Swinemoor Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the consistency with which the most able pupils reach the high standards of which they are capable and make rapid progress when set against their favourable starting points in mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Further improve the quality of provision and the extent of children’s outcomes in the early years by:

increasing the challenge provided for all children, but especially the most able so that they are suitably stretched and consistently make rapid progress that will allow them to reach the highest levels of attainment of which they are capable

continuing to improve the quality of the outdoor provision so that children have the same good opportunities to develop their writing and language skills that they have indoors.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher’s leadership is inspirational and exceptionally effective. His raison d’être is to empower pupils to recognise and realise their full potential. The vehicles for this journey to excellence are high-quality teaching, an exceptionally effective curriculum and extraordinary levels of care, guidance and support. The school’s walls and classrooms are littered with a plethora of overt and subliminal messages which reinforce many of the school’s core values, such as aiming high, being resilient, curious and open-minded, and that with the right application and support, anything is possible.
• The headteacher is ably supported to achieve the outstanding quality of education the school provides by an exceptional team of senior leaders, teaching and support staff. Clear direction and the development of a collective responsibility and shared ambition among staff and pupils have created a culture of success and belief. This is epitomised by the high expectations of staff and the growing aspirations of pupils that are evident. It is a team effort, and everyone at the school contributes in some way to its effectiveness.
• Regularly visiting classrooms, talking to pupils and robustly reviewing their progress allows leaders to assess what is working well and why. Self-evaluation is accurate and leaders know what they have to do to further improve the school. Candidly evaluating every aspect of the school’s work and the impact they are having on improving it on a termly basis enables leaders to continuously reflect on and refine their improvement strategies. This process helps to mitigate any complacency that could creep in.
• Staff are gifted, highly motivated and feel well supported to do whatever it takes to further improve pupils’ progress, even if it is unconventional. Newly qualified teachers are full of praise for the quality of support and training they receive. This group of staff rightly describe the school as a ‘remarkable’ and ‘inspiring’ place to work. Staff morale is extremely high and they feel proud to be part of such an effective school.
• The school is a happy, inclusive and vibrant place. The results of Ofsted’s and the school’s own surveys are overwhelmingly positive. In the comments they made, parents emphasised repeatedly how staff ‘go the extra mile’ to support pupils. Pupils echo these sentiments and are grateful for everything the school does on their behalf.
• Subject leaders provide timely and effective support for staff to improve their teaching. A series of subject videos on the school’s website are empowering parents to support and reinforce their child’s learning at home by highlighting what is expected of pupils, and modelling precisely how the knowledge, skills or understanding can be acquired.
• Staff appraisal is highly effective, rigorous and well aligned to salary progression. The school’s ‘no excuse’ culture ensures that appraisal targets are clear and precise, and ensure that pupils develop as well-rounded individuals and make outstanding academic progress. Teachers, including those who are newly or recently qualified, benefit from the superb range of professional development opportunities made available to them. Consequently, the impact of teaching over time has continued to improve.
• The curriculum is incredibly rich and diverse. As a result, pupils find it inspiring and thoroughly engaging. Over time, leaders have created a curriculum experience that pupils are compelled to immerse themselves in because it is so captivating. Senior leaders have developed a highly effective and systematic approach to developing pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical understanding. This operates alongside an emphasis on honing pupils’ mastery and ability to apply key skills, knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects such as: music and art; science and technology; French, history and geography; and computing.
• There are many opportunities for pupils to be creative, and to apply their skills and knowledge in a practical way and through extended projects and residential experiences. For example, pupils talked excitedly about their projects on the Stone Age, their local community and Mayan civilisation. The curriculum motivates pupils because they have a real purpose and focus for learning. Tangible and meaningful outcomes at the end of each topic drive and sustain pupils’ motivation.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain because they know the importance of being respectful to other cultures, customs and faiths. Pupils are active in decision making in school through their role on the school council, and can discuss values such as democracy and freedom confidently. They know how to stay safe in school, online and in the community. Alongside the aforementioned, assemblies, visits and visitors all help to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. Pupils show benevolence by raising funds for charity and singing for local residents.
• Pupil premium funding has been used extremely well to give the targeted pupils extra experiences and support designed to raise their achievement and attendance and to enhance their social and emotional development. Their attendance is high and the progress that disadvantaged pupils are making in the school is exceptional. Disadvantaged pupils’ achievement now compares very favourably with that of other pupils. Funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is also extremely well used and leads to them making outstanding progress in relation to their starting points.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in a range of competitive sport and leisure activities. These include less traditional pursuits such as orienteering. The provision encourages pupils to adopt healthy lifestyles. Specialist coaches provide good-quality teaching for pupils and training for staff to improve their teaching of PE.
• The school’s sphere of influence is widening. Owing to the headteacher’s vision, passion, determination and dedication, the school has become a beacon of excellence within and beyond the local area. The headteacher is regularly commissioned to support the raising of standards in other schools, which he has done successfully.
• The school has needed little external support. However, regular reviews of the school’s performance have provided objective validation of the school’s effectiveness. The local authority has also moderated pupils’ writing, supported the development of modern foreign languages in the school and offered some training for middle leaders.

Governance of the school

• Collectively, governors have the necessary skills to strategically support, monitor and assess the effectiveness of school leadership, and how well the school is performing.
• Governors are assiduous in carrying out their duties, ensuring that statutory requirements are met and that the school is financially solvent. Their expertise enables them to strike just the right balance between being supportive and providing suitable challenge.
• Governors know the school well and talk authoritatively and perceptively about the school’s performance in key areas, such as the impact of additional funding, the achievement of different groups of pupils and the effectiveness of the curriculum.
• While the governors receive accurate and regular updates and reports from the headteacher, they triangulate the authenticity of these with their own intelligence gained through staff presentations to governors and the outcomes of external reviews.
• Governors have taken advantage of training and development opportunities which have given them enhanced confidence and competence to undertake their demanding roles.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a palpable ethos of vigilance when it comes to keeping pupils safe that permeates the school. Staff know that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and fully understand the key messages from the Department for Education’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (September 2016) guidance. All staff had to complete a questionnaire to test their understanding of the new guidance. Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. Parents echo these sentiments and are confident that the school keeps their children safe.
• Detailed checks are made on newly appointed staff, including volunteers, before they start work in the school. The record of these checks is up to date and well maintained. Accident and incident logs are up to date and used effectively to identify potential risks.
• Leaders are proactive and work closely with a range of external agencies such as social care and healthcare to help to assure pupils’ safety and care.
• The designated safeguarding leader provides regular and effective updates for staff throughout the year. As a result, all staff in school, including kitchen and reception staff, know to whom they should report any suspicions or concerns they have. Staff have valued the training in the ‘Prevent’ duty they have received and report that they are now better equipped to spot the potential signs of radicalisation and extremism. They are also clear about what constitutes a safeguarding concern and what actions are necessary. Newly appointed staff are very well inducted into the school’s safeguarding procedures.
• Throughout the year, leaders make very effective use of assemblies, dedicated sessions and films on the website to reinforce key messages to help pupils stay safe. E-safety is a high priority and pupils recognise the dangers of online messaging.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• It is crystal clear from inspectors’ observations of pupils’ learning, scrutiny of pupils’ work and assessment information, and discussions with pupils about their knowledge, understanding and skills, that the effect of teaching and assessment on pupils’ learning in reading, writing and mathematics and a range of other subjects is outstanding. This is the case for all pupils, including those who need extra help and support to catch up.
• The incredible rates of progress that pupils currently in the school are making is testament to leaders’ management and a dedicated and immensely talented team of teachers and support staff. Their effectiveness has been further enhanced by the high-quality training, mentoring and coaching they have had, which have increased their confidence and competence, and the consistency with which they deliver exceptional teaching.
• Expectations of what pupils can achieve are sky high. Teaching in the school caters extremely well for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, pupils are highly engaged in their learning, duly challenged, and have high aspirations for the future.
• Questioning is used very effectively to evaluate pupils’ deeper understanding. Pupils enjoy being tested and relish the progressively challenging activities staff provide. These help pupils to consolidate and master key knowledge, skills and understanding across a wide range of subjects. It also enhances their explanation and research skills.
• Superb teaching has resulted in pupils’ reading comprehension, accuracy, confidence and fluency improving considerably over time. Pupils read up to three times a day and scrutiny of their reading records show that they read widely and often for pleasure.
• The teaching of literacy is excellent and pupils’ punctuation, grammar, writing and spelling are impressive. This is a result of the school’s systematic approach and the many opportunities pupils get to practise, extend and apply their writing skills.
• The school is blessed with some highly skilled support staff who make a very effective contribution to pupils’ learning and progress. They are proactive and achieve the right balance between helping pupils and spoon-feeding them.
• Teachers meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils exceptionally well. This has enabled this group of pupils to make sustained and very impressive progress in many subjects.
• The teaching and support that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive are extraordinarily effective and these pupils are thriving as a result.
• The assessment system allows teachers to assess the extent of pupils’ progress and identify and intervene to support any pupils who are not making the accelerated progress needed to meet their challenging targets. Marking and feedback give pupils a helpful steer on how well they are doing and what they can do to improve further.
• The teaching of mathematics is very effective in the main and pupils are highly skilled in applying their reasoning skills when solving more complex mathematical problems. However, staff accept that the most able pupils do not always reach the highest standards and would benefit from being challenged and stretched even further.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The school environment oozes vibrancy and stimulation. In every classroom, corridor and corner of the school, there are jaw-dropping examples of pupils’ creativity and learning. These include exceptional art exhibits and superb exemplars of subject work of the highest order. These capture pupils’ imaginations and demonstrate to them that outstanding achievements are within their grasp if they commit to trying their best. Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities and take them very seriously, as for example as school councillors, when older pupils mentor younger pupils, and during lessons when most-able pupils confidently support the learning of their peers.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and is very effectively promoted by the core and extended curriculum, assemblies, visits and visitors. Pupils are confident, socially responsible, culturally and ethically informed, and reflective. They show great empathy towards people less fortunate than themselves.
• Pupils show these qualities when: raising funds for charity; discussing democracy with elected dignitaries; debating moral and ethical issues in lessons; making and editing films; and when offering services to the local community. They are also evident when pupils perform in music, drama and sport, and craft exceptional artwork. Pupils illustrated their patriotism by undertaking an art project to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.
• There is a wide range of trips, visits and visitors that enrich pupils’ learning. Years 5 and 6 enjoyed the trip to Wilberforce House to support their study of the abolition of slavery. Years 3 and 4 were equally thrilled by their visit to the Hull Gurdwara to study how different people worship. Foundation and Year 1 pupils loved the superhero day, where they designed and made a range of themed products. This is supplemented by a very wide range of sport, aesthetic, leisure and academic clubs, which pupils enjoy attending.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils are polite, considerate and respectful. They have excellent attitudes to learning and the self-discipline to manage their behaviour well. Incidents are rare and behaviour in classrooms and at social times is impeccable. Pupils feel safe in the school. They know whom to turn to if issues arise and are confident that any problems will be resolved.
• Staff have high expectations of behaviour and apply the school’s policy consistently. The focus is on making great behaviour the norm and pupils compete to see who can behave the best. School records confirm that behaviour has been first rate over time.
• Pupils are rightly proud of the school and have very positive relationships with each other and staff. This was illustrated by the unconditional way in which a group of recently arrived Syrian refugees were welcomed and integrated into pupils’ play at social times. Pupils are a real credit to themselves, their parents and their school.
• Pupils are self-motivated and focused. Many take advantage of the breakfast club, which includes the opportunity to reinforce their literacy and numeracy skills.
• The school is a harmonious and happy place to be because staff have cultivated an ethos of mutual respect and tolerance that permeates the building. Pupils are well mannered and welcoming to visitors. They are a pleasure to be with.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the various forms of bullying and are adamant that it is rare and that when it occurs, staff deal with it quickly and effectively. There have been no exclusions in recent memory.
• Pupils’ attendance is higher than the national average and the proportion of pupils that are persistently absent is below average.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Outcomes for pupils are outstanding because since the previous inspection, there has been substantial and sustained improvement in all pupils’ outcomes. This is reflected in official data, the school’s own tracking information, which inspectors deem credible and reliable, and the evidence inspectors collected and evaluated during the inspection.
• All groups, including disadvantaged pupils, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and the most able, make outstanding progress from their starting points in a wide range of subjects. As a result, pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education. It is a seven-year journey to excellence. Learning in each year builds on the previous one and contributes greatly to the outstanding outcomes that pupils achieve by the end of Year 6. The impact of the school’s work intensifies the longer pupils are subject to it.
• Pupils’ achievements in the Year 1 phonics screening check are consistently above the national average. This represents tremendous progress given their starting points and is a result of the superb transition arrangements from Reception into Year 1 and the strong, systematic and consistently high-quality teaching of phonics.
• In 2016, by the end of Year 2, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected attainment for their age was well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils who reached standards of a greater depth also outshone national averages. This represents strong progress from their starting points.
• In 2016, pupils’ progress by the end of Year 6 was significantly above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics and placed them in the top 10% of all schools nationally. The proportion of pupils who reached standards of a greater depth in reading and writing exceeded national averages. The ‘fly in the ointment’ was the most able pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics, which were not consistently strong.
• During key stages 1 and 2, disadvantaged pupils make outstanding progress, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. Differences between them and how other pupils have progressed continue to diminish. Invariably, disadvantaged pupils’ progress and attainment compare very favourably with the progress of other pupils nationally.
• In-school information, together with inspection evidence, show strong and sustained progress throughout the school. In all year groups, the very large majority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making accelerated progress across subjects.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are also making excellent progress based on their starting points. This is due to the highly effective work of the special educational needs coordinator and other staff. For example, the specialist daily group sessions, one-to-one intervention and excellent support arrangements have significantly enhanced the confidence and achievement of these pupils.
• Most-able pupils achieve exceptionally well overall and work in their books demonstrates that generally teachers challenge and stretch them extremely well. Leaders accept that the proportion of most-able pupils reaching the highest standards in mathematics needs to improve further when set against their favourable starting points.

Early years provision Good

• The effectiveness of the early years provision is good and improving. Most children enter the early years with knowledge, language and skills below those typical for their age. They settle quickly and flourish in the well-organised, vibrant and caring Reception class. By the time children leave the early years, their skills, language and dispositions have improved considerably in each of the areas of learning. This represents good progress from their starting points.
• Outcomes are good. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has risen sharply over time, from well below, to in line with, the national average. This is true for all groups of children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children. As a result, children make a good start to their education and they are well prepared to make a successful transition into Year 1.
• In the three years she has been in post, the leader of the early years has implemented a series of effective strategies that have transformed the effectiveness and quality of the provision. She has helped to ensure that children make accelerated and sustained progress. Her positive impact since the previous inspection demonstrates her capacity to secure further improvements. She is supported by an able and committed staff team whose members share a common purpose to enable the children to realise their potential.
• The quality of provision is good. Staff have a detailed understanding of each child and use this to plan their learning appropriately. Staff are responsive to children’s needs, showing a high level of care and consideration that helps children to feel secure. Behaviour is good. Children concentrate for sustained periods and work independently, in pairs and in groups without issue. Disruption is rare and well managed by staff when it occurs. The impact of teaching is good and children respond very positively to the energetic and interactive approach that staff adopt. They also relish progressively challenging activities and persevere when the solution is not immediately apparent.
• Children love learning and flourish. This is shown by their good personal development and their happy and confident dispositions. Heavy investment in equipment, resources and staffing since the previous inspection, with a focus on threading phonics, numeracy and other subjects across the curriculum, has improved the provision’s effectiveness.
• The exciting, diverse and skilfully planned indoor areas which cater for the stipulated areas of learning entice children to be creative, problem solve, design and construct, read, write and speak, share, make decisions and concentrate, all of which they do eagerly. The early years leader accepts that despite some key improvements to the outdoor provision, further development is necessary to ensure that it offers children the same good opportunities to develop their writing and language skills that they have indoors.
• Staff have built very positive relationships with parents, who are encouraged to support their child’s learning in school and at home.
• Additional funding is used well to promote the accelerated development of the targeted children’s communication, language and literacy skills to enable them to catch up. The next step for staff is to increase the challenge offered to all children but especially the most able so that they are stretched and consistently make the fast progress that will allow them to reach the highest levels of attainment of which they are capable.
• Child protection and safeguarding arrangements are secure and there are no breaches in welfare arrangements. Children are kept safe and know how to stay safe.
• The effective development of children in the early years is an integral part of the outstanding success that pupils go on to achieve by the end of Year 6 and should not be underestimated. The unit is on its way to being outstanding but is not quite there yet.

School details

Unique reference number 132209 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10019321 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 Community Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 239 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Simpson Headteacher Leon Myers Telephone number 01482 869247 Website www.swinemoorprimary.org.uk Email address swinemoor.primary@eastriding.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 28–29 November 2011

Information about this school

• Swinemoor Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. The remaining small numbers of pupils originate from a range of minority ethnic heritages. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is also above average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.
• The school runs a breakfast club and provides a multitude of lunchtime activities and enrichment opportunities.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors gathered a wide range of evidence during the inspection, including through observing teaching in every class in the school twice. The large majority of these observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read, saw staff delivering sessions to develop the literacy and numeracy skills of targeted pupils and scrutinised the work in pupils’ books both alongside school leaders and independently.
• Inspectors attended a whole-school assembly, observed the school’s breakfast club and visited the school’s daily specialist provision for targeted pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes and at lunchtime.
• Inspectors talked informally to pupils in lessons and around the school and held formal meetings with pupils from across key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and class teachers. Inspectors also met with three members of the governing body, the school’s special educational needs coordinator and the principal improvement adviser from the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s evaluation of its performance, school improvement planning, documents monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and learning, minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s policies and documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, assessment procedures and curriculum arrangements.
• Inspectors observed and spoke to two newly qualified teachers about their experiences and assessed the quality of support and professional development put in place for them by the school.
• Inspectors took into account the views of parents at the start of the day, in addition to 26 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 40 responses to the school’s own parent survey.
• Inspectors took into account the 17 written responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. A technical issue meant that there were no recorded responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

John Young Smith, lead inspector Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector Adrian Fearn Ofsted Inspector Darren Marks Ofsted Inspector