Yarborough Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Yarborough Primary Academy, pupils are proud of how they learn.

Well-being is at the heart of the school's ethos. Adults expect pupils to achieve their best. In lessons, pupils listen carefully and learn well.

Pupils are happy at school. They learn to stay safe online. Behaviour is calm and orderly.

Older pupils support younger children at playtimes. At the friendship bench, everyone can find a friend to talk to.

Pupils aspire to be recognised by their peers and teachers for meeting the values of 'growth, love, over and above'.

They like to receive a 'GLO' card or sticker. Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is. If bullying... happens, pupils say that adults sort it out.

There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy attending clubs after school, such as football and art. Learning to play African drums has been a particularly popular experience for pupils.

Educational trips and visits are often linked to the curriculum topics that pupils study. A trip to a science and media museum, for example, helped pupils to remember more about their rainforest topic.

All members of the school community embrace equality of opportunity.

They are keen to ensure that all pupils thrive together. There is a culture of mutual respect. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone fairly.

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

There is an ambitious curriculum in place, which starts in the early years. What pupils are expected to remember is identified in all subjects. Although some published outcomes are still below national measures, leaders are making progress in improving this.

The curriculum meets the needs of most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For a small number of pupils with more complex needs, the curriculum, sometimes, is not adapted well enough to ensure they successfully access learning alongside their peers. Learning is not broken down into the small steps they need.

As a result, at times, pupils find it difficult to regulate their emotions. This, in turn, hinders their progress.

In lessons, teachers connect prior knowledge to new learning.

Teachers know what and how they are expected to teach. Pupils apply what they have learned about new topics. In English, though, teachers are less confident with how to teach creative writing.

Opportunities for pupils to write creatively are limited.

The phonics programme has developed over previous years. Curriculum leaders have recently evaluated the approach they have undertaken.

This has prompted them to make further recent changes to how phonics is taught. Teachers acknowledge that this is already beneficial. Early reading is taught consistently well.

All adults follow the school's phonics programme and teach phonics appropriately. Pupils read books that are matched to the sounds that they know. Individual phonics tutoring is in place for pupils who are catching up in reading.

Reading is celebrated in many ways across the school. Pupils enjoy listening to their teacher read the class reading book.

The curriculum in the early years is well organised and connected to key stage 1.

Reading is at the core of the curriculum. The vocabulary that children are expected to know is identified. Teachers know and use the vocabulary that they want children to learn.

Children in Nursery learn to manage their feelings and enjoy singing daily in the 'Sunshine Circle'. In Reception, their confidence grows as they instinctively sing songs to their friends. Children enjoy being active, such as by climbing and pretending to be witches on their brooms.

They concentrate well on tasks when working in small groups and independently.

Pupils benefit from the school's personal development programme. They know how important it is to stay active and eat healthily.

Understanding how to keep a healthy mind is well embedded in the culture of the school. Pupils know techniques that can be used to help them to be ready to learn. They can confidently make comparisons about places of worship and holy books.

In lessons and assemblies, pupils learn and remember about important figures in history who they feel have helped to make the world a fairer place. They can talk about the work of Rosa Parkes and Martin Luther King.

Leaders have worked with local partners to improve the approach to managing and promoting good attendance.

This work is having a positive impact. The importance of regular attendance is communicated effectively to parents and carers.

The governing body has undergone some recent changes, including the appointment of new members.

Governors know and undertake their statutory duties. However, over time, governance has not had a clear strategic view of the school. Governors acknowledge that, in the past, they have not fully challenged or held the school to account.

While recent training is helping to address this, some governors are not yet fully clear about their roles and responsibilities. They are still developing the skills and knowledge needed to effectively carry them out.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not have an effective system in place to teach pupils how to write creatively. This hinders the development of pupils' creative writing. The school needs to provide training to make sure that teachers are confident to carry this out.

Pupils with more complex special educational needs do not always access the curriculum in the best way. This causes them to find the learning more difficult and become distressed. The school needs to further reflect on how to make the best adaptions to support these pupils.

• Over time, governors have not had a clear strategic overview on the direction of the school. This has limited their ability to challenge the school effectively and hold it to account. Senior leaders need to ensure that all governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities and have the skills and knowledge needed to carry them out effectively.