Rugby Free Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further strengthen leadership and management by:
  • continuing to provide support and development for middle leaders to increase the impact they can have on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress
  • developing the skills of leaders in evaluating the impact of teaching on the progress of individuals and groups of pupils more precisely
  • ensuring that pupils’ skills in history, geography and art are fully developed to support pupils in making strong progress across the curriculum.
• Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • planning learning that consistently stretches the most able pupils in their thinking and challenges them in their work, including those in early years
  • ensuring that work in lessons is closely matched to the learning needs of pupils working below age-related expectations, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The trust, local governing body and headteacher have skilfully led the opening and development of Rugby Free Primary School. Together they have successfully established a clear vision and set of values that permeate all aspects of the school’s work.
• The headteacher provides very effective leadership. Through her high expectations and ambition for all pupils to achieve the very best outcomes, she has led a wide range of improvements since the school opened in September 2015. Consequently, the quality of education is good and constantly improving.
• Leaders know the school’s strengths and areas for further development well because they make reliable checks based on a wide range of evidence. Their action plans identify clear and appropriate priorities to support the school to improve further.
• Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel valued and respected by leaders. As the school grows in size, new staff receive a thorough induction, and leaders support them well. This results in a consistent approach to teaching across the school. Staff value the training they receive and the many opportunities leaders provide for their professional development.
• Many middle leaders are relatively new to their roles or to the school. They are enthusiastic and committed and have good subject knowledge. Middle leaders have been quick to undertake leadership tasks, such as monitoring the quality of teaching and checking on the quality of work in pupils’ books. These activities have helped leaders to develop an understanding of the quality of provision in their areas of responsibility. However, some of their checks focus more on compliance with school policies than on the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress.
• Senior leaders make frequent checks on the quality of teaching. They regularly visit lessons, look at pupils’ work and talk to pupils about their learning. Leaders provide helpful feedback to enable teachers to improve their teaching. Where necessary, leaders work alongside teachers in the classroom to develop their skills. Consequently, the quality of teaching has improved over time and is now consistently good.
• Leaders provide a stimulating and varied curriculum. Staff plan regular trips and visitors to enrich the curriculum, and all pupils benefit from learning to play a musical instrument. Interesting topics enthuse pupils and enable them to extend their knowledge and understanding in a wide range of subjects. However, pupils have fewer opportunities to develop subject-specific skills in history, geography and art.
• The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well. Pupils have a very good understanding of different faiths and cultures. Staff teach pupils about important values such as democracy and tolerance. As a result, pupils demonstrate high levels of respect for each other. They have a strong understanding of fundamental British values and a positive view of cultural diversity.
• Leaders make good use of pupil premium funding. They know disadvantaged pupils well and have an incisive understanding of their individual barriers to learning. This means that leaders target the additional funding effectively to ensure that provision precisely matches each pupil’s needs. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make progress that is in line with that of their peers.
• Effective use is made of sports premium funding to provide sports coaches and a wide range of sporting activities at breaktimes, lunchtimes and after school. Leaders also use funding to enable pupils to participate in inter-schools sports competitions. This has a positive impact on pupils’ interest in, and enjoyment of, sport and exercise.
• Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Staff receive training to support them in delivering effective interventions to individuals and small groups of pupils. Leaders regularly monitor the impact of this support to ensure that it is making a positive difference. However, teachers do not consistently meet the needs of these pupils in lessons. Sometimes work is too difficult and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities require adult support to complete tasks.

Governance of the school

• The trust board and local governing body are ambitious, committed and highly skilled. They have a strong understanding of the school’s performance. They make a significant contribution to school development through the support and challenge they provide.
• The chief executive officer and chair of the trust board have high expectations and set challenging targets to ensure that the school continually develops and improves. They monitor the school’s performance closely and provide strong support for leaders. Along with the chair of the local governing body, the chief executive officer meets regularly with the headteacher to monitor progress towards the achievement of school priorities.
• The local governing body has a deep understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This is because governors visit the school regularly to find out for themselves how well pupils are learning. For example, each term, two teams of governors spend time in the school evaluating the effectiveness of leaders’ work at first hand. One team visits in the first half term and, in the second half term, another team visits to check on the school’s progress. In this way, governors are instrumental in helping to improve the quality of provision. Link governors meet regularly with leaders and are knowledgeable about their areas of responsibility.
• Governors know how leaders use additional funding and its impact on pupils’ outcomes. Minutes of meetings show that governors ask probing questions about finance, staffing, the quality of teaching and pupils’ attainment. Governors provide a good level of challenge and hold leaders fully to account.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders make thorough checks on staff, governors and other people who work in the school to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. The school’s single central record of these checks is maintained well. Governors receive regular reports to make sure that children are safe. The link governor for safeguarding is knowledgeable and well informed.
• Staff and governors receive frequent training to ensure that their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding practices are up to date. As a result, staff are vigilant and know the signs that might indicate a child is at risk of harm. They are confident about the processes to follow if they are concerned about a child. School documentation shows that leaders follow up any concerns swiftly and diligently. They monitor children closely to ensure that they receive the support they need to keep them safe and happy.
• Where necessary, leaders work appropriately with external agencies. Almost all parents and carers who responded to Parent View agree that their child feels safe and is well looked after at school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have very high expectations of what pupils can achieve and make these expectations clear. Pupils rise to this challenge and engage fully in lessons. They work very hard and productively across a range of subjects.
• Staff have good subject knowledge and use this to question pupils effectively. They model learning accurately and provide pupils with clear explanations. Consequently, pupils’ skills in English, mathematics and science develop well. Pupils acquire strong knowledge and understanding in subjects such as history, geography and art. However, their subject-specific skills in these areas are less well developed.
• Teachers plan learning together in year group teams. This gives them the opportunity to share ideas and good practice. As a result, activities are of consistently good quality in all classes.
• The teaching of phonics and reading is effective and enables pupils to achieve well. Staff teach pupils in ability groups and make regular checks on their learning. This means that learning matches pupils’ needs closely. As a result, pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Pupils use their phonics skills with increasing accuracy to read unfamiliar words and to spell. Teachers ensure that pupils read books that provide the right amount of challenge to improve their skills further.
• Teachers develop pupils’ writing skills well. They provide interesting opportunities for pupils to write in a range of styles and for different purposes. Teachers develop pupils’ skills systematically over time, building carefully on what pupils can do. As a result, pupils write in sentences of increasing complexity. They make strong progress in their use of vocabulary, punctuation and grammar.
• The teaching of mathematics is good. Work in books shows that pupils are developing strong skills in number and calculation. For example, during the inspection, pupils in Year 2 confidently added two two-digit numbers together. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical understanding to reason and solve problems. As a result, pupils make good progress.
• Teachers identify pupils who would benefit from extra help effectively. The careful organisation of classes enables pupils to receive daily, tailored support to address any gaps in learning they may have or to meet their social and emotional needs. Staff receive training to enable them to deliver a range of highly effective interventions to develop pupils’ basic skills, particularly in reading and writing. As a result, almost all pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Vulnerable pupils receive good support.
• In lessons, the progress of pupils who are working below age-related standards, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, slows. This is because work is sometimes too difficult and pupils are over-reliant on adult support. Consequently, these pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop independence in their learning.
• While teaching promotes good rates of progress, it does not consistently enable the most able pupils to learn at the pace and depth of which they are capable. Pupils sometimes spend time completing work they can already do before moving on to more challenging tasks.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are extremely proud of their school. They wear their uniform smartly and enjoy the wide range of opportunities offered to them. Pupils are keen to tell visitors about the many strengths of their school.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. Staff encourage pupils to be curious and to develop a love of learning. Positive relationships between adults and pupils make a strong contribution to the progress pupils make.
• The school’s values of kindness, curiosity, leadership, resilience, collaboration and independence support pupils to become confident, motivated and responsible members of their school community. Pupils have a strong understanding of each of these values and of how they apply to their lives. For example, when asked about the meaning of resilience, one pupil explained, ‘We keep on trying until we get it right.’
• Pupils unanimously said that they feel very safe in school. They know how to keep themselves safe at school and in the community, for example, when crossing the road. Pupils talked confidently about the five people they can talk to if they are worried or upset, including school staff, family members and friends. Parents agree that their children feel safe at school.
• There are many opportunities for pupils to hold posts of leadership and responsibility, for example, as digital leaders, friendship ambassadors, school council representatives and members of the eco-team. Pupils relish these roles and make a positive and enthusiastic contribution to school life. For example, digital leaders have designed apps for other pupils to use and actively promote e-safety. Members of the eco-team have a strong understanding of how to look after the environment. They take their responsibility for checking that taps are not left running, turning off lights and keeping the school free of litter very seriously. The team recently led a ‘big switch-off’ across the school to teach other pupils about the importance of saving electricity.
• Pupils asserted that there is no bullying and that Rugby Free Primary School is an ‘anti-bullying’ school. They have an age-appropriate understanding of what bullying is and are clear about the difference between bullying and falling out. Pupils said that adults quickly help them to resolve any friendship issues that sometimes occur.
• Strong curriculum provision ensures that pupils have a very good awareness of local and global issues, such as drought and poverty. Pupils show high levels of care for others in school and beyond. For example, pupils can give examples of how they raise money for local and national charities to help those in need.
• Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They treat each other with respect and have an excellent awareness of difference and diversity. Pupils said, ‘It is good to be different.’
• The before-school breakfast club provides pupils with a calm and positive start to the school day. Pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer and the opportunity to socialise with their friends.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Clear rules and established routines support pupils in knowing exactly how to behave. Pupils understand the importance of good behaviour and respond extremely well to the very high expectations from staff. As a result, incidents of poor behaviour are rare.
• Pupils are very courteous and polite. When moving around the school, and at breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils conduct themselves extremely well. They learn and play happily together, showing high levels of respect and consideration for each other. On the playground, pupils share equipment well and engage safely in high levels of physical activity.
• All pupils want to do well. In lessons, pupils listen attentively and are keen to answer questions. They confidently share ideas and discuss their learning. Pupils settle quickly to their work and keep trying, even when they find tasks difficult. Pupils’ excellent behaviour and highly positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to their high achievement.
• Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. As a result, attendance has been consistently above the national average since the school opened in September 2015. When pupils are absent, effective systems are in place to follow this up with families.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Most children start school with knowledge and skills that are typical for their age. From their starting points, children make strong progress. As a result, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has been above the national average for the past two years. This means that children are very well prepared for learning in Year 1.
• This is the first year that the school has had Year 2 pupils. Therefore, there is no published data for key stage 1. However, the school’s assessment information shows that the proportion of pupils working at the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is above the national average. The proportion of Year 2 pupils working at greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics is also high. Pupils in Year 2 have made strong progress from their starting points. They are very well prepared to move into key stage 2.
• Pupils make good progress in reading. In 2017, almost all pupils met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. School assessment information shows that the attainment of current Year 1 pupils is similarly high. Teachers secure pupils’ phonics skills as they move into Year 2. All Year 2 pupils are now working at or above the expected standard in phonics. They read with age-appropriate fluency and accuracy. Pupils have a good understanding of what they read.
• Work in books and the school’s assessment information show that pupils make good progress in writing. They write at length in different subjects and use a range of punctuation with age-appropriate accuracy. Pupils’ use of vocabulary is strong.
• In mathematics, pupils have a very secure understanding of basic skills. The majority of pupils have made good progress from their starting points, and some pupils have made rapid progress, particularly in Year 2.
• Leaders monitor the progress of disadvantaged pupils closely. School assessment information shows that these pupils are making progress that is in line with that of other pupils.
• Pupils that start key stage 1 working below age-related expectations, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, do not catch up with their peers at the same rate as pupils nationally with similar starting points. This is because learning in lessons is sometimes too challenging and does not match these pupils’ needs closely enough.
• The most able pupils achieve well but do not consistently make the rapid progress of which they are capable. This is because sometimes learning does not challenge them as much as it could.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership and management of the early years are good. Leaders make frequent and thorough checks on the quality of teaching and children’s progress. They provide feedback and training to enable staff to continually develop and refine their teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching is consistently good and children make strong progress.
• Children settle to learning quickly and sustain their concentration well. This is because adults provide opportunities for children to make choices and follow their interests. Adults promote a love of learning and help children to gain in independence quickly.
• Adults plan activities that ignite children’s imagination and promote creativity. For example, a group of children excitedly acted out a new ending to a story they had read. They decided what was going to happen and performed their roles with great animation. Children took it in turns to record the action digitally so that they could observe what they had created.
• Children learn in a richly resourced and highly stimulating environment. There are many opportunities for children to engage in exciting activities to support their learning and development across a wide range of areas. Consequently, children are highly engaged and enthusiastic learners.
• Adults know children well and plan activities carefully to meet their needs and interests. Children are encouraged to apply their learning in different contexts, which supports them in making good progress. For example, inspectors observed a group of girls making bracelets out of ribbon. They applied their counting skills well to measure out lengths of ribbon using cubes.
• Purposeful opportunities to write, both indoors and outdoors, are plentiful. Children are keen to write words and sentences as part of their play, and many choose to write independently. Effective teaching of phonics supports children to link sounds and letters well. They form letters accurately and with care.
• Children learn and play together very well. They cooperate effectively, share resources and take turns. For example, during the inspection, a group of children worked skilfully together to make mud pies. The children took turns to collect the water, pour it into the mud and stir the mixture. They encouraged each other and shared delight in what they had created.
• Clear routines, high expectations and strong relationships support children in behaving well. Children listen carefully to adults and respond quickly to instructions. They show care and respect for each other.
• Adults make good use of praise to reward and encourage children. This helps them to develop into confident and resilient learners.
• Disadvantaged children and those who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. This is because adults identify their individual needs quickly and ensure that they receive support to help them learn well.
• Staff and parents enjoy positive relationships. Leaders provide workshops to support parents in helping their children at home. For example, parents have recently attended a workshop where they learned about English teaching and had the chance to complete some activities with their children.
• Adults are aware of the need to challenge children, particularly the most able, in order to accelerate their progress. ‘Challenge boxes’ provide prompts for adults to extend children’s learning. However, there are not enough opportunities for children to extend and deepen their learning independently.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141936 Warwickshire 10048343 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 Academy free school 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 178 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Tom Legge Susan Milewski 01788 222088 www.rugbyfreeprimary.co.uk office@rugbyfreeprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Rugby Free Primary School opened in September 2015. Initially, the school admitted children into the Reception Year, and it currently has pupils up to Year 2. In September 2018, the school will extend to Year 3 and in subsequent years it will continue to grow to include Years 4, 5 and 6. At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in key stage 2.
• The school is part of the Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow multi-academy trust. The trust currently comprises two schools. Each school has a local governing body, which is accountable to the board of trustees.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The number of pupils with statements of special educational needs, or education, health and care plans, is below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in parts of 17 lessons. Two of these observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher. One inspector visited the breakfast club and after-school clubs.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors spoke formally with three groups of pupils and talked to pupils in lessons and around the school.
• An inspector listened to a group of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.
• Inspectors extensively examined the quality of work in pupils’ English, mathematics, science and topic books jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also scrutinised children’s learning journals.
• Discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders. The lead inspector met with eight school staff to gather their views on safeguarding, professional development and pupils’ learning.
• The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer and chair of the board of the multi-academy trust. A meeting was also held with the chair of the local governing body and three local governing body members.
• Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information about current pupils’ attainment and progress, records of checks made on the quality of teaching, records relating to safeguarding, minutes of meetings of the local governing body and information on the school’s website.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 94 responses to Parent View. One inspector spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors also considered letters and emails received from parents.
• Inspectors spoke to staff and took account of the views expressed in the 17 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

Inspection team

Claire Jones, lead inspector Viv McTiffen

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector