Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School, near Ripon, has retained its ‘good’ rating by Ofsted.
Government inspectors visited the school for two days in July and published their findings in a report yesterday.
It was the school’s first full inspection since 2018, but it has achieved consistent ‘good’ ratings since 2006.
The report found the school to be ‘good’ in all five categories – including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.
It said leaders make their vision for pupils to be “healthy, happy, and vibrant individuals” a reality, adding:
“Leaders celebrate pupils’ talents through musical soirees, talent competitions and collective worship.
“Pupils are confident and thoughtful in expressing their views. This is because leaders actively seek their opinions to make further improvements in school.”
Inspectors praised the 140-pupil school for its “impressive” list of clubs and events on offer to pupils outside the daily curriculum.
They said pupils relished a residential visit to Le Touquet, where they were encouraged to speak French, and choir members have performed at Harrogate’s Royal Hall.
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Inspectors said pupils feel “safe in school” and, despite some concerns about the behaviour of a few pupils, bullying is “rare.”
Pupils said they enjoyed coming to school, which is reflected in the high levels of attendance, inspectors added.
They said:
“Children in the early years foundation stage are nurtured in a welcoming environment.
“Staff teach the children how to access a wide variety of learning activities independently.
“Children happily talk to one another and share resources.”
The curriculum was described as broad and balanced and the report praised staff for their approach to special educational needs.
‘Inconsistencies between staff members’
Some pupils, however, are less expressive when writing, and their understanding and application of grammar and punctuation are not well developed, the report found.
It said some pupils “have difficulty spelling common words” but added this may be attributable to the disruption in teaching during the pandemic.
Despite pupils understanding the new behaviour policy and many collecting rewards for positive behaviour, inspectors added there were some “inconsistencies between staff members” in the application of the behaviour policy.
To improve, Ofsted suggested leaders should ensure that the writing curriculum is on a par with the national curriculum, and provide teachers with training on the structuring and teaching of writing.
It added:
“Leaders should ensure that all staff are consistent in terms of expectations of behaviour for learning and consistently apply the behaviour policy.
“Leaders should also analyse patterns of behaviour and report these to the governing body.”
Headteacher ‘thrilled’ with report
In response to the report, headteacher Sally Cowling said:
Runners raise funds for all-weather track at Bishop Monkton school“We are thrilled that Ofsted has recognised the many strengths of the school, including ensuring that the school’s vision of healthy, happy and vibrant individuals, is lived out in every aspect of school life.
“All staff work tirelessly to ensure that every child feels safe, secure, and included, with the confidence to express themselves. Ofsted took note of our broad curriculum which covers increasingly complex issues as children move through the school, preparing them for the next stage of their education.
“School leaders welcomed the areas for improvement as they align very much with what has previously been identified as a legacy from covid; the understanding and application of grammar and punctuation in children’s writing and embedding the new behaviour policy to ensure that all children are fully engaged in their learning.
“Leaders have already begun addressing these key priorities in this new academic year.”
A 10 kilometre race and fun run that raise money for a Harrogate district primary school is set to return this month.
The event, which was founded by race director Rebecca Owen, is called Beck Busters and helps Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School.
It hopes to generate £10,000 to get an all-weather track for the school field that children can use all year round.
Beck Busters didn’t take place last year because of lockdown restrictions but will return on September 19 for a fourth time.
Nina Swainston, one of the organisers, said:
“It’s a big local community event, anyone of all ages can take part.”
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Ms Swainston said runners were still welcome to enter. There are currently about 20 spaces for children out of a maximum entry of 150 and about 110 adult spaces out of a maximum entry of 330.
Entry costs £5 for children and £18 for adults (£16 for members of a running club).
The Beck Buster run is 10 kilometres, while the fun run is two kilometres.
Participants from clubs such as Ripon Runners and Harrogate Harriers have taken part.
In past years, the fundraiser has allowed the school to afford iPads for children, as well as save towards creating an all-weather track.
For more information see the Beck Busters website.