Kew Riverside Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • middle leaders have sufficient opportunities to measure the impact of their work to improve the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility
  • leaders set consistently clear timescales for improvement and communicate these effectively to all staff.
• Increase pupils’ progress in writing by ensuring that:
  • pupils have sufficient opportunities to apply their grammatical, punctuation and spelling skills by writing at length and in their topic work
  • teachers provide pupils with clear guidance on how to develop their handwriting skills and how to present their work.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has a thorough understanding of the school’s effectiveness. He has high expectations for the pupils of Kew Riverside Primary School and has made sure that leaders, staff and pupils share these expectations.
• For a variety of reasons, several leaders have had periods of absence over the last year. However, the strong leadership of the headteacher has ensured that the school continues to provide a good standard of education.
• Following his appointment in September 2015, the headteacher identified that leaders and staff needed to have higher expectations for pupils’ conduct. Consequently, he introduced a new approach to managing and recording incidents of poor behaviour. Staff now identify concerns promptly and provide pupils with the support they need to manage their own behaviour. School records show that the number of incidents had reduced significantly over the last term. Staff, pupils and parents are very positive about these changes.
• Staff say that senior leaders listen to and value their suggestions. Consequently, leaders and staff have a shared understanding of what the school does well and what needs to be improved further.
• Senior leaders hold teachers to account for the quality of teaching and its impact on how well pupils learn. They identify accurately aspects of teaching that need strengthening and provide teachers with appropriate guidance on how to improve their practice. This has ensured that the quality of teaching, over time, has remained good.
• Middle leaders are clear about the action they need to take to strengthen teaching in their areas of responsibility. However, they have had insufficient opportunities to check the impact of their work. Consequently, some improvements, particularly in writing, have not happened as quickly as leaders had planned.
• Last year, senior leaders introduced a new system for checking how well pupils learn in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers now make detailed, accurate assessments of what pupils know or can do. As a result, leaders and staff identify pupils who are underachieving and provide additional support to help them catch up quickly.
• Senior leaders evaluate carefully how to make the best use of additional funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, these pupils develop positive attitudes to their learning and make progress that is at least in line with that of their peers.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively. A member of the leadership team acts as the school’s ‘pupil premium champion’. Together with the headteacher, she ensures that disadvantaged pupils receive well-targeted support during lessons or in additional, small-group teaching sessions. As a result, the majority of these pupils, including the most able, make similar rates of progress to other pupils nationally.
• Leaders have made sure that the primary school sport funding is spent well. Pupils appreciate the wide range of physical activities that they can take part in. Examples include table tennis at playtimes and competitive events with other schools.
• Some parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, expressed concerns regarding recent turbulence in the leadership team. However, the majority of parents are pleased with the school, particularly its friendly atmosphere.
• Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their learning in different topics and subjects. In some year groups, inspectors found effective examples of pupils using their English skills to support their learning in different curriculum subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils wrote high-quality poems and newspaper reports based on their Second World War history topic. However, overall, leaders acknowledge that pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise their basic skills in their science and topic work. This slows pupils’ progress in writing.
• The curriculum strongly promotes the values of tolerance and equality. Pupils understand the importance of being respectful. One pupil told inspectors, ‘We have to treat others fairly because we are all equal.’ This comment is an accurate reflection of how pupils behave towards each other and adults in the school.

Governance of the school

• The governors have played a key role in ensuring that the school maintains a good quality of education. They bring a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience to their roles and are committed to improving the school further.
• Governors have an in-depth understanding of the quality of teaching and learning across the school. They are also aware of how well pupils achieve in different year groups. This includes pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, governors are able to provide leaders with effective support and challenge. For example, together with the local authority, governors have arranged for the leadership team to work alongside an experienced leader from another school. Although in its early stages, this support is already helping leaders to speed up pupils’ progress in writing.
• Governors are rigorous in their approach to pupils’ safety and welfare. For example, they have organised regular external audits of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding. They also attend training regularly to make sure that they are up to date on current safeguarding guidance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and staff are vigilant in promoting pupils’ welfare. They work as a cohesive team to ensure that pupils are kept safe and feel safe.
• Senior leaders have ensured that staff are clear about how to identify pupils who may be at risk from abuse. This includes pupils who may be at risk of radicalisation, female genital mutilation or abuse that occurs online. Staff understand what to do if they have a concern and follow school procedures correctly. Leaders seek guidance and support from external agencies where necessary. This means that vulnerable pupils receive promptly the help and protection they need.
• Leaders have ensured that all staff have undergone the necessary pre-employment checks and are suitable to work in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment, over time, is good.
• Teachers use detailed assessment information to plan learning that is at the right level for all pupils, including the most able.
• Teaching is particularly effective in Year 5 and Year 6. This is because teachers have high expectations and provide precise guidance so pupils know how to be successful.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well and develop positive attitudes to learning. This is because teaching assistants are highly skilled in adapting the learning activities to meet the needs of individual pupils.
• Teachers question pupils carefully to explore and challenge their understanding. This is particularly evident in the teaching of reading in key stage 2. As a result, pupils think deeply about the texts they read and are able to make decisions about the most effective way to answer a question.
• In mathematics, teachers make sure that pupils have frequent opportunities to master and apply their calculation skills. The most able pupils told inspectors that they have to complete more demanding problems that challenge their thinking. These views were endorsed by the work inspectors saw in pupils’ books.
• Teachers are skilled in demonstrating how to write different types of text. This means that pupils approach their writing with confidence because they understand what is expected of them. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise their grammatical, spelling and punctuation skills by writing at length or in their topic work. Consequently, pupils do not always produce writing at the standard of which they are capable. Nevertheless, overall, the majority of pupils make good progress in writing.
• Teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient guidance on how to develop their handwriting skills. This slows the progress they make in writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school has a calm and friendly atmosphere. Pupils appreciate how this helps them to learn well.
• In lessons, pupils encourage each other with their learning. They share their ideas enthusiastically and listen carefully to each other and adults.
• Staff are skilled in identifying and meeting pupils’ emotional and social needs. Pupils are confident that adults will help them if they are worried. Consequently, pupils feel safe and are able to focus on their learning.
• Pupils across the school say that discriminatory behaviour, including bullying, is rare. They state that staff take bullying seriously and will deal with any concerns quickly. This matches the school’s own records of discriminatory behaviour. However, inspectors found that younger pupils do not always understand the difference between bullying and friends merely having disagreements with each other.
• Pupils are keen to learn and take pride in their achievements. However, staff do not set consistently high expectations for how pupils present their work. Some writing in pupils’ books is untidy and does not reflect their positive attitudes to learning.
• Staff have ensured that pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including when they use the internet. For example, pupils in Year 2 could explain the importance of not sharing personal details when they are online.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders, staff and pupils share high expectations for behaviour. The new behaviour policy has had a clear impact on improving how well pupils play and learn together. Leaders have ensured that all staff understand and follow this policy consistently. Consequently, the vast majority of pupils are able to manage their own behaviour, both during lessons and around the school.
• Pupils say that their learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour and that teachers deal with it quickly and fairly. This matches the behaviour observed by inspectors.
• In the playground, pupils get along together well. One pupil told inspectors, ‘I love playtimes because we are all friends together and the teachers take care of us.’
• Parents appreciate the work of staff to ensure that pupils behave well in school. They are supportive of the new systems to manage behaviour.
• Overall, pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average. However, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is below that of other pupils in the school and nationally. Leaders have taken effective action to address this. Last term, their attendance improved considerably and was just below the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From their different starting points, the vast majority of the current pupils are making good progress in reading and mathematics. However, pupils’ progress in writing is not as rapid or strong. Leaders are taking effective action to address this.
• Most pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds make good progress, particularly in reading and mathematics. Leaders and staff are quick to identify pupils who are falling behind and provide them with additional support to help them catch up quickly.
• By the time they leave Year 6, a greater proportion of pupils achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics than is the case nationally. This means that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Teachers encourage pupils to read regularly and widely, both at school and at home. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy reading and that staff make sure that they read books that challenge them. As a result, pupils achieve well in reading. In the 2016 key stage 2 test, the progress of Year 6 pupils was significantly above the national average. This includes the most able pupils and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• In the 2016 statutory assessments, a greater proportion of Year 6 pupils achieved the higher levels than was the case nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because teachers provide the most able pupils with challenging activities to ensure that they achieve the standard of which they are capable.
• High-quality phonics teaching has ensured that an above-average proportion of Year 1 pupils meets the required standard in the phonics screening check. Disadvantaged pupils also achieve well and do better than other pupils nationally.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress that is at least in line with that of their peers. This is because leaders and staff have high expectations for what these pupils can achieve and plan carefully to meet their needs.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years receive a strong start to their school lives. Leaders have worked with passion and determination to drive further improvements in the provision.
• From their different starting points, all children make at least good progress. Consequently, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has increased significantly over the last three years and is now above the national average. This means that children are ready for their learning in Year 1.
• Leaders have ensured that children from disadvantaged backgrounds make good progress. In 2016, the proportion of disadvantaged children who achieved a good level of development was higher than for other pupils nationally.
• The early years leader is highly skilled in identifying children’s next steps in learning. Consequently, learning activities are well matched to children’s needs and interests.
• Staff plan and organise the learning environment to help children develop the confidence they need to try new activities and make choices about how they learn. This contributes to the good progress children make in the early years.
• High-quality phonics teaching ensures that children are quick to develop the skills they need to read and write well. They are keen to use their phonics knowledge to write independently. This is because staff are skilled in providing resources and activities that capture children’s imagination and motivate them to write.
• Parents that spoke to inspectors were complimentary about the way staff had helped their child settle in quickly and feel secure. One parent told inspectors, ‘My child loves it here. He can’t wait to get to school.’
• Staff are skilled in building children’s confidence and self-esteem. Inspectors observed a particularly effective example of this at the start of the school day. Teachers encouraged children to share examples of something they had achieved outside school. These examples were then added to a ‘celebration tree’ on display in the classroom. Children were proud of their achievements as well as those of their peers.
• Leaders have ensured that all statutory safeguarding requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number 133343 Local authority Richmond upon Thames Inspection number 10023744 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 194 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Sabina Mangosi Regan Headteacher Mr Darren Norman Telephone number 0208 4878437 Website www.kewriverside.richmond.sch.uk Email address info@kewriverside.richmond.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 July 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards for the minimum that pupils should achieve by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6.
• Kew Riverside Primary School is an average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is below the national average.
• The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.
• Compared with other schools nationally, the school has a broadly average percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons in every year group. These consisted of short, focused visits to classrooms as well as longer observations of pupils’ learning. The majority of visits were carried out jointly with senior leaders.
• Pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and during playtimes was observed.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documentation and policies relating to pupils’ behaviour and welfare. This included the single central record of pre-employment checks and the school’s records of poor behaviour, including incidents of bullying.
• Inspectors listened to pupils from Year 3 and Year 6 read. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their attitudes to reading and the types of books they read.
• Meetings were held with leaders to evaluate the impact of their work. Inspectors also met with representatives from the governing body and a representative from the local authority, and spoke to staff formally and informally.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally to evaluate their attitudes to learning and how pupils behaved in school.
• Pupils’ work in different subjects was scrutinised alongside the school’s current information on pupils’ achievement.
• The school’s self-evaluation of its effectiveness and current plans for improvement were scrutinised by inspectors.
• Inspectors took account of the 71 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They also spoke to parents informally before school.

Inspection team

Sarah Murphy-Dutton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector David Robinson Ofsted Inspector Lisa Farrow Ofsted Inspector