Masham school pupils don’t receive ‘acceptable standard of education’, says Ofsted

Apr 19, 2024

Masham CE Primary School. Credit: Jo and Steve Turner via Geograph.

Masham C.E Primary School has been rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.

The findings were published in a report yesterday following a two-day inspection in January.

Government inspectors said the school, which has 71 pupils, ‘requires improvement’ in three categories: behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years provision.

The report said the quality of education and leadership and management were both ‘inadequate’ and gave an overall grading of ‘inadequate’.

Inspectors said pupils “do not receive an acceptable standard of education” at the school, which was previously rated ‘good’ in 2019, adding the curriculum is “disjointed” and “does not meet the needs of pupils”.

They said:

“Pupils have considerable gaps in their learning and do not achieve well. This means that they are not prepared well for the next stage of their education.

“Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not consistently receive the support that they need to access the curriculum. This prevents them from developing the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed.”

The report praised the “polite and courteous” pupils, but said occasional misbehaviour is “not managed well enough”. This prevents pupils from learning, it added.

Inspectors said the school has struggled to address “long-term weaknesses in the structure and teaching”, which worsened due to “frequent changes in staffing”. They added:

“Over time, the quality of education that pupils have received has not been checked well enough.

“Pupils’ performance in reading and mathematics is weak throughout the school. This is beginning to improve in early years. However, there remains much to do.”

The report acknowledged some early years provisions have “improved since September”, adding:

“Knowledgeable adults support the children to learn through play.

“Early mathematics and reading are taught well. However, the legacy of children having a poor experience in early years in the past is affecting access to the curriculum in older year groups.”

Ofsted praised the staff and governors, who “care passionately about the school”, and are “deeply committed to their roles”.

However, it concluded:

“There has been a lack of focus on the most pressing areas in need of improvement.

“The school has not shown the capacity to make a rapid improvement to the educational experiences for pupils.”

Educational visits

Despite the low grading, the inspectors did highlight some positive parts of the visit.

They said pupils participate in various clubs and take on responsibilities, such as leading playtime sports or being a school councillor.

Inspectors also said the pupils take part in “educational visits and community events”, and found pupils’ knowledge of religion and fundamental British values to be “developed well”.

Pupils know they can turn to “any adult in the school” if they have any concerns, the report added.

Council ‘committed to supporting the school’

The Stray Ferret contacted Masham C.E Primary School for a response to the recent inspection.

The school asked us to contact North Yorkshire Council for a comment instead.

Amanda Newbold, the council’s assistant director of education and skills, said:

“We’re committed to supporting the school with the changes already identified for the curriculum, we acknowledge the Ofsted inspectors’ recommendations and value the commitment and passion shown by the school community.

“We are pleased to see that the recent changes made, for example in early years and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, have improved the learning environment of the school and that the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

“Looking ahead, it is imperative that everyone involved in the school community works together to build on the progress made, which will result in improved education for the pupils.”