Ryefield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Accelerate the progress for all pupils, particularly the most able, including the most able disadvantaged, by:
  • ensuring that they are consistently challenged to deepen their learning in a wide range of subjects
  • teachers using questions even more effectively to extend pupils’ thinking across the curriculum.
• Improve the impact of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders routinely monitor all pupils’ progress in phonics throughout the year so that the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check continues to increase towards the national average.
• Improve the provision in the early years by providing more opportunities for the most able children to excel in their learning and reach their full potential.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has worked diligently to improve the curriculum because he recognised it was not going to challenge and improve outcomes for pupils. For example, he has introduced a new reading programme to capture pupils’ interests and so improve the quality of both reading and writing across the school. As a result, pupils’ progress has accelerated in writing.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school and their children’s progress. In the words of one parent, ‘I appreciate the headteacher’s focus on educating the whole child with an emphasis on the well-being of the child as well as the academic development.’
• Staff feel valued and respected by leaders. They talk confidently about some of the initiatives introduced by leaders, such as the learning walls. This helps them to gain a better understanding of the standards expected of pupils of all ages.
• The curriculum is broad and offers pupils a breadth of learning activities to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in a wide range of subjects. It is organised through topics and high-quality children’s books. The work in pupils’ books shows that they make good gains in their learning in a range of subjects like science and geography. Pupils’ learning is enriched beyond the classroom through a range of activities such as clubs, educational visits to museums and camping trips.
• The pupil premium funding is used effectively to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. The funds are spent in a variety of ways such as providing online tuition in reading for pupils in Year 6. The 2017 provisional assessment shows that there was an improvement in the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading at the end of key stage 2.
• Leaders provide effective leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The funds are used wisely to meet the pupils’ specific needs. For example, leaders work closely with other professionals such as an educational psychologist and speech and language therapist to support these pupils. As a result, this group of pupils make good progress.
• The sports funding is used wisely to improve facilities to teach physical education. This includes providing schemes of work to support teachers to deliver this aspect of the curriculum well, and sports coaches offer a range of sports clubs such as dodgeball. There are more opportunities for pupils to participate in sporting activities beyond the school. For example, a group of girls in the dance team represented the local authority at the London games. This helps pupils to live healthy lifestyles.
• Leaders actively develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education effectively. The School Creed is at the heart of leaders’ work in developing values such as respect, kindness and honesty. Pupils told inspectors that the School Creed is linked to British values, for example being tolerant and respectful of each other. Pupils are well prepared to play their part in the diverse British society.
• Directors of Vyners Learning Trust provide effective support to the school and hold leaders to account on pupils’ performance. For example, teachers from the secondary school completed targeted work in mathematics with some girls at Ryefield Primary. The impact of this work was evident in the 2017 provisional assessment information that shows the proportion of girls who achieved the higher standards in mathematics was above the national average.
• Although leaders track pupils’ progress in phonics across the year, they recognise this could be stronger to secure accelerated progress for some pupils. They have a plan in place to address this and the remaining weaknesses in the teaching of phonics.

Governance of the school

• Directors of the trust have helped the local governing body and they share good practice across the schools in the trust. Governors and leaders of the school present reports on key performance indicators to the directors who challenge leaders on the school’s performance.
• Governors play an important role in the strategic direction of the school. They have an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement. Consequently, they have correctly identified priorities to improve outcomes for pupils.
• Members of the governing body ask searching questions about pupils’ progress, their attendance and quality of education. Examples include questions about the attainment and progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are very well versed in the school’s internal procedures for raising concerns about a pupil, should they need to. They are well trained on safeguarding matters such as the ‘Prevent’ duty, and know how to identify changes in pupils’ behaviour and raise concerns.
• Leaders’ liaison with external agencies and parents is effective to ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for. An overwhelming majority of parents responding to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that their children are safe at school and well looked after.
• Governors regularly meet with the designated safeguarding leader to monitor the school’s internal procedures, including referrals made to the local authority.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders continually improve the quality of teaching through setting targets for teachers, offering training and monitoring of learning. Consequently, most pupils make good progress in a range of subjects.
• Pupils learn in a supportive and stimulating environment. Pupils support each other in their learning and assessment. For example, ‘expert learners’, who have grasped a mathematical concept quickly, help their peers with their learning. This boosts pupils’ self-confidence and develops their independence as learners.
• Reading is given a high profile in the school and is taught effectively. There are a wide range of high-quality children’s books displayed around the school and in classrooms to promote the joy of reading. Pupils told inspectors they enjoy reading and read regularly both at home and school. Younger pupils read well using their phonics knowledge and skills to read unfamiliar words. Older pupils read with fluency and accuracy, demonstrating a good understanding of texts they read.
• The teaching of writing is effective. Pupils write in a range of styles and contexts in a wide range of subjects across the curriculum. Pupils are given opportunities to use their imagination to write in role. For example, Year 1 pupils wrote letters to Goldilocks from the perspective of baby bear. This creative approach to writing promotes the overall quality of pupils’ written work. Pupils apply their grammar and punctuation skills well to their writing in literacy. As a result, pupils make good progress and are developing writing skills expected for their age.
• The work in pupils’ mathematics books shows that they make good progress overall. Pupils develop a good understanding of mathematical concepts and skills, and are given opportunities to apply these skills to problem-solving activities.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in their learning during lesson time by well-trained teaching assistants and teachers. Consequently, this group of pupils make good progress, as is evident in the school’s assessment information and their books.
• Sometimes, the work in pupils’ books and class teachers’ questioning show that pupils are not sufficiently challenged across a wide range of subjects. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils, including the disadvantaged. As a result, this group of pupils do not make as much progress as they could. Leaders are aware of this.
• The teaching of phonics could be even better. During visits to lessons, inspectors observed some weaknesses, such as pupils’ misconceptions not being addressed at the point of learning. This prevents pupils from making accelerated progress and impacts on their progress in reading and writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident, articulate and motivated learners. They exhibit good attitudes to learning. There is a caring culture in classrooms, where pupils support each other in their learning. This results in the good progress that pupils make in their learning across the curriculum.
• Pupils are of the view that bullying is rare. They have trust and confidence in adults who take their concerns seriously. There are worry boxes in classrooms, where pupils can post their worries. Pupils are taught about the different forms of bullying through the personal, social, health and economic curriculum.
• Pupils willingly take on additional roles in school, such as school councillor and house captain. This helps to develop pupils’ leadership and social skills.
• Pupils develop a sense of social responsibility through raising funds for children who are less fortunate than themselves. This shows that they are caring and empathise with children beyond their own school community.
• Pupils say they feel safe at school. They talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe online and the school’s systems, such as filters, to keep pupils safe when surfing the net. Pupils are taught how to stay safe through a range of activities such as assemblies, visitors and workshops.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils know the school’s behaviour management systems well. They talk assuredly about the school’s rewards and sanctions systems and report that there is very little poor behaviour.
• Pupils are polite, respectful and extremely well mannered. They are true representatives of the school who take great pride in their school. Their achievements are celebrated, which boosts their confidence as learners.
• Pupils conduct themselves very well around the school. Playtimes and lunchtimes are fun and safe with a range of activities to help pupils develop friendships and engage in healthy activities. Good behaviour ensures a prompt start to lessons with calm and orderly lining up.
• Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils’ attendance and it is now in line with the national average. Similarly, persistent absence has reduced. Leaders are aware that the attendance of pupils who are eligible for free school meals remains a key focus.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The quality of teaching is mainly good across the school. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress carefully in reading, writing and mathematics. They identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills in different subjects, and put in place support and interventions to close them. As a result, a very large majority of pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.
• At the end of key stage 1, in 2017, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard was close to the national average in reading and writing, and above the national average in mathematics.
• In 2017, the pupils in Year 6 made good progress to attain the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics so that their achievement was in line with national averages.
• Funding for disadvantaged pupils is used to good effect to improve outcomes. Leaders have put in place a range of strategies to support this group of pupils. For example, they have utilised the funds to purchase a resource pack that will help leaders to identify the learning gaps and provide resources to improve outcomes for pupils. School assessment information and the work in these pupils’ books show that they make good progress in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in their learning. This is evident in the work in their books. This is due to effective support and well-focused, timely interventions which meet these pupils’ individual needs.
• The 2017 provisional assessment information shows that more pupils achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. However, this remains below the national average. This is because there are a few weaknesses in the teaching of phonics and this impedes progress.
• The school’s assessment information and the work in pupils’ books show that the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are not challenged sufficiently across a range of subjects. As a result, they do not make as much progress as they could and so do not reach their full potential.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have an accurate picture of the strengths and areas for improvement in the early years. They provide effective leadership.
• The majority of children enter the Reception Year with knowledge, skills and understanding that are typical for their age in communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development. In 2017, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development was well above the national average. This means that children make good progress and are well prepared for their learning at key stage 1.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to improve outcomes for children who are eligible for free school meals. In 2016, funds were used to improve children’s oral language. As a result, in 2017, the outcomes for these children improved. The proportion of children who achieved a good level of development was above the national average when compared with other children nationally. This gives them a good start to their future learning.
• Few children enter the Reception Year with knowledge and skills that are beyond what is typical for their age. However, these children do not leave the early years exceeding the early learning goals. This means that this group of children are not sufficiently challenged in their learning and consequently do not make good progress.
• Children learn in a vivid and stimulating learning environment. There are many opportunities for children to engage in activities to support their learning and development. For example, the mathematics area supports children’s development and understanding of number through the effective use of resources such as number lines.
• Children are very well behaved and remain engaged in learning activities. They are caring, eager to please and work well together. They learn and play happily together.
• Adults work closely with external agencies to support children in their learning and to help those whose circumstances make them vulnerable.
• Parents and staff enjoy good relationships. There are opportunities for parents to contribute to their child’s learning and development through the school’s online system. Leaders provide workshops for parents, such as on reading and phonics, to support them in helping their children at home.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141718 Hillingdon 10041082 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 Academy converter 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 435 Appropriate authority Vyners Learning Trust Chair Headteacher Pamela Nash Colin Tucker Telephone number 01895 547 036 Website Email address www.ryefieldprimary.org.uk ryefield.enquiries@ryefieldprimary.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school converted to academy status on 1 February 2015 to form a multi-academy trust with Vyners School. The name of the trust is Vyners Learning Trust. The Vyners Academy Trust was formed on 1 November 2011, and changed its name after Ryefield Primary School joined the trust. The school receives support from the trust and the secondary school.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2016. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.
• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils receiving special educational needs support is above average.
• The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is broadly average.
• There is a breakfast club and after-school clubs which are managed privately.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 30 lessons or parts of lessons to observe pupils’ learning, some of which were joint observations with senior leaders. Inspectors scrutinised a range of pupils’ books within and outside lessons.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils during playtimes, lunchtimes and during lessons. They also spoke formally to one group of pupils. Four pupils accompanied an inspector on a tour of the school. This gave pupils an opportunity to share their learning experiences.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 2, 3, 4 and 6.
• The lead inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the chair of the governing body and four other governors. A meeting was also held with one of the directors from the trust.
• Inspectors considered 47 responses to Parent View and 27 free-text responses. They met with parents informally in the playground at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors spoke to staff both formally and informally during this inspection.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement, assessment information, and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

Inspection team

Rajeshree Mehta, lead inspector Kirstie Fulthorpe Roger Easthope

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector