Kirk Fenton Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The committed and highly effective leadership of the headteacher, well supported by the governing body, provides clear direction.

She has brought about many improvements in teaching since the previous inspection and has the full support of her staff. Clear ideas for further improvement have been identified and there is capacity for further improvement. Children get off to a good start in the early years.

They quickly settle into school routines, become confident learners and make good progress. At the end of their Reception Year, children are well prepared for Year 1. Pupils achieve well and most make good progress from their differing s...tarting points.

They make particularly good progress in reading and writing. Teaching has become consistently good across the school. Teachers use questioning well and give pupils clear advice about how to improve their work.

Pupils behave well and feel very safe in school. They attend school regularly and are kind and thoughtful towards each other and to adults. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very effectively and is a strength of the school.

Christian values thread through all aspects of the pupils' daily lives and this enhances the school's welcoming and harmonious atmosphere. The governing body knows the school very well and is active in ensuring that the school continues to improve. The governors provide effective support and challenge for school leaders.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teaching is not typically outstanding. At times, teachers plan tasks that do not have the right amount of challenge for pupils, especially middle-ability pupils, to make the best possible progress. The teaching of grammar, spelling and punctuation is variable and not always reflected in pupils' work.

Occasionally explanations of tasks are not clear and pupils are not always helped quickly enough when they are not sure what to do next. Leaders and teachers do not record the progress made by different groups as thoroughly as they should, nor use this information effectively enough to help with planning and teaching.

Information about this school

Kirk Fenton Parochial Church of England Controlled Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.

Children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage and attend in the mornings in the Nursery and full time in their Reception Year. There is one class in each year group from Years 1 to 6 and an early years unit. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is well below the national average at just under 5%.

About a tenth of the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to those children who are looked after. This proportion is below the national average.

Most pupils are of White British heritage and no pupils are learning English as an additional language. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. The school is part of the STAR Learning Alliance (Sherburn, Tadcaster and Rural Learning Alliance).

Since the school's last inspection there have been a number of changes of staff. The early years leader joined the school at the start of this academic year. Teachers in Years 4, 5 and 6 were appointed in September 2013 and the Year 3 job-share teachers started at the school in January 2015, the week of the inspection.

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