Newby and Scalby Primary School, located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was inspected on September 28 and 29, 2022. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, with specific areas such as the quality of education and leadership and management also receiving a similar rating. However, the school demonstrated good performance in behavior and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.
Pupils at the school are noted for their politeness and friendliness, with strong relationships fostering good behavior. They exhibit positive conduct during lessons and social times, moving sensibly around the school. The school provides education on various types of relationships, including unhealthy ones and bullying, through personal, social, and health education. Pupils feel safe and confident that their concerns will be addressed promptly, resulting in rare instances of bullying. The curriculum is broad and balanced, although weaknesses exist in the planning and delivery of certain subjects, particularly early reading, which affects some pupils' achievement.
Beyond the classroom, pupils engage in various experiences, including residential trips and a range of clubs catering for different interests. They actively participate in school life through committees such as eco warriors and the school council, taking on additional responsibilities. While leaders have a clear understanding of the knowledge required in subjects like history and computing, this clarity is inconsistent across all subjects. In areas such as geography and mathematics, leaders have not effectively identified the essential knowledge and skills for long-term retention, leading to gaps in pupils' learning.
Assessment systems in subjects other than English and mathematics are still being developed. Teachers assess learning on a lesson-by-lesson basis but struggle to track cumulative knowledge retention over time. This lack of effective assessment hinders the identification of misconceptions and gaps in learning, impacting overall pupil achievement. Although reading is prioritized, the approach to teaching phonics lacks consistency, and pupils who struggle with reading do not receive adequate support. Consequently, their reading fluency and accuracy are affected.
In the early years, the curriculum is ambitious, focusing on essential knowledge that helps children build a strong foundation for their education. Leaders effectively assess individual children's abilities, allowing for tailored provision that keeps children engaged and confident in their learning. The identification of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is accurate, enabling appropriate support to be planned and sourced when necessary.
The wider curriculum promotes healthy and responsible citizenship, with pupils demonstrating empathy towards various cultures and beliefs. They possess a solid understanding of British values and can discuss topics such as law and democracy with insight. Staff well-being is a priority for leaders, who support professional development linked to current research, resulting in staff pride in their work at the school.
While safeguarding arrangements are generally effective, some weaknesses exist in the systems for recording and reporting concerns. Leaders need to ensure that staff consistently use these systems and regularly check recorded incidents to identify patterns. Overall, the school has areas of strength, particularly in pupil behavior and personal development, but it must address the inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and assessment to improve overall effectiveness.
