Ribchester St Wilfrid's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Make subject leaders more accountable for attainment and progress within their subject by:
  • developing their ability to monitor pupils’ progress from their starting points more effectively.
• Make sure that teachers set the right level of challenge so that more pupils achieve greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Develop the outside area to ensure that it fully supports children’s learning in the early years.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the last inspection, the headteacher has established a positive, ambitious culture within the school. As a result, pupils thrive. One parent said, ‘We are filled with gratitude for the professional dedication and care that the staff have shown for the welfare and education of our children.’
• The headteacher’s recent review of leaders’ roles and responsibilities has allowed her to build a united and dynamic extended leadership team. Leaders work in close collaboration with each other.
• The headteacher and governors have been unremitting in tackling poor teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes are now good.
• The special educational needs coordinator has a clear understanding of those pupils who require extra support. Interventions are put in place and reviewed on a regular basis so that pupils make good progress. SEN funding is spent wisely.
• Senior leaders have a thorough approach to monitoring teaching and assessment. They work very effectively with other schools and the local authority to improve moderation of teachers’ assessments and to secure training opportunities.
• Leaders in mathematics, English and religious education demonstrate a secure understanding of the progress that pupils make. They have the skills to analyse data and track pupils’ progress. This has led to improvements in pupils’ progress. Other leaders are less confident in reviewing data. As a result, they are not yet able to track the progress being made by pupils in their subjects.
• Leaders and staff provide a broad and balanced curriculum that excites and engages pupils. This is underpinned by a variety of trips and visitors to the school. Pupils also benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular activities such as learning guitar, multi-skills and sport. These activities nurture pupils’ interests and develop their skills well.
• Staff performance is held closely to account. The management of teachers’ performance is used effectively to reward high-quality teaching and secure improvement. Teachers are set targets linked to the impact that teaching has upon outcomes. Teachers are successfully supported by strong, targeted professional development from their learning community and the local authority.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is actively encouraged, particularly through the Christian ethos of the school.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. A Year 6 member of the school council explained, ‘I know about democracy because we voted for our rainy day playbox equipment.’ Pupils know about the key values of respect and tolerance and demonstrate these through their actions.
• The primary school physical education and sport premium is used efficiently to promote active lifestyles. Sports clubs abound. There are plenty of opportunities to compete with other schools and within the region, where pupils make their mark. Pupils benefit from regular lessons delivered by a sports coach.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively so vulnerable pupils achieve as well as other pupils nationally. Additional support is in place to specifically raise the achievement of the most able disadvantaged pupils in all year groups. School leaders are determined to build on recent improvements.
• The overwhelming majority of parents are supportive of the work of the school. Most would recommend it to another parent and they believe that the school is well led and managed. Parents appreciate the changes that have been made since the last inspection.
• Leaders communicate well with parents and external agencies to ensure that pupils are safe and happy.

Governance of the school

• Governance is good because governors:
  • have the skills and information to hold school leaders to account
  • are skilful at interpreting assessment information they receive from the headteacher
  • demonstrate a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school
  • ask informed questions and follow them up
  • ensure that their training is current and up to date and they take their responsibility for safeguarding seriously.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Those responsible for safeguarding are trained at the appropriate level. The headteacher understands her responsibility to ensure that there is always someone with responsibility for safeguarding on the school site to deal with any concerns.
• Up-to-date policies and procedures are in place and staff receive appropriate training and information. Consequently, staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil’s well-being and prompt action is taken to keep pupils safe.
• Records are kept efficiently and stored securely. Leaders work closely with outside agencies when required.
• Staff know the individual pupils well. No stone is left unturned when it comes to ensuring that pupils are safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Improvements have led to good teaching, learning and assessment across a range of subjects in the school. Weak teaching has been addressed and this has led to pupils making good progress from their starting points.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan lessons that ensure that pupils are constantly interested and on task. There is a learning ‘buzz’ in every classroom. All staff use questioning effectively to challenge pupils to think carefully and explain their answers in detail.
• Accurate assessment is used to plan lessons that help pupils to make good progress. However, at times, teachers do not use assessment effectively to plan opportunities for pupils to work at greater depth. When this lack of challenge happens, pupils’ learning slows down because work is too easy. Some pupils, particularly the most able, are ready for more demanding work.
• Time is used productively sustaining pupils’ eagerness to learn. Pupils show resilience in their learning, and the inspector saw clear examples of this in classrooms. Progress is regularly monitored during lessons and any misconceptions are dealt with on the spot.
• The broad and balanced curriculum has been designed to appeal to all pupils. There is a focus on learning science through investigations and literacy and mathematics are promoted well through the wider curriculum.
• The teaching of writing is effective, and teachers ensure that pupils learn and practise different kinds of writing.
• Pupils show a love of reading. Texts of different genres are chosen to excite and stimulate pupils’ imaginations. The most able pupils in the school read with fluency and expression. Younger pupils make good use of their improved phonic skills to sound out unfamiliar words such as ‘freight’. Pupils talk avidly about their favourite authors and the types of books that they prefer. Some pupils were so moved by the First World War poems they had listened to in class, they went on to undertake their own research of that era.
• Teachers effectively develop pupils’ ability to reason and solve problems in mathematics. Pupils in all the classes are well supported with additional equipment as and when they need it. One pupil was so enthused by his use of plastic nets to make three dimensional (3D) shapes, he said he would very much like it if Father Christmas could bring him 3D nets for Christmas.
• There is a close partnership between the teachers and teaching assistants to ensure that the needs of pupils, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, are met. Teaching assistants are knowledgeable and are deployed effectively to support pupils with their learning.
• Information is regularly shared with parents. It gives them an indication of how their children are achieving.

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 learners and their physical and emotional well-being is promoted very effectively. Pupils at Ribchester St Wilfrid’s feel that everyone works as a team to support each other.
• Pupils take pride in their school and their schoolwork. The pupils look after their books well and they take great care with their presentation in their quest to earn rewards for neat work. They are keen to improve the quality of what they produce and strive for the recognition that their good work brings.
• Without exception, parents, staff and pupils say school is a safe place. Pupils are taught to stay safe through a range of age-appropriate activities. The pupil digital leaders planned and delivered a lesson in e-safety. They helped other pupils to have secure knowledge of how to stay safe online. This was part of a thorough programme on internet safety.
• Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and know about the impact that it can have on people. Pupils say that bullying is very rare and if they have any concerns, these are dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Pupils who are elected to be on the school council play an important role in improving the school experience for all pupils. They all feel that their contributions are valued and appreciated by school leaders. Older pupils apply for responsible jobs within the school. They undergo a formal application process and only then does the applicant take up post. This prepares them for later life.
• Pupils who attend the breakfast club are safe and well-looked-after.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are kind, considerate, respectful and polite.
• Pupils’ behaviour inside and outside of the classroom is good. The start of the day is calm and orderly; pupils are punctual and well prepared for learning. During social time, pupils play happily together and behaviour observed by the inspector at break and lunchtime was sensible and positive.
• In lessons, pupils listen carefully to staff and to each other, and display self-discipline when working independently. The inspector saw very little disruption to learning when visiting classrooms. Pupils understand the behaviour and rewards systems, which are used consistently. They value the fact that good behaviour is rewarded.
• Attendance has improved. Most pupils now have good attendance. School staff work well with pupils, families and outside agencies to improve the attendance of individuals. These successful strategies have improved the attendance of those pupils who previously had higher absence rates.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils are good. Pupils are developing secure knowledge, understanding and skills from their starting points. An increasing number of pupils are starting to move towards the higher standards in key stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. However, leaders acknowledge that not enough pupils are working at greater depth or the higher standards and that this is an area for development.
• Caution needs to be taken when interpreting published data against national averages due to the small numbers in Year 2 and Year 6. For example, there were 12 pupils in the Year 6 cohort and only six in Year 2 in 2017. Consequently, the inspector took a greater account of the school’s own information on pupils’ outcomes.
• Accurate, reliable information informs leaders how well pupils are doing in English and mathematics. In 2017 national tests, Year 6 pupils made good progress in mathematics and reading and similar progress to other pupils nationally in writing.
• School records and work in pupils’ books show that good progress continues as pupils move through key stage 1 and key stage 2, notably in reading and mathematics. Progress in reading and mathematics is accelerating faster than in writing.
• The number of disadvantaged pupils in the school is very low. Case studies show that as a result of the effective spending of the pupil premium funding and close monitoring, these pupils make good progress.
• At times, a lack of challenge means outcomes for the most able pupils and the most able disadvantaged pupils are not improving towards those of other pupils with the same starting points as quickly as they should.
• With only 13 pupils in Year 1 in 2015 and eight in 2016, the published results for the phonic screening check should be treated with caution. Although just over half reached the required standard, the school’s own tracking system shows that many more are on track to achieve the standard this academic year. Observations of phonics teaching made during the inspection confirm that this is the case for this group of pupils.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points. Work in books shows they are now reaching age-related standards in reading and mathematics as they move through the school. Differences between their performance and that of their peers are diminishing.
• The SEN coordinator uses the extra funding efficiently to ensure that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. Leaders organise provision for these pupils effectively, identify their needs promptly and provide targeted support that makes sure that they do not get left behind.
• Pupils’ good achievement and strong personal development ensures that they are well prepared for their next stage in education.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership and management of the early years are good. The early years leader has an accurate overview of the strengths and priorities for development. All aspects of safeguarding and health and safety are managed well.
• The leader has established very good links with parents. Parents are invited to ‘drop-in mornings’ and receive good communication about their children’s progress. Parents are encouraged to participate in their children’s learning and to contribute to the records of children’s progress. The school provides sessions for parents to learn about how their children are taught and to support their children at home.
• The early years leader has a good grasp of assessment developed in collaboration with other schools. As a result, the tracking of the children’s progress is accurate and well informed. Evidence of the progress children make is clearly recorded and information made available to parents.
• The leader and her teaching assistant use reflective practice to constantly improve the early years offer. Children are taught effectively in the early years. Staff have created a lively, stimulating indoor environment. This provides children with a good range of opportunities to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills across all areas of learning. Children respond well and behaviour is good. They persevere with tasks and show concentration and good cooperation with their peers.
• The outside does not support children’s learning as well as it could. It is not used often enough to promote physical activity or aspects of reading, writing and number.
• Children are presented with activities that grab and hold their attention. An example of this was a group of boys who were dashing round to find blocks to build a wall. When the inspector asked them why they were in such a hurry, one said, ‘Well, there are carnivorous dinosaurs coming to get us. Not herbivores! So, we could get eaten if we don’t build the wall.’
• Additional funds are used successfully to close the attainment difference for very small numbers of disadvantaged pupils. Adults question children well and encourage them to speak. Children in the early years make good progress and are well prepared for moving to Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 119571 Lancashire 10042443 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 Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 83 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Tim Rainford Angela Cottam 01254 878 300 www.st-wilfrids-ce12.lancsngfl.ac.uk head@ribchester-st-wilfrids.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 February 2016

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• There are four classes. The early years comprises of children in the early years and Year 1. There is a key stage 1 class which contains Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. Then there are two key stage 2 classes, one for Years 3 and 4, and another for Years 5 and 6.
• The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils in the school is much lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan or pupils receiving special educational needs support is significantly lower than the national average.
• There is a breakfast club which is run by the governing body.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching and learning across the four classes in the school.
• Meetings and discussions were held with the headteacher, members of staff, a representative from the local authority and the diocese, parents and pupils. The inspector also met with some members of the governing body.
• Observations were made of pupils’ behaviour at the beginning of the day, at lunchtime, breaktime and in the classroom.
• The inspector examined a wide range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, the school’s information on pupils’ outcomes and reports on the quality of teaching.
• The inspector listened to pupils read and looked at examples of their work in books from the wider curriculum, alongside the English and mathematics leads.
• Account was taken of the 54 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire completed by parents. Responses to the questionnaires completed by pupils and teachers were also considered.

Inspection team

Maggie Parker, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector