Rainham Village Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and raise pupils’ achievement further by ensuring that:
  • teachers provide pupils with consistently good opportunities to develop their comprehension skills and answer questions that make them think deeply about what they have read
  • pupils have more opportunities to deepen their understanding in mathematics, solve problems and develop the skills needed to give reasons for their answers
  • teachers provide work that is suitably challenging for the middle-ability and most able pupils
  • adults in the Nursery provide children with consistently strong opportunities to talk and develop their speaking and listening skills.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • the attendance of pupils who are absent too often continues to improve so that it is in line with the national average
  • the curriculum for science is well planned to provide opportunities for pupils to develop their scientific investigation skills, particularly at key stage 1.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and the deputy headteacher lead the school well. They are determined to continuously improve the quality of teaching throughout the school and are committed to providing the very best for all pupils.
• Leaders wasted no time in finding out what caused the dip in results at the end of key stage 2 in 2016. Since then, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have made improvements to the quality of teaching and leadership so that pupils’ outcomes have improved. Pupils’ achievements in the summer of 2017 improved and outcomes for pupils currently in the school are improving further still.
• The headteacher ensures that robust systems are in place to review and evaluate all aspects of the school’s work. She, together with the deputy headteacher and other leaders, has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Improvement planning is thorough and precise.
• Leaders monitor the quality of teaching effectively. Very clear systems are in place to help teachers improve their practice. These include team teaching, staff training sessions and ‘coaching triads’, where teachers work together in groups to evaluate each other’s teaching strategies and pupils’ progress.
• Senior leaders provide teachers with useful feedback about the quality of teaching. Staff meet regularly to discuss individual pupils and the progress of key groups. This ensures that all staff understand pupils’ starting points and their next steps in learning. The deputy headteacher makes sure that assessment procedures are of high quality and used effectively throughout the school.
• Leaders make good use of the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. The impact of this spending is good, particularly in Year 5 and Year 6. Additional teaching staff provide small-group sessions that are well planned to meet individual pupils’ needs. Assessment information and work in these pupils’ books show that this is helping pupils to achieve well.
• The school’s ethos is positive and welcoming. The headteacher is well respected by staff, parents and pupils. She makes sure that the school is a safe place for pupils and their families. The support for pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable, and those who join the school at times other than at the start of the year or key stage, is strong. Staff make sure that the high mobility of pupils is handled well and that no time is wasted in helping these pupils settle in and achieve well.
• Promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Displays around the school demonstrate staff’s high aspirations for all pupils to succeed in school and in the future. Leaders provide a range of opportunities for pupils to celebrate diversity, experience cultural celebrations and understand the importance of tolerance. Pupils are very well prepared for their experiences beyond school and in understanding their place in modern Britain.
• Learning in the classrooms is enriched by a wide range of activities. Teachers arrange for special visitors to bring learning to life in subjects such as history. Pupils enjoy a wide variety of after-school clubs, including multi-sports, drama and cooking.
• Middle leaders work together as a team effectively. Together, they ensure that the wider curriculum is engaging and exciting for pupils. Leaders have developed effective systems to track pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics. Middle leaders work alongside senior leaders to check the quality of teaching and learning in their subject areas.
• Although subjects are generally well planned, opportunities for pupils to develop their science skills are not consistently strong, especially in key stage 1. Teachers do not routinely provide pupils with activities that help to develop pupils’ investigation skills.
• Since the previous inspection, leaders have used a number of strategies very effectively to improve pupils’ attendance. Overall attendance is now in line with the national average. Although the level of persistent absence has reduced over the past two years, it remains above average.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school community and pupils’ progress and well-being. They are present at school events and come into school regularly to find out for themselves about the quality of teaching and leadership.
• Governors have supported the headteacher and other leaders well since the previous inspection. They ask questions in meetings to make sure that they understand the information they are given and to find out what leaders are doing to address any weaknesses in pupils’ outcomes.
• The governing body is improving its skillset. The chair of governors attends training opportunities and other local and national governor events to keep up to date with current legislation and to develop his understanding of accountability measures.
• Governors ensure that the performance management procedures for staff are robust, additional funds are spent wisely and that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher leads this aspect of the school’s work very well. She, together with other members of staff, makes sure that all safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. Staff training is up to date and those who spoke with inspectors demonstrated a very good understanding of the steps to follow should they have concerns about pupils’ welfare and how to manage allegations.
• The headteacher and her team provide families with the support they need. Liaison with external agencies is effective. Leaders ensure that referrals to the local authority and other agencies are timely and well monitored in order to keep children safe from harm.
• The school’s well-planned personal, social, health and economics education (PSHE) curriculum ensures that pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know the dangers associated with strangers online, for example, and how to report any concerns they have to a member of staff.
• A higher-than-average number of pupils leave and join the school at different times of the year. Leaders make sure that all pupils who leave the school, including those who move abroad, are safe and that their destinations are checked carefully. They have a secure understanding of the dangers associated with children missing in education and the procedures in place are robust.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Throughout the school, classrooms are organised, positive learning environments where pupils work well with each other and follow teachers’ instructions effectively.
• There is a strong sense of ‘togetherness’ among the teaching team. Teachers work very well with each other to share expertise, ideas and strategies in order to help pupils make good progress.
• Newly qualified teachers are an asset to the school. Leaders have helped these teachers develop their strategies and have the confidence to teach well. The school works closely with universities to provide high-quality placements for student teachers. Furthermore, leaders have supported teaching assistants in the school to gain teaching qualifications. Leaders invest highly in teachers’ ongoing development and their personal well-being.
• The teaching of phonics is good. Pupils who read with inspectors demonstrated the strategies needed to read unfamiliar words. Phonics teaching builds successfully on what pupils already know so that by the end of Year 2, pupils have the skills they need.
• Writing is taught well. Around the school, pupils are proud of their written work on display. Teachers model writing effectively, and provide a range of opportunities for pupils to write for a purpose and in subjects other than English.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support in class. Additional adults know pupils well and work closely with teachers to meet pupils’ individual needs. These pupils are helped to develop their independence skills. Support for pupils’ social and communication development is good. Well-thought-out strategies, including effective use of resources, enable pupils to engage in their learning.
• Although teachers know pupils well, they do not routinely plan activities that are sufficiently challenging, particularly for the middle-ability and most able pupils. Sometimes, these pupils are capable of more and are held back by activities that are not well matched to their needs. In mathematics, opportunities for pupils to apply their learning, solve problems and develop their reasoning skills are inconsistent.
• Leaders and teachers have worked hard to improve pupils’ reading outcomes. They have worked with parents successfully to improve the quality of reading at home. Far more pupils read at home with their families than was the case in previous years and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ enjoyment for reading and their progress. Leaders have invested in a wide range of new reading material to provide pupils with opportunities to read classic texts as well as modern fiction. This is broadening pupils’ repertoire and developing their vocabulary well.
• The school’s work to improve reading in the classroom is also beginning to have an impact. Pupils enjoy their daily reading sessions and the profile of reading has been strengthened in every classroom. However, opportunities to develop pupils’ comprehension skills are inconsistent in different year groups. This is particularly true for the most able pupils. Teachers do not routinely plan activities in reading that deepen pupils’ understanding of what they read.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils help each other in lessons and during social times. For example, the attractive ‘lunchtime stars’ display celebrates pupils who have helped others in the playground. Older pupils are keen to work with the younger ones, such as in the paired reading activities and in the computing room at lunchtimes.
• The school’s ethos promotes pupils’ welfare very effectively. Pupils are kind and considerate to others. They have opportunities to share their views and opinions, such as through the school council and by considering current affairs during assemblies.
• Pupils are well cared for by all staff. They have a good understanding of how to deal with bullying and, although it is rare, are confident that adults deal with it well.
• Staff make sure that the school provides pupils with an ‘all-round’ education, where their personal, social and emotional development is well supported. The school’s PSHE curriculum helps pupils to understand relationships, rights and responsibilities and how to deal with difficult situations. Leaders monitor this well and track pupils’ personal development closely.
• The attendance officer works closely with the headteacher to monitor pupils’ attendance. Their actions have paid off and the level of absence has reduced over the past two years. Attendance is now in line with the national average. Pupils who are persistently absent from school are also closely monitored. Work with families has had a positive impact, particularly for some pupils. However, the rate of persistent absence is still above average and remains a continuous focus for leaders.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are sensible and the school is calm and orderly.
• Pupils say that behaviour in the school is usually good and that teachers deal with any problems effectively and swiftly.
• Pupils who need more help to manage their behaviour are supported well. The headteacher, leaders and staff follow consistent routines so that pupils are clear about the consequences of their actions. Pupils understand the rules and enjoy the rewards for positive learning behaviours and showing kindness to others.
• Leaders monitor pupils’ behaviour well. They have provided additional training to lunchtime staff so that they too can support pupils to play sensibly and deal with any minor disagreements in the playground.
• Behaviour records show that staff deal with any incidents well. The headteacher works with parents effectively to support pupils’ social and behavioural needs.
• In lessons, pupils are keen to learn. They take pride in their work and their books are tidy and well presented. Sometimes, their behaviour slips when the work they are given is not sufficiently challenging or is too difficult. Most of the time, pupils are engaged and behave very well.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. Work in pupils’ books, and inspectors’ scrutiny of assessment and leadership information, shows that pupils achieve well. In all year groups, the majority of pupils are working at the standards expected for their age.
• Pupils acquire good phonics skills. In 2017, standards in the Year 1 phonics screening check were in line with the national average. By the end of Year 2, the vast majority of pupils reached the expected standard in phonics.
• In key stage 1, pupils achieve well. In 2017, the proportion of pupils that achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with the national average. Pupils currently in key stage 1 are making good progress in their learning.
• Pupils achieve well in writing. They apply phonics accurately and develop writing skills well. Pupils write neatly, learn how to spell and use punctuation and grammar consistently in longer pieces of work. In 2017, the proportion of pupils who attained the expected standard in writing was above average at the end of Year 6.
• Last year, pupils’ progress in reading was below average. Pupils who had average attainment at the end of key stage 1, and the most able pupils, did not make enough progress by the time they reached Year 6.
• Leaders have worked relentlessly to improve standards in reading. They have had most success in key stage 1 where standards are in line with the national average. The improvements to the teaching of reading are starting to have an impact. Pupils currently in the school are making good progress in reading overall. The proportion of pupils that reached the higher scores, while improving, remained below average.
• Although the proportion of pupils that achieved the expected standard in mathematics was above average, not enough pupils reached the greater depth standards. Leaders know that more needs to be done to develop pupils’ problem-solving and reasoning skills throughout the school.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders monitor their progress closely and ensure that interventions and other teaching strategies have an impact. Disadvantaged pupils in key stage 2 are making strong and often accelerated progress in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points. Teachers, the special educational needs coordinator and additional adults work together effectively to ensure that these pupils achieve their personal targets as well as making progress towards achieving the standards expected for their year group.
• Pupils achieve well in subjects other than English and mathematics. The wider curriculum is monitored well to ensure that pupils acquire skills in a range of subjects, including physical education and the arts.

Early years provision Good

• Parents are pleased with how well staff in the early years look after their children. Children settle well, make friends and respond quickly to the well-established daily routines. Children behave very well because they enjoy themselves and adults provide activities that are stimulating, engaging and fun.
• The quality of teaching is good. Teachers work well with each other, and the additional adults, to meet children’s needs. They track children’s progress carefully to ensure that any gaps in their learning are addressed quickly.
• Overall, the early years provision is well managed. Staff work well with other schools to moderate their assessments and share ideas to promote good practice ideas. From their different starting points, children make good progress across all areas of learning. The good-quality teaching and breadth of experiences in the early years help to prepare children well for their learning in Year 1.
• Children engage in a wide range of activities. Adults promote children’s literacy and mathematics skills well. There are many opportunities for children to count, write and read in different contexts, including outdoors. For example, children had good fun writing lists in the ‘igloo’, while others used a range of winter-themed objects to help them count and find answers to different addition and subtraction problems.
• Children enjoy positive and kind relationships with staff. They play happily and adults are good at building learning opportunities around children’s choices. In Reception, children have great fun retelling their Christmas story, using toys to represent the characters, buildings and scenery in the story.
• Right from the start, writing and reading are taught well. Phonics, in particular, is taught consistently well. Adults use their good subject knowledge to help children learn to use phonics in reading and writing activities. Children successfully use their phonics skills to write letters to Santa, while others write sentences to complete the story about Santa’s magic beard. Adults are always on hand to support children’s learning and help them achieve success.
• Opportunities for children in the Nursery to develop their speaking and listening skills are not consistently strong. Leaders acknowledge that more needs to be done to extend children’s talk and share the good practice that exists within the Reception Year.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 102324 Havering 10037666 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 452 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Brian Teeley Sandra Carter 01708 552 482 www.rainhamvillage.havering.sch.uk admin@rainhamvillage.havering.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 25–26 June 2013

Information about this school

• The school is a larger than average-sized primary school. There are two forms of entry in each year group, with an additional mixed-age class in Year 4 and 5.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.
• The number of pupils who receive SEN support is above average. The number who have education, health and care plans is lower than average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of the SEN information report on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes and in a range of subjects. Leaders accompanied inspectors to some lessons.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other leaders throughout the inspection. The lead inspector met with staff, newly qualified teachers and middle leaders.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils informally during lessons and as a formal group to discuss their learning. Pupils accompanied an inspector on a tour of their school to discuss the wider curriculum. Inspectors listened to pupils reading in all year groups and discussed reading with staff, pupils and parents.
• The lead inspector met with governors and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at school documents related to safeguarding, teaching and learning and pupils’ progress. They also considered school policies, governing body documents and information related to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.
• Inspectors met with parents in the playground on the first day of the inspection. They also considered the 22 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. Some parents also contributed written comments and these were taken into account.
• Inspectors considered the 51 responses to the pupil survey and the 53 responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Gary Rawlings, lead inspector Julian Grenier Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector