Silloth Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Build on the work already begun to broaden the most able pupils’ mathematical experiences by: ─ developing their understanding of algebra ─ providing further opportunities for pupils to investigate numbers and patterns.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leadership and management at all levels are exceptionally strong. The headteacher is an inspirational leader who works hard to ensure that pupils are at the centre of everything the school does. She trusts staff to develop approaches that are right for the pupils. She ensures that these approaches are consistent across school. The headteacher and assistant headteacher form a strong team. Their skills complement each other to the benefit of the pupils. This exemplary leadership ensures highly effective teaching and exceptional outcomes for pupils.
• Senior leaders share the headteacher’s passion for everyone to succeed. One member of staff said: ‘Leaders encourage everyone, children and staff, to aim high.’ There is a shared ambition for the school and a clear understanding of how this vision will be achieved.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and middle leaders are highly effective. There are clear and very effective structures in place. Leaders ensure that staff have the necessary time and skills to carry out their work to a very high level. As a result, subject leaders check the standards in their subjects rigorously and put actions into place that provide continuous improvements to teaching and learning. This contributes well to the exceptional rates of progress that pupils make across the curriculum.
• The SENCo is determined, very well qualified and experienced. She ensures that pupils’ needs are identified accurately and quickly. The SENCo prepares high-quality support plans that set aspirational targets for pupils. She clearly identifies the specific needs of pupils and gives teachers excellent advice on how to support pupils’ learning in class.
• The headteacher provides excellent support to staff but gives middle leaders the freedom to carry out their roles. The headteacher systematically develops leadership skills in all areas of school. Adults value the professional development that they receive. Staff are extremely well motivated and happy in their work.
• The headteacher has developed a culture that is all about learning and improvement. Leaders at every level focus relentlessly on improving teaching and learning. Professional discussions between adults on how to improve teaching are commonplace. As a result of this continuing drive to improve teaching and learning, pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.
• The school works with other local schools to share ideas and expertise, and the local authority calls on the school to offer support in the local area.
• The carefully planned and ambitious curriculum is a strength of the school. Teachers provide an extensive range of experiences that enable pupils to broaden their understanding in a wide range of contexts. This wider work is exceptional. There are many and varied examples, including a programme of reflection themes that are started in assembly and developed through the week. Themes include ‘the law and religious belief’ and ‘liberty, what does this mean?’ Teachers also develop work around ‘the big question’. For example, during the inspection, pupils discussed what it means to be a migrant. This led to discussions about freedom, liberty, boundaries, rights and responsibilities. Pupils tackle very difficult concepts and respond with interest and maturity. This discussion work has had a considerable impact on work in the rest of the curriculum and a highly positive impact on pupils’ understanding of British values.
• Leaders have ensured that the move from early years to key stage 1 is a positive experience for pupils. Early years and key stage 1 teachers work closely together to continue teaching to the needs of the pupils. Teachers provide good support to pupils when making the decision about which high school to attend. As a result, pupils are prepared well for the move to the secondary phase of their education. For example, pupils in Year 6 study and interpret high school timetables as part of their mathematics lessons. They are confident and excited about their next step.
• Parents appreciate the work of the school. They greatly value the support given to the whole family and the good communications that they receive from staff. One parent said: ‘I’ve always thought that my children are taught well, very well looked after and the teachers are extremely good role models.’

Governance of the school

• Governance is highly effective. Governors are ambitious for the school. They receive high-quality information from all leaders about the work of the school and, in particular, about pupils’ achievements. Governors have undertaken training to further develop their roles and skills.
• Governors have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas for further improvement. They use their skills to challenge leaders to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.
• The additional support that disadvantaged pupils receive to help them to catch up with their peers is very effective. The adults who support these pupils have high expectations, excellent subject knowledge and a good understanding of the needs of these pupils. As a result, the pupil premium spending on this support is highly effective, and disadvantaged pupils of all abilities make outstanding progress. Governors have a good understanding of the impact of this spending.
• Governors have ensured that the primary school sports funding has been used well. A specialist provider contributes to the very good progress seen in physical education and sports. Teachers use this expertise to further develop their own teaching.
• The additional funding that the school receives for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used judiciously. Consequently, these pupils are supported extremely well and make consistently outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The governing body ensures that the school meets all its statutory requirements for safeguarding. This includes the robust checking of the suitability of adults to work with children. Suitable checks are made on visitors to school.
• All staff are vigilant and well trained. Leaders ensure that staff keep their knowledge up to date, including how to prevent pupils from radicalisation and extremism. The safeguarding lead has a very good understanding of any issues of particular concern and has ensured that staff have received additional training in these areas.
• Leaders record and manage any concerns, which are tracked through to a satisfactory conclusion. The headteacher demonstrates a high level of professionalism and a passion to ensure the safety and welfare of all pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching is consistently strong for all groups of pupils in key stages 1 and 2, including for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, pupils make outstanding progress. Adults work extremely well together, and this teamwork is seamless in lessons. The progression in skills and knowledge across each curriculum area is very carefully planned, and there is a highly effective strategy for teaching approaches in each area. Teachers and other staff are in no doubt about how teaching works in this school.
• There is a ‘can do’ culture in the school. All adults have high expectations and are aspirational for pupils. This is consistent across school for different groups of pupils and across all subjects. Teaching is clear and precise. Adults have excellent subject knowledge across a wide range of subjects. They use this knowledge to ask skilful questions, which enable pupils to develop their own thinking.
• Teachers have a detailed knowledge of how each child learns and they plan lessons that build quickly on pupils’ previous knowledge. Adults constantly check on what pupils know and understand during lessons and challenge mistakes before these become embedded. As a result, pupils learn quickly, and mistakes are rarely repeated. Teachers provide consistent feedback in line with the school’s policy. Pupils use this feedback to make improvements to their work. The same high quality of assessment and feedback is evident across the whole curriculum.
• Teaching in mathematics challenges pupils so that they make outstanding progress. Teachers explain mathematical concepts clearly. They move learning on quickly and ask pupils to apply their mathematical skills in different ways. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, pupils quickly mastered multiplying three-digit numbers by 10 and 100. The teacher then challenged them to multiply decimal numbers by 10 and 100 using the same strategies. Pupils benefit from strong mathematics teaching and reach very high standards. However, there are few opportunities for the most able pupils to develop a deep understanding of algebra or number investigations.
• Pupils use their growing knowledge effectively in their writing. They write at length across a wide range of subjects. Teachers help pupils to correct mistakes in their writing, no matter what the subject is. Consequently, pupils make substantial progress in writing from their different starting points. By the time that they are in Year 6, the most able pupils are beginning to write with flair. One pupil wrote: ‘Blinding puffs of jet black smoke coughed out of the engine.’
• Additional adults are used extremely well and have the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles effectively and with confidence. This is a result of the high regard in which they are held within the school and the quality of professional development that they receive. Additional adults have a very positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Lower-attaining pupils receive additional support of a high quality, which enables them to catch up rapidly with their peers. Adults encourage and promote pupils’ desire to learn and ability to work hard from the earliest stages.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Adults support pupils very well and pupils have high aspirations for their future lives. Adults show a great level of respect for pupils. They develop warm and positive relationships. As a result, pupils trust and respect the adults in school. Pupils feel that they can go to an adult if they are worried about anything. Pupils know that help will always be available.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured learners. Pupils enjoy being at school and they are proud of their achievements. They gain a lot from the adults around them and one said: ‘You can talk to the teachers as much as you want for help.’
• Pupils are articulate. Teachers show pupils how to debate and how to respond to other people’s views. Pupils are taught how to think deeply, express themselves and listen to alternative ideas. This helps pupils to excel in all subjects.
• Leaders know the pupils well. The school’s work to promote emotional well-being makes a strong contribution to pupils’ overall health. The SENCo is developing further her own understanding of pupils’ mental health and well-being in order to strengthen the comprehensive and effective support that is already on offer.
• Leaders encourage pupils to lead healthy lives. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about their ‘100 mile challenge’, in which they are encouraged to get out and about and do more walking. Pupils said that this encourages them to get more exercise instead of playing on their computer games.
• Adults give pupils meaningful responsibilities. For example, the school council checks that lights are switched off and that rubbish is recycled in each classroom. Council members then announce the ‘eco winners’ and ‘eco sinners’ in assembly. This is carried out in a fun way, but pupils said that it makes them think carefully about the environment.
• Pupils are taught how to stay safe in a range of situations, including when out in the community. The Year 6 pupils make posters to remind other pupils what to do to keep themselves safe when online. Other pupils refer back to this as a reminder of what they should do. As a result of the outstanding support that pupils’ receive, they have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe.
• The work that the school does on understanding wider world cultures is exceptional. Through this work, pupils learn not to judge someone by the colour of their skin, their family background or religion or their likes and dislikes. Year 6 pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the African-American civil rights movement. The school is a Stonewall education champion and celebrates different sorts of families.
• British values are promoted exceptionally well. Pupils demonstrate a particularly good understanding of democracy. For example, in a Year 5 lesson pupils took part in a very mature debate about who should have the right to vote in Ancient Greece. The teacher made links to Nelson Mandela and to women gaining the right to vote in England. As a result, pupils are prepared extremely well for life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. There is no low-level disruption in lessons and pupils have a strong desire to learn. Behaviour, in and around school, is excellent and reflects the school’s effective and consistent strategies. Pupils have developed a ‘Language Charter’. This includes derogatory terms, which will not be used in school. As a result, pupils said that behaviour is good and there is very little name-calling.
• Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are striking. They are ambitious and dedicated to learn. Adults teach pupils how to love learning. Pupils are excited when talking to each other about their work. For example, in a Year 4 lesson on multiplication, pupils wanted to explain their methods to each other.
• Pupils have very high expectations of their own and other pupils’ behaviour. As a result, lessons start promptly and there are no missed opportunities to learn.
• Pupils develop a strong moral compass. They have an excellent understanding of right and wrong, which they demonstrate through their outstanding behaviour. Their very positive attitudes to learning lead to a focused, calm environment, which in turn has a positive impact on their educational and personal outcomes.
• Adults spend time helping pupils to understand what bullying is. Pupils are adamant that bullying is very rare and that adults deal with it effectively when it occurs.
• Attendance rates are in line with the national average. Leaders constantly work to engage with families. A system of support and education is in place to encourage children to attend regularly. Despite this, there are still a small minority of parents who take their children out of school for extended holidays.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Due to the outstanding teaching that they receive in key stage 1 and key stage 2, pupils leave the school with attainment that is higher than that seen nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, they are prepared exceptionally well for the next stages in their education.
• Children start school in Nursery with skills and abilities below those typical for their age. They make outstanding progress in Nursery and Reception. There has been a significant improvement in the proportion of children reaching a good level of development in the past three years, and this is now in line with national outcomes. This is as a result of the focus that leaders have placed on this area of school.
• All pupils, including the most able pupils, make outstanding progress in key stage 1, to further build on the skills and knowledge they gained in the early years. The outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1 in 2016 were slightly lower than those of other pupils nationally in reading and writing. Leaders have addressed this promptly. Disadvantaged pupils currently at the school make the same outstanding rates of progress as other pupils. As a result, attainment at key stage 1 is above average and pupils have the building blocks for further rapid progress in key stage 2.
• Pupils make very rapid progress in key stage 2. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make better progress than other pupils nationally from the same starting points. Work seen in books shows that this rapid rate of progress is being maintained in all subject areas. The most able pupils make consistently outstanding progress to reach the higher standards in all areas.
• Pupils of all ages and abilities, including disadvantaged pupils, read effectively. Many read at standards higher than those expected for their age. When they come across unfamiliar words, pupils use their secure knowledge of letter sounds to help them. They persevere when the text is challenging. Leaders work hard to encourage a love of reading. Pupils said that they enjoy reading and some pupils have been inspired to write to their favourite authors.
• Phonics teaching is highly effective. It is taught systematically and there is a high degree of consistency. Adults have excellent subject knowledge. The very small minority of pupils who do not achieve the expected standard at the end of Year 2 receive additional support in Year 3. This support is highly effective in ensuring that pupils gain the skills necessary to become effective readers and writers.
• The progress in other areas of the curriculum apart from English and mathematics is exceptional. Many pupils are working at standards beyond those expected for their age across a wide range of subjects. Artwork is developed particularly well. Each year the school has a ‘take one picture week’ inspired by an artist or a picture. The work that pupils complete over a one-week block culminates in an art exhibition for parents. The artwork produced is of an extremely high quality.
• Teachers develop pupils’ understanding of scientific processes as well as knowledge in a highly effective way. In design technology, pupils develop a very secure understanding of the design process. Field trips have a considerable impact on the development of excellent geographical knowledge and skills within the classroom. The specialist Spanish teacher works to develop pupils’ written and oral skills. Pupils’ progress in Spanish in key stage 2 is notable.
• Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education, both academically and pastorally.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Children, including disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, get an excellent start to their education in the early years. This is as a result of the carefully planned experiences they receive. Children’s needs are carefully assessed to ensure that they make excellent progress based on their individual needs.
• There has been a significant improvement in the proportion of children reaching a good level of development in recent years and this is now in line with the national average. There is a continued focus on this area of school, and leaders have made strategic changes to staffing to improve children’s outcomes even further.
• Children start Nursery with skills and abilities which are slightly below those typical for their age. However, there are wide variations within this. The high rates of progress made by children in Nursery mean that a greater proportion than previously are starting Reception with skills and abilities broadly typical for their age. All children make outstanding progress from their different starting points. By the time that they leave Reception, they achieve a good level of development, and many exceed this.
• The early years leader is an excellent role model for other adults and is very knowledgeable. All adults work as a cohesive team to plan, organise and record children’s achievements. Adults use highly skilled questioning to develop children’s language. For example, when talking to children working in the sand, adults questioned them to extend their vocabulary about more and less. Outstanding teaching leads to rapid progress and children are well prepared for their transition into Year 1.
• Children work well and behave sensibly within the carefully organised setting. Children enjoy learning and they show a very high degree of concentration. Typically, children are engrossed in their learning, for example, building a robot and sharing this with staff. Children are proud of their work and eagerly shared this with inspectors. Children talked to inspectors about their work about space. They acted out how the earth orbits the sun but also rotates on its axis.
• The environment is stimulating and exciting. It is carefully designed to promote development in all areas of the curriculum and is accessible for children. Staff are highly skilled at using the children’s interests to further their learning.
• Highly effective leadership has established exceptionally strong links with parents. This helps children to settle quickly when they first start in Nursery or Reception. Adults make every effort to get to know children and their families before they start school. Children’s work and achievements are shared with parents on a regular basis, and parents are encouraged to add to this. As a result, parents gain valuable information about their child’s experiences and the progress that they make.
• Staff keep children safe and care for them well in the early years. All of the statutory welfare requirements are met and the school’s safeguarding practices and procedures are strictly followed.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112235 Cumbria 10032395 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 183 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Amy Hoodless Rachel Ingrams 01697 331243 www.silloth.cumbria.sch.uk/ admin@silloth.cumbria.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Silloth is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language is lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is broadly average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations of pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed a range of lessons or parts of lessons. Some of these observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils reading and talked with pupils about their lessons and school life.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, representatives of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to the school’s management, including the arrangements to ensure that pupils are kept safe.
• Inspectors considered 29 parents’ responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day and considered the school’s own surveys of parents’ views. They also took account of the responses of 13 members of staff and 60 responses to pupil questionnaires.

Inspection team

Tanya Hughes, lead inspector David Fann Neil Mackenzie

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector