Starbeck Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching to ensure that all pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress from their various starting points, by:
  • improving pupils’ skills in mathematics and writing across key stages 1 and 2
  • raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve
  • using assessment information to plan learning that meets the needs of all pupils
  • ensuring that teachers make best use of time in lessons and act quickly once pupils are ready to take their next steps
  • making sure that the planned curriculum, especially in mathematics, supports a logical development and application of pupils’ skills and understanding
  • setting higher standards for pupils’ presentation of their work and ensuring that pupils complete what is asked of them.
• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • evaluation of the impact of the school’s work is accurate and that actions planned to address issues are timely and robust
  • leaders at all levels, including middle leaders, establish an accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning
  • systems to record pupils’ assessment information include the progress made by the most able pupils
  • the information provided to governors on the performance of the school is accurate and complete so they are better able to support and challenge
  • the identification of pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities is accurate so that additional funding is spent on those pupils who really need it
  • governors continue to implement the recommendations of the recent local authority review.
• Improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils so that it is in line with that of other pupils nationally.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• School leaders, including governors, have not taken effective action to address the sharp decline in outcomes for pupils over recent years. Improvements in teaching, learning and assessment have been slow and inconsistent; additional emerging issues have not been picked up quickly enough.
• Senior leaders’ evaluations of the progress pupils make are not secure. Assessment systems are beginning to provide some detailed information about the progress most pupils are making. However, information does not identify the progress of key groups of pupils working beyond age-related expectations.
• Previously, assessment information has not always been accurate. Consequently, evaluations of how well pupils are achieving over time have been insecure and incomplete. Emerging issues have not been recognised quickly enough to ensure that leaders can take effective action in a timely manner.
• Over time, middle leaders have had limited impact on improving the quality of teaching. Middle leaders are growing in confidence and providing better support to senior leaders through their involvement in monitoring and development work, especially in English and mathematics. However, recent changes are not secure. Some long-term absence has reduced leadership capacity.
• Pupils who have a statement of special educational needs and/or disabilities or who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan are supported well. Adults who work with these pupils help them overcome barriers to their learning. However, some pupils who are underachieving have incorrectly been identified as having special educational needs. The slow progress of these pupils is a consequence of ineffective teaching in the past, rather than any additional special educational needs. As a result, some funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has not been used correctly.
• School leaders and governors are engaged in a review of how well additional government funding to support disadvantaged pupils is spent. Systems are in place to review the progress that disadvantaged pupils make, but this does not track how well the most able disadvantaged pupils are doing. Current information shows that too many disadvantaged pupils are frequently absent. Leaders’ actions to ensure that they attend school regularly are not working quickly enough.
• School leaders ensure that a balanced curriculum is in place for pupils. Effective opportunities for fostering pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and modern British values are provided. For example, pupils explore the importance of democracy, tolerance and respect in a variety of ways. Pupils enjoy the arts, a modern foreign language and history and can talk eloquently about their interests in these subjects.
• Effective use is made of the physical education and sport premium funding. This supports pupils’ access to a range of sporting opportunities. For example, pupils are developing their skills of teamwork and respect for others through a series of sessions with an external coach. Teachers are developing their professional expertise in this subject area by working alongside sports coaches.
• Parents are increasingly confident about the leadership of the school. Following a recent period in which a number of parents raised worries about the way the school is led, school leaders, supported by the local authority, have taken action to address these concerns. However, some parental concerns persist.
• The local authority has implemented an intensive package of support and brokered support from the Ebor Teaching School Alliance. However, the improvements are limited and inconsistent. Intended improvements have been hindered by staff changes, absences and unsettled governance.

Governance of the school

• Recent improvements to governance are fragile. Governors acknowledge that, historically, they have not been effective in challenging leaders to improve the school. With the support of the local authority, they have undertaken a review of their own performance and started to address the issues identified.
• The information that governors receive from leaders does not provide them with a comprehensive view on how well groups of pupils are progressing beyond age-related expectations. In addition, plans to address the school’s weaknesses lack sufficient precision in relation to the timescales for improvement and the expected outcomes.
• Following a period of turbulence, governors are now more clearly focused on holding school leaders to account. They have been diligent in their management of teachers’ performance which has led to some improvement, albeit slow. The governors responsible for safeguarding and the impact of pupil premium funding take an active role in their areas of responsibility and have a clear understanding of the school’s performance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Systems to ensure the safety of children and families are kept systematically under review. Staff are well informed and their training is up to date. Safeguarding is seen as a joint responsibility and practice is shared and discussed on a regular basis. As a result, all staff, including lunchtime supervisors, know and understand their roles and responsibilities.
• The school works closely with other agencies and engages with wider local authority safeguarding priorities. Where additional assistance is required, support is provided to families, which includes help with attendance issues. Any issues relating to the safety of pupils on site are acted on quickly.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• Weaknesses in teaching over time have led to pupils making inadequate progress across key stages 1 and 2. Teachers do not take into account pupils’ abilities, skills and attitudes when planning lessons. Consequently, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low. Consequently, pupils, especially the most able, often spend time on work that is too easy for them and do not make the rapid progress of which they are capable.
• Teaching is not equipping pupils with the basic skills they require for their next stage of education. The curriculum does not ensure that pupils develop their skills in mathematics and English in a logical sequence. Consequently, pupils revisit previous learning that has already been secured. This limits the progress that pupils are making.
• Teachers have improved their skills in teaching phonics to support reading. This is leading to improved outcomes in reading for pupils in key stage 1. However, teachers do not make best use of these skills to help pupils to improve their writing and spelling.
• More recently, teaching has started to improve in some classes through an intensive programme of support from other schools. However, the full impact of this work has been hindered by staffing turbulence and long periods of staff absence.
• Teaching assistants are proficient in supporting small groups of pupils and individuals to correct their misconceptions and improve their work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ written work often lacks accuracy. Their poor presentation indicates a lack of pride in their learning.
• Risk assessments of activities within the school are sometimes too generic and do not reflect the individual or group needs within specific classes. As a result, their effectiveness is limited in helping to keep children safe.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. Pupils are aware of the different forms that bullying can take and showed maturity during the inspection when discussing the inappropriateness of homophobic bullying. They confirm that bullying rarely happens. When it does occur, they are aware of the steps they need to take. Pupils and parents are confident that issues with bullying will be resolved quickly by staff.
• The work of the enhanced mainstream school (EMS) provision, which supports pupils’ social and emotional well-being, is effective. Adults in the provision help pupils to access learning and support them to develop strategies to cope with the demands of life in school.
• Pupils are confident about expressing their views and raising any concerns. Consequently, they are positive about their relationships with adults in the school.
• Pupils are knowledgeable about healthy lifestyles and can talk confidently about the importance of healthy eating and fitness.
• Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and who spoke with inspectors agree that their children are kept safe by the school. Most parents say that any concerns they raise are managed quickly and sensitively.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Attendance of pupils overall is improving and is close to that seen nationally. However, too many disadvantaged pupils do not attend as frequently as they should. Steps taken to address this have not been effective. Actions to work more closely with hard-to-reach families are beginning to make a difference, but these improvements are not yet secure.
• Most pupils concentrate well and have positive attitudes to their work. When teaching does not meet the needs of all pupils, or tasks are too easy, pupils occasionally lose attention and become disengaged.
• Pupils, including children in early years, conduct themselves well. They are polite and courteous and have a good understanding of what is expected of them.
• Pupils move around school in an orderly fashion, respond well to directions from adults and play well together at playtimes. Consequently, they arrive back in classrooms ready to learn.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• In 2016, very few pupils left Year 6 with the required skills in reading, writing and mathematics to equip them for the next stage of their education in comparison with other pupils nationally.
• In mathematics at the end of key stage 2, the progress made by pupils from their starting points was significantly lower than seen nationally in both 2015 and 2016. Despite some recent improvements, pupils in most year groups still spend too much time on tasks that do not challenge them to make swifter progress. In addition, basic number skills and knowledge are not consistently in place to allow pupils to use and manipulate numbers effectively to support their reasoning and problem solving.
• The progress of Year 6 pupils from their starting points in reading in 2016 was low. This area of learning has recently begun to improve for all pupils. Pupils enjoy reading and have, in some classes, developed better fluency and comprehension skills.
• The quality of pupils’ writing is too variable. Pupils do not always take enough pride and care in the presentation of their work. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ application and presentation of writing are not high enough, especially in subjects other than English.
• The outcomes for pupils in key stage 1 are poor in mathematics and writing. Evidence seen in lessons and in pupils’ workbooks confirms the school’s own assessment information: the proportion of pupils working below age-related expectations is increasing, rather than decreasing. Furthermore, too few pupils are working at greater depth of learning in each area.
• Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check continue to improve and help pupils achieve well in their reading. However, teachers are failing to capitalise on pupils’ improved phonics knowledge to secure better writing outcomes in key stage 1.
• The most able pupils spend too much time in lessons covering things they already know and this does not help them move on. Consequently, they do not make the progress they should.
• School leaders do not track how well groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve at higher standards or greater depth. They therefore do not have a comprehensive picture of their progress over time.
• Disadvantaged pupils make better progress than other pupils in the school. However, progress is still too slow, especially in key stage 1. Through targeted support, increasing proportions of disadvantaged pupils are now making stronger progress and beginning to reduce the differences between their performance and that of other pupils nationally.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who have detailed support plans in place, have their developmental and emotional needs well met by supportive adults. This is enabling them to make good progress from their starting points.
• Outcomes for children in early years continue to improve. Accurate assessments and teachers’ good understanding of the early years curriculum requirements ensure that children make a strong start to their schooling.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is good. Consequently, children make good progress whatever their starting points.
• Children start Nursery and Reception classes with a range of skills, attitudes, abilities and pre-school experiences. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year at least matches that seen nationally. Increasingly, more children are working beyond the typical level for their age.
• Disadvantaged children make typical progress, and some make rapid progress. Those that need to catch up are beginning to do so. Most achieve a good level of development at the end of Reception Year.
• Staff plan activities carefully to take account of children’s needs and interests and to ensure that they access all areas of learning. Adults are skilled at ensuring that children develop effective communication and language skills and have their emotional needs met. Consequently, by the end of Reception Year, most children are well prepared for their move into Year 1.
• Effective teaching ensures that children develop the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics well.
• Phonics skills are taught systematically and care is taken to ensure that children apply these skills correctly in reading and writing.
• Children are well behaved and develop good relationships. They learn in a climate of respect and responsibility that promotes effective learning. Children understand the importance of taking turns and working together.
• Arrangements for ensuring that children are safe are in place. Work with pre-school providers, external agencies and parents ensures a safe and smooth transition into Nursery and Reception classes. Staff know the children very well and individual needs are catered for. Consequently, all welfare requirements are met.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents have a positive view of the quality of learning in early years, feel they are listened to and contribute to the assessments made by staff.
• Leadership of the early years provision is effective. All members of the early years team are knowledgeable and they contribute well to children’s development. Actions to improve the early years have been effective in improving outcomes for children. However, some practice is inconsistent and does not always move learning on quickly enough when children have demonstrated a firm grasp of what they are doing. The access to outdoor provision for Reception children is limited.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121398 North Yorkshire 10032117 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 267 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mr Neil Thewsey Carolyn Sandford 01423 884780 www.starbeck.n-yorks.sch.uk headteacher@starbeck.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Starbeck Community Primary School is an average-sized school.
• The school currently has an acting chair of governors.
• The school does not meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below the national average.
• Children in the school’s Reception classes attend full time.
• The school has an enhanced mainstream school (EMS) provision that has a specialist team to meet the needs of children who have social, emotional and mental health needs under the new code of practice. The team works with children and staff in the school and other schools.

Information about this inspection

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

Inspection team

Jonathan Brown, lead inspector Beverly Clubley Juliet Wright Robert Jones Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector