Yanwath Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy at school. They behave well in lessons and around the school.

Pupils embrace any opportunities to help staff or each other. They are respectful, kind and thoughtful. Pupils enjoy playing, learning and socialising together.

Pupils and their parents and carers said that staff deal with any incidents of bullying well.

Children settle quickly into early years. Staff get to know children well and find out their interests.

Adults build children's confidence in learning by helping them to develop independence and resilience. Children in the early years are well equipped for their future learning.

Pupils benefit from taking... part in adventurous activities in the school's outdoor area or nearby lakes.

They enjoy learning, whether this is in class or outdoors. Pupils told inspectors that they have something exciting to look forward to each day.

Leaders expect all pupils to 'be the best they can be'.

They provide carefully-thought-out support for pupils who are finding learning difficult, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils achieve well, especially in reading. Pupils relish reading the high-quality books that are available in the 'Reading Shed' or in class.

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

Leaders and governors ensure that all pupils access an exciting and ambitious curriculum. The curriculum is appropriately designed to enable pupils to develop a wide range of relevant knowledge. Leaders also make sure that the curriculum is tailored to capture pupils' interest in the local area and beyond.

The curriculum plans for each subject set out exactly what pupils need to know and the order in which leaders expect new knowledge to be taught. This clarity helps teachers to ensure that pupils successfully build on their learning over time.

In most subjects, teachers have been well trained to deliver leaders' high-quality curriculum plans.

Teachers motivate pupils to succeed. Teachers make sure that pupils have acquired the key knowledge set out in the curriculum plans. In these subjects, teachers are also clear about the best ways of delivering new learning to pupils.

The overall quality of the planning and delivery of the curriculum enables pupils, including pupils with SEND, to learn well. Consequently, all pupils are well prepared for their next stages of education.

In one or two other subjects, however, teachers have not received all of the training that they need in order to deliver the curriculum as effectively as they should.

As a result, teachers sometimes do not choose the most appropriate activities to support pupils' learning. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these remaining subjects.Across the curriculum, teachers are skilled in checking what pupils already know and can do.

This enables teachers to provide the most suitable next steps in learning. In the early years, the way that teachers check children's understanding of new learning is particularly effective. Staff are quick to spot when children have not understood or have already acquired new learning.

Staff provide timely support so that children quickly build up their knowledge.

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they are in the Reception Year. They successfully build on what they have already learned through the songs and rhymes that they have shared during their time in the Nursery class.

Children enjoy listening to adults reading to them.

As pupils move into key stage 1, they quickly build up secure phonics knowledge and a love of reading. Well-trained staff support pupils to practise their reading frequently with carefully selected books.

Pupils rarely fall behind. Older pupils are avid readers. They talk knowledgeably about a wide range of texts that they have read.

Pupils' secure reading knowledge makes it easier for them to learn new knowledge in other subjects.

Leaders are effective in identifying the additional needs of pupils with SEND, including in the early years. They ensure that children and pupils with SEND have access to the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils respond well to teachers' high expectations for behaviour. Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and high rates of attendance contribute further to their success.

Leaders and governors have ensured that opportunities for pupils' personal development are woven into the life of the school.

Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about opportunities such as 'wild swimming' and other survival activities that they have experienced. Pupils appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of their locality. They value having time to discuss equality or justice.

Leaders and governors make sure that staff continually focus on how well pupils learn. Governors are adept at holding leaders to account for the quality of education that the school provides. Staff value the ongoing training that they receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, governors and trustees make sure that staff know how to keep pupils safe.Staff are vigilant to situations where pupils may be at risk of potential harm.

They take swift action to notify the relevant personnel with responsibility for safeguarding. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently. They work effectively with other agencies, when needed, to make sure that pupils and their families receive the support that they need.

Pupils learn about how to manage risk. For example, they learn about how to keep themselves safe when they are online or taking part in adventurous activities outdoors.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that some teachers have built up their expertise in order to deliver all foundation subjects equally well.

At times, teachers do not select the most appropriate activities to deliver subject content. This hinders pupils' achievement. Leaders should ensure that staff receive further training in the remaining foundation subjects, so that they are well equipped to build pupils' knowledge over time.