OFSTED report

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you are aware, OFSTED completed an inspection of Grassington Primary on the 18th November and we have just received the final report that we are delighted to share with you. The 18th was a federation working day and therefore KS2 pupils from across the federation were at Grassington. Each and every one of them made us very proud that day- as they do every day. This inspection also pulled in staff from across the federation and the sense of teamwork was strong.  This was a one-day inspection where the inspectors look to see if the school continues to provide a good quality of education and ensure that safeguarding is effective.

The report confirms that Grassington continues to be a ‘Good’ school and that Safeguarding is effective.

  • The report talks about ‘exceptional behaviour’ and how pupils are kind, respectful and considerate and all feel safe in our ‘nurturing school’. It commends our ambitious curriculum and the advantages of the federation working. It praises the teaching of phonics and reading and the pupils’ love of books.
  • It identifies that teachers carefully plan exciting lessons and capture pupils’ imaginations and that they develop warm and caring relationships with pupils.
  • As well as a report, at the end of the inspection day, detailed verbal feedback is given to heads and we wanted to share a few pieces of that feedback that are not included in the report. During the day the inspectors spent ‘subject focused’ time looking at phonics and early reading, geography, maths and music. We wanted to thank Mrs Thompson for her role in this part of the inspection as she leads both maths and geography and as a result spent a lot of time with the inspectors!

The verbal feedback highlighted

  • Our vocabulary rich classrooms
  • Strength of governance
  • Our passionate and knowledgeable SENDCOs
  • Pupils being engaged and enthusiastic in every lesson
  • Our well thought through curriculum planning
  • Inspirational music lessons with Mrs Turvey our federation music teacher
  • Learning builds on prior learning and pupils remember key knowledge
  • Pupils have a deep understanding of their learning and can talk in detail

What it says we need to improve

  • The report identifies two key areas for us to work on and both of these were already identified in our own development plan.
  • They want us to tighten SEND provision in the wider curriculum beyond English and Maths to make sure the needs of all learners are met.
  • They want us to be more precise when planning for pupils in Early years in the wider curriculum beyond English and Maths to make sure that all plans and provision clearly reflect intended curriculum. This is something subject leaders, our EYFS leader and executive heads had already started work on and will continue to develop.

We wanted to thank you for all of the positive comments received on parent view and also the parents that spoke to the inspectors on the day of inspection. Your support means so much. The staff at Grassington are an amazing, caring and hardworking team and this report highlights only a few of the amazing things they do every day for pupils at Grassington. We also wanted to express our thanks to our amazing team of governors. The strength they bring the federation was praised in feedback from the inspection team and appreciated by both of us.  The staff at Grassington were supported throughout the inspection by our governing body as well as Karen Butler our LA advisor and Paul Bowlas our Diocese advisor.

Yours sincerely

Claire Greenwood and Chris Parkhouse
Co-Executive head teachers

 

10240156 - Grassington CofE - 121563 Final PDF