Mill Rythe Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that pupils make rapid progress by ensuring that:
  • the existing good practice is shared effectively across the school
  • teachers consistently plan tasks that are more carefully matched to the differing needs of pupils.
• Ensure that pupils of all abilities reach their potential in mathematics, by:
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge in a range of subjects
  • ensuring that the most able, including those who are disadvantaged, are challenged consistently in lessons by giving them opportunities to tackle tasks that test their thinking skills.
• Continue to raise pupils’ achievement in phonics so that it is at least in line with the achievement of others nationally.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have taken effective action to improve the areas identified at the previous inspection. The headteacher has put effective systems in place, holding all staff accountable for the progress their pupils make. Consequently, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement have risen rapidly.
• There is good professional development for staff, including support and training from the local authority, to improve. Teachers who are at an early stage of their careers are supported well. Procedures to monitor the performance of staff are robust. Performance management is closely linked to pupils’ progress and school priorities.
• Leaders of particular subjects or aspects of the school make a valuable contribution to increasing the school’s capacity to make further improvements. They work closely with teachers, monitoring the progress of pupils and putting additional support in place for those who are not making the expected progress. In this way, leaders ensure that all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. This reflects leaders’ commitment to promoting equality of opportunity for all pupils.
• Additional funding, to diminish the differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others, is used effectively. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive timely support in order to achieve high standards. Regular liaison with parents ensures that pupils attend school regularly and benefit greatly. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve at least as well as others and in some cases outperform their peers.
• The provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Their progress is closely tracked and funding has been carefully used to ensure that staff are fully trained. As a result, this group of pupils receives good-quality care and support, including by teaching assistants, so that they make good progress.
• Leaders have used sports funding well. Specialist sports coaches teach physical education, benefiting pupils but also enhancing the skills and subject knowledge of teachers. There is a wide range of extra-curricular sports clubs and many opportunities for pupils’ physical development, for example by participating in fundraising activities that make use of the fitness circuit.
• Leaders ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. This engages pupils and ensures that they make good progress across a wide range of national curriculum subjects.
• Pupils enjoy singing, which is a strength. There is a diverse range of extra-curricular activities to enrich their experiences, such as community gardening and fundraising, which pupils participate in with enthusiasm. Leaders ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. British values are promoted through pupils’ learning about liberty, respect, the rule of law and democracy. Pupils participate in elections to elect their classmates to the school council and invited the local mayor for a visit to the school. Pupils learn about other cultures through the celebration of a ‘family week’ in which parents share stories in their native language and school lunches served reflect other cultures.
• Parents that inspectors met were overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school and its leadership. Parents responding to the online survey, Parent View, were extremely supportive of the school and most agree that the school is well led. They all agreed that their children make good progress in their learning.

Governance of the school

• Governors show high levels of commitment and drive. They know the school well and have a good knowledge of the improvements made since the previous inspection.
• The chair of the governing body has been highly supportive of the way governance of the school has developed.
• Governors hold teachers to account through a robust system of managing teachers’ performance. They rigorously apply the pay policy which recognises the good performance of teachers.
• Governors have a wide range of skills which they use to support and challenge the school. They make regular monitoring visits to evaluate all aspects of the school.
• Governors are knowledgeable about the use of pupil premium and sports funding and the positive impact it is having on pupils’ outcomes.
• The governing body ensures that statutory duties are met, including those relating to safeguarding. The governors responsible for safeguarding carry out regular monitoring visits to check health and safety arrangements and provide detailed helpful reports.
• Governors keep up to speed with national changes in education, making good use of training available to them. For example, because of training governors have a detailed knowledge of safeguarding children through procedures for the safer recruitment of staff.

Safeguarding

• All safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and meet statutory requirements.
• Staff have received up-to-date training and know that safeguarding pupils is everyone’s responsibility. They hold detailed records of children causing concern and carefully track all communication with families and external agencies.
• Parents say wholeheartedly that children are safe, happy and well nurtured.
• Staff ensure that pupils learn to keep themselves safe. For example, the school council worked with a national charity to raise the awareness of all pupils about safe people they can contact if they get lost when out and about.
• Pupils say that they feel very safe in the school. They know they can post their worries into the worry box kept outside the office and teachers will use this information to help them solve their problems.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have been effective in improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Consequently, teaching is good and pupils make good progress.
• Lessons are well planned and teachers set clear tasks that support pupils’ learning well. Teachers use their subject knowledge well to skilfully question pupils and develop their understanding. Helpful visual prompts help pupils remember their learning, particularly in grammar and numbers.
• Teaching assistants support highly effectively those pupils who start to fall behind and help them to improve their learning. All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, have equal access to learning opportunities.
• Reading and writing are developed well across different subjects. Pupils know how to improve their written work by discussing it with the adults who support them. Teachers work highly effectively with parents to promote a love of reading in pupils by awarding achievement badges for reading at home.
• Teachers develop pupils’ understanding of new mathematical concepts well. However, work is not consistently challenging enough for the most able, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. They sometimes spend too long on easier tasks that do not sufficiently test their thinking. Pupils have limited opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in other subjects.
• The teaching of phonics has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils are taught a range of techniques, which they use to read words that have a meaning and some ‘alien’ words they have not encountered before. The very few pupils who did not achieve the expected standard in phonics are supported very well to help them catch up. Leaders know that they have to continue their good work in raising pupils’ achievement in phonics.
• Pupils learn well from their mistakes. For example, in writing pupils know how to use their knowledge of phonics and spelling, grammar and punctuation to correct their mistakes. Using his knowledge of letters and sounds, a young child spelled ‘ramp’ without an ‘m’. When asked to look at it again, he found the letter ‘m’ from the letters card and self-corrected his work. Similarly, older pupils read and reread their work to ensure that they have written interesting sentences such as, ‘Late that night the boat was sadly sinking.’
• Teachers do not match the level of challenge to pupils’ differing abilities sharply enough to promote the best possible progress. In some lessons, the work is too easy for pupils and does not motivate them to work harder. Leaders are aware of this and have identified it in their school self-evaluation.
• Parents are pleased with the level of homework their children receive. They find the school website very useful as it gives them helpful hints for their children’s homework.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are cooperative, confident and courteous. Their positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to the good progress they make. They are proud of their achievements, especially in reading.
• Pupils who spoke with inspectors said they feel safe and that bullying or racism are not an issue for the school. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe from strangers.
• Pupils are keen to play with each other. They feel confident that adults help them to play safely when they report the occasional boisterous play that can develop while skipping or using the hoops.
• Pupils are taught about tolerance and the appreciation of other faiths, beliefs and cultures. Through the school’s values of tolerance and respect, they are prepared well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils are keen to take up sports activities. As a result of their commitment, engagement and participation in school competitions, the school has achieved a sports award from the county council.
• Parents who responded to Parent View, and those with whom inspectors spoke, believe that their children are safe in school and are looked after well.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• There are effective systems to promote good behaviour and staff are consistent in applying positive behaviour strategies, both indoors and outdoors.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in assembly, around the school and in the playground is good. The school’s highly civilised, calm atmosphere promotes pupils’ positive behaviour towards adults and their peers.
• Pupils said that behaviour is good. This is reflected in the school’s records that show incidents of inappropriate behaviour are rare and are dealt with effectively by staff.
• Pupils behave well in lessons and show great enthusiasm for learning. On rare occasions, pupils lose concentration and do not show the urgency to complete their work. This is often because, in some lessons, the work is too easy for them.
• Pupils’ attendance is improving and is above the national average. Leaders have focused on improving attendance through closer links with parents. The school website contains regular updates on the attendance of all pupils. As a result, parents feel that their contribution towards improving the school’s attendance is being recognised.
• Leaders update the school website regularly to show that they value the role parents play in improving their children’s attendance.
• All parents responding to Parent View agreed that the school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The new leadership team has been effective in improving the quality of teaching in reading, writing and science. Consequently, pupils are making strong progress in these subjects.
• In Reception classes, children continue to make good progress from their different starting points and are prepared well for the next stage of their education.
• At the end of key stage 1 in 2016, the overall attainment of pupils was broadly in line with the national average in writing and mathematics, with above-average attainment in reading. This year, the proportion of pupils on track for reaching the expected standard or above is higher than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. This shows that standards have continued to rise.
• In 2016, fewer most-able pupils than seen nationally reached the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The most able disadvantaged, although few in number, achieved standards above others nationally in reading, mathematics and phonics. In the current Year 2, standards have risen in reading and writing and any differences between the achievement of most able pupils compared to those nationally are diminishing rapidly.
• In mathematics, the proportion of pupils on track for reaching expected standards is above the national average. However, outcomes for the most able, including the most able disadvantaged, are not improving as quickly. Leaders are aware of this and have identified this as an area for improvement.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress, with the great majority meeting their age- related expectations or above in phonics, reading and mathematics.
• As a result of careful tracking of pupils’ progress and high-quality early support, standards in phonics are rising. Pupils use their knowledge of letters and sounds to read with increasing confidence and ease. They have developed a love for reading and show their reading badges with great pride. Leaders have identified correctly the need to continue to raise pupils’ attainment in phonics so that it is at least in line with other pupils nationally.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good and sometimes rapid progress from their different starting points in a rich, stimulating learning environment.
• The proportion of children who reached a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2016 was above that found nationally. Careful tracking of children’s progress shows that this year, the great majority are already working at levels above those typical of their age.
• Leadership of the early years is highly effective. The leader ensures that adults have a clear view of what children can do when they start in Reception class so they can plan a rich variety of learning experiences indoors and outdoors.
• Children are encouraged to develop their early reading and writing skills from the time they start Reception. Teaching of phonics is precise and has led to clear improvements in early writing skills for all groups, including the disadvantaged children.
• Adults’ questioning is skilful and deepens children’s curiosity and thinking. For example, a child who noticed paper was warm was encouraged to think about how this had happened before entering into a full discussion on the workings of a photocopier.
• Children concentrate very well during adult-led and self-chosen activities. This was clear when they had great fun trying to find seeds inside the fruit they cut open with the ultimate aim of planting them. They persevered with their safe knives until they could get to the core of their apples or avocados.
• Children’s responses are recorded accurately in a variety of situations during their stay in the Reception class. Leaders have identified that their next step is to ensure that all areas of learning are reflected in children’s learning journeys so parents can have a complete view of their child’s development.
• The relationships between children and staff are good and children know they can approach any member of staff for help.
• Children’s impeccable behaviour reflects the highly effective strategies staff use to make sure all children are engaged in their learning.
• Parents are full of praise for staff who provide a safe and secure learning environment in which children thrive.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 116490 Hampshire 10032880 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Foundation 4 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 214 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Deborah Burroughs Mrs Lucy Ford 02392 465531 www.millrytheinfants.co.uk l.ford@millrythe-inf.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 March 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Mill Rythe is smaller than the average-sized infant school.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below average.
• No pupils attend any alternative form of education away from the school site.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed learning in all classes, nearly always accompanied by either the headteacher or the assistant headteacher.
• A meeting was held with a group of pupils from different abilities and backgrounds in key stage 1 to discuss their learning and views about the school.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 1 and 2 and discussed their reading with them.
• The inspectors held discussions with senior leaders, middle leaders and seven governors, including the chair of the governing body. Discussions were held with a local authority representative.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plan, checks on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, information about pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour records and safeguarding arrangements.
• The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work across the curriculum to see what progress they have made.
• The inspectors took account of the 40 responses received to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, inspectors spoke to some parents in the playground at the start of the school day. The inspectors also considered the 15 questionnaires completed by staff.

Inspection team

Kusum Trikha, lead inspector Christine Bulmer Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector