Selby, Longman's Hill Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching so that all pupils make rapid progress, particularly those who are most able, by:
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills across a range of subjects
  • moving pupils on to more complex problem-solving activities in mathematics when they are ready
  • developing pupils’ higher-order reading skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has a strong sense of purpose and is driving improvement with vigour and determination. She is unrelenting in ensuring that each pupil has the opportunity to achieve their best. This has resulted in a school that has rapidly improved since the previous inspection.
• There is a strong sense of teamwork and shared vision in the school. The headteacher, with the support of a highly effective deputy, senior leadership team and equally determined governing body, has created a culture of high aspirations that has won the support of all who work at the school. One parent commented, ‘The staff cannot do enough for the children.’
• Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development because of their frequent and rigorous monitoring. Middle leaders are developing their roles well and are making a strong contribution to school improvement.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s performance. This has enabled them to produce carefully considered action plans and provide effective professional development for teachers. For example, developments in teaching mathematics are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ progress.
• Systems for managing staff performance are robust. Targets for improvement are clear and focused, and teachers appreciate and reflect on the good-quality professional development they receive.
• Pupils follow a broad and balanced curriculum. Topics such as ‘born in the USA’ and ‘come to the carnival’ are brought to life by creative learning activities. Inspectors observed pupils making Native American dance wands from natural resources during their outdoor learning session; in another class pupils were taught samba music by a specialist teacher from a local secondary school. Pupils participate fully in these activities because their learning is meaningful and engaging.
• The curriculum is further enhanced with visits to places of interest linked to topic work, such as a museum about the Anglo-Saxons, and a range of extra-curricular activities that include learning Spanish, dance and playing the recorder.
• Leaders successfully develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, including through the curriculum, assembly themes, and visitors to school. Some visitors have different backgrounds from pupils. Pupils study other religions and regularly visit places of worship such as a Hindu temple and a mosque. The school’s key values of ‘respect, courage, creativity and ambition’ are well embedded and shape pupils’ attitudes to each other and to their learning. These activities help to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding wisely to provide academic support for the few disadvantaged pupils in the school. They also ensure they have access to a wide range of experiences and opportunities such as trips and visits, including residential visits.
• Good use is made of the primary sport and physical education funding to increase the opportunities to participate in competitive sport and after-school sports clubs. School records show that pupil participation in sport has increased significantly. The school has also been awarded a national award for games.
• Leaders have had effective support from the local authority since the previous inspection. School leaders have also supported other schools in areas such as phonics, subject leadership and mentoring new headteachers.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school and have high aspirations for all staff and pupils. They know their school exceptionally well because of the detailed information they receive from the headteacher and other leaders, and regular visits to the school.
• Governors hold school leaders to account for the school’s development and ensure the school’s finance and resources are managed effectively. Governors are well informed about the school’s approach to managing staff performance and about the impact this has on improving teaching.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher leads this important area with vigilance and determination. She is tenacious in following up referrals to ensure that vulnerable pupils get the support they need. The school’s work with other agencies is coordinated and effective to protect pupils and to ensure that families get the help they need.
• Teachers are trained to recognise where pupils are at risk of harm and follow the school’s well-established procedures to report any concerns they may have.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The work in pupils’ books, school records and inspection evidence confirm that the quality of teaching is now securely good.
• Teachers use their good subject knowledge and their understanding of previous learning to provide guidance and plan interesting lessons. Science topics, such as one on rocks, are taught thoroughly, and evidence in pupils’ books shows well-developed scientific enquiry and reasoning.
• Teaching is organised well to ensure that pupils who need to catch up are given the time and support to gain the skills they need. This is also true for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teaching assistants work alongside teachers effectively to help these pupils make strong progress.
• Reading is taught well across the school. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 make significant progress in phonics because the teaching of phonics is excellent. In key stage 2, well-planned reading lessons provide good challenge through comprehension activities and adult-led group work.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read from all year groups. The most able pupils read with confidence and fluency; the least able pupils used effective reading strategies to attempt difficult and unfamiliar words. Just occasionally, however, some most-able pupils were unable to identify evidence in a text that infers meaning.
• The school’s approach to teaching mathematics is new and early signs show that it is improving standards. Pupils are encouraged to think deeper about the mathematics they are doing but sometimes pupils, especially the most able, are not moving on to more challenging problem solving when they are ready.
• Pupils have opportunities to write for different purposes, for example to persuade, and they use interesting vocabulary to engage the reader. Evidence in pupils’ English books shows quality writing and strong progress being made. In some classes pupils’ writing in other subjects is not at a similar standard and they lack opportunities to reinforce and improve their writing skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders have developed learning outdoors to enrich the curriculum and pupils are very enthusiastic about the time they spend on the activities. During these sessions pupils develop teamwork and resilience and learn to value the opinions of others.
• There is a wide range of after-school and lunchtime clubs, such as a computing club and a very popular Japanese club. Pupils were very keen to tell inspectors the Japanese phrases they had learned and how they study Japanese culture.
• Pupils have good opportunities to participate in competitive sports with other schools, such as cross-country running. Older pupils attend a residential each year at an outdoor-pursuits centre.
• Pupils recognise that the school keeps them extremely safe. They have an excellent awareness of e-safety and how to protect themselves online. Older pupils who spoke with inspectors were very keen to show their work on e-safety which they had completed in their guided-reading books.
• Evidence collected during the inspection shows that pupils take a pride in their work. Work in books is well presented and neat.
• Pupils are very positive about the school and the conduct of pupils. They say that on the rare occasion that bullying occurs it is swiftly dealt with by adults. One Year 6 pupil commented that ‘The school has changed a lot in dealing with bullying.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils show impeccable conduct both inside and outside the classroom. They speak to visitors politely and courteously.
• Classrooms are extremely well organised learning environments. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and during lessons they are supportive of each other. They respond well to instructions and are keen to learn. Consequently pupils’ positive attitudes mean that behaviour rarely disrupts lessons.
• Incidents of poor behaviour have become extremely rare because pupils have a keen sense of right and wrong. School records show very few incidents, and those that are recorded are dealt with effectively by leaders.
• Parents, staff and pupils overwhelmingly agreed that behaviour is excellent and the school keeps pupils safe and secure.
• Attendance for all groups of pupils is above average and their punctuality is not a concern.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Standards have improved since the previous inspection. From their different starting points, pupils across all year groups are currently making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• At the end of key stage 1 in 2016, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was above that expected nationally because of the good progress they made from their starting points.
• Although recent results were rather disappointing at the end of key stage 2, pupil progress information and the work of pupils currently in the school show that they are making good progress.
• Due to the exceptional teaching of phonics, all pupils have met the expected standard in the national screening check for Year 1 pupils for the last two years.
• Work in books shows that pupils make good progress in other subjects. For example, in science, the topic on Earth and space is covered thoroughly and progress is clearly evident.
• Since the previous inspection, the proportion of most-able pupils, including those most- able pupils who are disadvantaged, achieving higher standards has been below average, especially for reading and mathematics. Currently the most able pupils are making better progress, but occasionally they are not challenged sufficiently to accelerate their learning.
• The small number of disadvantaged pupils makes comparisons with national averages difficult. Nevertheless, those disadvantaged pupils from low and average starting points make progress that compares favourably with other pupils nationally. Pupil progress information for disadvantaged pupils currently in the school, including those who are most able, shows that they are making good progress and are predicted to achieve as well as other pupils nationally.

Early years provision Good

• The majority of children join the Reception class with skills that are broadly typical for their age. They make good progress during their time in the early years and by the end of the Reception Year the proportion reaching a good level of development is above average. Children are extremely well prepared to start Year 1.
• Since the previous inspection, the headteacher has provided strong and effective leadership for the early years. As a result, teaching and outcomes have rapidly improved.
• Learning activities are well planned. Teaching is good and all adults use timely interventions to challenge children further. For example, during a number treasure-hunt activity, the most able pupils were given higher numbers to recognise.
• Children enjoy their time in the early years. They behave well, take turns, share resources and listen attentively. Children show resilience and sustain concentration.
• The environment is high quality and provides numerous opportunities for children to apply their learning in a number of stimulating activities both indoors and in the outdoor area.
• All welfare requirements are met and safeguarding, being part of the whole school arrangement, is effective.
• Relationships with parents are strong. There are regular parent workshops and parents contribute to their child’s learning journals.
• Links with pre-school settings are effective. Adults share good practice, and children from nursery settings visit the early years regularly so that they become familiar with the school before they transfer.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121460 North Yorkshire 10019737 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 Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Arthur Adamson Jan Elcock 01757 706 841 www.longmanshill.co.uk admin@longmanshill.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4−5 November 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to the average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• In the early years, Reception children attend full time.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Most lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.
• Pupils’ work from all classes was scrutinised.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read. Pupils selected to read were from all year groups in key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors observed pupils moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds during breaks and in the dining hall.
• Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s view of its own performance, school improvement plans, attendance and safeguarding.
• Inspectors analysed the 32 responses that had been submitted to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View).
• Inspectors took account of the online questionnaire completed by 27 members of the school staff.
• Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the start of the school day.

Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, lead inspector Julia Norton Foulger

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector