Skipton, Water Street Community Primary School

Overview

Water Street Community Primary School is described as a “warm and welcoming school” that is “at the heart of the local community.” Leaders and staff maintain “high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour,” fostering an environment where pupils feel safe and happy. The report highlights a strong vision to “create bright futures,” supported by positive relationships and a clear behaviour policy.

Strengths

• Pupils are “well cared for by all staff” and report that bullying is “rare,” with adults dealing effectively with incidents when they occur.
• There is a “strong offer for supporting and developing pupils’ understanding and learning around mental health,” with pupils talking positively about the PSHE curriculum.
• Subject leaders are “passionate about their curriculum area” and have planned a curriculum that is “well sequenced” and meets national aims.
• Early years provision features “secure routines” and a “calm and focused start to the day,” with staff skilfully extending children’s learning through questioning.
• Parents and carers are “very positive about the school,” praising the “brilliant” relationship between staff and families.

Areas to improve

• Curriculum implementation varies between year groups because subject leaders do not always make clear how they expect teachers to teach, leading to inconsistent teaching approaches.
• Reading books are not matched closely enough to the phonic ability of some pupils, preventing them from reading independently without adult support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with “very strong safeguarding systems in place,” well-trained staff, and swift responses to concerns to ensure pupils are kept safe.