Boothferry Primary School

Boothferry Primary School Inspection report

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117941 Unique Reference Number East Riding of Yorkshire Local Authority 326721 Inspection number 11–12 September 2008 Inspection dates Susan Walsh 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 360 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 Mr Jeff Watson Chair Mrs Rosalind Williamson 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 Newport Street School address Goole DN14 6TL 01405 762151 Telephone number 01405 720429 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 11–12 September 2008 Inspection dates 326721 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: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The closure of a school nearby has led to a significant increase in pupil numbers so that the school is now much larger than average. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average, as is the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language is rising as an increasing number of pupils of Eastern European heritage join the school. More pupils join and leave the school during the school year than is usual. The school has established a new Nursery class within a recently constructed Foundation Stage Unit. The school has achieved the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) national award for information and communication technology (ICT), the Healthy Schools’ Award, Activemark and the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

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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: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features that provides good value for money. The headteacher’s leadership is exemplary. She has steered the school safely through challenging times during which the its work has been disrupted by extensive building work and the number of pupils and staff has increased rapidly. Careful management together with high aspirations and a sincere commitment to supporting each individual child has ensured that pupils continue to achieve well and that their personal development remains exceptional. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding because the staff provide them with extremely high quality care and support. Parents are extremely happy with the school, typically saying that the care their children receive is ‘fantastic!’ Pupils say that they ‘love school and their teachers.’ This reflects their outstanding enjoyment and the excellent relationships between them and the staff. Behaviour is outstanding

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Grade: 2

because rules and rewards for good conduct are applied consistently. Pupils work hard and are determined to do well. They respect both their teachers and their fellow pupils and make an extremely good contribution to the school community. The excellent programme for personal, social and health education ensures that pupils are exceptionally well informed about how to keep healthy and safe. An increasing proportion of pupils join the Foundation Stage with skills that are well below those typical for their age. The first children to benefit from a full two years in the new unit made outstanding progress and had skills that were close to expected levels when they joined Year 1 in 2008. Pupils make good progress through both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and usually reach standards that are only marginally below the national average by the end of Key Stage 2. Standards dipped slightly in 2008. Nevertheless, these pupils, many of whom joined

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Grade: 2

the school late, made good progress from their individual starting points. Pupils in Key Stage 2 generally make faster progress in their reading and writing than they do in mathematics. This is because the work in mathematics in Key Stage 2 does not always meet pupils’ needs as effectively as in reading and writing. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language make good progress because the school quickly identifies their needs and ensures that they are very well supported. The school promotes inclusion and equality of opportunity for its pupils outstandingly. Achievement is good because of good quality teaching and learning and good curricular provision. Lessons are frequently lively and interesting, made enjoyable and relevant by good links between subjects. Skills learned in ICT are used extremely well to support overall learning. In Key Stage 2, progress in mathematics for more able pupils is sometimes held back through

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Grade: 2

lack of challenge and less able pupils find the work too challenging. There is a tendency in mathematics lessons to repeat aspects that pupils have already learned and this slows progress. Pupils generally receive good guidance in lessons and through teachers’ marking but this is less effective in mathematics in Years 3 to 6. For example, there is little reference here to targets in pupils’ books. Leadership and management are good. Monitoring and evaluation of the school’s outcomes by the leadership team are good and key leaders have a clear view of where improvements can be made. Subject leaders are very committed and hard working but they are not sufficiently involved in monitoring achievement and standards and teaching and learning. This restricts their capacity to influence improvements. The school’s dedication to the local community is 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008

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Grade: 2

excellent and is reflected in its outstanding links with parents, initiatives in the locality and with other education and business partners.

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Grade: 1

Children get off to a flying start in the new Foundation Stage Unit because of outstanding provision that is expertly managed. A strong focus on speaking and listening and developing social skills means that children make rapid progress in these weaker areas. There is an excellent balance between teacher led and child selected activities. Exceptional assessment records means that exciting activities are very carefully matched to pupils’ needs and this maximises progress. Staff expertly guide children’s learning and use discussions and questions skilfully to challenge their thinking and extend their vocabulary. Care, guidance and support are outstanding and all welfare requirements are met. A thorough induction programme helps children to settle quickly. The staff work exceptionally well in partnership with parents who say that the staff are ‘very friendly and supportive.’ Parents are amazed by what their children learn in a short

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the rate of pupils’ progress and their levels of achievement in mathematics in Key Stage 2. ■ Develop the skills of subject coordinators so that they can better contribute to self-evaluation and school improvement.

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Grade: 2

Standards are broadly average and achievement is good. Pupils make good progress through Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average. Progress through Key Stage 2 is good. It was slightly better in Years 3 and 4 than in Years 5 and 6 last year. Effective action has been taken to ensure consistency in progress across Key Stage 2. Pupils usually make good progress in English but progress in mathematics is sometimes slower. This is reflected in the fall in standards in 2008 when a minority of more able pupils in Key Stage 2 failed to reach their targets in mathematics. Standards in writing have improved since the previous inspection and are now broadly average.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils develop real self-confidence combined with responsible and tolerant attitudes. There is a strong commitment in the school to racial and social equality and pupils from varied backgrounds work and play well together and say that there is no bullying and that they feel safe. Pupils recognise that they are valued and respected and love coming to school because of the wide range of interesting activities. This is reflected in their regular attendance at school. Pupils enthusiastically embrace exercise and they know all about healthy eating. The pupils make a very good contribution to the school through their work with the school council and as ECO warriors. There are strong links with the local community and pupils have shared singing and dancing with older residents, helping to bridge the gap between

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Grade: 1

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008 generations. Pupils have the personal qualities and the skills to make the most of the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

Teachers have very good subject knowledge and their lively approach ensures that pupils are fully engaged in learning. Their explanations are clear and specific so that pupils know exactly what is expected of them in lessons. Resources, including those for ICT, are used extremely well to support learning. Both teachers and support staff are cheerful and consistently value pupils’ contributions. As a result, relationships are outstanding and make a strong contribution to pupils gaining confidence in their own abilities. Personal development is a focus in many lessons so that pupils learn to listen well and work well together. Occasionally in mathematics the work is not matched sufficiently well to pupils’ abilities. Teachers’ marking is generally effective, but is inconsistent in mathematics in Key Stage 2, slowing pupils’ progress.

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Grade: 2

The school has worked very hard to develop a more creative curriculum that is very responsive to the needs of the local community. There are many links between subjects which bring learning alive and make subjects interesting and enjoyable whist still developing pupils’ basic skills. However, it is too early for this new curriculum to have had a full impact on achievement and standards. The use of local geographical and historical features creates high levels of interest and helps pupils to understand the importance of their local community in its locality. Enrichment is good. Pupils and parents value the wide range of clubs and visits. There is a strong focus on getting a good job that starts in the Foundation Stage when staff discuss with children what they would like to do when they grow up. Close links with local businesses ensure that pupils gain a very good understanding of the world of work. This, together with visits to the local

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Grade: 2

university, is successfully raising pupils’ aspirations and provides an excellent basis for securing their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 1

Care and support are outstanding and guidance is good, ensuring that pupils really enjoy their education and feel respected and valued. This underpins pupils’ good academic achievement and their outstanding personal development. Pupils feel safe and well cared for and say that there is always someone to talk to if they have any problems. Required safeguarding, child protection and health and safety procedures are in place. Support for vulnerable pupils is central to the school’s work and every pupil is treasured. Learners who are at risk of underachieving are identified very quickly. Extensive work with parents and outside agencies ensures that pupils have access to appropriate provision. Pupils have a very good understanding of their personal and academic targets. Teachers discuss learning targets with pupils in lessons but these targets are not always referred to in teachers’ marking of work. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008

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Grade: 2

Senior leaders, including the governors, are rigorously focused on raising standards and boosting achievement. Improvements continued even when the school faced considerable challenges. The new Foundation Stage unit has provided an outstanding quality of education and the overall curriculum is now more relevant and exciting. The school’s commitment to maximising the potential of pupils from all social backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities, whatever their level of ability, has gone from strength to strength. All this demonstrates the school’s good capacity to improve further. The main responsibility for tracking pupils’ progress and analysing achievement and standards has rested with the senior leadership team who have improved systems to set targets and monitor pupil progress. Although their analysis of the school’s work has been both accurate and effective, some subject leaders are not sufficiently involved in

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Grade: 2

these processes. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 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: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 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?

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? 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/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: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 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? 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 1 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: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 September 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Boothferry Primary School, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 6TL It was a delight and a privilege to inspect your school. The inspection team really enjoyed talking to you all and listened very carefully to what you had to say. You go to a good school that has some outstanding features. It’s clear that you have a great time at school because of all the fun things you have to do. We thought you were very well informed about how to keep healthy and safe. We were also very impressed by your outstanding behaviour and the way you respect and value each other. Well done! You told us that your teachers look after you well and that they always try to help you. Younger children really enjoy school and are doing very well because of the excellent teaching and the exciting activities provided in the new Foundation Stage. You are making good progress and by the end of Year 6 standards are usually only just below

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

those reached by children in other primary schools. Your teachers work very hard to make sure that teaching is good. You told us that you sometimes repeat work in your mathematics’ lessons and we think you are right. I have asked the staff to make sure that work you can already do is not repeated and to make sure that you are set work that’s not too easy or too hard. I have also asked them to look at ways of improving how they check on how well you are doing and how things could be better. Thank you again for being such good company. I wish you well for the future. Yours sincerely Susan Walsh Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Boothferry Primary School, 11–12 September 2008

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