Malton Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement Leaders failed to prevent a sharp decline in pupils' achievement in key stage 2 following the last inspection. Improvements in 2017 were not sufficient to secure high enough standards.

The progress of groups of pupils, including the disadvantaged and the most able, continues to vary too much because of inconsistency in the quality of teaching. Too many pupils do not reach the standards they should reach. Leaders identify too many pupils of low ability, and those who have fallen behind in their learning, as having special educational needs (SEN) when they do not.

Teaching does not meet the needs of these pupils. Leader...s have been unsuccessful in getting to the root of weaknesses in teaching. Some systems and processes are unnecessarily onerous for leaders and teachers.

Leaders place too much emphasis on teachers' compliance with agreed policies and not enough emphasis on the impact teaching has on what pupils are learning. The curriculum is broad, but not well balanced. Some subjects are not taught often enough, stifling pupils' progress.

Teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to practice and apply mathematics knowledge in subjects such as science and geography. Leaders do not effectively promote pupils' social and cultural development. There are weaknesses in the teaching of religious education (RE).

Though children in the early years generally make good progress, adults do not always challenge children well enough as they play, particularly the most able children. The school has the following strengths The governing body, under the leadership of a very effective chair, has improved, and holds leaders properly to account. Middle leaders' knowledge and skills have improved.

They are beginning to take increasingly effective action. Strong leadership in sports and physical education has resulted in positive outcomes in these aspects of pupils' development. Attendance rates have improved over the last few years.

Few pupils are persistently absent.

Information about this school

Malton Community Primary School is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and receive support from the pupil premium is broadly in line with the national average.

The proportion of pupils identified as having SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The local authority identified the school as requiring the highest level of support and challenge. In October, the local authority reduced this support, but it continues to prioritise its limited resources in favour of the school.

The school is one of nine primary schools in the North Yorkshire local authority that has a specialist team to meet the needs of children experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Currently, just one of the pupils in the school is accessing this provision. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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