Leyburn Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive during their time at Leyburn Primary School. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Clear behaviour routines are in place across the school.

Pupils are very enthusiastic about the behaviour system, and they are keen to impress their teachers. Although there are some minor disagreements over football, pupils report that bullying rarely happens. Pupils are confident that if they have any concerns, they will be dealt with promptly.

Pupils feel safe in school.

Staff value the views of pupils. They ask for their opinions and act on them, for example by bringing in different b...reaktime and lunchtime activities.

Pupils have significant leadership roles, for example organising an outdoor play and learning programme (OPAL).

Leaders ensure that staff care for pupils well. Pupils with emotional needs have access to therapeutic support from trained staff within school.

This helps pupils increase their confidence and talk through any anxieties they may have.

The staff in the early years foundation stage create a welcoming environment. Routines are well established, and children know the structure of the day.

Children independently access a wide variety of learning activities. They happily collect and share resources with others.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are passionate about teaching reading and promote reading whenever possible.

Pupils learn to read through a well-sequenced, highly structured phonics programme. Staff deliver the scheme with consistency. The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they know.

This helps pupils to become fluent readers. There is a wealth of high-quality reading books throughout school. Pupils love reading and enthusiastically try different styles of text.

This broadens their knowledge of books and authors. Teachers deliver story time in a way that provokes an emotional response from pupils. This inspires pupils to read even more.

The school's curriculum is well planned and sequenced from the early years onwards. Learning builds in small steps over time with opportunities for pupils to recap on prior learning. This is especially so in mathematics.

Pupils have good subject knowledge. They can remember and connect their mathematical learning. Pupils are confident in completing reasoning and problem-solving activities.

However, in some subject areas, such as history, there are fewer opportunities to recap prior learning. As a result, some pupils have misconceptions and do not remember some of their learning accurately.

All subject leaders monitor their curriculum area noting strengths and weaknesses.

They refine the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious and meets pupils' needs. Some of the recent changes include a new curriculum in computing to bring it up to date with advances in technology.

Teachers make accurate checks on how pupils are learning.

They use this information to adapt teaching and content in the next lesson. Leaders are streamlining assessment of pupils' knowledge at the end of topics. This is to make them more specific and less burdensome for pupils and teachers.

The early years staff skilfully support children to improve their communication and language skills. They actively teach children to take turns and share resources. Children use free time well, focusing for long periods on their chosen activity.

Senior leaders promote everyone's mental health and well-being. It is as important as academic success for pupils. Pupils have an excellent understanding of their own mental health needs and those of others.

Older pupils have sessions on mindfulness, during which they can reflect on their emotions. Pupils benefit from counselling and the therapeutic support provided by the staff team.

In personal, health and social education, pupils have a good understanding of relationships.

This includes peer pressure and friendships. Pupils learn about the major world faiths and humanism. Leaders ensure pupils learn about protected characteristics in the curriculum and through assemblies.

However, some pupils have a limited understanding of cultural diversity in modern Britain. Leaders attribute this to the COVID-19 lockdowns as visits to more diverse locations were put on hold. These visits are yet to be put back into the curriculum.

Leaders do all that they can to improve pupils' attendance. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful of one another.

Pupils blossom in their many leadership roles. They bring their own initiative to the fore in many ways, such as leading games at lunchtime for younger pupils. Pupils plan and deliver assemblies, celebrating positive behaviour and personal achievements across school.

The governing body is actively involved in monitoring school performance and has an excellent understanding of the school. There is an effective working relationship between the trust, governors and staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' well-being and safety are priorities for everyone in school. Staff know pupils very well, which helps them to notice when pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders provide regular, effective safeguarding training for all staff and governors.

Staff know the procedures to follow if they have a concern. Leaders take any necessary action swiftly, including work with external agencies.

Pupils learn how to identify risks, including when online.

Visitors such as doctors and police officers help pupils become more aware of everyday dangers. Pupils create their own risk assessments when using the OPAL resources.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In foundation subjects, curriculum guidance identifies what should be taught and when.

However, there are long periods before pupils revisit some aspects of the curriculum. This means that some pupils find it difficult to connect learning and remember what they have already been taught. Leaders should ensure that there are further opportunities for recapping previous learning.

• The curriculum does not cover cultural diversity in enough depth. This means pupils do not have rich opportunities to develop an understanding of the multicultural nature of modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that there are more opportunities in the curriculum and the places visited to promote cultural diversity.