Newbald Primary School

Newbald Primary School Inspection report

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117859 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 326700 Inspection number 6–7 May 2009 Inspection dates Andrew Clark Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 63 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Wendy Watson Chair Mrs Kathryn Carlisle Headteacher 1 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Beverley Road School address North Newbald York East Yorkshire YO43 4SQ 01430 827612 Telephone number 01430 827067 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 6–7 May 2009 Inspection dates 326700 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is much smaller than average. Pupils are from a range of socio-economic circumstances. The percentage of pupils eligible for a free school meal is below average. The number of pupils with a learning difficulty and/or disability is lower than average. Most pupils are from White British families with a small number from Asian or European backgrounds. The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of Nursery and Reception children in a mixed-aged class. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools and Eco-School award. Most teachers, including the headteacher, are new in post since the previous inspection.

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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: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has outstanding features. The headteacher and staff are successfully committed to raising achievement in all aspects of pupils’ development. Pupils’ achievement is good and they reach demanding targets because of the good quality of teaching and learning. Pupils’ personal and social development is outstanding because of the high standards of care and support they receive. The school is inclusive and parents typically feel that this is ‘a lovely caring school’ with a ‘friendly, family atmosphere’. Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills which are broadly as expected for their age. Pupils achieve well throughout the school and leave in Year 6 with above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, achieve well because their progress is carefully monitored and nurtured. There is a positive trend of improving standards and the rate of progress is rapidly

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Grade: 2

increasing. Achievement is best in reading and mathematics: occasionally opportunities are missed across subjects to make written work relevant and exciting enough. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. They are very eager to learn and develop self-confidence. Pupils are extremely polite and behaviour is outstanding. Pupils’ attendance is outstanding. They have a very good understanding of the value of healthy living and take full advantage of frequent opportunities for physical activity before, during and after school. They take their responsibilities seriously and all pupils have a very positive impact on life in school. They are very well prepared for their future learning and economic well-being through involvement with the world of work and their understanding of the wider culture of modern Britain. Teaching and learning are good and have improved well since the last inspection. Teachers

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Grade: 2

consistently plan lessons well, making good use of their close monitoring of pupils’ progress to set just the right level of challenge. Lessons are frequently imaginative, and teachers make good use of games and quizzes to bring learning to life. In the main, though not always, teachers’ marking gives pupils good guidance on how to improve their work. The curriculum is good. The teaching of literacy and numeracy skills is beginning to be woven into other subjects to make learning relevant and meaningful, although this is not yet fully embedded. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language is good and well trained teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to their learning. Pupils’ learning is brought to life by many visits and visitors and a good range of after-school activities. The care, guidance and support the school provides are outstanding. Procedures to keep pupils

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Grade: 2

safe meet current requirements. There are excellent procedures to help pupils live healthy lifestyles and develop their emotional and social well-being. Pastoral care, especially for the most vulnerable pupils, is excellent because of the very good use of systems to track and support pupils’ academic and personal progress and set them challenging targets. Leadership and management are good. The school is moving forward well after a period of turbulence through staffing changes and significant building work. The headteacher has created a sharply-focused and driven team which has led to good improvements in pupils’ attitudes to learning and to achievement throughout the school. The good governing body provides effective critical support. The school has a good capacity to continue to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Grade: 1

Provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. There is an excellent trend of rapidly improving standards. Children start with skills which are broadly as expected for their age and are now entering Year 1 with well above average standards. This is the direct result of outstanding leadership and very effective teamwork. The quality of teaching is outstanding. Adults plan carefully together to provide lots of opportunities for adventurous play and for children to learn through investigation and exploration both indoors and out. There is an excellent balance between high quality teacher-guided work, especially on literacy and numeracy skills, and activities in all areas of learning which children select for themselves. The curriculum is rich and challenging. ‘She is learning quickly and enjoys her studies. We love her sudden outbursts of the latest French song or phrase she has been learning,’ is a comment typical of

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Grade: 1

views expressed by parents. Children are very well cared for and blossom because of the very successful focus on promoting their welfare and developing personal skills. As a result, children are curious and excited by all that they see around them. Very effective leadership ensures rigorous assessment and monitoring procedures are used to fully support children’s next steps in their learning. Parents are exceptionally well informed about their child’s progress and learning through many meetings, newsletters and the school’s website.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure that pupils’ written work in all subjects is relevant and exciting so they achieve at least as well in writing as they do in reading and mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school and there is a positive trend of improvement. Progress is accelerating in Key Stage 1 as the impact of the higher standards now being reached in the Early Years Foundation Stage feeds through. The number of pupils in each year group is often very low. For example, currently there are three pupils in Year 2 and four in Year 6. This means one pupil has a significant impact on the overall standards reached. However, there is a clear pattern of above average standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils of all abilities make good progress from their individual starting points and meet the challenging targets set for them. This is the outcome of the good quality of teaching and the emphasis given to acquiring good learning skills. In writing, pupils make the best progress when tasks are purposeful. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils reached high standards in writing biographies

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Grade: 2

by linking work in English to their studies of Tudor history. Occasionally, chances are missed to make work meaningful in this way and overall progress in writing is not as fast as in reading and mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because of the early identification of their needs, effective learning programmes to develop basic skills and good guidance for parents. Gifted and talented pupils do well because they are given exciting opportunities to use and apply the skills they learn, especially in mathematics.

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Grade: 1

‘There is so much to do and everybody is really friendly’, is typical of the pupils’ views of school life. Their pride in the school is reflected in the high quality of work evident everywhere. The 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009 vast majority have an excellent understanding of why it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle and take full advantage of the many physical activities on offer, such as the whole-school martial arts afternoon. An understanding of healthy foods is reinforced by learning in art, design and technology, science and the cookery club and is reflected in the Healthy School’s award they have achieved. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding in response to the well planned visits, visitors and assemblies. The pupils develop a deep understanding of other faiths and cultures through challenging questions and investigations

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Grade: 1

in history, geography and religious education. Through the eco-school award and links with other schools they develop a very good awareness of multicultural and global issues. Behaviour, at all times, is outstanding. Pupils say they feel safe. There are extremely few bullying or racial incidents and any that occur are managed very well according to pupils and parents. There have been no exclusions in the last academic year. Members of the school council, eco-council and playground leaders take their work seriously and others relish opportunities to raise funds for charities including links with African schools. Attendance is well above average and the school exceeds its targets. Pupils develop a very good ability to work cooperatively and to use their initiative and are very well prepared for their future well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teaching observed on the inspection ranged from good to outstanding. Relationships are excellent and this allows the many hands-on practical tasks, such as investigating mini-beasts in the school garden or making simple telephones, to take place with light supervision. Teachers plan lessons well making full use of accurate assessment systems to match work closely to pupils’ needs. They involve pupils in their own learning throughout the lessons, though some inconsistencies in marking mean that occasionally guidance is not sharply focused on helping pupils reach their targets. Good use is made of information and communication technology (ICT), including interactive whiteboards, to bring lessons to life and model difficult ideas, for example, in helping pupils develop algebraic formulas for investigating angles. Skilful questioning enables teachers to determine how well pupils are

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Grade: 2

learning and whether they require further help to make even better progress. Very well trained teaching assistants provide closely-focused support in lessons for all abilities and well planned literacy and numeracy programmes for low attaining pupils.

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Grade: 2

The provision for learning basic skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT is good. Statutory requirements are met. The school is making increasing links between subjects to make learning relevant and exciting. However, occasionally the written work in literacy lessons is not as relevant as it could be to the pupils and some opportunities are missed to develop their literacy skills through other subjects. There is a good balance of creative, physical and academic work that promotes pupils’ enjoyment and achievement. The curriculum promotes pupils’ learning about other cultures, for instance, through themed days with a focus on other countries and learning French. The curriculum supports the development of pupils’ self-confidence extremely well and is well adapted to the individual needs of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The curriculum in Year 1 merges the learning style of the Early Years Foundation Stage and

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Grade: 2

the National Curriculum well and this has a positive impact on improving achievement in Key 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009 Stage 1. The range and quality of extra-curricular activities throughout the school is very good and contributes positively to the personal development of all pupils. Residential and other visits promote initiative and team building and further build on the confidence and personal development of the pupils. The school makes good use of specialist teaching and coaching skills to enrich pupils’ learning.

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Grade: 1

Everyone in school is fully committed to ensuring pupils are safe, happy and ready to learn. Procedures which meet current requirements are in place to ensure the safeguarding of pupils and promote their safety and well-being. Arrangements to support pupils on entry, and on transfer to secondary school, are highly effective. The well managed breakfast- and after-school clubs provide high quality care beyond the school day which has helped the school address a falling roll. Procedures to measure pupils’ progress on a regular basis and share the information with parents and pupils are very good. They are used extremely well to support very good provision for high-attaining pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities through grouping arrangements and well targeted activities. For example, pupils with a talent for mathematics receive special investigation and problem solving lessons. Supervision at all times,

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Grade: 1

including the busy lunchtime break, is excellent because all staff are well trained in promoting high standards of care and welfare. Relationships during these times between pupils and adults are warm and caring. The school is imaginative and rigorous in successfully promoting very good attendance.

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Grade: 2

Good improvement is firmly based on secure procedures to monitor, evaluate and improve all aspects of pupils’ development and learning. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. The headteacher and staff have created a climate where all staff contribute well to leadership and management. The school’s good self-evaluation is accurate because it is thoroughly analytical and draws well on the views of its whole community. A key strength is the school’s success in developing links with parents. High-quality, regular communication and training opportunities have had a good impact on the school’s reputation in the community and the ability of parents to support their children’s learning. The governing body has worked closely with the leadership team to improve the financial situation and overcome the difficulties of falling rolls well. The school is very committed to the full inclusion of all pupils and their

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Grade: 2

families and has taken successful steps to ensure that pupils in all circumstances have regular access to extra-curricular activities and visits. Community cohesion is good. Planned actions have established very close links with parents and the wider community and have had a good impact on personal development and achievement. Pupils are aware of global issues, such as conservation and also show an understanding of life in a multicultural society. Equality of opportunity is good because of the school’s commitment to supporting the most vulnerable pupils and challenging the more able learners. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009 .

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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: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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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 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

7 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Newbald Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, YO43 4SQ Thank you for the warm welcome I received when I inspected your school recently. I was impressed by the good standards of work I saw all around me and the consideration you showed me throughout the two days. Your achievement is good because you work very hard and meet challenging targets set for you. You reach above average standards. You are very mature and polite and your speaking and listening skills are often extremely good. You have an outstanding knowledge of how to live a healthy life and take full part in team games and other physical activities. I feel that you are also very appreciative of people with different beliefs and from different cultures to your own. You clearly enjoy taking responsibilities through the school council and eco council and helping in the classroom and at lunchtimes. You all contribute to making improvements through

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school forum. You are very well prepared for starting your secondary school. You make good progress in your work because teaching is good and adults support your work so effectively. The many visits you make and the visitors to your school such as for drama, history and dance make learning exciting. You take good advantage of the chance to learn a musical instrument such as flute or guitar and perform to parents and the community. I was especially impressed with the very high standards of physical fitness I saw in your martial arts afternoon. Overall, your school takes excellent care of you and provides you with a good standard of education. The headteacher, her staff and governors lead the school well and this is resulting in consistent improvements. I have asked the school to help you improve your work by strengthening the links between subjects and providing more opportunities for exciting written work to help you make the best

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

progress you can in writing. I have also asked teachers to make sure they give you clear guidance on how you can improve your own work quickly. You can help by working hard and continuing to enjoy your time in school. Best wishes Yours faithfully Andrew Clark Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Newbald Primary School, 6–7 May 2009

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