Rickley Park Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders should strengthen relationships with parents by communicating more effectively with them to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum and develop greater community engagement.
• Leaders should ensure greater consistency in the knowledge and skills of teaching and learning support assistants to help pupils to make faster progress.
• Raise the expectations of pupils’ behaviour at playtimes and lunchtimes.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has worked hard to make significant improvements to the school since the last inspection. He is absolutely clear about the school’s strengths and what needs to be done next, and he has the determination to make it happen.
• Using his staff’s skills and ambitions, the headteacher has formed an effective senior leadership team. The impact of senior leaders’ decisions and actions can be seen in improved rates of progress and better outcomes for pupils, particularly in reading and writing.
• Leaders are ambitious and have high expectations of staff and pupils. They have developed a robust culture of learning and improvement and the support they provide for teachers has ensured rapid and sustained improvements in both teaching and learning. They have a very accurate view of the quality of teaching and any weak teaching has been eradicated.
• Strong leadership from the deputy headteacher ensures that pupils with specific learning needs are quickly identified and are well supported in both their academic and emotional development. The vast majority of parents comment very positively about how this support helps their child.
• The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum to support pupils’ developments and achievements. Extra-curricular clubs are also offered and pupils are proud of representing their school in local sports events. Pupils and parents said that they would like a wider range of activities to be on offer after school.
• A clear and effective system of managing the performance and training of staff is closely linked to the school’s improvement plan and has played a key part in improving pupils’ progress and outcomes.
• Leaders have developed secure procedures for supporting and challenging new or newly qualified staff who join the school.
• The funding for developing physical education and sports is well spent. Specialist coaches plan series of lessons across the school. They know the names of all the pupils and make high demands on them, helping them to develop specific skills and stamina. Most pupils enjoy the lessons. They behave well and keep active, knowing that it helps to keep them fit.
• Since becoming an academy, the school has developed strong relationships with other local academies and trusts. These relationships have been particularly helpful for the school to review and change its mathematics teaching. As a result, pupils now make good progress in mathematics across the school.
• Good use is made of pupil premium funding to accelerate the learning of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, additional provision is not consistently effective across the school. Teaching and learning support assistants would benefit from training to ensure that their work helps pupils to make at least good progress.
• A significant minority of parents do not think that the school is well-led and managed. They do not feel that leaders communicate well with them.
• Senior leaders are not as readily available as some parents would like and they would welcome seeing more of them before and after school.

Governance of the school

• Following the previous inspection and the review of governance, governors took advice and support, which has been invaluable in developing their understanding of their roles and in developing their knowledge and expertise.
• Governance is now effective because governors are working as a team to support and challenge school leaders. They regularly check performance data information. This helps to sharpen the focus of school improvement and provide the school with continuous challenge and support regarding pupils’ outcomes.
• Governors are also the academy trustees. Their annual financial report is published on the school’s website. This indicates that finances are well managed, and that funds, including those for pupils supported by the pupil premium, are directed appropriately and make a difference to pupils’ progress and outcomes.
• Governors ensure that staff performance targets are suitably challenging. They monitor the progress of the headteacher and all teachers towards meeting their targets, and ensure that pay is directly linked to effectiveness.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school has robust and secure arrangements in place to keep everyone safe. The building is secure and leaders are currently working hard to address the tricky car parking issues.
• Safeguarding training for all staff and governors is up to date and takes place regularly. Safeguarding training is a key part of the induction of new staff.
• All staff and visitors are subject to the appropriate checks so that there is no doubt that the school is a secure and safe place to be.
• The recently developed inclusion team, led by the deputy headteacher, works effectively with other agencies and parents to keep all pupils safe and to offer swift support if needed.
• The vast majority of parents who completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, responded that their children were safe at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Under the strong leadership of the headteacher the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved significantly since the last inspection.
• Teaching is consistently good across the school, with some examples of outstanding practice. This ensures that all pupils, including the disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make at least good progress over time.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan learning that matches pupils’ needs. Their lessons are both engaging and challenging, and pupils enjoy their learning and focus well. For example, in a Year 4 writing lesson pupils use their knowledge of the features of a third person recount to write ‘WAGOLL’ – ‘what a good one looks like’. They diligently gather information from their planning tasks and from the third-person toolkit they have developed, to write independently. One pupil asked, ‘How do I know I’m on track?’ The teacher took this opportunity for the pupils to discuss this question. They provided very clear, helpful responses that helped everyone to check their work and go on to produce writing of a very high quality.
• A significant amount of work is under way to improve the teaching of mathematics across the school so that pupils have a better understanding of how mathematics can be helpful and why. Currently, more pupils are working at the levels expected for their age and are making at least good progress. In the best mathematics lessons, pupils, regardless of their specific needs, are engaged in fast-paced and exciting learning and are supported by careful questioning. Some teachers need to check that the most-able pupils receive a deeper level of challenge throughout lessons.
• Pupils have a variety of reading skills to help them improve their reading and read with fluency and accuracy. There is a well-stocked and comfortable library with a wide range of books. Pupils talk excitedly about their favourite author and explain that everyone wants to collect the prized ‘Rickley Reading Bugs’.
• Assessment is used effectively to build on prior knowledge and skills. Teachers’ timely interventions in lessons help pupils to understand what they are learning and how to move on to the next stage.
• Most work in books is well presented and children are proud to share it with visitors. The work accurately reflects the school’s marking policy.
• Teaching and learning support assistants work in a variety of ways, often supporting vulnerable learners. They would benefit from some additional training to ensure that their work helps pupils to make the fastest progress they can.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They talk about ways in which they can stay safe, including when they are online. They are clear about whom to go to if they have any concerns and trust that they will be dealt with effectively.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured learners. They are encouraged to be independent and resilient thinkers and are not afraid to ask if they don’t understand something.
• The school provides good opportunities for understanding British values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development alongside the school’s own values. For example, Year 6 pupils visited the Houses of Parliament to learn about individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance. Pupils talk eloquently about discrimination and what makes us all different. One pupil said, ‘We have the same chances and we have the same choices.’
• Pupils understand the need to care for one another and listen and respect one another’s differences and views.
• Most pupils feel that there are few incidents of bullying, but that if there are concerns, they are addressed quickly.
• Some parental responses on Parent View indicate that they do not believe that bullying is addressed. The inspectors saw no evidence of bullying during the inspection.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are courteous and polite and are keen to talk to visitors about their school and what they are learning.
• Behaviour in lessons is of an exceptionally high standard, because teachers expect the best from all their pupils and engage them in exciting and challenging learning.
• The school tracks attendance rigorously and works closely with parents to improve it. Low attendance is still the case for some disadvantaged pupils, and there are some persistent absentees, but the school is aware of this and is taking appropriate action.
• A scrutiny of behaviour logs found incidents of poor behaviour to be rare and dealt with effectively. Inconsistencies were found in the way behaviour records were maintained across the school.
• Everyone would benefit from revisiting the expectations of pupils’ behaviour at playtimes and lunchtimes.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Taking account of their different starting points, the proportion of pupils making, and exceeding, expected progress in reading and writing compare well with the national averages.
• Progress made by groups of pupils in mathematics at the end of 2016 was below the national average. The school has accurately identified why this was and is taking steps to improve it. Currently pupils make good progress in mathematics across the school because they receive high-quality teaching and progress is rigorously assessed.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils making and exceeding expected progress in reading and writing is similar to that of other pupils nationally. The support they are currently receiving for mathematics is helping them to make quicker progress so that they can catch up with other pupils nationally.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress from their different starting points. This is due to the strong leadership of the special educational needs coordinator, who provides appropriate, targeted support. She works effectively with teachers and teaching and learning support assistants, making sure that resources and support are making a difference to pupils.
• Children enter the Nursery Year with skills that are lower than is typical for their age. However, because of the strong use of assessment, leaders ensure that children’s specific and individual needs are identified early. Consequently, children make strong progress through the early years, so that they are very well prepared for key stage 1.
• In 2016, more than the national average number of Year 1 pupils achieved the expected standard in the phonics check. All pupils who were assessed again at the end of Year 2 met the expected standard. This was due to the high-quality teaching and interventions they received.
• Assessment of pupils’ work is thorough and teachers check standards with each other as well as with other schools. Teachers and leaders also look regularly in pupils’ books to target support for both English and mathematics. Alongside a strong focus on teaching and learning, this has led to raised standards and clear evidence of the gap closing in mathematics.
• Pupils are well equipped with the academic and personal resilience to enjoy their secondary schools.

Early years provision

Good

• The early years leader is an exceptionally strong practitioner. She rigorously monitors all her staff and holds them to account for the outcomes of all children, particularly those who are vulnerable.
• The early years leader, along with her staff, demonstrates an accurate understanding of the provision needed for the children in the Nursery and Reception classes. All areas are characterised by a calm, busy atmosphere with lots of fun to be had.
• The children arrive full of enthusiasm and ready to learn. They are presented with a wide range of activities which inspire and excite them to want to find out more. For example, they love to write in the ‘writing castle’ outside and are well supported by adults who provide timely commentary and questions that stimulate the children’s vocabulary.
• Staff make ongoing assessments of children’s outcomes and liaise closely with parents to ensure that they understand if and where there are any gaps in their child’s learning. Parents are very appreciative of the communication between them and school.
• Children concentrate for extended periods of time and employ well-developed social skills in working together, sharing and taking turns. This is because adults constantly model high expectations of how they expect children to behave.
• Good teaching ensures that, by the end of Reception Year, all children have made good progress from their different starting points, with the majority reaching a good level of development. This includes the most-able, disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means that children are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• All welfare requirements are met and the children are well cared for. They are happy and safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138933 Milton Keynes 10019912 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Number of pupils on the school roll 3 to 11 Mixed 444 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Diane Farmer Mr Glenn Booth 01908 372979 www.rickleymiddle.fluencycms.co.uk office@rickleypark.milton-keynes.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 October 2014

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.
• This is a larger than average primary academy in an area of higher than average social deprivation.
• The school has a Nursery and Reception class and two classes in every year group for Years 1 to 6.
• There is a before- and after-school club run by an Ofsted-registered provider, which did not form part of this inspection.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with national figures. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above national figures.
• The school has a lower than average number of pupils from different multi-ethnic groups and the number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The school meets the national floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed lessons in all classes and in a range of subjects. Some classes were jointly visited by the headteacher or deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at the school’s website.
• Inspectors worked in partnership with the school’s senior leaders when analysing information about the school. Inspectors looked at pupils’ outcomes, the school’s evaluation of its own performance, its improvement plan and the monitoring and evaluation records. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also checked.
• Inspectors walked around the school to find out more about pupils’ work from displays and extra-curricular activities.
• Inspectors spent time on the playground at playtime and lunchtime.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at work in pupils’ books alongside senior leaders.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders and the newly qualified teacher. An inspector met with three members of the governing body, including the chair.
• A group of pupils discussed their opinions about the school and their learning with an inspector. Inspectors also spoke informally with pupils around the school. Pupil questionnaires were completed by 99 pupils.
• The inspectors took account of 22 staff questionnaires. Fifty-six responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were also considered, along with 57 written comments. Inspectors had discussions with 28 parents before and after school.

Inspection team

Sarah Varnom, lead inspector Graham Marshall Hilary Goddard Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector