Rawcliffe Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching further and thereby raise achievement in key stage 1 and key stage 2 by:
  • challenging the most able pupils to reach higher standards, particularly in mathematics
  • improving the quality of writing for all pupils by developing their use of vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
  • encouraging pupils to take pride in the presentation of their work.
• Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • equipping all middle leaders with the skills needed to monitor their areas of responsibility effectively
  • strengthening the curriculum so that pupils can develop their knowledge and skills in subjects other than English and mathematics.
• Improve provision in early years by:
  • providing sufficient challenge in all areas of provision so that children are suitably stimulated and enabled to make rapid progress
  • creating a distinct, purposeful and stimulating environment outdoors
  • ensuring that children have frequent opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• The school has gone through a period of significant turbulence. Over time, ineffective leadership and teaching have had a negative impact on standards, resulting in very low outcomes for pupils. Since the last inspection, there has been a decline in standards as a result of a high turnover of staff, including leaders. One parent commented that in the past there has been ‘too much coming and going’.
• Over time, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum provides breadth and balance. Subjects such as history and geography are not consistently covered in sufficient depth and, as a result, pupils are not developing skills in these subjects.
• Senior leaders are providing professional development opportunities for recently appointed and inexperienced middle leaders to develop their expertise through collaboration with more experienced middle leaders from a neighbouring school.
• Since taking up post at the start of the current school year, the experienced executive headteacher, ably supported by an effective deputy headteacher, is rigorously addressing the significant issues that face the school. The quality of teaching is improving and pupils are making good progress from their low starting points. Staff morale in the school is high.
• Leaders make good use of current national and international events to enthuse pupils and build on their interests. For example, a recent hurricane in the Caribbean led to pupils writing newspaper reports, locating places that were affected and learning about the role of international emergency services.
• Leaders are providing rich experiences to help pupils understand how democracy works. School councillors are elected to their roles by their classmates and there are regular whole-school debates. During these debates, pupils discuss a range of topics, such as whether football should be banned on the playground, which they then vote on.
• Leaders support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. The school’s ‘Values for Life’ underpin all relationships and promote positive qualities such as perseverance, trust and forgiveness.
• The primary school physical education and sport funding is used effectively. As a result, pupils participate in an increased range of sporting opportunities. Through well-planned activities, pupils have a heightened understanding of health and well-being.
• Leaders ensure that the small amount of additional funding the school receives to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils is used well. Dedicated staff assist these pupils individually or in small groups and are helping them to make better progress in their learning.
• The executive headteacher has developed a thorough performance management system through which teachers’ performance is regularly and meticulously reviewed.
• Parents who spoke to the inspector, and parents who responded on Parent View, are very positive about recent changes in leadership. They clearly recognise and appreciate the rapid improvement that this has made to their children’s education in such a short period of time. Parents feel better informed about what is happening in the school and feel that the school is now in a stronger position.
• Leaders and staff at Rawcliffe Primary School are working in close collaboration with a neighbouring school, Rawcliffe Bridge Primary School. The executive headteacher leads both schools.
• Through regular visits to the school, the local authority is giving leaders strong support.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is ambitious for the future of the school. It has given good support during a period of instability and has been scrupulous in securing the strong leadership that is currently at the school.
• Governors agree that previously, they did not know what they needed to know, for example how well pupils were achieving. Now, they have a better understanding in key areas they need to check because they are given information that is more detailed from school leaders. Governors are keen develop their leadership skills further through a review of their effectiveness.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The executive headteacher, who is the designated leader for safeguarding, oversees secure procedures for monitoring and recording any safeguarding concerns. The checks undertaken on staff, visitors and recruitment are sound. Staff are trained how to keep pupils safe from abuse and regularly discuss safeguarding concerns during staff meetings each week.
• There are effective partnerships with external agencies and parents to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Over time, the teaching of English and mathematics has not been strong enough and, as a result, pupils’ outcomes have declined significantly. Prior to the current school year, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has been ineffective, which has had a detrimental effect on standards.
• Pupils are given opportunities to use and apply their developing mathematical skills to more complex problems. However, this is not consistent in all classes, especially for those pupils who are most able.
• The teaching of writing has improved and pupils cover a range of writing styles. However, pupils’ workbooks show that in some classes, they are not encouraged to make their writing more engaging to the reader by using interesting vocabulary, a range of grammatical techniques and appropriate punctuation.
• The teaching of subjects other than English and mathematics is inconsistent and, as a result, pupils’ knowledge and skills are not developed well enough.
• These teachers are enthusiastic and new staff have brought a fresh impetus to teaching and learning. In the short time they have been in post, the positive impact they have had on pupils’ progress is clearly evident. This is especially the case in upper key stage 2.
• The teaching of phonics is particularly strong in key stage 1 and gives pupils a firm foundation on which to develop good reading skills. In other year groups, teachers use challenging questioning to support pupils in developing their comprehension skills and encouraging them to think more deeply.
• Teaching assistants work effectively with small groups of pupils across a range of abilities. They contribute to the good progress that pupils are currently making, including the small number of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• ‘Fitness Friday’ each week promotes health and well-being through a range of activities. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and how the body works, and they participate in a range of sports and physical activity.
• There has been much valuable work done on ensuring that pupils understand e-safety. Pupils spoke confidently about safe practices when using computers.
• Pupils feel safe and happy in school, and their parents agree. Pupils say that inappropriate behaviour is not a common occurrence, but on the rare occasion that it happens, they are confident that adults will deal with it effectively.
• Pupils have opportunities to attend a wide range of after-school clubs, such as those for gardening, choir and sports. Pupils participate in competitive sports with other schools, for example cross-country running.
• Pupils know about the different types of bullying. They say that teachers manage the rare bullying incidents well. Pupils have access to a ‘Bully Button’ on the school’s website, where they can alert leaders to any concerns they may have.
• Pupils are taught to value and celebrate the similarities and differences they have with others. Topics, such as the one on China, enable pupils to research and investigate the characteristics of a culture that is different from their own.
• In pupils’ workbooks, there are good examples of careful presentation and good-quality handwriting. However, there is too much variation, as some pupils are not taking a greater pride in their work.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Around the school, during lessons and at different times of the day, pupils are polite and show respect to adults and for one another.
• Classrooms are calm working environments where adults and pupils have positive and warm relationships. Low-level disruption during lessons is rare.
• Pupils want to be in school. Attendance overall is above average and has been consistently so for several years.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are mostly positive. Very little off-task behaviour was observed during lessons; just occasionally, a few pupils were not fully engaged in their learning.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Weaker teaching in the past has resulted in significantly low outcomes for pupils in reading, writing and mathematics in 2016 and 2017.
• By the end of key stage 1 in 2016, pupils’ attainment was above average in all subjects and pupils made good progress from their different starting points. However, 2017 outcomes show a decline, with attainment and progress falling to below average.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, do not attain as highly as they should. Published information for 2017 clearly shows that too few most-able pupils are reaching the higher standards. The most able pupils currently in the school are making better progress; however, some of these pupils are not given consistent opportunities to work at a greater depth, especially in mathematics.
• Outcomes across the curriculum are varied. There is evidence of coverage across different subjects, but learning has not been planned carefully enough to ensure that pupils’ skills and knowledge develop and deepen through a subject.
• From their low starting points at the beginning of the current term, pupils are making good progress in English and mathematics because teaching is now more effective. Pupils’ books show that over a short period of time, standards have significantly improved.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities who are currently in the school are making good progress because they are receiving effective support.
• The small number of disadvantaged pupils in the school are making stronger progress than disadvantaged pupils have done previously. This is because the quality of teaching has improved and all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making better progress as a result.
• Pupils’ outcomes in phonics in Year 1 are below average. This is a result of ineffective teaching in key stage 1 in the past. Currently, pupils are making good progress because teaching is stronger.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Teaching and learning in early years are not consistently good. Teaching does not regularly challenge children sufficiently and, as a result, they are not making the progress of which they are capable.
• Although the proportion of children who are ready for learning in Year 1 is similar to the average, from their starting points this does not represent good progress.
• The leader of early years is relatively new to the role, having previously taught older pupils in the school. She is keen to do well and has received good support from the local authority, but acknowledges that she has more to learn about her role.
• The outdoor learning environment does not offer a range of stimulating and challenging experiences for children. Opportunities to develop different types of skills, or provide further challenge, are limited.
• The early years leader recognises that children have too few opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. Plans are in place to address this, but their impact is not yet evident.
• Children are well behaved; they play and learn happily together. They know routines and respond eagerly to adults.
• Safeguarding is effective and the procedures in place ensure that children are safe at all times, whether using the indoor or outdoor spaces.
• Staff communicate with parents well. Parents are appreciative of the information they receive about how well their children are doing and what they are learning.
• There are too few children to comment on the progress of disadvantaged children.

School details

Unique reference number 117892 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 10037715 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 101 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Shelley Messenger Hayley McNeill (Executive Headteacher) Telephone number 01405 839282 Website Email address www.therawcliffeschools.co.uk Rawcliffe.Primary@eastriding.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school is much smaller than an average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is below average.
• The school did not meet the government’s floor standards for 2016, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The early years includes a Reception class where children attend full time.
• The school has formed a collaboration with Rawcliffe Bridge Primary School; the executive headteacher leads both schools.
• The executive headteacher, deputy headteacher and most of the teaching staff are recently appointed, taking up their positions from September 2017.
• Leaders are receiving support from the local authority.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all classes. These were observed jointly with the executive headteacher or the deputy headteacher.
• Pupils’ work from all classes was scrutinised.
• The inspector listened to pupils read. Pupils selected to read were from classes in key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the executive headteacher, other staff, five members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• The inspector observed pupils moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds, during breaks, in the dining hall and during hymn singing.
• The inspector scrutinised a number of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plans, and documents on attendance and safeguarding.
• The inspector took account of the 23 free-text comments from parents and the 23 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector also took account of the six online questionnaires completed by members of the school staff.
• The inspector spoke informally with parents at the start of the school day.

Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector