Raysfield Infants' School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning so that:
  • pupils’ mistakes are noticed and corrected during lessons
  • the quality of handwriting is consistent across the school and more pupils learn to form letters correctly, moving towards a fluent joined style
  • the progress that children make in Reception in their phonics is continued in Years 1 and 2
  • pupils improve their understanding of what they read
  • teaching activities include sufficient challenge so that the most able pupils make at least good progress and reach higher standards.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher, working alongside the head of school, has maintained a safe, caring, inclusive place to learn. These leaders are highly ambitious and want the very best for all pupils. Each year, school staff carefully evaluate what is working and what can be improved. As a result, there is a strong sense of belonging and a sense of ownership in the future developments and success of the school.
• Following some lower outcomes in Year 2 in 2016, senior and subject leaders analysed the weaknesses and quickly put in place some improvements to teaching and learning in order that pupils are better able to meet the raised expectations of the new national curriculum. The improvements to mathematics, in particular, can be seen in lessons and in pupils’ books.
• Leaders have created an environment where staff enjoy learning from each other. The features of very good teaching are researched and explored. Staff regularly visit other classes in order to share what they do. There is certainly no complacency here. Staff want the best for their pupils and are held to account for the progress pupils make.
• Pupils receive a strong foundation of basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders also ensure that pupils benefit from a wide, broad curriculum based around four features: the learning environment, active learning, global education and independent learning. Extra clubs complement the learning during the school day. Pupils enjoy recorder club, ‘sports heroes’ and a French club, for example. The rich range of learning opportunities contributes well to pupils’ enjoyment and achievement in their learning.
• Throughout the rich curriculum, pupils learn about other cultures. For example, the school has a strong link with a school in The Gambia. Life in other countries is explored each year during ‘round the world week’. Through activities such as these, pupils have rich experiences, which contribute to their strong sense of values and their empathy and respect for others. The school develops pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development effectively.
• Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is used carefully. Pupils who are disadvantaged have a range of tailored support to make sure that they achieve well. This includes invitations to ‘dawn club’, which is a club before school, individual mentoring time with a teaching assistant and, when needed, additional care and nurture in a quiet learning area. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make good progress and are catching up with their peers, particularly in reading.
• A strength of the school is the inclusive approach it has. Parents are extremely complimentary about the creative solutions that the school finds in order to meet pupils’ needs. Additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs is used effectively to support pupils in a variety of ways. Social skills programmes, additional resources including the use of physical equipment, strategies to support speech and language and mentoring support are all drawn upon to meet individual needs of pupils. The leaders for special educational needs and/or disabilities work effectively. They evaluate the impact of all resources used and ensure that pupils have what they need to achieve as well as they are able.
• The sports leader has led a carefully planned approach to improve the quality of teaching of sport across the school using sport premium additional funding. A sports coach works alongside each teacher in order to improve their knowledge and skills in delivering high-quality sport lessons. This has increased teachers’ confidence. Pupils have gained from playing more team games and staff report that pupils’ coordination and sense of teamwork have improved.
• The school receives visits from a local authority adviser. These visits are highly valued by leaders. The school targets the visits to look at specific areas of improvement so that there is an external view of progress made. Despite this support, the school has not sustained an overall judgement of outstanding.

Governance of the school

• The governing body was re-formed following the federation of the infant and junior schools in 2015. In 2016, following a review of the new governing body, a comprehensive action plan was created. These actions are now being completed by governors and governance is becoming stronger as a result.
• Governors have a broad range of experiences and skills. Several new, equally skilled governors have just joined the governing body. A ‘children’s committee’ has a focus on pupils’ outcomes and these governors appropriately challenge leaders about the progress pupils make.
• Governors ensure that they are well informed about safeguarding requirements and updates, including information about the ‘Prevent’ duty.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The designated officers for safeguarding work cohesively to ensure that pupils are kept safe. They know pupils and their families very well and ensure that additional agencies are called on if needed.
• There is a strong safeguarding culture and staff are regularly given updates and training. There is a stringent induction process, which ensures that new staff understand the high expectations of noticing any concerns about pupils and the process for reporting such concerns. Parents report that they have very detailed communication with the school and that school staff are welcoming and open to any concerns they may have.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers set high expectations and pupils respond well to them. Learning around the school is calm and productive. Pupils contribute confidently during lessons. Teachers ensure that all pupils have chances to put forward their ideas and suggestions.
• Teachers’ planning ensures that pupils develop a range of interesting vocabulary through different learning contexts in a range of subjects; for example, in diary writing linked to Easter or when describing decomposing food in science. Teachers ensure that pupils’ writing skills improve as they work towards longer, independent writing.
• A new assessment system is in place and this helps teachers to track the progress of individual pupils and to see patterns of progress within different groups of pupils. Teachers and leaders are using this information well to ensure that any differences in achievement are diminishing.
• Recent improvements to the teaching of mathematics have resulted in more pupils being challenged more often to explain their thinking and to seek out mathematics equipment independently in order to solve problems. Pupils are appropriately fluent in their recall of number facts. Most teachers and teaching assistants have strong subject knowledge and guide pupils well to the next steps in their mathematical thinking. Learning time for the most able pupils is, occasionally, not used well. These pupils are sometimes not challenged to think more deeply about mathematical concepts.
• Teachers ensure that pupils read often and reading workshops encourage pupils to read to each other and to enjoy what they read. Pupils, including the most able pupils, show that while they are often able to read words, they sometimes read quickly but do not yet understand what they are reading. Teachers are aware of this and are working to improve pupils’ understanding of their reading by teaching comprehension and, in particular, inference skills.
• There is a consistent approach to the teaching of grammar and punctuation and this can be seen in pupils’ writing. The teaching of spelling is improving and pupils are more often applying their phonic knowledge to writing. Sometimes, teachers and teaching assistants do not routinely check pupils’ work during lessons. Some pupils continue to make errors that go unnoticed. This slows these pupils’ progress in gaining new skills and understanding.
• Teachers are working to improve the quality of handwriting across the school. Direct teaching and modelling of letter formation alongside expecting high standards in all writing is starting to improve the quality of handwriting for some. This has not yet been fully embedded across the school in order for more pupils’ handwriting to be at a good standard.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils develop a strong understanding of how to be a good learner, which prepares them well for their next stage of education. Pupils are generally resilient and confident to tackle problems. They have high aspirations for themselves. Examples of good attitudes are demonstrated to pupils each week through much-sought-after recognition in the ‘golden book’.
• Staff ensure that pupils’ emotional needs are particularly well met. Staff show a keen interest in pupils’ activities outside of school. Pupils feel valued and listened to. Extra emotional support is offered through a special nurture provision and this helps pupils to manage their feelings and to achieve well in their learning.
• Through the rich curriculum, pupils learn how to eat healthily and to be healthy. Pupils enjoy eating healthy meals together at lunchtime and enthusiastically join in with the daily ‘thank you’ song.
• Pupils also regularly re-visit themes about keeping themselves safe, including being safe online and keeping themselves safe from exploitation and abuse.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The school has developed a system that is applied consistently and supports pupils’ understanding of how to behave well. The school has a ‘happy school plan’, which describes key attitudes that are expected. The plan is displayed prominently and referred to often. There is a well-understood system of rewards and sanctions. Pupils aspire to receive happy notes and know how important it is not to end up ‘on thin ice!’
• There is very little poor behaviour in lessons as pupils want to get on with the interesting learning experiences that teachers and teaching assistants provide. Pupils enjoy caring for each other and older pupils rise well to the challenge of supporting positive play for younger pupils during lunchtimes.
• Attendance is very good at the school. Pupils want to be at school as they enjoy their learning and feel safe and secure. Leaders support any families who need extra help well so that all pupils can benefit from being in school every day.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s data shows that from their different starting points, pupils across the school generally make good progress. In Year 2 in 2016, outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics were lower than in previous years, particularly for the most able pupils and for boys. Leaders have analysed the reasons for this dip and improvements have been made to teaching, learning and assessment this year. These improvements are ensuring that the school is rising to the expectations described in the new national curriculum.
• Improvements to the teaching of handwriting, comprehension in reading and problem solving in mathematics are beginning to be seen in the work in pupils’ books, particularly in the books of the most able pupils. Leaders know the strengths and weaknesses in the progress pupils make and help teachers to make changes in order to ensure that pupils achieve well. For example, much work has started to adjust the curriculum, particularly in writing and mathematics, to ensure that boys achieve as well as girls.
• Outcomes in phonics in Years 1 and 2 have not reached national standards over recent years, including in 2016. Leaders use the additional funding that comes to school to provide extra help from teaching assistants for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make good progress from their starting points but some still do not quite reach the expected standards in phonics. Leaders have introduced an earlier start to the teaching of phonics in the Reception classes and children in Reception are already showing improvements in their confidence to write using accurate or plausible phonics.

Early years provision Good

• Children arrive at the school often with skills that are typical of those expected for their age, although a significant number have less developed skills – particularly speaking and listening skills. During their first year, children make at least good progress and the number entering Year 1 with skills that are expected for their age matches, and at times exceeds the national average.
• The leader for the early years ensures that learning is carefully planned to meet the individual needs of children. To improve boys’ achievement, she has put in place a number of effective strategies to support their progress. For example, boys in particular enjoy the writing bags as they can access their writing while enjoying learning outside. The school also makes good use of external services as appropriate to ensure that children receive any extra help they need.
• Children are introduced to a number of quality books and the stories are repeated often. Children learn the vocabulary and language structures, which they then use when writing. Children can tell the whole story of ‘the gingerbread man’ with only a little prompting from adults.
• This year, teachers have introduced the teaching of phonics and a joined style of handwriting much sooner than in previous years. As a result, many children are using phonics and a more fluent writing style to good effect to write their stories, lists and captions.
• The quality of teaching is good across the Reception classes. Children enjoy their learning activities inside and outside. They feel, and they are, safe and secure. They cooperate well and play happily alongside each other. Due to the high expectations, children are increasingly independent in their learning.
• At lunchtimes, older pupils support Reception children at play, taking on the responsibility of play mentors. This arrangement works well for children in Reception and older pupils alike. As children explained, ‘lunchtimes are fun!’
• Parents are very pleased with the start their children make in the Reception classes. They say they are fully informed of their child’s progress and are delighted with how quickly children settled in at the start of the year.
• Additional funding is used to ensure there are extra adults to provide additional care and support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who are disadvantaged. This support contributes to most pupils making good progress from their individual starting points. Occasionally, adults guide children heavily and, as a result, some children are reliant on adult direction to access their learning.

School details

Unique reference number 109053 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 10033164 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 Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 5 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 174 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Executive headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Ian Sanders Alison Wood 01454 867140 www.raysfieldinfants.org.uk/ office@raysfieldinfants.org.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 October 2009

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Raysfield Infants’ School is smaller than the average school. It became part of a federation with Raysfield Junior School in 2015. The schools share an executive headteacher. There is also a head of school, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school.
• Most pupils are White British.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average.
• Overall, the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below the national average, although the proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school in all classes, mostly alongside the executive headteacher and the head of school.
• Meetings were held with pupils, governors and school leaders. The lead inspector spoke to an adviser from the local authority on the telephone.
• Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of each day in order to gather their views.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of pupils’ books and at a range of school documents. These included the school’s development plan, information on current pupils’ progress, minutes of governing body meetings, documents relating to safeguarding and documents related to the use of additional funding.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them in classrooms.

Inspection team

Tonwen Empson, lead inspector Liz Wilson-Chalon Sarah Foulkes

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector