Snaith Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to further develop the quality of teaching in mathematics so that achievement is as strong as it is in reading and writing.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The ambition, drive and enthusiasm shown by the acting headteacher, and other leaders, is inspirational. All staff and governors work collectively to continually improve outcomes for pupils. A culture of teamwork permeates the entire school and is evident in the way staff, pupils and governors all contribute to the school’s success.
• The acting headteacher knows the school exceptionally well. Her clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas which need to be even better are accurately reflected in the school’s improvement plan. A team of well-established leaders, who have clear roles and responsibilities, is highly effective in supporting the acting headteacher in realising the vision for the school.
• Leaders prioritise high-quality professional development for all staff. Coupled with a strong focus on the quality of teaching and learning, this results in staff being very reflective about their practice. New staff are supported well and teaching assistants are trained to a high standard. This means they are a well-respected part of the workforce with considerable skills which are used to good effect to support learning.
• Leaders create a culture where staff feel empowered to try new approaches and take a lead across the school, continually supporting each other and sharing what works. This means that teaching, learning and assessment are continually improving.
• School leaders use the additional funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. Each of these pupils has a programme to support their individual needs which ensures that they are making strong progress.
• Leaders ensure that the pupil premium funding is used well to provide additional support for disadvantaged pupils. Careful tracking means that support is tailored to meet specific and individual needs of pupils. Over time, the difference in attainment for these pupils compared to other pupils nationally is diminishing.
• The local authority provides support and challenge for the acting headteacher, who eagerly responds to the feedback offered.
• Collaboration with local schools and partnership with a local teaching school alliance is sharpening leaders’ skills and creating further leadership capacity as a result. Being outward facing as an organisation and training others has also been instrumental in ensuring that staff are always reflecting on their teaching and sharing good practice with others.
• The curriculum entices pupils to learn and offers creative and purposeful learning experiences. Productive links are made across a wide range of subjects to make learning meaningful and fun. This contributes to the strong progress pupils make across the curriculum. Pupils show a thirst for knowledge and thrive as a result of the wide range of extra-curricular activities such as archery, golf and blog club. These experiences enhance pupils’ education and encourage them to develop new interests.
• Pupils welcome the opportunity to study other faiths and cultures and are articulate in sharing their understanding of British values such as tolerance and respect. Broad curriculum experiences, including a wide range of visits, contribute well to pupils’ high levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.
• Leaders use the primary school physical education (PE) and sports funding effectively to offer a wider range of sporting opportunities and events with increased participation.
• Pupils’ learning is celebrated in the high-quality displays seen throughout the school and the termly topic books which pupils and parents treasure. Families and the wider-school community also enjoy sharing in the celebration of pupils’ achievements at events such as the eagerly anticipated musical productions every two years. An event to celebrate World Book Day with parents took place during the inspection. Parents value being involved in their children’s learning and events are well attended.

Governance of the school

• The governors provide exceptional challenge and support and are determined in their desire to ensure that the school keeps improving. They are very involved in the life of the school and take regular opportunities to make visits and participate in events. This contributes to their very secure understanding of the school’s effectiveness, as they are able to see for themselves the impact of improvements being made.
• Governors and staff come together at the beginning of each year to celebrate their achievements and look at the next steps in the school’s development. This creates a collective responsibility for school improvement, which successfully binds the whole-school community together. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of their combined contributions.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors have put rigorous systems in place for safeguarding pupils. These are understood and carried out diligently by staff. Regular training supports staff in being alert to the possible warning signs of abuse that pupils may present. Staff report concerns promptly and the designated safeguarding leader acts swiftly.
• Leaders have ensured that keeping pupils safe is threaded through all aspects of the school’s work. The very strong culture of safeguarding that is evident in the school ensures that pupils feel safe and secure and are in a very good position to learn.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• The impact of teaching on pupils’ learning over time is outstanding. As a result, pupils make excellent progress.
• Teachers acknowledge that this school is an inspirational place to work. This contributes to the passion and enthusiasm they bring to planning interesting lessons which stimulate pupils’ learning very well.
• Leaders encourage innovation and creativity and give teachers autonomy in designing the curriculum so it is purposeful for learners. For example, in mathematics, pupils applied their weighing skills to a baking task. As a result of the learning experiences pupils receive, they respond with real enthusiasm and develop a fascination for learning.
• Pupils take great pride in their learning and produce work of a very high standard. Pupils who showed inspectors their workbooks talked with excitement about their learning and the progress they are making.
• Homework tasks give pupils an opportunity to share their learning with parents. The whole-school `magic’ theme led to a homework competition to write a magic book. Pupils shared their books with pride and the finished products were of an exceptional standard.
• Teachers make sure that lessons build on pupils’ prior knowledge. They skilfully provide appropriate challenge, probe with questions to deepen pupils’ thinking and quickly address any misconceptions. Staff make regular checks on pupils’ learning and use this to plan activities which precisely match the needs of individuals. This makes sure that all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able, make rapid progress.
• Teachers and teaching assistants work very closely together to ensure that pupils make the best possible progress from their starting points. Like teachers, the teaching assistants are well trained and contribute significantly to pupils’ progress. In particular, their work with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective in developing the pupils’ independence and enabling them to access learning with their peers.
• Leaders are rightly focusing on further improving the teaching of reasoning in mathematics in response to the raised expectations of the new national curriculum. This is supporting pupils in developing a deeper understanding of the mathematical concepts they are taught. Leaders know that there is still more to do, however, to ensure that pupils do as well in mathematics as they do in reading and writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• A commitment by leaders to support the development of each pupil as a rounded individual begins when children start school. Nurturing staff, who go the extra mile, make sure that all pupils receive the emotional support they need to be happy and safe and, therefore, in a position to achieve well academically. Consequently, pupils say that the adults in school take great care of them and make them feel safe. Pupils become adept at expressing their emotions and this helps them to effectively manage any disagreements which very occasionally occur.
• Pupils have a very good understanding of safety. For example, in science, pupils explained why they needed to wear goggles and protective clothing to carry out their experiment. A group of pupils, known as the `safety squad’, communicate safety messages through assemblies. As a result of safety being an integral part of the curriculum, pupils have a well-developed awareness of risk and how to manage it.
• Bullying is extremely rare and pupils are confident that adults in school will help them if they have any concerns. Parents are also very appreciative of the school’s work to promote pupils’ well-being and positive attitudes to learning.
• Pupils appreciate the thoroughly enjoyable lessons that teachers prepare for them. They take part in their learning with enthusiasm and demonstrate positive attitudes and a desire to succeed.
• Pupils are incredibly proud of their school and enjoy contributing to the whole-school community. They actively seek the opportunity to take on responsibilities in school. For example, as ‘shine leaders’, positive playground agents and school council representatives. Pupils have a strong voice enabling them to shape and influence systems and routines. Pupils were eager to share how they had created a system allowing pupils to praise and reward each other and how they devised and led their own clubs for others to attend.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Leaders and teachers set very high expectations, which pupils clearly understand and strive to meet with determination. Older pupils model the same high expectations of behaviour as they carry out their roles as `shine leaders’ at lunchtime and during transition times. Pupils respond by behaving impeccably, demonstrating self-discipline as they move around school, including at less structured times of the day.
• Pupils are courteous and considerate of others and play happily together at social times. Consequently, pupils say there are very few incidents of poor behaviour and records confirm this.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. This results in pupils showing extremely respectful behaviour to staff, visitors and each other.
• Attendance is well above the national average and the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent is below the national average. Pupils are keen to be at school because they enjoy learning and value the education they receive. Leaders carefully track attendance and have built good relationships with families. This means that strategies to improve attendance are proving successful for the small proportion of pupils who are more frequently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils have achieved very well in all key stages and subjects over time and are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education. Outcomes have continued to improve since the previous inspection. Current pupils are making rapid progress across almost all subjects as a result of leaders’ actions to unceasingly improve the quality of teaching.
• In 2016 at the end of key stage 2, pupils made progress which was significantly above the national average in reading and writing. Attainment at both the expected standard and beyond was also above the national average. Progress in mathematics was broadly in line with the national average and attainment was just below. Leaders have been quick to respond to take action to speed up pupils’ progress in mathematics to the same rapid rate as in reading and writing. A focus on teaching mathematical reasoning is paying off. The rate of progress in mathematics, though not as strong as in reading and writing, is quickening.
• In 2016, disadvantaged pupils made progress in line with other pupils nationally. Over time, the difference between their attainment and that of other pupils nationally is diminishing. Disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are making strong progress.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been consistently above average and continues to improve. From almost every starting point, pupils’ progress through key stage 1 in 2016 was high compared with national figures in reading, writing and mathematics. Outcomes in phonics are improving. The percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard by the end of Year 1 and 2 was above the national average in 2016.
• As a result of the high expectations from leaders and teachers, all pupils, including the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive a high level of challenge. As a result, they make very good gains in their learning. Staff provide personalised and highly skilled support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities in lessons to enable them to reach their next learning steps.
• The curriculum for reading and the high quality of texts which are selected mean that pupils are eager to read and develop a love of reading which they are keen to share and discuss. This contributes significantly to the particularly high standards pupils achieve in reading.
• Pupils talk with pride and enthusiasm about their learning, demonstrating very good knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. Their presentation books for each termly topic are exemplary and are a showcase for the high quality of cross-curricular work which takes place across school.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years provision is led and managed well by a knowledgeable leader who constantly strives to ensure that children make the best possible start to their education. As a result, children make excellent progress over time and are effectively prepared, both academically and emotionally, for key stage 1.
• Children enter Nursery with broadly typical starting points and an increasing proportion reach a good level of development by the end of Reception each year. Outcomes are improving over time and have been above the national average for the last two years. Children’s progress is particularly strong in communication and language and in their personal, social and emotional development.
• Assessment is thorough and informs planning so that staff prepare appropriately challenging tasks for children that are highly responsive to their individual needs. Staff are very quick to identify any gaps in learning and extremely effective support is put in place to help children quickly catch up.
• Adults lead learning in a skilful way. For example, using challenging, open-ended questioning to stimulate discussion and to encourage children to have ideas and share them. This supports children’s successful communication and language development.
• All staff have very high expectations and this is evident in the thoughtful and well-planned provision, both indoors and outdoors. Relevant and exciting learning activities grab the children’s interest and enthusiasm. As a result, children are fascinated by learning and show high levels of concentration and independence.
• Teachers and teaching assistants are caring and respond to the children very well, making sure they feel safe and secure. There are rigorous systems in place for safeguarding children and staff are vigilant in ensuring that children’s personal needs are met. Children are making a good start in knowing how to keep safe and healthy. For example, they demonstrate an awareness of hygiene and healthy eating.
• Relationships between staff and children are very strong across the setting. Children respond positively to adults as they know what is expected of them and they are eager to please. Behaviour is exemplary.
• Links with parents are productive and effective in supporting children’s learning and development. Children settle easily and parents are very satisfied that their children are safe, well looked after and are making excellent progress.

School details

Unique reference number 117894 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10000922 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 350 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Dr Jennifer Mabbott Helen Calpin (acting headteacher) Telephone number 01405 860452 Website Email address www.snaithprimary.org.uk snaith.head.primary@eastriding.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 April 2012

Information about this school

• In September 2016, the deputy headteacher became the acting headteacher and the mathematics leader became the acting deputy headteacher.
• The school is a strategic partner for the Riding Forward Teaching School Alliance. One of the school leaders is a specialist leader of education for gifted and talented and the more able.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is larger than average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is below the national average.
• The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have additional support to meet their special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school runs a morning club and an after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching in every class. Some observations were undertaken jointly with the leaders. Inspectors observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to pupils read. They talked to pupils about their school and evaluated the quality of work in a sample of pupils’ books. A group of pupils conducted a tour of the school for an inspector to demonstrate the curriculum that pupils receive. An inspector visited the morning club before the start of the school day.
• Inspectors held meetings with the acting headteacher and other leaders, a representative from the local authority and eight representatives from the governing body. Inspectors also discussed the school’s work with the early years leader and the leaders of English and mathematics. Discussions took place with teachers, including those who are newly or recently qualified, about the support and development they receive.
• A range of documentation was considered including the school’s self-evaluation; records of the monitoring of teaching and learning; the school improvement plan; the school’s performance data; information on the progress of particular pupil groups; information relating to attendance and behaviour of pupils; safeguarding and child protection records; and minutes from governing body meetings. Documents outlining the arrangements for the use of pupil premium and the PE and sport funding were also considered.
• Inspectors spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day in order to seek their views about the school. Inspectors took account of the 55 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Twenty-six responses to the staff questionnaire and 18 responses to the pupil questionnaire were also taken into account.

Inspection team

Kirsty Godfrey, lead inspector Susan Twaits Victoria Johnson Tracy Millard

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector