The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your team have created a safe and caring environment where pupils love to learn. As headteacher, you provide determined, dedicated and astute leadership and this is reflected in the views of staff, children and nearly all parents. Everyone is proud of their village school. You have created a lively, stimulating environment where learning is fun. Parents who I spoke with informally at the start of the day were effusive in their praise for the school. One parent described the school as a ‘fantastic, friendly school with a great sense of community where everybody’s needs are catered for’. Another said: ‘My child’s selfesteem and confidence have increased massively. Staff are always approachable. There is nothing to fault!’ These views were reinforced by a number of free-text responses on Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Many others commented on the safe, nurturing environment, high expectations and the dedication of you and your staff. Members of staff who talked to me said that they respect and value your leadership qualities. One explained the many benefits that federation with Beckwithshaw Primary School has brought and these include the sharing of good practice and expertise. Newly qualified teachers are well supported by senior colleagues. Pupils were eager to tell me how much they enjoy school. They spoke with great enthusiasm about performing arts, visits, visitors and clubs. During my visit, I was privileged to see pupils rehearsing for their summer play ‘Dragon Days’. The whole school was involved and it was clear that there was much enthusiasm. I was also fascinated to hear about the ‘Film Literacy’ project and the practical work with Bradford Media Museum. High attendance figures, year-on-year, reflect the fact that pupils enjoy coming to school. All the pupils I spoke to said that they would recommend the school to a friend. Pupils achieve exceptionally well throughout the school, with nearly all reaching the expected standards in all areas. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong and, because of this, they achieve well. In 2018, results at key stages 1 and 2 were significantly higher than the national averages in most areas. Attainment in the phonics screening check is exemplary, with all pupils in Year 1 reaching the required standard for the last four years. Only two areas were highlighted for improvement in your last inspection and both have been addressed thoroughly. The governing body has evolved, following your federation with another local primary school. Governors make frequent visits to the school, observe pupils at work and meet with subject leaders. The governor who oversees provision for SEND works closely with the special educational needs leader (SENCo). Your school self-evaluation summary paints an accurate picture of the school and the school development plan describes how you will secure further improvement. The actions you are taking to secure improvement are detailed as four key priorities, and success criteria are clearly highlighted and linked to the tracking and progress of each child. Safeguarding is effective. Your administrative leader has ensured that all the necessary safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that all records are of high quality and meticulously kept. All checks for the recruitment of staff are in place. The designated safeguarding leader has a comprehensive knowledge of those pupils who are at risk and has forged close partnerships with outside agencies. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and an atmosphere of respect and politeness permeates the school. Pupils were keen to tell me that there was ‘absolutely no bullying’ but, if there was, it would be sorted out immediately. They also told me about the ‘worry box’, where you can leave a note if you are concerned about something. A teacher or school counsellor would then come and talk to you. All of the pupils I spoke to said they feel safe in school and said that teachers provide safeguarding advice. Much work had been done with regard to internet safety. Older pupils have designed internet-safety advice leaflets and all were able to give me clear advice on staying safe online. Year 6 pupils talked enthusiastically about visiting ‘Crucial Crew’ where they learned about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The views of the pupils were reinforced by their parents. Indeed, nearly all of those who responded to Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire agreed that their child felt happy, safe and was well looked after at school. Inspection findings My first line of enquiry concerned the standards of attainment reached by the most able pupils in key stage 1. Much work has been done to provide the most able pupils with challenge. In the past year there has been a focus on the most able, with provision maps being designed for individual pupils. With a view to improving reading and writing, whole-class guided reading is now a part of each day and the teaching of grammar, spelling and punctuation has become a focus. In terms of raising the challenge for the most able in mathematics, staff have attended training and are now more aware of what pupils need to do to reach the higher standard. New resources for the most able learners have been purchased and there has been an increased emphasis on developing thinking skills, increasing independence and adopting a ‘can-do’ approach. Schools across the federation have shared good practice and have held joint moderation events and training sessions. Staff have high expectations of the pupils in their classes and the pupils were keen to tell me that they have to work hard. However, there is still work to be done to raise the proportion of pupils in key stage 1 who reach the higher standards in writing and mathematics. Another line of enquiry considered pupils’ entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum and how the school meets this. You have been key to the establishment of a curriculum that is engaging, relevant and meets the needs of the pupils well. Pupils talked with great enthusiasm about dance, drama and music, and were eager to tell me about recent shows that they had staged for the local community. Despite the somewhat isolated location of your school, pupils enjoy frequent visits out of school and this greatly enhances the curriculum. Pupils were keen to tell me about recent visits to Eden Camp and Abbey House Museum, as well as Countryside Day and the annual residential visit to East Barnby. Pupils have the opportunity to attend a wide range of afterschool sports activities, along with music and dance clubs. School leaders have done much to develop the outdoor environment of the school and there is particularly good provision for Nursery children. The development of the field opposite the school has provided pupils with sports facilities, a nature study area and a willow dome. You are determined to ensure that the present high levels of attainment across the school are maintained. Overall, during the past three years, attainment has been consistently high in both key stages. Where dips have occurred you have quickly addressed the problem, such as in 2017 when attainment was below the national average at the expected level in mathematics. Regular meetings are held to discuss how well pupils are doing and these ensure that every pupil’s progress is closely tracked. Provision is quickly adjusted for those who are falling behind. Pupils with SEND are very well catered for and support from teaching assistants is effective. Regular lesson observations ensure that teaching and learning are monitored and moderation of work ensures consistency. Teachers’ performance management targets are clear, and are linked to the progress pupils make. The sharing of good practice between schools in the federation ensures that all teachers receive valuable training. Reading is a strength across the school. Year 1 phonics results are consistently much higher than the national average. By the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment in reading is at least 10% higher than the national average, both at the expected and at the higher standards. In key stage 2, in the past two years, all pupils achieved the expected standard, with a large proportion reaching the higher standard. Pupils demonstrate a love of reading and were able to talk knowledgeably to me about their favourite authors. They are encouraged to read at home and do so on a regular basis. Those who read to me did so with fluency and expression, and demonstrated very good comprehension skills. During my visits to classrooms and while carrying out a scrutiny of written work, I noticed that many of the children in key stage 1 had not developed accuracy in their handwriting style. This meant that some writing was illegible. Nursery provision is impressive. Children are provided with a wide range of valuable learning experiences which prepare them well for school. The outdoor area encourages children to develop physical, social and communication skills. Nursery staff work closely as a team to provide the best for the children, who clearly love their learning. Involvement in the ‘Film Literacy’ project has enabled pupils in upper key stage 2 to develop strong information technology (IT) skills, and to use these skills effectively to support work in other areas. During the spring term, pupils carried out research connected with palm oil production. They created a news script, set up a news studio and recorded their news reports. These news reports were then shared with their parents through an online journal. Pupils also use their IT skills to enhance their work in mathematics and science. The governing body has a comprehensive knowledge of the school and a good mix of skills. Governors are passionate about the school and were able to describe accurately the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are fully involved in the management of the school, and provide strong support and challenge in equal measure. Governors are aware of potential changes and challenges presented by federation with two other small primary schools. However, they were able to describe clearly the many benefits that this will bring for the pupils and recognise that the sharing of good practice is the key to the success of this. All are working hard to ensure that the school and the federation are sustainable and continue to provide an effective education for pupils in the local community. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: the most able pupils in key stage 1 are further challenged in order that they reach the higher standards in writing and mathematics there is a stronger focus on handwriting skills in key stage one so that all pupils develop a legible handwriting style good practice continues to be shared across the other schools in the federation in order that the high standards are maintained.