‘Good’ Ofsted rating for ‘happy and welcoming’ Starbeck nursery

A nursery set up just two years ago in Starbeck has been rated ‘good’ in its first Ofsted inspection.

Finding Nature’s Little Learners achieved that rating in all four areas, inspector Janet Fairhurst praised its focus on developing children’s communication skills.

Her report said:

“The nursery is a happy and welcoming place for children. They have lots of fun learning and playing. Children are safe and well cared for by staff who want the best for them.

“Even the very youngest children settle quickly and happily in the calm and nurturing environment.”

Ms Fairhurst found children enjoyed reading books with staff, who made story time a “thoroughly enjoyable experience”.

She also highlighted the work done to encourage friendships between children and to teach them to share and take turns. She added:

“The experienced leadership team show dedication to their roles. They have created a curriculum which identifies what they want children to learn.

“Leaders and staff know each child’s needs well. This starts with the building of strong relationships with families before a child joins the nursery.

“Staff get to know the children and are alert to any barriers they face and the knowledge they need to learn next. Such strategies ensure that staff can quickly identify and meet the learning and development requirements of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.”

After the inspection in March, the report praised the strong partnerships with parents and the amount of information provided by staff about children’s progress.

It found parents praised the nursery and its staff, appreciating the “wonderful range of learning experiences” it offered to the 136 children registered.

Staff and children play at Nature's Little Learners

Addressing areas where improvements could be made, the report added:

“Overall, leaders are aware of staff’s strengths and aspects of their practice that can be developed further.

“However, monitoring of teaching has not been precise enough to identify where some staff need further support and guidance. For instance, staff do not always consider the environment when planning adult-led activities, so that distractions are reduced, and children are able to concentrate.

“Equally, on occasion, some staff interactions between children and staff do not stretch or develop older children’s mathematical skills, such as counting and calculation, as well as they might.”

‘Proud of the team’

The report has been welcomed by the nursery, which said a ‘good’ rating is “increasingly difficult to achieve”. Owner Samantha Williams said:

“I am exceptionally proud of the team and their continued commitment to ensure that the children attending our setting receive the very best possible care and education. The inspection was really relaxed and the inspector herself said if she was a child attending our nursery she would want to come back day after day.

“We thank all the parents who flooded our inbox with emails to include their feedback on the day – there is no better representation of the hard work and dedication of the practitioners than what the children and parents have to say about their experiences here.

“As a newly established nursery in the area, we are welcoming ways to strengthen our practice and the Ofsted inspection gave us just that. Through our recent staff training day we have already addressed the improvements suggested and made adjustments in our environments.

“I am a firm believer in there is always room to improve, room to grow and our experienced team show true dedication in their reflective practice.”

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Knaresborough’s Forest School ‘requires improvement’, says Ofsted

Knaresborough’s Forest School ‘requires improvement’, Ofsted has said following a recent visit.

The special school, which has 136 pupils aged three to 16, was assessed by government inspectors following a two-day visit in February.

The report, published last week, rates the school ‘good’ for personal development and behaviour and attitudes. But it was graded ‘requires improvement’ for leadership and management and for overall effectiveness.

This was the school’s first Ofsted inspection since it joined the Wellspring Academy Trust in April 2020. It was rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas in its final assessment under local authority control in 2015.

Inspectors this time praised the “caring, nurturing and welcoming environment”, adding “pupils are taught how to stay safe and look after themselves” and “opportunities are provided for pupils to explore their interests such as catering, photography and the environment”.

They said pupils enjoy attending and many parents, carers and students would recommend the school to others. Bullying is rare and “there is mutual respect between pupils and staff in and out of lessons”.

But they added “some lessons are notably more productive and successful than others” and “leaders have more to do to ensure all pupils benefit from purposeful learning opportunities”.

Major recent changes

The report highlights the school has undergone major changes lately. Besides joining a multi-academy trust, it appointed headteacher Shona Crichton in December last year and 40% of teaching and support staff are relatively new. It says:

“There is a positive and optimistic culture throughout school. Staff are enjoying the stability in place, following several changes to the leadership of the school since the previous inspection.

“As a result of these changes, lots of new initiatives are currently being implemented. Some of these projects need time to become embedded and fully successful.”

The report says “the resources and materials that pupils access in lessons are not consistently ambitious” and consequently “some of pupils’ experiences in lessons contribute less well to their learning of the school’s curriculum”.

The Stray Ferret asked the school if it wished to comment but did not receive a response.

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Ripon Grammar School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

Ripon Grammar School has been rated ‘good’ in its first Ofsted inspection for 11 years.

Government inspectors widely praised the 919-pupil school, and assessed its personal development and sixth form provision as ‘outstanding’.

But its overall ‘good’ grade is a notch down on the ‘outstanding’ it received in 2012.

Inspectors visited on January 25 and 26 and again on March 3. Their report has been sent to the school and is expected to be uploaded on the Ofsted website next week.

The report said leaders are ambitious for pupils and students “achieve very highly in their GCSE and A level examinations”. It added:

“Across the school, and particularly in the sixth form, teachers challenge pupils and students to stretch themselves academically and to take risks in their learning.

“Pupils benefit from the broad range of provision offered by clubs and societies, for example, in science, the arts, humanities and sport. Pupils are eager to seize the extensive opportunities presented to them.”

The report added the majority of pupils are happy and behave very well and staff deal with rare examples of bullying effectively.

Ripon Grammar School

Areas of improvement

It said support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has been strengthened recently but “teaching and wider strategies used to support pupils with SEND vary across the school”.

Two other areas requiring improvement were highlighted.

The report said “a very small minority of staff do not speak to pupils in an appropriately encouraging manner” and recommends “leaders should continue to ensure that all staff are crystal clear about the responsibility on them to always speak appropriately to all pupils”.

It also said behaviour policy “is not always consistently applied” and “behaviour is weaker in a small minority of classrooms, particularly where a substitute teacher is leading the lesson”.

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‘We are committed to continuous improvement’

A letter to parents signed by headteacher Jonathan Webb and chair of governors Elizabeth Jarvis, said:

“Overall, we are pleased with the headline conclusions that RGS is a school which offers students a culture of high expectations, an ambitious curriculum, high academic achievement, strong teaching, outstanding opportunities for personal development and strong community-based relations, as well as effective and secure safeguarding.

“The report identifies some areas for improvement – ensuring all students, whatever their abilities, talents and skills, are nurtured and supported to do their very best. This includes high quality SEN support, positive encouragement and behaviour expectations which are consistent and high.

“The governors and leadership team are committed to continuous improvement and development, adapting to demands and challenges of modern life.”

‘Nurturing’ staff help children to learn at ‘homely’ nursery near Ripon

A “homely” nursery in a village outside Ripon has won praise from Ofsted.

Appletrees Day Nursery in Littlethorpe has maintained its ‘good’ rating in a new report published this month by the education regulator.

After visiting the nursery in March, inspector Kelly Nevett said:

“The curriculum helps to prepare children for their transition on to school. A dedicated transition manager ensures that children are ready for this next chapter, and staff have made good links with local schools.

“Staff have high expectations for all children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children make good progress.”

She said the indoor and outdoor areas helped children to “interact with the natural world” and “make choices in their learning”. Staff helped children to build confidence by offering “nurturing support”, she added.

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The nursery, which has 53 children on the roll, was praised for its effective communication with parents, and for involving families in the children’s learning.

Play was used effectively to help children learn skills such as maths, the inspector said. She added:

“Children are at the heart of this welcoming nursery. They show very good attitudes to their own learning and have good self-regulation skills. Behaviour is also very good across the age groups of children. Staff encourage children to share, take turns and learn how to focus through some group teaching times.

“However, staff do not consistently plan precisely for what children need to learn next during some adult-led activities, such as group times before lunch.”

She also suggested improvements could be made in encouraging children to speak to each other more, as well as with adults, and in allowing older children to develop their independence at mealtimes.

Nursery director Lucy Thompson said she and the rest of the team would use the inspector’s recommendations to make further improvements. She added:

“We are delighted to receive such a good report. The inspector clearly recognised our ethos and well-being priorities of love, care, nurture and our naturally inspiring outdoor space, all of which are so important for positive growth and development.

“We were particularly delighted that parents and guardians shared their positive feedback with the inspector, and did so with such passion. This is a testament to the wonderful community that we have built together, and really meant a lot to us.

“Our brilliant team is incredibly proud of what we have achieved. I felt quite emotional observing the day. We’re so often wrapped up in a busy learning atmosphere in nursery, but to stand back and see Appletrees in full flow made my heart swell. Everyone works so hard to create this wonderful learning environment. It’s a real team effort.”

‘Decisive plans’ improving village school near Harrogate, says Ofsted

Ofsted inspectors have praised the measures put in place to improve education at a village primary school near Harrogate.

Beckwithshaw Primary School was rated ‘inadequate’ after an inspection in December 2021.

Last year, Victoria Kirkman became interim executive headteacher of the school, along with its federated partner primary schools, Ripley Endowed C of E – which had also been rated inadequate in late 2021 – and Kettlesing Felliscliffe, which was rated ‘good’.

An interim executive board (IEB) was appointed to oversee the schools’ progress under its new leadership.

Inspectors returned to Beckwithshaw for a monitoring visit in January this year and published their report last night. While there is no new rating for the school, Ofsted wrote to interim executive headteacher Victoria Kirkman about their findings.

The report said:

“Since joining the school, you have taken swift and effective action to make improvements. You have a strong understanding of the benefits and challenges facing small schools.

“You have put clear, decisive plans in place, which set out ambitious and realistic targets for future improvement. One parent commented, ‘It certainly feels that there is a more robust leadership team in place, underpinned by the IEB and the new headteachers.’

“You have rightly prioritised the development of the curriculum and staff professional development. However, you are also acutely aware of the importance of supporting staff well-being and workload. This has ensured that staff are positive about changes that are being made.

“The atmosphere in the school is purposeful, happy and focused.”

The letter, which has also been sent to the IEB, North Yorkshire County Council and the Department for Education, praises the school’s focus on improving pupils’ reading skills.

Inspector Andrea Batley found teachers “quickly identify and give extra support” to pupils who are struggling with reading. They use the school’s approach to phonics consistently and recognise the need to adapt lessons to support all pupils.

‘Warm, caring and welcoming’

Ms Batley said Ms Kirkman has made a strong curriculum her priority across areas including personal, social, health and economic education. The inspector said changes to the curriculum were still “in the early stages” and continuing work was needed to deliver more improvements.

She wrote:

“Much has been done to improve the early years provision in the school. You have worked with staff and with local authority support to create an environment that is warm, caring and welcoming.

“Staff recognise the importance of developing children’s communication skills. They support children to use newly taught vocabulary well.

“However, it is not always clear what the intended learning is across the classroom, both indoors and outdoors. This means that some pupils are not sufficiently engaged and interested with learning.

“Leaders know that this is an area that needs more development in the future.”

Ms Kirkman has welcomed the inspector’s findings, which followed a similar monitoring visit to Ripley Primary School in December.

While Beckwithshaw remains ‘inadequate’, in line with its previous inspection, she said its recent monitoring visit was reassuring that the school is going in the right direction. She said:

“We are delighted with the outcome of the recent Ofsted monitoring visit at Beckwithshaw which recognises the significant and rapid school transformation since the previous inspection. This, coupled with the success of the Ripley monitoring visit in November, evidences that these previously ‘Inadequate’ schools are now moving forward positively.

“This is due to the hard work of all stakeholders in working together to ensure future success of the school and the life chances of children in the federation. We now continue focus on the next  visit and continue our relentless drive for further school improvement.”

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Along with her work at Beckwithshaw, Ripley and Kettlesing Felliscliffe, Ms Kirkman is executive headteacher at Birstwith Primary School and Admiral Long Primary School in Burnt Yates, both rated ‘good’.

Last year, the three federated primary schools were preparing to join Elevate multi-academy trust, as part of an Ofsted requirement after Ripley and Beckwithshaw were rated ‘inadequate’.

However, those plans fell through when Elevate pulled out shortly before the planned conversion date of November 1.

Addressing this in the latest letter, inspector Ms Batley said:

“The IEB is very clear about their desire to bring about future stability in leadership. They know the school well and provide both challenge to leaders, and scrutiny of improvement plans. They are working closely with the local authority to identify how recent improvements can be sustained in the future.

“As a sponsoring academy trust has not been identified it is vital that ways to ensure long-term stability in leadership are identified and pursued with urgency.”

Ofsted praise for ‘warm and welcoming’ village pre-school near Harrogate

A pre-school in Pannal has received praise from Ofsted for its “welcoming” setting and care for its children.

Busy Bees Pre-school, based in the grounds of Pannal Primary School, retained its ‘good’ grading in the report published this month.

Inspector Amy Whiting, who visited the setting in January, said:

“Children are happy and enjoy spending time in this warm, welcoming setting. New children settle quickly and soon become familiar with their surroundings.

“Staff are attentive to children’s needs. Children show they feel comfortable with the staff. For example, they climb onto staff members’ knees during play, and seek out staff for cuddles.”

She also praised the way the manager leads the team of staff, offering support and mentoring to new and more junior people, with relevant online training.

Ms Whiting said staff had “high levels of well-being and feel supported”, and there was a clear plan for improving the pre-school.

She highlighted the “effective” development of children’s maths skills, and use of additional funding to bring in teachers for extra activities such as yoga and rugby. She said children were encouraged to take turns at activities, but instructions could be clearer so they always know what is expected of them.

The report also praised the manager’s understanding of the safeguarding and referral process, saying anyone left in charge in her absence was suitably knowledgeable, and all staff had regular safeguarding training.

But Ms Whiting added:

“However, in some cases, staff’s understanding of, and confidence to talk about wider safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation and ‘Prevent’ duty [relating to terrorism], is not fully developed.

“Similarly to this, plans for staff’s continued professional development in this regard are not yet fully developed.”

The report and grading have been welcomed by the pre-school, which cares for 30 children aged between two and four.

Pre-school manager Tina Morley said:

“We feel the inspection went very well and I couldn’t be prouder of my amazing team.

“The inspector commented during the feedback meeting how confident and well-settled the children were and how the staff seemed genuinely passionate about their care, education and welfare.

“We were delighted to retain our Good grading across all aspects of our provision.

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Ofsted praises village school near Harrogate

Teachers at Pannal Primary School have been praised by Ofsted for having high expectations of pupils.

The schools inspector found children lived up to those expectations and the school’s vision of ‘Pannal-shaped’ pupils who are collaborative, respectful and self-aware.

Ofsted’s latest report maintained Pannal’s ‘good’ rating, with inspectors writing:

“Leaders have prioritised the personal development of pupils. A well-planned curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is supported by other opportunities.

“Trips and visits enhance what pupils’ study. The emphasis on pupils’ personal development also supports their positive behaviour, which is seen in lessons and around the school.”

The report, published this week, found pupils felt safe in school and were confident to raise concerns with staff. They had positive relationships with staff and with each other.

Pupils who needed extra support were well supported, the inspectors said, adding:

“Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Leaders provide effective support to ensure that teachers have the skills to support all pupils with SEND well.

“Leaders have invested in a high level of adult support. This is used well across all classes. Leaders are quick to identify the best ways to support these pupils, including work with external agencies.”

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Visiting at the end of November, the inspectors found children learned to read quickly after starting school and could get extra support if needed. They also said daily maths lessons with a “carefully planned” curriculum helped to make a good start.

The report added:

“Leaders have created a curriculum which they keep under review. Passionate and knowledgeable curriculum leaders have identified knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn as part of their big picture.

“In some subjects, leaders have not identified the small steps of learning that teachers need to follow in the right order to ensure that all pupils gain the key knowledge and vocabulary for the subject. Without coherently sequenced subject plans, pupils will not secure the essential building blocks for future learning.”

Responding to the report, Pannal Primary School headteacher Jane Turner said:

“We are very pleased that the inspectors found that we were “good” in all aspects of the inspection schedule.

“The identified areas for improvement match well with our current school development plans to further enhance our broader curriculum and strengthen the expertise of class teachers as subject leaders.

“The inspectors were blown-away by the volume and positivity of our ParentView responses – all 215 of them!

“100% of our parents would recommend our school to others. We were thrilled with this level of parental support.”

‘Serious concerns’ over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue finances, say inspectors

Inspectors have raised “serious concerns” over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s finances and its ability to respond to fires and other risks.

Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services undertook an inspection of the service in spring 2022 for its effectiveness and efficiency.

The report, released today, rates the service as requiring improvement for its effectiveness at keeping people safe.

Meanwhile, the service was rated as inadequate for its efficiency in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks.

It was also graded as inadequate for how it looked after its staff.

‘Serious concerns’

In his report, Roy Wilsher, His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire Services, said he had concerns over the sustainability of the service’s financial plans and its ability to respond to fire and other risks.

Mr Wilsher said the service’s use of resources was inadequate due to the “fragility of its budget”.

He added that he had concern over whether the organisation had the ability to get the right staff with the right skills due to a “lack of robust workforce planning”.

However, Mr Wilsher said the service was good at preventing fires and other risks and had piloted public safety officers at the time of inspection.

He said:

“Since its last inspection, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s performance has deteriorated in most areas.

“Although the service is good at preventing fires and other risks, I have concerns about its ability to respond to them. We have also highlighted serious concerns about how sustainable its financial plans are for managing these risks in an affordable way.

“It needs to make sure collaboration activities, such as those with police are effective and provide value for money. It currently shares some business services with North Yorkshire Police and the office of the police, fire and crime commissioner, but there is little evidence to show its benefits to the service.

“Our inspection also found the service to be inadequate in how it looks after its people. The service needs to improve how it promotes the right values and culture, as well as how it maintains and develops staff performance.

“In view of these findings, we have been in regular contact with the newly appointed chief fire officer and will be revisiting the service to monitor its progress.”

Fire service ‘very disappointed’

In response, Jonathan Dyson, chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the report.

He said:

“While this is a very disappointing outcome, it is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our staff show, every day, to keeping our communities safe, and feeling safe. The inspectors have said that we are good at preventing fires and other risks and responding to major and multi-agency incidents.

“Much of what the Inspectors have focused on relates to service-level policies and practices.

“We do need to acknowledge that the Inspection came at a time of significant change for our service. We were just coming out of covid and transitioning to a new chief fire officer.”

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Mr Dyson added that the service was “absolutely committed” to improving over the next two years as part of an improvement plan and service transformation.

Meanwhile, Zoe Metcalfe, Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:

“I welcome regular inspections from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), because the reports are an independent and rigorous assessment which I can use to ensure our Fire and Rescue Service becomes an Outstanding Service. I am confident that NYFRS will become an exemplary Service and we are already on our journey to achieve that, I am committed to our success.

“It is extremely important for the public to understand that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service keeps people safe as noted in the report where the Service is recognised as being good at preventing fires and other emergencies and good in its response to major and multi-agency incidents.

“Although major areas for improvement have been identified, the report recognises the great work being done by firefighters and staff to keep our communities safe. And I want to pay tribute to our courageous and dedicated fire personnel, who have my full support as they go about their vital work – as well as playing their part in improving our Service.”

Rapidly growing Killinghall school praised by Ofsted

Killinghall Church of England Primary School has been rated ‘good’ in its first full Ofsted inspection for 10 years.

The village school has doubled in size from 95 to 183 pupils since its last full inspection in 2012.

Inspectors praised the way it had coped with the challenges presented by rapid growth and said leaders had created “a highly inclusive school community where pupils are valued” and pupils “are happy and feel safe”.

The school was rated ‘good’ in five of the six areas assessed and ‘outstanding’ for early years provision.

The report, published on Tuesday, said:

“Children get off to an excellent start in the early years. Most pupils behave well. They show kindness and consideration for others.

“Bullying is not a problem in the school. Pupils know that they can talk to any of the adults in school if they are worried about something. They are confident that adults will act quickly.”

Leaders, they added, had created “an ambitious curriculum”, staff were described as “skilled” and safeguarding arrangements were found to be “effective”.

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Sarah Bassitt, who has been headteacher for 12 years, said:

“We are really pleased, especially after the challenges presented by covid and flooding to the key stage two classrooms from February to May this year.

“I’m particularly pleased with the early years assessment and the comments saying we are caring and the pupils are happy.”

Areas for improvement

Ofsted identified two areas for improvement: ensuring expectations for pupils’ behaviour “are consistently high across the school” and ensuring “processes for identifying and monitoring pupils with special education needs are consistently strong and that targets are precise”.

Ms Bassitt said the school had already adopted a new plan for pupils with special education needs.

Marion McCormick, co-chair of governors at the school, said:

“We have a great deal of pride in the hard work and commitment that has led to this very good result.

“The report reflects the enthusiasm and high standards that embody all that the school stands for.

“The strength and resilience shown by the headteacher and her team to achieve this following a major flood throughout key stage two deserves huge praise.”

Nidderdale primary school still ‘good’ under new head, says Ofsted

A village school in Nidderdale continues to be ‘good’, following the latest visit from Ofsted inspectors.

Birstwith C of E Primary School has maintained the ranking since 2012 and now receives “ungraded inspections” from Ofsted to ensure its standards remain high.

In its latest report, published this week, inspectors said the school had strong links with parents and pupils were “excited” about coming to school. They said:

“A Christian ethos is at the heart of this Church of England school. Leaders encourage staff and pupils to treat each other with respect and dignity.

“Leaders regularly remind pupils of the gospel verse describing Jesus giving a new commandment: ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ Pupils try very hard to live up to this. As a result, bullying is extremely rare.”

The report praised headteacher Victoria Kirkman, who led a curriculum review before joining the school in September 2021. Inspectors said this enabled her to “hit the ground running” and that the curriculum was well-established, even where new subject leaders had recently joined the school.

However, they said in some areas the curriculum was not ambitious enough and some opportunities were missed to build on pupils’ knowledge and ensure learning met the needs of all pupils.

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Inspectors particularly commended the school’s special educational needs provision, led by Miss Kirkman. They said:

“Leaders use diagnostic tests skilfully. Pupils’ moderate learning difficulties are assessed so that each pupil’s specific processing difficulties are accurately identified.

“The Senco [special educational needs coordinator] gives teachers ideas to meet each pupil’s needs. Teachers adjust the curriculum accordingly. This may be by simply allowing pupils more thinking time before expecting a response to questions. It involves presenting information in smaller chunks.

“Teachers provide sensory breaks or music therapy for pupils who need them. This precise approach is helping pupils with SEND to make good progress.”

Responding to the report, Miss Kirkman said:

“Since September 2021 there has been significant work undertaken at Birstwith School by all stakeholders to ensure the children are happy, safe and secure including: health and safety, safeguarding, the quality of the curriculum and provision for SEND pupils. We are delighted that this hard work has been recognised.

“We could not have done this without the continued drive, commitment and unwavering support of all stakeholders and their unwavering support for the significant changes in the best interests of their children. As as a Church of England school, we are proud that it was recognised that ‘a Christian ethos is at the heart of this school’.

“Of course, there is always an area to continue to develop, however we had already identified this and already have plans in place to address – the focus being our ‘most-able pupils’.”

Birstwith school is partnered with Admiral Long C of E Primary School in Burnt Yates.

Miss Kirkman was also appointed executive headteacher at the three federated primary schools in Ripley, Beckwithshaw and Kettlesing earlier this year.

Ripley and Beckwithshaw received ‘inadequate’ ratings from Ofsted at the beginning of the year and Miss Kirkman said there had been “significant and rapid, positive improvements” to both, with the results of an interim Ofsted inspection due to be published soon.