Sicklinghall Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school embody the school's core values which include resilience, kindness and respect. The school's vision of 'working together to be the best we can be' shines through in the positive attitudes of pupils and staff. Pupils are happy, inquisitive and friendly.

They feel safe at the school. Parents agree that pupils are safe. Pupils understand that the well-trained staff will do all they can to keep all members of the school 'family' as safe as possible.

Leaders create an environment of high expectations for behaviour and achievement. These high expectations are realised through a positive atmosphere for learning. Pupils achieve well and behave well at th...is school.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff and pupils demonstrate a tangible sense of pride to be part of the school community. Attendance rates are high.

Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that staff would deal with any bullying quickly and effectively should it occur. The work that the school does to promote pupils' personal development is exceptional.

One governor summed up the school's approach by saying, 'We set pupils up to be their best selves, to be proud of who they are and to be good human beings.'

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

Children entering the school in Reception benefit from a carefully planned and well-sequenced curriculum. Accurate assessment allows adults to understand each individual child well.

Adults then adapt their teaching activities to promote high-quality interactions with children. Teacher-led and independent learning allows children to develop increasing independence and resilience.

Leaders have developed bespoke subject curriculums which are comprehensive, well planned and well sequenced.

These curriculums underpin the school's ambition of allowing pupils of all abilities, including those with SEND, to succeed. This is particularly evident in the core areas of English, mathematics and science along with most foundation subjects. In these areas, the implementation of the school's curriculum is of a high quality.

The work that pupils produce is of a high standard. Assessment allows staff to identify those pupils who may need additional help. Effective support is then put in place.

However, there is a small number of foundation subjects where the curriculum is not fully established. Pupils' knowledge in these subjects is not as secure as it is in others.

Staff ensure the consistent delivery of the school's phonics programme.

This means that children from their earliest days in Reception develop secure phonics knowledge. This allows them to become confident and fluent readers as they move up through school. Where this might not be the case, adults offer additional support.

As a result, pupils progress well. Reading has a high priority across the school and high-quality texts form the cornerstone of the school's offer for reading.Leaders have a relentless approach to promoting pupils' attendance.

They carefully monitor pupils' attendance and punctuality. Pupils' attendance is high and persistent absence is well below national levels.

The curriculum for personal development is exceptional.

The curriculum is explicitly planned to allow for a wide range of high-quality experiences. These strengthen pupils' awareness of what it is to be a citizen in modern Britain. Links with a school in Keighley allow pupils the opportunity to visit, and make friends with, pupils from a diverse range of ethnicities and backgrounds.

Pupils talked about these opportunities with excitement. Pupils demonstrate an exceptional understanding and appreciation of difference, equality and equity. Spiritual development, including a link with the village church, is very effective.

Pupils show knowledge and understanding of different religions, faiths and cultures. A range of visitors to school and extra-curricular visits strengthens this offer. For example, visitors from the Association of Harrogate Muslims and a Humanist speaker came into school as part of the religious education curriculum.

Pupils relish the opportunities to take up leadership responsibilities. This includes prefects, ambassadors and school councillors. As part of a concern that pupils raised around road safety, pupils met with the parish council, the police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire.

This resulted in increased awareness within the village of the need for a 20mph speed limit. Pupils and staff are rightly proud of the positive impact that this campaign had.

School leaders, and those responsible for governance, have high ambition and expectations for all staff and pupils.

Staff state that leaders are considerate of their workload. The school has a comprehensive, effective programme for staff professional development. This means that all adults are well trained to fulfil their roles in school.

Governors have a comprehensive understanding of the school's strengths and areas to develop. They assure themselves of how well the school is performing and provide appropriate support and challenge to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of foundation subjects, the implementation of the curriculum is not as well established as it is in others. This means that pupils' acquisition of knowledge and skills is variable across the curriculum subjects. The school should ensure that all curriculum subjects are fully implemented and embedded so that pupils' acquisition of knowledge and skills is consistent in all subjects.