Kirkby in Malhamdale United Voluntary Aided Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Clarify the roles of middle and senior leaders as the school formalises its collaboration with Settle Church of England Primary School.
• Improve teaching, learning and assessment further, by:
  • ensuring that there is sufficient challenge for pupils, particularly the most able
  • increasing the opportunities for pupils to answer challenging questions to improve their reading comprehension skills.
• Improve pupils’ personal development in Year 6, so that they are better prepared for the next stage in their education.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Upon his appointment, the executive headteacher immediately improved the quality of teaching and the curriculum by opening an additional class. This has had a strong impact across the whole school because teachers can meet the needs of all pupils more effectively. Moreover, he ensured that essential changes were made to safeguarding procedures and to governance. Parents and carers report that they now feel well informed, and they are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Staff morale is high.
• The curriculum has been well designed, so that pupils gain a variety of skills and knowledge. The rural setting is reflected well in the curriculum, including good opportunities to learn outdoors. Much of the geography and history that pupils learn is related to the local area. Interesting stimuli inspire pupils to write, such as work on local myths and legends.
• Many pupils learn musical instruments, including the accordion. Pupils take part in the numerous extra-curricular activities on offer, and these opportunities are widening as the collaboration with Settle Primary School develops.
• Additional funding for physical education (PE) and sport is used effectively. All pupils take part in weekly dance sessions and all pupils take part in inter-schools sports activities. The funding also allows for school staff to improve their skills by working alongside professional sports coaches.
• The pupil premium is used effectively and is having a positive impact on the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. The funding ensures that all pupils are heard reading aloud daily and that pupils develop a love of literature as they move through the school. The strong culture of reading means that pupils develop a curiosity for learning across all subjects.
• The local authority has supported the school well by improving the skills of the governing body, securing good leadership and facilitating the links with Settle Primary School.
• The executive headteacher has good plans in place to develop leadership further as the school moves into a formal federation. He has personally taken on all the strategic roles at the school. In his absence, the school is managed well and runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. However, the strategic roles of other leaders at the school are, as yet, unclear.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Through the regular updates they receive, governors are fully equipped to both challenge and support school leaders.
• Governors oversee safeguarding meticulously and have been instrumental in strengthening systems and procedures. They regularly quiz teachers to check that their knowledge of current safeguarding requirements is strong.
• A key aim for governors since the previous inspection has been to improve the image of the school to parents, and to listen to their concerns and act promptly where there are any. Parents who responded to Parent View reported that this had been very successful, and that they knew who the governors were and felt well informed.
• Governors have ensured that the school’s website meets statutory requirements. The information provided is of high quality and useful for parents.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Since the previous inspection, governors have commissioned a full safeguarding and health and safety audit. This has informed the governing body of essential improvements needed. All of these recommendations have been acted upon, which included improvements to entrance and exit arrangements, car parking and policies.
• Robust safeguarding policies reflect current government requirements. Record keeping is detailed. Appropriate checks are made on staff upon their appointment.
• Staff are regularly trained and receive frequent updates on safeguarding-related matters.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• In all subjects, a noticeable feature of pupils’ work is how well they present it. Handwriting is well taught from Reception. This means that by the time pupils are in Year 6, their writing is nothing short of beautiful.
• Teachers and teaching assistants give high-quality support to pupils. Their questioning probes pupils for better answers and helps them find out what gaps there are in pupils’ understanding.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge. They teach pupils how to judiciously evaluate source materials in history. In art, for example, they support pupils in appreciating contemporary art and inspire them to create their own paintings in the style of Banksy.
• Assessment of pupils’ work is enabling most teachers to pinpoint the next steps in most pupils’ learning. In class, this enables teachers to give close support to ensure that nobody is left behind.
• However, the challenge provided to pupils is inconsistent. In some classes, the work that is set for pupils is too easy, particularly for the most able. Moreover, there are, at present, insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their reading comprehension skills through tackling challenging written answers to questions.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils have a very good understanding of how to stay safe when using mobile devices and the internet. This is because assemblies promote online safety and work in class has helped them understand the potential dangers.
• Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. They describe the school as ‘a small school with a big heart’. None of the pupils questioned felt that going to a small school was, in any way, a disadvantage. All said that the collaboration with Settle Primary School helped them mix with pupils of different backgrounds. All pupils questioned said that if they were bullied, there was always an adult to turn to.
• Assemblies and religious education lessons help pupils to understand cultures and religions other than their own. Pupils understand the importance of treating others as they themselves would wish to be treated. They learn the values of living in a democratic society and the importance of rules and the law.
• Across the school, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is generally developed well. However, pupils in Year 6 have some gaps in their knowledge to fill, in order to prepare them for the next stage in their education. This relates to their current understanding of sex and relationships, the potential dangers of drugs and alcohol, and leading healthy lifestyles.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• In class, pupils are well behaved and most concentrate well on their work. Only when the work is not challenging enough does their attention wane a little.
• Pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and playtimes is excellent. Their manners are impeccable. They tidy up after themselves and wear their uniform proudly.
• Parents who responded to the questionnaire commented on pupils’ good behaviour.
• Attendance is above average and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is well below average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The small size of the school means that each year, only around six pupils take tests at the end of Year 6. Over the past three years, pupils have made good progress in all subjects by the end of Year 6. Their attainment has been at least average and, very often, above average. Pupils currently in the school are making good progress across all subjects.
• Pupils’ writing across the school is particularly strong. Some is exceptional, displaying a complexity of sentence structure, vocabulary and punctuation well above that expected for their age. Good writing is celebrated through displays, which encourage and motivate pupils.
• In mathematics, pupils make good progress. In key stage 1, pupils use apparatus to help them become fluent with numbers. By the time they reach Year 6, they are adept at calculating, can explain their solutions and can solve problems well using the mathematical skills they have developed over time.
• There is a good culture of reading. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), read well and often. All pupils are frequently heard reading on a one-to-one basis and pupils told the inspector about how much they enjoy reading for pleasure.
• Outcomes for pupils with SEND are good. This is because of the high-quality support they receive. They are only withdrawn from the classroom when absolutely necessary for their support. This means that they almost always learn alongside their peers and are fully integrated into the class.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good progress across all areas of learning. They learn the relationships between letters and the sounds they represent, and learn to count and do simple calculations. Their speaking skills are well developed by the time they finish Reception. Consequently, they are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.
• The quality of teaching is strong, both indoors and outdoors. Adults question pupils well, so that they answer in full sentences, which improves their speaking skills. The good curriculum allows children to work in teams to solve problems. Outdoor learning is particularly effective. For example, during the inspection, children worked in teams, enthusiastically looking for natural materials in the woodland area to make a dragon, to commemorate Chinese New Year.
• Children’s writing is impressive. It is improving at a pace since the recent introduction of ‘weekend books’, in which children write sentences about what they did at the weekend, supported by their parents.
• Children behave well. They are polite and courteous to each other. They learn to take turns when playing with toys and are curious about the world around them. They show good hygiene habits when eating snacks or using the bathroom.
• The early years is well led and managed. The curriculum has a good mix of activities to develop children’s skills across all areas of learning. Assessment systems are robust, to ensure that all children are well challenged and that all adults are well aware of the next steps in children’s learning. Arrangements for keeping children safe are afforded the highest importance.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121629 North Yorkshire 10059050 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 aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 54 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Executive Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Andrew Booth Richard Wright 01729 830214 www.kirkby.schooljotter2.com admin@kim.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 October 2016

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It serves the rural area around Malham in the Yorkshire Dales.
• Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The school is at an advanced stage of planning to join a federation with Settle Church of England Primary School. The two schools share an executive headteacher, who was appointed in September 2018.
• Since the last inspection, the number of classes in the school has grown from two to three. The additional class now houses children in Reception and Year 1.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching in all three classes alongside the executive headteacher. He also examined pupils’ work in their books, on display in classrooms and writing that was on display in the school hall. He also listened to some pupils reading.
• The inspector spoke to various staff, governors, parents and a local authority representative. He visited an assembly and spoke to two groups of pupils.
• The inspector considered the responses of 25 parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Additionally, he examined the eight staff questionnaires that were submitted.
• Various school documents were scrutinised by the inspector. These included the school development plan, and records of quality assurance, governance, self-evaluation, safeguarding, and the tracking of pupils’ progress. The school’s website was also checked by the inspector.

Inspection team

Robert Jones, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector