River View Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Raise outcomes for pupils, particularly across the wider curriculum, by: creating more opportunities to increase pupils’ skills and knowledge across a range of subjects, while maintaining focus on standards in English and mathematics.
• Strengthen the impact of leaders’ actions on outcomes for pupils by ensuring that: the impact of initiatives funded through the pupil premium is measured against specific target outcomes for pupils analysis of the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes against precise measurable targets in subject plans provides governors with sufficient information to challenge leaders even more effectively.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• As the result of effective strategic direction, the school has been on a journey of rapid improvement and is now securing better outcomes for pupils. Senior leaders and governors understand the causes of previous underperformance. Their evaluation of the school’s performance is realistic and accurate. School improvement planning now focuses on the right priorities.
• Pupils have previously underachieved in reading. Leaders have made improving outcomes in reading a priority and introduced new strategies, including daily sessions, to help pupils develop their fluency skills. This is resulting in pupils’ accelerated progress as readers.
• Systems to check the performance of teachers are used both to help them develop professionally and to improve provision for pupils. Leaders have successfully addressed weaker teaching so that it improves.
• The school has introduced an effective, detailed performance tracking system which clearly identifies pupils’ attainment at different points in the year and how individual pupils are progressing. This enables leaders to take prompt action to support pupils who are at risk of falling behind.
• Middle leaders are enthusiastic about their role in monitoring progress and supporting staff. Their work on developing teachers’ expertise and planning the curriculum collaboratively is having a positive impact. However, leaders do not always ensure that the challenge in pupils’ work, in subjects other than English and mathematics, is sufficient to help pupils achieve as well as they should.
• School leaders have a good understanding of the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. This enables them to ensure that teachers support pupils well. As a result, these pupils are making good progress from their starting points. The leadership of the resource provisions is a strength. Learning activities are closely matched to pupils’ needs, which ensures that they make rapid progress.
• Leaders’ support for disadvantaged pupils is effective. The school allocates pupil premium funding in various ways. These include enrichment activities, trips and additional staff support for learning. However, some plans, including the pupil premium plan, are not assessed in detail to identify which strategies for improvement have the most positive and rapid impact on pupils’ learning.
• Leaders evaluate the impact of the physical education (PE) and sport premium to ensure that it is used effectively to engage pupils in physical activities. The premium is used to provide sports coaching that has a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to PE and ensures good quality professional development for teachers.
• Leaders ensure that there is an extensive extra-curricular programme for pupils. Many clubs enhance sporting provision and, as a result, the school has won many trophies. Leaders identify which groups of pupils attend these activities to analyse the impact for specific learners, including children in care. When they notice that some pupils are missing out, they make sure those children also experience extra-curricular clubs and visits.
• The wider curriculum provides opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about different faiths and were able to discuss their knowledge of different religions with inspectors. However, in some subjects, such as history and geography, pupils do not always have the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in depth.
• The majority of parents and carers who spoke to inspectors or who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, are happy with the quality of education and care that their children receive.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective.
  • Governors meet their statutory duties, including their responsibility for ensuring that the school keeps pupils safe.
  • Governors are knowledgeable and communicate the aspirations for the school. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths, ambitions and areas for improvement. Governors conduct ‘fact-finding’ visits in order to improve their understanding of the school. These visits have a particular focus, such as safeguarding, reading or talking with pupils and looking at their work. This then enables them to check up on the progress of the school’s priorities.
  • The minutes of governing body and committee meetings indicate that governors discuss the progress of pupils during the academic year. However, they do not have a thorough enough knowledge of the effectiveness of the allocation of the funding for disadvantaged pupils. This is because plans for some uses of this funding lack measurable targets for the impact on pupils’ outcomes.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have created a positive culture and ethos where safeguarding is an important part of everyday life.
• Any concerns about pupils’ well-being are carefully recorded. Effective relationships with a wide range of external agencies are well established and ensure that pupils are kept safe and their welfare needs are met.
• Appropriate checks are made on staff who work at the school. All staff have received relevant training in all aspects of safeguarding and, as a result, they are able to recognise possible signs of concern.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved rapidly this year. Consequently, a greater proportion of current pupils are making strong progress and are reaching the expected standards for their age.
• Leaders have demonstrated a capacity to improve the quality of teaching and learning through the consistent approach developed in the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils underpin successful teaching throughout the school. Staff work successfully as a team. For example, meetings about pupils’ progress involve a team of staff to identify any pupils falling behind and provide effective support where needed.
• In most lessons, teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan interesting and challenging lessons based on pupils’ needs. Pupils try their best in all that is asked of them. For example, pupils persevered and used their mathematical skills and knowledge when learning about the addition of fractions in key stage 2.
• The profile of reading is high in the school. Adults listen to pupils read regularly. Phonics is taught well and this has led to consistently high outcomes in the phonics screening check for pupils at the end of Year 1. Pupils use their skills well to tackle unfamiliar words. Older pupils read fluently and with comprehension.
• Teaching assistants play a valuable role in supporting pupils’ learning across the school. Their subject knowledge has improved along with that of teachers and is used carefully to prompt and question pupils. Support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, including in the resource provisions, is enhanced by the skilled contribution of teaching assistants.
• Arrangements to assess pupils have been revised successfully. Consequently, staff use information about pupils’ learning with much more precision when deciding on the next steps in teaching.
• Learning in subjects other than English and mathematics is variable. In some subjects, such as science, pupils are able to develop their knowledge and understanding as lessons build on previous learning. In other subjects, such as history and geography, pupils’ learning is sometimes not as effective as there are not as many opportunities to deepen their understanding.
• In the majority of classes, pupils’ misconceptions are addressed effectively. Teachers quickly intervene and provide verbal feedback to move pupils’ learning on. On the occasions when teachers do not notice pupils’ errors as quickly, pupils do not develop understanding and build appropriately on their prior learning.
• Homework set for pupils, coupled with guidance and workshops for parents, ensures that pupils are able to consolidate and extend their learning at home.

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 in expressing their views and ideas with each other or to adults. They are proud of the responsibilities that they take on, such as being an ambassador for new starters to help pupils new to the school to feel welcome. Responsibilities of this sort allow pupils to make an excellent contribution to school life.
• Leaders recognise that many pupils’ limited experiences of the wider world narrow their knowledge and skills. Staff are dedicated to the promotion and development of activities, including at weekends, which contribute strongly to pupils’ personal, social, moral and cultural education. For example, the ‘Friday Club’ gives pupils opportunities to grow as young people and be ready for the next stage of their education.
• Pupils benefit from activities about safety and online safety. They have an understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a range of different situations, including when they are online.
• Pupils are aware of the importance of keeping fit, eating healthily and being physically active. Pupils could also discuss how they share their worries if any arise.
• The school works very effectively with other agencies to meet the needs of the most vulnerable pupils. There is a good working relationship with the virtual school head from Salford local authority, who requires the school to send information about attainment and attendance for children who are in care. Leaders ensure that there is an effective assessment and planning process in place which supports their individual needs. As a result, outcomes for children in care are improving, both academically and for their health and well-being.
• Leaders and staff are clear that pupils must always respect one another, and pupils successfully rise to these expectations. Pupils say that they feel safe and that bullying is rare. They know how to respond should they have any worries and are confident that staff will listen and take their concerns seriously.
• Pupils who are educated in the school’s specialist resourced provision are supported very effectively in their learning. This is because pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding are developed in a sympathetic and understanding way as a result of the excellent relationships staff have established.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils conduct themselves very well in class and around school. They respect one another, listen well and take responsibility for their own behaviour.
• Staff use the school’s reward systems consistently and to good effect. As a result, pupils are motivated to behave well and low-level disruption is decreasing.
• Leaders and staff provide good support to pupils who have emotional and behavioural needs. Leaders analyse behaviour incidents to identify pupils who might require additional support.
• Leaders work closely and relentlessly with families and external agencies to improve attendance. The school’s strategies have led to improved attendance rates that are now in line with national averages for all pupils. Leaders’ initiatives to reduce persistent absence has also been effective. Consequently, the rate of persistent absence is now much improved and in line with the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Leaders took effective action when, in 2016 and 2017, pupils’ progress in reading by the end of Year 6 dropped to the bottom 20% of schools. As a result, standards in reading have risen. This means that current pupils make good progress in English and mathematics and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Inconsistencies in the quality of learning opportunities in subjects other than English and mathematics mean that pupils’ progress is uneven across the wider curriculum. Pupils’ work shows that their progress is variable, especially in history, geography and religious education.
• Funding for supporting disadvantaged pupils is increasingly well targeted, so the progress of these pupils has improved. The close focus on their needs has helped pupils to catch up with their peers in the majority of year groups. Nevertheless, leaders do not analyse closely the impact of interventions, so they do not know which interventions have the most effect on improving outcomes rapidly.
• The most able pupils make good progress over time. The school provides good opportunities for them to extend their learning in lessons.
• The proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been above the national average over the last two years.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making good progress as a result of accurate early identification and effective additional support. The school has identified the ongoing barriers to learning and put in place additional measures to promote rapid learning.
• Pupils in the specialist resource base make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is a result of bespoke activities and topics matched to their needs.

Early years provision Good

• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception is above national figures. Progress is strong in all aspects of learning.
• The leadership of early years is a strength. Leaders regularly evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that children receive effective provision. Leaders’ actions have resulted in continuously improving progress. Consequently, children are increasingly well prepared for their learning in Year 1.
• Leaders take action, informed by effective planning, to make sure that disadvantaged children receive the support that they need. As a result, disadvantaged children make good progress from their starting points. The proportion of disadvantaged children who meet the early learning goals is in line with other children in the cohort.
• Adults have high expectations for children’s learning. They ensure that there is an element of challenge in learning activities that they provide. Opportunities are taken by adults to extend children’s learning. For example, through effective questioning, children learning about place value were further challenged with problems relating to addition and subtraction.
• Based on accurate assessment, adults provide a wide range of well-planned and creative activities which stimulate children’s learning. As a result, children sustain concentration well and develop their independence. This results in good levels of engagement and positive behaviour.
• The early years leaders, along with the early years staff team, ensure that the statutory welfare requirements are met.
• Parents say that their children settle quickly and successfully into school because of the support that they receive from staff. Well-attended workshops ensure that parents receive relevant and helpful information about their children’s learning and how they can support them further at home. Parents also have opportunities to observe learning in the mornings.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 136076 Salford 10045918 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 Community school 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 513 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Michael Thorpe Daniel Gauld 01619 212 670 www.riverviewprimary.co.uk riverview.primaryschool@salford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 18 June 2014

Information about this school

• This is a larger than average-sized primary school.
• The school has two language resources for speech and language and provision for children with autistic spectrum disorder.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment by the end of key stage 2.
• The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for support through pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is also above average.
• There are more pupils from minority ethnic groups than the national average and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also above the national figure.
• The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed 23 lessons or parts of lessons, of which 10 were jointly observed with senior leaders.
• Inspectors heard pupils read.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders and members of staff, and spoke to groups of pupils.
• Inspectors met four governors, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector spoke to representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors spoke to parents around the school. In addition, they evaluated 22 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as 21 free-text responses. Inspectors also took account of 205 responses to the pupil survey and 49 responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including those relating to the school’s self-evaluation, the governing body meeting minutes, improvement plans, and school information on pupils’ recent attainment and progress.
• Inspectors also considered behaviour and attendance information and policies and procedures relating to special educational needs, pupil premium funding, PE and sport premium funding, safeguarding and child protection.

Inspection team

Simon Hunter, lead inspector Joan Williamson Andrew Cook

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector