Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs J Lyon Headteacher Dishforth Airfield Community Primary School Short Road Dishforth Airfield Thirsk YO7 3DL

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families

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff and pupils, during my visit on 29 and 30 June 2010 to look at the school’s contribution to the quality of provision and partnerships for children and young people who are in families of service personnel.

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families

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of partnerships, including the quality of the partnerships between schools and agencies and between schools and parents, I looked at how effective the partnerships are in improving children and young people’s personal wellbeing and learning. I also considered the nature of the support given to these children, including those in the most vulnerable circumstances, or those who have a particular special educational need or disability, and the arrangements to ensure the continuity of provision during children’s move in and out of your school.

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families

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

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families

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: discussions with you, the chair of governors, staff, parents, pupils and representatives of support agencies; and an analysis of data and school documentation, including school self-evaluation and the school improvement plan.

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families

The school’s contribution to the quality of provision and partnerships for children and young people who are in families of service personnel is good.

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Key features

 The school works hard to welcome new pupils and their families to Dishforth, although not all of the pupils feel adequately prepared for the transfer.  Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. This is because the school has high expectations and sets out to ensure that all pupils achieve their potential.  School leaders do not view the needs of the pupil in isolation. Good support is given to the family to enhance pupils’ emotional and intellectual development.  The relationships between parents and school staff are good. The school operates an ‘open door’ policy to listen to parental concerns and offer appropriate advice and guidance. Parents feel that they are well received on arrival and are kept informed about their children’s progress.  Early assessment on arrival at the school is a feature of the provision. As a result, work is matched accurately to pupils’ needs and this enhances their

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Key features

progress. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good support. Individual education plans are in place and pupils’ progress is monitored carefully.  The school has established good links with external agencies, particularly the Parent Support Adviser (PSA) who works closely with families experiencing personal difficulties. Clear links exist between the work of the PSA and the school and an improvement in pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and progress.  The transfer of records between schools, both within the United Kingdom and from abroad, is often problematic. School leaders recognise the importance of working closely with other schools that have a significant proportion of pupils from service families to ensure the smooth transition of records from one school to another, and to support the continuity of provision for pupils.  The transfer of information between associated professionals is sometimes

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Key features

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop the work with children and young people and their parents who are in families of service personnel.

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Key features

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on the Ofsted website under the URN for your school. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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