Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School

Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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121570 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 327518 Inspection number 1 October 2008 Inspection date Rosemary Rodger 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 5–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 87 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 David Hall Chair Mrs A Peacock Headteacher 27 September 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Kirkby Malzeard School address Ripon North Yorkshire HG4 3RT 01765 658329 Telephone number

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5–11 Age group 1 October 2008 Inspection date 327518 Inspection number - Fax number

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5–11 Age group 1 October 2008 Inspection date 327518 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. 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues:

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Introduction

■ the impact of pupils' outstanding personal development and well-being on their enjoyment and progress in learning ■ the impact of improvements to the curriculum on raising standards in literacy

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Introduction

■ all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from discussions with the headteacher, who is also temporarily the EYFS leader, the chair of governors and a group of pupils. In addition, parts of lessons were observed and school documents, samples of pupils' work and the parents' questionnaires were scrutinised. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified. These have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

This is a very small rural school that serves an economically mixed area. Most pupils live in the local Parish with a few travelling from further afield. A very small proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals. A slightly below average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The school has achieved several awards including Healthy School, Artsmark Silver, Activemark and the local authority Inclusion Quality Mark. At the time of the inspection, half of the teaching staff were on temporary contracts to cover staff absences.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008

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Grade: 2

Kirkby Malzeard is a good school. Parents praise the ease with which their children settle and enjoy all the school has to offer. They say that the headteacher and staff are approachable and very caring. The headteacher has worked extremely well to successfully manage considerable staffing turbulence in recent months. As a result, pupils and parents are happy and there is a purposeful calmness around school. Pupils' enjoyment is fully reflected in the outstanding attendance levels. When children enter Reception year their skills and attainments are in line with those expected for their age. Standards reached by the end of Year 6 vary from year to year because each cohort is small and the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in the year group fluctuates. However, achievement is uniformly good. Pupils make good progress from their starting points. Overall, the standards reached by the majority of pupils are above average

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Grade: 2

by the time they leave the school. However, while pupils' overall standards in English are above average, standards in writing, especially for the more able pupils, are not as high as they could be. This is an area for improvement identified by the school and confirmed by the inspection. Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils thrive in the myriad of activities with which they are provided. Parents' positive views were aptly summed up by the comment, 'I am continually amazed at the variety of experiences my child has here, both in and out of the classroom, with school trips, sport, arts, visitors and clubs.' Pupils say they are encouraged to eat healthily and keep fit. They are helped to keep active by the excellent sports and play equipment outside, and residential visits enhance the development of social skills. During the inspection, Year 5 and 6 pupils were on such a visit, which gave a confident group

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Grade: 2

of Year 2 and Year 4 pupils the chance to talk to the inspector about their school. They were pleased that older pupils are buddies to the younger pupils and say that they enjoy very much the regular multi-sports club held after school. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Effective use is made of electronic whiteboards to demonstrate new learning. Pupils are very much involved in their lessons because they are so well motivated and keen to learn. Behaviour is exemplary. Teachers use time at the end of lessons well to provide pupils with feedback and check how well they have progressed against learning objectives. Challenging class and group targets in literacy and numeracy are constantly referred to in lessons. Mathematics teaching benefits from the informative 'learning walls', which act as good prompts to pupils when they are working independently and as teaching aids in lessons. In most instances, marking is used well to inform pupils of what they have

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Grade: 2

achieved and to promote further learning; all pupils are given clear verbal guidance during their lessons. However, in a very small number of cases pupils' written work is marked too infrequently. The good curriculum ensures that pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities to develop their basic skills in lessons and booster classes. Specialist visitors are invited into school to enhance learning, and 'theme weeks' are held throughout the year to cover some aspects of the curriculum in more depth. For example, in the multicultural week, pupils cooked Chinese and Indian food, watched Indian dancing and learned about the cultural traditions of global regions. Pupils also learn about the customs and faiths of other countries through their sponsorship of an Indian child. They are encouraged to understand and be helpful within their own community and respond to this very well. The recently upgraded computer suite is popular

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Grade: 2

and provides the pupils with access to the Internet to support investigative work; Internet 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008 safety is adhered to. Pupils are given exemplary care, guidance and support. They say they feel very safe in school because their teachers care for them so well. Staff are well trained for specific welfare tasks and arrangements to safeguard pupils meet government requirements. Academic guidance is thorough and firmly based on careful monitoring of each pupil's performance. It is used very effectively to identify pupils at risk of underachieving and to provide additional support for learning. Teaching assistants play a key role. They provide highly effective support, particularly for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school liaises very well with parents and with other agencies, particularly to ensure that vulnerable pupils get the help

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Grade: 2

and support they need. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher's passion and commitment has moved the school forward and secured significant improvements since the last inspection. Parents say they are kept up to date through regular newsletters and that they value the community feel of the school. The headteacher is pivotal in motivating and encouraging staff and successfully securing high quality temporary staff. A detailed evaluation of the progress made by all pupils is used to inform target setting. School self-evaluation accurately reflects strengths and weaknesses. It is rigorous and systematic in seeking to raise pupils' performance. Priority has been given to securing higher standards and to making better provision in the EYFS, which were areas for improvement at the time of the last inspection. The governors are effective and supportive through their involvement in community events and providing challenge when

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Grade: 2

needed. The school has a good capacity to improve, uses resources effectively and gives good value for money.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in their learning and by the time they start in Year 1, they are reaching above average levels. They have access to a good range of activities indoors and outdoors. The balance between adult-directed activities and free choice activities is managed well. Teaching is good. Planned whole-class sessions effectively teach children to listen and learn the sounds of letters. Children begin to gain confidence in writing by 'taking orders' in the role-play caf Á and recording this as a list. Personal, social and emotional learning is particularly well developed and helps children exceed the expectations in this area. By the time they start Year 1, children have developed into independent learners who share and take turns readily. They gain confidence and enjoy the freedom and space of a safe outdoor area. Arrangements to ensure that children are kept safe in suitable premises are good and much

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Grade: 2

improved since the previous inspection. Parents recognise the improvements and are pleased their children have such an enjoyable start to school. In the absence of the leader for this phase the headteacher has taken on this responsibility and is managing the development of staff to good effect.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' standards in writing so they all achieve as well as they can.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils' work is always marked regularly in accordance with the school's marking policy. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 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 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, Ripon, HG4 3RT Thank you for making my day in school so enjoyable. Please thank your parents for their comments too. Yours is a good school with some outstanding features. These include your standards of personal development and the quality of care, guidance and support you are provided with by everyone who works in school. Your headteacher and teachers work very hard to help you to learn. I am sorry that I was unable to talk to the oldest pupils in school, but I am sure they were having a great time at East Barnby. I judged your school to be good for the following reasons. n Your attendance is very high showing just how much you all really enjoy school. Well done! n You receive good teaching by teachers who work hard to help you learn and achieve well. Learning walls for numeracy help you all very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard. This is very clear from your work and the good results reached in the tests you do every year. ■ As all of you behave superbly you must be a pleasure for your teachers to teach.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are doing some exciting curriculum work. The work on Beatrix Potter looked very interesting and older pupils have learned about landscapes and rivers. ■ You have healthy school meals and enjoy sports clubs too, all of which help you to lead a healthy lifestyle. Keep it up! There are two things your school has been asked to do to make it even better. Firstly, to make sure you are given more opportunities to enable you to achieve as well as you can in your writing. Secondly, to ensure that your work is always marked regularly so you know what to do to improve it. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School, 1 October 2008

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