupils are developing into well-rounded, confident individuals with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are developing a good understanding of social and moral issues and a satisfactory understanding of spiritual and cultural traditions. The school council successfully provides pupils with an opportunity to learn about the democratic process. They make a good contribution

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Grade: 2

to their own community. A curriculum that places emphasis on basic skills prepares pupils satisfactorily for their economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with some good features. Pupils make good progress in lessons where relationships between pupils and teachers are very positive; work is well matched to pupils needs; expectations are high and lessons are delivered with a sense of pace and expectation. Dynamic interaction between the teacher and pupils, based on good subject knowledge evidenced through clear explanations, effective questioning and active participation, stimulates pupils and allows them to become engaged in their learning. Individual and group work is promoted and pupils are encouraged to learn from each other. However, this is not always the case in all lessons. Pupils do not make the progress they should when lessons are slow paced, expectations are insufficiently high and there is a lack of challenge. Too often the assessment of pupils' understanding during lessons does not link to, or influence,

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Grade: 3

teachers' future planning. The quality of marking of pupils' work is variable with some good examples in Year 6, particularly in English where pupils are given positive feedback along with an indication as to how they can improve. In other classes pupils' work has not been marked for some time. Pupils are not set individual targets to aid improvement and this is indicative of insufficient challenge.

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Grade: 3

There is a direct link between the contribution that the curriculum makes to pupils' personal development and well-being. This is clear in the promotion of healthy lifestyles, links with a specialist sports college and the opportunities to develop pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Good links with the local comprehensive school enable pupils to receive specialist teaching in regard to mathematics and business enterprise that extend pupils knowledge and skills. The curriculum is enriched through visits and visitors that help to make learning interesting and enjoyable. French is taught from Year 2 and pupils enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate their newly acquired language skills. A range of extra-curricular activities, including sports, music and craft clubs support the pupils' physical, emotional and social development. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. However, in Key Stages 1 and 2

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Grade: 3

6 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 planning in literacy and numeracy varies in style, quality and depth from class-to class. Teaching plans also vary in quality across the school and in many cases do not reflect the use of day-to day assessment. Both of these features impact on the quality of teaching and learning and result in pupils making satisfactory as opposed to good progress.

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Grade: 3

The quality of care given to pupils is good. All staff, teachers, teaching assistants, ancillary and administrative staff demonstrate a genuine concern for each pupil and this is why they feel safe and secure and enjoy school. The school's relationship with external agencies is a strong feature and includes support for children requiring additional help with speech and language skills as well as individual support throughout the school day for a pupil with learning difficulties. All staff have received appropriate training on child protection issues and the designated child protection officer is known by all staff. The school does all it can to keep pupils safe and secure. Health and safety issues are a standing agenda item at all staff meetings. Risk assessments are thorough and robust and are reviewed regularly. Support and guidance for Year 6 pupils progressing to secondary school is well established and provides for their successful transition

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Grade: 3

into Year 7. A system to monitor pupils' progress is in place and this enables teachers to gauge pupils' progress over the medium term. This allows intervention strategies to be employed when pupils show signs of falling behind. However, academic guidance is not fully developed. Pupils do not have individual or specific targets in literacy and numeracy that would inspire them to succeed. Nor do they have sufficient guidance, through marking, from all teachers to help them progress at a quicker rate.

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Grade: 3

The senior leadership team has successfully established a strong family ethos in which pupils are well cared for and develop into well balanced, confident individuals. The school leadership is conscious of the need to raise standards further and recognises the need to establish common practices in relation to teaching and learning. Curriculum teams have recently been established to evaluate how successful provision is across the school in supporting pupils' progress. Teams have embarked on an audit of curriculum coverage, strengths and weaknesses in pupils' knowledge and skills as well as the adequacy of classroom resources. While it is too early to assess the impact of this initiative, it represents an important development and is a good example of management making the best use of a limited number of staff. The schools self-evaluation is largely accurate, but over generous in respect of the quality of

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Grade: 3

teaching and learning, and leadership and management. Members of the senior leadership team are involved in the school improvement planning process. The areas for improvement that have been identified are appropriate. However, the pace of change is too slow. Progress in relation to areas identified for improvement at the time of the previous inspection is satisfactory overall, but have taken too long to bring about. There is a need for greater urgency in implementing common working practices designed to improve teaching and learning combined with increased rigour in monitoring and evaluating their impact. The governing body is very supportive and good systems have been put in place in order to monitor the work of the school. Links between the governing body and the school are good. The chair of governors visits school on a regular basis and other members of the governing body are assigned to curriculum teams in order to

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Grade: 3

7 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 keep abreast of developments. The governors do not play a strong enough role in holding the headteacher to account for bringing about sustained change. The capacity to improve is satisfactory. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 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 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 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?

3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making me so welcome when I came to see you and your teachers recently. Thanks to those of you who spoke to me when I met the school council and those who saw me in lessons or around the school during the day. I also spoke to the deputy headteacher and many of your other teachers. I am pleased to tell you that I think your school is giving you a satisfactory education. I really liked the way in which all the teachers, teaching assistants and those who are with you during lunch-times look after you. They care for you a great deal. This is why you feel safe and enjoy school. Your behaviour is good around the school and during lessons. Well done. I was impressed with Year 6 pupils in particular. They are growing into very pleasant and confident young people. I have asked your teachers and the school governors to do three things to make your school even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Check that senior teachers are involved in making improvements to the school and that these improvements are monitored. ■ Make sure that lessons are well planned and well assessed so that you make better progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that when your work is marked you will know what you must do to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give you targets that will help you become even better in writing and mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I wish you well for the future and I know that you will work hard with your teachers so they become even more proud of you than they are now. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Tadcaster East Community Primary School, 20 °21 February 2008

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