Snaith Primary School

117894 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 326709 Inspection number 21–22 October 2008 Inspection dates Carole Cressey 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 307 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 Dr Jennifer Mabbot Chair Mrs Kate Rowley Headteacher 1 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Bourn Mill School address Balk Road Snaith Goole DN14 9RE 01405 860452 Telephone number 01405 860452 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 21–22 October 2008 Inspection dates 326709 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: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves the village of Snaith and the surrounding area. Over the last three years the numbers on roll have risen by 25% and the number of pupils who enter the school at various stages of the year is well above average. The school has Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision. An above average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and statements of special educational need. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups and none are learning English as an additional language. A below average proportion of pupils is entitled to free school meals.

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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: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has outstanding features and is very well led and managed. The headteacher’s outstanding leadership has ensured that the school has made very good improvement since the last inspection. Working with a strong leadership team and a very supportive and challenging governing body, leadership has worked relentlessly to ensure that pupils receive consistently good teaching, an innovative, exciting and very creative curriculum and high levels of care and support. As a result, pupils achieve well throughout their time in school. They enter the Nursery class with attainment which is typical for their ages; work hard through the EYFS, Key Stage 1 and 2, make consistently good progress and leave in Year 6 with standards which are above average. The school’s success is a result of the headteacher’s strongly held belief that pupils are likely to be more effective and successful learners and future citizens if the promotion of their personal

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Grade: 2

and social skills is of the highest priority. This is self-evident in every aspect of the school’s work. Personal development is excellent and is borne out by the support from parents. This comment from one family reflects those of the majority, ‘This school just gets better and better! The headteacher, teaching and support staff seem to genuinely care about the children’s welfare, education and most importantly happiness!’ Teachers meticulously plan the school day. Individual lessons and out of school activities develop pupils’ love of learning, their understanding of how they can stay healthy and keep themselves and others safe. As a result, they become highly responsible members of their school, local and world community. The good standards of pupils’ basic skills and information and communication technology (ICT) are apparent in their topic work, whether it has a science, history, geography, personal development or other focus. Learning in this school is exciting and great fun. Whether

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Grade: 2

pupils are in lessons, on visits in the community to extend their thinking or enjoying recreational time they are provided with a boundless range of rich and exciting learning experiences. The pastoral care of pupils is second to none. Staff are exceptionally supportive of pupils who come to school with learning difficulties, or who transfer from other schools and this is greatly valued by the parents and carers of those pupils. Assessment systems to track pupils’ progress are very effective in spotting when pupils need extra support or challenge. However, the use of targets in mathematics is not as well developed as it is in literacy, and younger pupils are not as clear as they could be on how to improve their work. Leadership accurately judges the school’s strengths and weaknesses and knows what needs to be done to ensure sustained improvement. The success of these actions also shows that the school has very good potential to make further improvements.

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a good start in the EYFS and achieve well from their individual starting points, which are broadly in line with typical age-related expectations. Induction arrangements are very good and together with well established routines help children to settle quickly and feel safe and happy in school. The close partnership with parents and other organisations ensures that the needs of all children are met well. A parent, reflecting a commonly held view, commented: ‘It’s a lovely nursery with some really caring teachers.’ Children make good progress in their learning throughout the EYFS because teaching is good. They are presented with a 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008 balance of exciting activities led by adults and those they choose themselves. However, staff do not always make the most of the outside areas to ensure that they are used consistently well to provide learning opportunities at all times. Excellent new tracking systems already

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Grade: 2

confirm good progress. This is verified as the majority reach the goals expected for their age by the end of the EYFS and an increasing number exceed this expectation, even though development in language is less strong. Recent stringent efforts to raise standards in problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy have shown excellent impact. Staff work tirelessly to make sure that children’s welfare and their personal development have a high priority and as a result, in this area of learning they do especially well. Leadership and management are good. The ‘key person’ role, whereby a nominated member of staff has overall responsibility for overseeing the development of individual pupils, is at an early stage of development, though children’s welfare is successfully promoted.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the role of the key person in the EYFS to enhance children’s welfare and development.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure pupils in Key Stage 1 understand how to improve their work, and that all Key Stage 2 pupils understand their targets and know how to improve their work in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average and achievement is good. The good start pupils receive in the EYFS continues in Key Stage 1. In the 2008 teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 standards were above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. The school recognises that pupils could have achieved better in mathematics and has successfully put strategies in place to accelerate progress in this subject. Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 2. In the latest 2008 provisional national test results for 11-year-olds, standards in reading, mathematics and science were above average and the school exceeded its targets. Standards in writing were average. The school has already implemented strategies to improve weaknesses in punctuation and spelling which were highlighted as weaknesses in pupils’ performance. Current standards across the school show that pupils are making good progress in all subjects,

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Grade: 2

including writing. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well and reach their individual targets. The very few pupils from minority ethnic groups make similarly good progress to their peers, as do those who enter the school at various stages of the year.

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Grade: 1

Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are exceptionally polite, friendly and well behaved and show immense pride as they confidently show visitors round their school. They are very regular attenders and show considerable enthusiasm in their lessons. Pupils make a meaningful contribution to the life of their local and world community. Being a school councillor brings considerable responsibilities, including regular meetings with the Town Council! One of their many successes includes improving the look of the main roads into the town. The pupils take their responsibility for the world’s resources very seriously. They are constantly involved in conservation projects, such as the one to design ‘bags for life’ for local shops. Pupils care for each other through training to be ‘peacemakers’ who settle arguments in the playground. Their care extends beyond their

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Grade: 1

own community and they are especially proud of writing to the Prime Minister to support the 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008 ‘Take a friend to school’ charity. Through experiences of other cultures they are also learning to respect people different from themselves. Being healthy and safe in this school means walking to school whenever possible, joining in an early morning ‘activate’ session, learning the skills of a sport such as cricket from world professionals and choosing healthy options at lunchtime.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good and many lessons have aspects that are outstanding. Lessons have a very good ethos of hard work and enjoyment which encourages pupils to do their best. Teachers plan lessons meticulously well to meet the needs of different ages, abilities and aptitudes. Different teaching styles, methods, resources and topics are being used to successfully accelerate progress and raise standards in writing and mathematics. Clear explanations of what pupils are expected to learn keep them on task and staff are always on hand to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding and to clarify any confusions. Teaching assistants are highly skilled and work very effectively to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, providing just the right amount of support, challenge and independence to enable pupils to take a full part in the lesson and make the progress they are capable of. Teachers use information from

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Grade: 2

day-to-day assessments and tests to pinpoint each pupil’s progress and carefully to identify the next steps in learning. In Key Stage 2, these are being shared well with pupils in literacy but are less effective in numeracy. In Key Stage 1, pupils are not as clear as they could be about what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum is vibrant, varied and flexible in order to be immediately responsive to the needs of all the pupils. Exceptionally well planned links across subjects and with the local community provide pupils with a wealth of rich and exciting experiences to engage them in learning and deepen their knowledge and understanding. An excellent programme of social and health education successfully provides the pupils with the necessary tools to develop personal safety, care, healthy living and an exceptionally strong sense of respect and responsibility for themselves, each other and the local and world community. Out of school clubs, visits and visitors to school abound, enriching pupils’ learning and personal skills. These include poets, writers, drama groups, music groups and residential trips. ICT, an identified weakness at the last inspection, is now an effective tool for learning. The links with schools in

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Grade: 1

several European countries and the teaching of French and German helps to prepare pupils for their secondary schools and the world beyond school. This innovative curriculum is highly successful in equipping pupils exceptionally well for their future role in society and promoting their economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good with outstanding features. Procedures for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety are in line with statutory requirements. The pastoral care pupils receive is exemplary. Pupils say they feel safe, secure and know there is always an adult or a specially trained pupil they can turn to if they have a problem. There is excellent support 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008 for pupils who transfer from other schools, which ensures they settle in quickly, make friends and begin working at the right level as soon as possible. Parents of pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities are delighted with the exceptionally high level of care and support their children receive from all the staff. The guidance given to older pupils about what they should do to improve standards is good in literacy but less effective in mathematics. Younger

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Grade: 2

pupils especially are often unclear what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding and as a result, the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection have been addressed with rigour and considerable success. Governors know their school well and provide good support and challenge. The headteacher has continued to build up a strong, enthusiastic and very effective teaching team which contributes to the very caring and challenging ethos. Everyone connected to the school, including teaching and support staff, parents and the local community are made to feel they are a part of this thriving school. The highly motivated leadership team never rests on its laurels. Assessments, test results and the quality of teaching and learning are all monitored rigorously to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they can. An area identified in need of improvement immediately galvanises the team into action. For example, weaknesses in writing have already been addressed and strategies to

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Grade: 2

improve spelling and punctuation are included in the curriculum. The school’s leadership works exceptionally well with a wide range of local, national and international partners to ensure the school is at the forefront of any initiatives which will further improve the provision for its pupils. The parents’ overwhelming confidence in the leadership and management of the school is rightly placed. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 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: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 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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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?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 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: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008

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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 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 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? 2 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 1 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: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Snaith Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 9RE Thank you so much for being so very friendly and welcoming when we inspected your school a short while ago. We really enjoyed talking to you, especially the school council. We were very pleased to see how well behaved you are and how much you enjoy school and your learning. Your school is making sure that you are all being very well prepared to be responsible, caring, citizens. You should be very proud of all the things you do in helping to make your school, town and world a much better place. Meeting with the Town Council and helping to improve the main streets of Snaith, designing ‘bags for life’ and writing to the Prime Minister supporting ‘Take a friend to school day’ really show what caring young citizens you are. You also know the importance of eating sensible food and taking lots of exercise. Do keep that up because it

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

is so important to stay healthy and fit. We could see by the work in your books and displays around the school that you are working hard in your lessons and most of you are reaching above average standards in English, maths and science. In order to help you improve even further I have suggested that your teachers could give you even more help to understand your targets and more help to improve your work. So listen carefully when your teachers talk to you or write comments in your books. Some of you may know that children in Nursery and Reception now have a ‘key person’ who looks after their development. I’ve asked the staff to make sure that all the key workers play a full role in checking on how well each child is learning. Your parents told us that they think your school is a good one and we agree. You go to a good school where there are some excellent things happening and where your headteacher and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

teachers make lessons fun and help you learn such a lot. We hope you will continue to enjoy school as much as you do now and that it will help you to become happy and successful adults. Yours sincerely Carole Cressey Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Snaith Primary School, 21–22 October 2008

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