National Society Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Report

Ingleby Arncliffe Church of Voluntary Aided Primary School Ingleby Arncliffe DL6 3NA Diocese: York Local authority: North Dates of inspection: 24 th January 2012 Date of last inspection: 18 th March 2009 School’s unique reference number: 121618 Headteacher: Mrs G Gulliman Inspector’s name and number: Mrs C A Roberts 469

School context Ingleby Arncliffe is a very small rural school. All pupils are from White British backgrounds. No pupil is known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and of those with a statement of special educational needs are average. The school has achieved Activemark and Healthy School Status. The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Ingleby Arncliffe as a Church of England school are outstanding Ingleby Arncliffe Primary has a very strong Christian character where everyone feels nurtured and cherished. The Christian vision and mission are lived out on a daily basis and the school strap-line ‘We love to learn and we learn to love’ is truly reflected. Consequently the impact on pupils’ achievements and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exemplary. All stakeholders are rightly pleased and proud of their school.

Established strengths • A very strong, caring and inclusive Christian ethos. • The quality of relationships within school which are very positive and mutually supportive. • The strength of partnerships between school, church and community.

Focus for development • Ensure marking in religious education (RE) is sufficiently robust and diagnostic and gives pupils a clear picture of what they need to do in order to improve. • Develop a pupil friendly version of the mission statement to further reinforce Christian values.

The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners Christian values permeate every aspect of school life from display to policy and practice. Displays are often interactive or include reflections from pupils, such as the tree of hope, with comments such as ‘My hope for 2012 is that there is enough food and water for everyone’ or ‘My friends are happy and healthy.’ All pupils know that this is a church school, citing examples such as ‘We worship and it keeps us together as a family’, ‘Everyone teaches us right and wrong’ and ‘We show more love to each other’. Relationships are outstanding and truly mirror Gospel values. The school has a very strong caring Christian character, reflected in the mission statement, and is highly effective in nurturing the development of all pupils’ qualities and achievements. Pupils thrive in the knowledge that their thoughts, ideas and beliefs are respected by everyone, and see the school as an extension of their family. Many opportunities are given for pupils to develop responsible citizenship skills, for example through fundraising events for Red Nose Day, UNICEF Day for Change, and globally through the Good Will charity in India. There are many opportunities for the development of spirituality, for example in the whole school bulb planting project and, at Key Stage 1, through writing prayers and reflections on saying sorry and trying harder. The impact of collective worship on the school community is outstanding Worship occupies a central and special place in the life of the school. Pupils and staff alike eagerly look forward to this time of the day. Pupils are overwhelmingly positive about worship and say ‘It helps me relax’, ‘It is a time to talk to God’ and ‘It makes you feel better.’ Planning is undertaken rigorously and creatively using the Church calendar, Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) themes and a range of quality materials from the Christian and other faith traditions when appropriate. A range of leaders for worship, such as the Methodist Minister and local Anglican vicar, as well as school staff, present lively worship to ensure that pupils remain engaged, enthused and reflective. Consequently all pupils are engaged during worship and they interact with leaders in a thoughtful and insightful way. Pupils have an excellent understanding of Anglican traditions and practices. For example through the lighting of the candle, coloured altar cloths, the blessings and Christian festivals. Key Stage 2 pupils have a very good understanding of the Lord’s Prayer. One pupil commented on ‘the importance of forgiveness’ in the Lord’s Prayer. Worship is used as a springboard for the many fundraising events in school, such as Water Aid. Worship has an outstanding impact on pupils’ behaviour and thinking. For example one pupil commented on how ‘The story of Zacchaeus made me want to not be greedy and think about other people.’ Monitoring and evaluation of worship takes place both informally on a daily basis, particularly feedback from pupils, and formally through reports to the governing body. The effectiveness of the religious education is good Pupils enjoy RE as activities are engaging and relevant. One pupil commented on how much they ‘Enjoyed discussion, as they could express their ideas’. For example, Key Stage 2 pupils work in pairs to discuss their views about how and why people worship, culminating in designing a poster on the computer. At Key Stage 1 pupils talk about the special nature of the church and how it makes them feel. Standards in RE are in line with other core subjects and a new system of assessment is in operation which will ensure data informs future planning and target setting. However, the marking system currently in operation is not sufficiently robust or diagnostic enough to link in with pupils’ attainment levels and support target setting. Pupils have a good understanding of Christian faith and how this impacts on life, for example how Bible accounts can affect faith. For example one pupil mentioned ‘The death of Jesus makes me feel I can pray to God and ask him to forgive me.’ Knowledge and understanding of World faiths is also good, with pupils visiting a Hindu Mandir and a Sikh Gurdwara to enhance their understanding of the importance of faith. Support for RE from senior leaders and governors is excellent, for example the RE co ordinator attends relevant training and network meetings on a regular basis and there are very good resources and artefacts for RE. The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school is outstanding The headteacher and all staff share a very strong Christian vision for the school and this truly gives purpose and direction to all aspects of leadership and management. Governors support this vision, and the school, wholeheartedly and work tirelessly together with headteacher and staff to ensure that Christian values are put into practice in every aspect of school life. For example, they regularly review the mission statement and the core Christian values to ensure they run through policy documents. They also undertake observations to monitor practice and inform evaluation and analysis of the school’s development plan. Staff, pupils and parents are rightly proud of their school as a church school stating, ‘We are one big family’, ‘The school teaches Christian values, everyone is included and they do care.’ Pupils would welcome the opportunity to write their own version of the school mission statement. School leaders and governors ensure all staff have opportunity for professional development and they have a clear understanding of the school’s future needs; the diocese has supported the school in these discussions. There is a strong partnership with the local church, the Methodist chapel and also the diocese. For example, the school recently took part in Education Sunday and pupils attended the Bicentenary celebrations at York Minster. Also the school, church and community hold joint events, often in school, such as a curry evening, big breakfast, chocolate bingo and open gardens. This helps to ensure the school is at the heart of the community. The school is nurturing links with a school in India, through sponsoring a child, to develop pupils’ awareness of different cultural and global communities. SIAS report January 2012 Ingleby Arncliffe CE VA Primary DL6 3NA