Danby Church of England Voluntary Controlled School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the consistency and quality of teaching in key stage 2, so that pupils make good progress, especially in writing and mathematics, by ensuring that: teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve in all subjects, especially of the most able pupils work in mathematics is challenging and provides pupils with more opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills pupils are provided with frequent opportunities to apply their reading and writing skills in a range of interesting contexts and across a range of subjects teachers insist on high standards of presentation in pupils’ written work pupils’ progress is effectively tracked, so that any gaps in learning are swiftly identified and support is provided to help pupils to catch up quickly.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management, including governance, by: making sure that inconsistencies in classroom practice are swiftly identified through rigorous checks on the quality of teaching establishing an effective system for leaders to inform governors how well different groups of pupils are doing from their previous starting points, especially the most able pupils developing subject leadership so that the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievements are checked rigorously in all subjects implementing recommendations from the ongoing review of governance.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Turbulence in leadership, teaching and governance since the previous inspection has hampered efforts to bring about school improvement. Leaders have not fully addressed the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. For example, opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills when completing work across the various subjects or topics remain limited. Weaknesses in teaching over time have led to pupils’ slower progress in key stage 2 and, as a result, the school’s effectiveness is no longer good.
• The new headteacher, ably supported by the consultant headteacher, has quickly established new systems and introduced new policies in order to reverse this decline. She has now stabilised teaching arrangements in key stage 2 and successfully introduced more effective procedures to manage the performance of staff so that the quality of teaching improves. School leaders, including governors, now have a more secure and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and know what needs to be done to improve the school. Parents’ confidence in the school has also strengthened.
• Staff are eager to develop their teaching practice to support school improvement, and a firm focus is now placed on providing staff with personalised professional development as well as whole-school training. The impact of this already reflects clearly in the improved outcomes for children currently in early years and in key stage 1. However, the good teaching practices evident in these key stages are still not seen consistently in key stage 2.
• Arrangements to check on the quality of teaching and to evaluate the impact of teaching on learning are not yet effective. For example, although leaders review the quality of teaching by looking at the work in pupils’ books, this does not always identify inconsistencies in classroom practice. Similarly, leaders collect accurate data to track pupils’ progress over a school year, but have not firmly established an effective system to identify quickly whether pupils are doing well enough over time from their previous starting points, especially the most able pupils. Consequently, school leaders do not have a fully accurate picture to support their evaluations of teaching and learning.
• The role of some subject leaders is still developing. The subject leader in mathematics is involved in checking the effectiveness of teaching, how school priorities are followed up in the classroom and how well pupils are doing. However, in other subjects, the quality of teaching and learning is not checked rigorously enough. As a result, leaders do not have a comprehensive picture of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching across all subjects.
• Funding to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is used well. The headteacher leads this provision effectively, ensuring that pupils’ needs are identified early and that provision matches their needs. These pupils make strong progress from their starting points.
• Although there are currently no disadvantaged pupils in the school, leaders and governors maintain a focus on planning provision should the need arise.
• The curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to explore key ideas, apply basic skills in different contexts and build up a wider understanding of the world. A range of curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities, including homework, enthuses pupils, especially in early years and in key stage 1. In physical education (PE), provision is strong and pupils excel. Pupils have won local and regional awards in football, cricket, long-distance running and gymnastics. Leaders ensure that the primary PE and sport premium funding is used effectively. However, leaders are yet to ensure that the curriculum taught in other subjects, such as modern foreign language and history, is covered in enough depth to enable pupils to reach the higher standards.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively. Local, national and international events inform discussions. Pupils reflect on what constitutes British values and talk knowledgeably about their duties as effective citizens in the local community.
• The headteacher upholds a strong commitment to pupils’ personal development and well-being. One parent commented that the school was ‘beginning to re-find its soul’. Most parents acknowledge that recent changes in school leadership are making a difference. They are enthusiastic about the direction of travel set by the new headteacher.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has had a high turnover of personnel over the last 12 months. This has added to the instability in the school’s leadership. Supported effectively by the local authority and diocese, governors have taken decisive action to strengthen the school’s capacity to improve. A skilled and enthusiastic set of new governors has been appointed to help move the school forward. Governors recognise their own development needs and a review of their effectiveness is under way.
• Governors are highly committed to the school and have a detailed knowledge of day-to-day school life. They now receive regular updates from the headteacher, which keeps them well informed about the actions taking place to improve the school. They visit school to check that what is reported is accurate. However, the information they receive does not always provide a clear view about the progress of some groups of pupils, such as the most able pupils. This limits their ability to effectively evaluate the impact of leaders’ work.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Securing a well-defined culture of safeguarding across the school has been a priority for the school’s new leaders. This has included a full review of policies, procedures and paperwork. Training for staff ensures that they have a clear understanding of what to do, and what to be aware of, so that children are kept safe. The designated governor keeps an increasingly watchful eye on the arrangements to ensure the safety of children and adults.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Over time, the quality of teaching in key stage 2 has been variable. This has resulted in pupils not making good enough progress across a wide range of subjects. Although teaching is improving, it is not yet consistently good over time.
• In key stage 2, expectations of what pupils can achieve across the subjects are too low. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils. Too few reach the higher standards of which they are capable. Systems to track the progress of groups of pupils, such as the most able, from their starting points are not yet fully established. As a result, gaps in learning are not identified swiftly enough.
• The teaching of mathematics is variable. In key stage 1, teaching ensures that pupils regularly use and apply their basic mathematical skills to solve problems and apply reasoning. However, these good teaching practices are not consistently evident in key stage 2. Although teachers establish secure basic number facts and knowledge, they do not ensure that these skills are applied to a greater depth. This prevents pupils from making consistently good progress and reaching the higher standards by the end of Year 6.
• In writing, pupils in key stage 1 are provided with frequent opportunities to apply their writing skills in a range of interesting contexts and across a range of subjects. However, this approach is more sporadic in key stage 2. Pupils’ standards of presentation of their written work do not always do justice to the content. Opportunities for pupils to write at length in a wide range of subjects are overlooked.
• Effective teaching of phonics helps pupils to develop better reading skills and to tackle texts that are more difficult. Pupils apply their phonic knowledge consistently in their writing. As a result, pupils write with confidence, attempting to spell difficult words. Although the teaching of reading is improving in key stage 2, pupils’ progress is still not consistently good. Pupils are not provided with the opportunities they need to read across a wide range of subjects and contexts.
• Teachers anchor their planned learning on a good understanding of their pupils’ interests and positive relationships. Increasingly, teachers provide engaging and interesting learning opportunities. As a result, pupils have a positive attitude to their learning, enjoy school and behave well. They settle quickly in lessons and apply themselves well to the task in hand.
• Other adults support pupils’ learning well, especially in early years and key stage 1, helping pupils to understand tasks and explore key concepts. They offer effective support to help pupils catch up when they have fallen behind and to enable pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities to achieve well.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Staff, including the headteacher, know the pupils and their families well. Considerate and positive relationships ensure that pupils are confident in sharing their concerns with any adult and they trust they will be handled accordingly.
• Pupils say they feel safe in school. The responsive curriculum ensures that pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. It reflects emerging issues in the community and the wider world. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when on the internet.
• Mostly, pupils take pride in the quality and presentation of their work. However, sometimes, pupils do not present their written work to a high enough standard.
• Pupils discuss and value each other’s differences and similarities. Staff instil the school ethos in ensuring that pupils value the uniqueness of individuals. Diversity in modern-day Britain is recognised and valued in displays around the school, and in planned activities and work in pupils’ books, especially in key stage 1.
• Pupils are aware of healthy lifestyles and healthy choices. They have an increasingly secure understanding of how to recognise healthy relationships and how to avoid those that may be detrimental.
• Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and who spoke with the inspector have confidence that their children are happy and are kept safe by the school. The vast majority of parents believe that any worries they may have are taken seriously, addressed quickly and resolved fairly by staff.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils, including children in early years, conduct themselves well, showing consideration for others. They are polite and courteous and have a good understanding of what is expected of them.
• Most pupils concentrate and apply themselves well and have good attitudes to their work.
• Pupils play well together at playtimes. They respond to directions from adults and arrive in lessons ready to participate. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils remember to take their turn when speaking and listening to each other.
• Pupils have a secure understanding of what constitutes bullying in most of its forms and have little tolerance for derogatory language. Pupils say that bullying is rare and the vast majority believe it is dealt with fairly. The majority of parents share this view.
• Attendance overall is improving and is above that seen nationally. Very few pupils are persistently absent from school.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The very small number of pupils in each year group makes comparisons with national data showing pupils’ attainment and progress very difficult and unreliable. Pupils’ attainment, for example, can fluctuate considerably from year to year, reflecting pupils’ widely varying previous starting points. Nevertheless, pupils in key stage 2 do not make good progress from their starting points, especially in writing and mathematics. Past turbulence in teaching has resulted in gaps in pupils’ learning in these, and other curriculum subjects.
• Recent improvements to teaching in key stage 2 have started to address the gaps in pupils’ learning. Pupils’ progress is beginning to improve as a result. However, it is still not consistently good.
• By the end of Year 6, too few pupils reach levels of attainment that are beyond those expected, especially in writing and mathematics. Pupils, particularly the most able, do not reach their full potential because expectations of what they can achieve in key stage 2 are too low.
• Achievement in writing in key stage 2 requires improvement. Some pupils do not take enough pride or care in the presentation of their written work. Opportunities for pupils to use and apply their writing skills on lengthier pieces of work are too limited.
• In mathematics, pupils’ achievement through key stage 2 is hampered because of low expectations of what pupils can achieve. Too often, work lacks challenge. While pupils develop secure basic number skills, they are given too little challenge to push them to the higher standards. Opportunities for pupils to use and apply their problem-solving and reasoning skills are overlooked.
• After a good start to learning in early years, pupils in key stage 1 continue to make good progress from their various starting points across a wide range of subjects. Typically, pupils reach the standards expected by the end of Year 2. Pupils are also increasingly challenged effectively to reach standards of greater depth.
• Pupils achieve well in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Effective teaching of phonics for younger pupils helps them to make good progress in reading, and in writing.
• Older pupils enjoy reading. They discuss their passion for books and authors knowledgeably. They recommend books to each other and provide astute reviews for their preferences. While achievement in reading in key stage 2 is improving, it is not yet consistently good. Pupils sometimes lack confidence and fluency when reading out loud and do not always use punctuation well to enhance their delivery. Opportunities for pupils to read across a wide range of subjects and contexts are also missed.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities have their needs accurately identified and met through effective programmes of support. They make good progress from their starting points in all key stages.

Early years provision Good

• Children make a flying start to their education at Danby. They begin in the Reception class with a mixture of abilities, attitudes and skills. They have a variety of pre-school experiences. Staff use their knowledge of children’s interests and motivations to provide appropriate and engaging learning opportunities so that children make good progress from their starting points.
• Adults ensure that provision is stimulating and exciting and takes account of children’s needs, and that children access all areas of learning. The use of accurate day-to-day assessments informs teachers’ planning and ensures that next steps in learning are clearly identified.
• Effective teaching ensures that children develop the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics well. Phonics skills are taught effectively and accurately to support children in mastering reading and writing.
• Children’s emotional needs are identified and supported effectively. However, some opportunities to ensure that children listen attentively to each other and respond accordingly are missed.
• Children apply their skills in their reading, writing and mathematics in a variety of interesting and engaging contexts. Adults ask effective questions to make children think hard about what they are doing and learning.
• Children are well behaved and establish good relationships with adults and other children. They learn in an environment of respect, with high expectations of behaviour that promote and support effective learning.
• Arrangements for ensuring that children are safe are effective. Adults access required training and ensure that children stay safe. Consequently, welfare and safeguarding requirements are met.
• Parents have a regular dialogue with staff and contribute to the assessments of what children can and cannot do.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121486 North Yorkshire 10047628 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 Voluntary controlled 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 35 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address John Pinkney Elisabeth Orland 01287 660345 www.danby.n-yorks.sch.uk admin@danby.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 October 2014

Information about this school

• Danby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is much smaller than other primary schools, and serves a wide, mainly rural, community.
• All pupils are of White British heritage.
• No disadvantaged pupils are currently on roll.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The numbers of pupils in each year group are very small and so the government’s floor standards for attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 do not apply.
• The headteacher took up her permanent post in April 2018. Before this time, she supported the school through a period of turbulence in staffing and leadership. A consultant headteacher has supported her as a temporary measure.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector held discussions with governors, the headteacher, consultant headteacher, and with local authority and diocesan representatives.
• The inspector observed learning in each classroom. Joint observations were carried out with the headteacher.
• The inspector listened to some pupils read, looked at pupils’ work and held discussions with pupils.
• The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, at playtimes and in lessons.
• The inspector looked at the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, considered comments from parents in meetings and met with some parents at the beginning of the school day.
• The inspector examined a wide range of documentation, including information about the performance of teachers and pupils, evidence of the school’s self-evaluation, reports to, and by, the governing body, as well as information on the curriculum, safeguarding and other key policies.

Inspection team

Jonathan Brown, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector