Sledmere Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve leadership and management by:
  • fine-tuning the arrangements for checking on the work of the school so that any emerging shortcomings are quickly identified and addressed
  • developing the skills of middle leaders of judging and influencing the work of others
  • improving communication with parents of pupils with SEND so that they are more aware of their children’s needs and progress.
• Further improve teaching, learning and progress by ensuring that:
  • there is more consistent challenge and extension for the most able pupils
  • the expectations of the quality and quantity of work in books in all subjects is the same as that expected in English and mathematics books.
• Further improve the learning and progress in the early years by:
  • ensuring that the expectations of what children can achieve in every lesson are always as high as they can be
  • developing the use of the outdoor area to extend children’s learning and development.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, turbulence in staffing adversely affected the quality of teaching, and progress over time declined. On appointment, the current executive headteacher recognised this. He took determined action to quickly stabilise the school and reverse the decline. Effective systems and processes have been introduced to better track the progress of pupils. As a consequence, teaching and learning have improved.
• Pupils who talked to the inspector recognised the many changes that have taken place at the school and all spoke confidently about the positive impact on their learning.
• The executive headteacher knows the school well. As a result, the self-evaluation is largely accurate in identifying what is effective and where further work is needed. A wide range of information is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s work, including short observations of lessons, scrutiny of work and discussions with pupils. Although this is effective overall, on some occasions, shortcomings have not been identified and addressed in a timely manner.
• The headteacher recognises the importance of building leadership capacity across both schools in the federation. Consequently, teachers have additional responsibilities for subject leadership. Subject leaders are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Several are in the earliest stages of leadership and, as such, their skills at judging and influencing the work of others is, in some cases, underdeveloped.
• School improvement planning is effective and has helped to secure improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Recently, a new curriculum plan was introduced. This ensures that pupils experience a broad and balanced range of subjects. Pupils talk very positively about the topics they have been studying. For example, older pupils say that they enjoyed learning about life in Victorian times.
• Pupils observed at the before- and after-school club were happy and well cared for. They said that they enjoy the activities and opportunities to play with their friends.
• Good relationships with the local church are used well. Pupils enjoyed a visit from a church group which encouraged them to help one another, using the story of the Good Samaritan.
• The leadership of special educational needs is effective. The arrangements for identifying pupils with special educational needs are effective. Leaders have ensured that additional funding for both disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is spent effectively. However, some parents who spoke to the inspector indicated that there is scope for improving the communication with parents about their children’s special educational needs and progress.
• The physical education (PE) and sports funding is spent well. Pupils value the opportunities they have for taking part in a range of sports activities. Pupils enthusiastically take part in the daily one-mile walk around the school. One pupil who spoke with the inspector explained that since joining the school both his learning and his fitness have improved.
• The local authority officer knows the school well and provided effective support to the headteacher as he managed the staffing changes at the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are passionate about the school and ambitious for its future. They know the school very well. They take their roles and responsibilities seriously and provide effective challenge and support to leaders. They are provided with a range of useful information and data that they use to both support and challenge school leaders.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Records of recruitment and vetting checks meet requirements, and training for staff and safeguarding leaders is up to date. Leaders liaise effectively with other agencies to assess and provide support for pupils with SEND. The caring culture and the good knowledge staff have about pupils promote a positive culture for safeguarding. Risk assessments are used to ensure that the site and buildings are kept safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and support staff cultivate good relationships with pupils. Consequently, classroom behaviour is conducive to learning and pupils work hard, concentrate well and enjoy learning.
• Teachers organise and manage the teaching of classes with different ages and abilities effectively, particularly in key stage 2. Teachers and support staff work together well to meet the wide range of needs and abilities in the mixed-age classes. As a result, pupils make good progress in most lessons.
• The teaching of mathematics is effective because resources are used well to help pupils to grasp ideas and apply different methods for calculating numbers effectively. Most pupils get on with their work with purpose and enthusiasm. Pupils are regularly provided with opportunities to tackle problems and use reasoning.
• Teachers use their good subject knowledge well to provide clear explanations. Teachers’ questioning is used well to check on understanding and extend learning. Teachers place a high priority on developing accurate vocabulary, and pupils respond well to this in lessons, using increasingly interesting words in their writing as they move through the school.
• The teaching of phonics effectively develops pupils’ understanding of letters and the sounds they make. Pupils use these skills to work out unknown words when reading a new piece of text. Pupils develop good reading habits and older pupils talk enthusiastically about the wide range of books they read at home and in school.
• The teaching of spelling and handwriting is effective. However, there is a little variability and, sometimes, adults do not correct errors even when they are sitting with pupils.
• Although teaching meets the needs of almost all pupils and contributes to good progress, on a small number of occasions, the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged. Work in English and mathematics books is typically of a good quality. However, sometimes the quality and quantity of work in exercise books in other subjects is not always of the same high quality.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils conduct themselves very well; they are polite and welcoming of visitors. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning contribute well to their learning and development.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online. They are aware of different types of bullying, including racism, and say that this is not an issue at the school. They are confident that staff would sort out any problems if they occurred. Parents have no major concerns about pupils’ welfare.
• Pupils of different ages work together very well. They show great respect for each other and their ideas. New pupils told the inspector that they were welcomed into the school. They settle well and present as very happy.
• Assemblies and the Christian ethos effectively support pupils’ moral and cultural development. Older pupils say that they enjoy finding out about different faiths and beliefs. This actively promotes their understanding of fundamental British values and helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils were aghast at the suggestion that a boy in a story could be victimised because of choosing to wear a dress to school. This reflects their respect for others and the right to individual liberty.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils and parents told the inspector that pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved over the last year. The behaviour observed by the inspector was very good in public areas around the school. In a small number of instances where pupils were disengaging in lessons, this reflected slightly less effective teaching.
• Rigorous systems are in place to improve pupils’ attendance. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average and persistent absence is reducing.
• Pupils are happy. They wait patiently in the dinner queue and are respectful and welcoming when talking to visitors. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to adults in school. They move around the school building in an orderly manner at all times of the school day.
• The vast majority of pupils display positive behaviour across all aspects of the school day. Pupils describe behaviour as being good, they say that the very small number of poor behaviour incidents are quickly addressed by staff.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From typically average starting points, pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Due to the very small numbers of pupils who are assessed at the end of each key stage, comparisons with national averages are not appropriate.
• Improved teaching over the last year ensured that pupils who left the school in 2018 made good progress and were well prepared for their secondary education. This represented good progress from their differing starting points.
• Observations of pupils’ current learning in lessons, along with scrutiny of work in books, show that most pupils are making good progress in a wide range of subjects. For example, pupils make good gains in their scientific enquiry skills and know how to make a reasoned prediction as well as how to make a test fair.
• Pupils identified as having SEND make good progress because of the effective support they receive in class. For example, pupils have very small-step targets, and these are used to tailor work to individual needs.

Early years provision Good

• The effectiveness of the early years has improved so that the quality of teaching and learning is good. Children settle quickly and get off to a good start in their learning because staff are caring and nurturing.
• Adults enjoy good relationships with children and provide a safe and welcoming environment, where children are happy and enjoy their learning. Children enjoy their time in the setting, and new children settle quickly.
• The small number of Nursery-age pupils, who attend the setting part time, have settled quickly. They are happy and benefit from the opportunities to work alongside the Reception-age pupils. Consequently, this improves their speaking and listening and their confidence.
• Children make good progress from starting points that are usually typical for their age. Most children reach a good level of development. The teaching of phonics has improved, so that more children are being successful in the national phonics check in Year 1.
• Interesting topics are planned to engage and motivate pupils. For example, the ‘alien encounter’ and the ‘enchanted forest’ topics have effectively captured children’s interest and imagination.
• Opportunities for children to explore, share and develop good foundations for learning are promoted. A range of activities are planned for children to undertake both with adults and working by themselves. Sometimes, staff do not expect enough of the children when they are completing their activities, particularly the most able.
• Children enjoy learning inside and outside. The learning environment is safe and well looked after. However, the outside area is not used consistently well enough to develop all pupils’ basic skills.

School details

Unique reference number 118028 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10059130 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 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 47 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Anne Sonley Peter Richardson 01377 236267 www.sledmereandwetwangfederation.co.uk sledmere@eastriding.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 January 2015

Information about this school

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching across a range of subjects in all classes. Most of these observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. During visits to classes, the inspector spoke with pupils and looked at their work to find out more about their learning.
• The inspector held meetings with pupils and talked informally with pupils. He observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.
• The inspector met regularly with the headteacher. Meetings took place with the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator and two curriculum leaders.
• The inspector met with a group of governors, including the vice-chair of the governing body, and spoke to the chair of governors on the telephone.
• The inspector met with the local authority school improvement partner for the school.
• A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ evaluation of school performance, school development planning and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning. The inspector also reviewed information relating to safeguarding and risk assessments.
• The inspector met with parents before and after school and took account of 13 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. He spoke to pupils and staff throughout the inspection to gather their views.

Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector