Rydon Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 30–31 May 2012 Inspection number 397460 Rydon Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 137528 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 397460 Inspection dates 30–31 May 2012 Lead inspector Keith Sadler

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 440 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jason Day Headteacher Sally Maunder Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected School address Rydon Road Kingsteignton Newton Abbot TQ12 3LP Telephone number 01626 356420 Fax number 01626 334278 Email address admin@rydon.devon.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors observed 30 lessons led by 16 different teachers or practitioners. They held meetings with members of the governing body, staff, parents and carers, and groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation. This included: the school’s analysis of pupils’ progress; teachers’ lesson plans; school development plan; leaders’ monitoring records; and pupils’ work. The 163 questionnaires completed by parents and carers, together with others from staff and pupils, were analysed and their responses taken into account.

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Information about the school

Rydon is an over-subscribed primary school that is much larger than average. It converted to academy status in October 2011 and is part of the Templer Academy Schools Trust. The Trust also includes Teign Secondary School, Kingsteignton and Coombeshead Academy, Newton Abbot.

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Information about the school

Almost all the pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including those supported by school action plus or with statements of special educational needs, is average. The school meets the current government floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school provides breakfast and after-school care. This is not managed by the governing body and is therefore not included in this inspection.

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Information about the school

The school has gained a number of national awards including the Artsmark (Silver) and the ICT award for the effective promotion of information and communication technology. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Rydon is a good school. Pupils achieve well due to teaching that is consistently good. Even though there are some aspects of leadership that are excellent, the school is not yet outstanding because not enough teaching is of outstanding quality.

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Key findings

 Pupils achieve well in both their personal and academic development. Children achieve well in the Reception year, although progress in literacy skills is not so rapid because the teaching of letters and sounds is not sufficiently systematic. Progress is good in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 1 to 6 so that by the time pupils leave the school, attainment is significantly above average.

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Key findings

 There are many strengths in the quality of teaching, which is consistently good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers manage pupils well and they provide interesting activities that are usually challenging for all groups of pupils. This has a positive impact on pupils’ academic and personal development. Even so, there are inconsistencies. Marking is thorough and supportive, although in some classes there is a variation in the setting of targets, particularly in mathematics. In addition, on occasion teachers do not give enough opportunity for pupils to contribute during lesson introductions.

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Key findings

 Behaviour is good in lessons because there is a positive and purposeful atmosphere in all classes. Pupils enjoy learning, say that they feel safe in school and there is little bullying. They talk positively about how they get on well together. Attendance has improved and is now above average.

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Key findings

 There are outstanding qualities to the leadership and management of senior staff. The management of performance is good with teaching and learning being closely monitored. This gives rise to a well-conceived programme of professional development. Middle managers carry out their responsibilities well and the governing body provides a good balance between challenge and support for the school. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By January 2013, lift the quality of teaching and learning from good to outstanding by:  removing inconsistencies in the provision of future guidance and targets when marking pupils’ work, particularly in mathematics  ensuring that the teaching of letters and sounds in the Reception year is more closely matched to children’s abilities and needs  giving pupils more opportunities to contribute to discussions when lessons are introduced.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Reception classes with skills that are at expected levels. They thrive in their personal and social development. This is because the staff create a caring and positive atmosphere in which they soon become confident and secure. Achievement is good in most areas. However, in communication, language and literacy, progress is satisfactory. This is because the teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) is not sufficiently consistent across the year group. As a result, children’s reading and writing skills are only average on entering Year 1, whereas in other areas attainment is above average.

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Achievement of pupils

Almost all parents and carers said that their children make good progress. All groups of pupils achieve well. For example, there are no significant differences in the progress made by boys and girls or those known to be eligible for free school meals. Senior staff have secured improvements in teaching that have led to progress that is accelerated in both English and mathematics. This has resulted in pupils achieving well with attainment at the end of Year 6 being significantly above average. The progress of more-able pupils is particularly strong due to the good levels of challenge that are provided in most lessons. Lesson observations confirm the school’s data that the current Year 6 pupils are on course to continue to attain above average standards in both English and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Good quality teaching and the well-planned curriculum enable progress in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics to be good. For example, in a successful Year 6 literacy lesson, as part of the topic on China, pupils achieved well when preparing non-chronological writing relating to their drawings of dragons. The teacher skilfully drew on pupils’ knowledge about the features of the genre to ensure that these would be taken into account when writing. Reading is taught well in Years 1 to 6. Pupils’ understanding of sounds and letters has been boosted in Years 1 and 2 and their enjoyment of books is clear. Year 2 pupils are particularly skilled in making use of their phonic skills to help their decoding of ‘tricky’ words. In consequence, attainment at the end of Year 2 is above average in reading. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ progress is good and in the best lessons it is outstanding. By the Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Achievement of pupils

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

time that they reach Year 6, pupils have developed well-honed skills and an enjoyment of books and their attainment is significantly above average. For example, more-able pupils thoroughly enjoyed discussing differences in approaches taken to crime genre by favourite authors.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. This is because there are carefully planned interventions to support their learning that are derived from a thorough analysis of their learning needs.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all the lessons seen during the inspection were at least good and, although a few were satisfactory, a greater number were outstanding. Teachers manage the pupils well and create a positive learning atmosphere. This leads to the pupils enjoying lessons and learning. As a Year 6 pupil commented, ‘Our teachers listen to us and push us to do our best.’ Lessons are planned well to meet the differing learning needs of the pupils in the class. Teachers outline the purpose of lessons well and give a clear indication of what the pupils need to do to succeed in their work. In most lessons teachers question pupils well. However, on a few occasions teachers do not involve enough pupils in responding to questions during introductions to lessons. Staff successfully help to develop their pupils as independent learners by getting them to review each other’s work. This was the case in an outstanding Year 5 literacy session in which the pupils were preparing diaries to send to a partner school

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Quality of teaching

in Madagascar. After producing high-quality and inventive descriptions of wildlife in the school grounds, the teacher then asked other pupils to check whether their classmates had met the success criteria for their work. Teachers frequently provide good guidance for next steps in learning when they mark pupils’ work. However, although marking is invariably thorough and supportive, targets are not always made clear, particularly in mathematics.

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Quality of teaching

Reading is taught well in Years 1 to 6. There are well-organised and regular group reading sessions in each year group. Provision and pupils’ interest are heightened by the regular book weeks in which there is a good focus on the teaching of reading.

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Quality of teaching

Most parents and carers said that their children are taught well. Many made a number of positive comments about how much their children enjoy the wide range of curricular opportunities provided. During the inspection, the annual multicultural week enabled staff to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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Quality of teaching

Clever linking of subjects, which provides a purpose for learning, was evident in all year groups. For example, in Year 4 pupils enjoyed using technology to make high quality animations from their models which re-told the story of Anansi the Spider. Here, teachers linked design and technology as well as literacy and numeracy work. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed explaining what they had done.

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Quality of teaching

Well-deployed teaching assistants make a strong contribution to the quality of Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

teaching. As well as providing support for all groups in lessons, they provide particularly good support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. This is achieved through a range of effective interventions on a small group or individual basis.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is good and the school is a harmonious community. Pupils say that they behave well and feel safe from bullying and this is supported by school records, the pupils’ questionnaires and also by observation. Their positive attitudes and good work ethic support their learning well. Pupils say that they particularly enjoy the many opportunities that are provided for them to work in pairs and small groups. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson, for example, pupils worked well in pairs, using good mathematical vocabulary, when using number lines to investigate numbers. Their enthusiasm for school is reflected in their improving attendance which is now above average.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ good understanding of what constitutes different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, is the result of the strong personal and social education programme. They are confident that adults would resolve any concerns they may have. Parents and carers are almost unanimous in saying that their children behave well and are kept safe in school. Many made very positive comments about how the staff had helped their families and provided excellent support for their children at a time when circumstances made them vulnerable.

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Leadership and management

The outstanding quality of the leadership and management of the headteacher and the deputy headteacher has a positive impact on achievement and teaching. Together, they have successfully built the effectiveness of middle leaders so that they provide clear leadership in their areas of responsibility. The systematic checking of provision, linked to the rigorous analysis of pupils’ progress, ensures that there is a close understanding of the school’s position. There is a strong team spirit and senior leaders’ vision for improvement is shared by all the staff. This is seen in the positive impact of professional development. They are unanimous in saying that they are proud to be members of the school staff. Additional rigour and accountability in the performance management process have helped to strengthen teaching and, although inconsistencies remain, most teaching is good and some outstanding.

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Leadership and management

Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated and the deep commitment to equal opportunities is demonstrated in the care taken to ensure that all pupils have access to what the school has to offer.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is well organised and meets pupils’ needs well. Improvements to the linking of subjects and focus events, such as the multicultural week during the inspection, enliven learning. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effectively promoted through a good range of opportunities, close links with the Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

other Trust schools and a wide range of visits and visitors, such as the Japanese drummers and country-dancing specialists during the inspection.

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Leadership and management

Members of the governing body regularly visit to observe and assess the work of the school and support and challenge leaders well. The governing body ensures that all child protection and staff vetting arrangements meet regulatory requirements in full. Taken together, these strengths, when linked to the effectiveness of leadership and management and improvements in provision, indicate the school’s strong capacity to secure further improvement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

We really enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you for the way you welcomed us. We enjoyed reading your questionnaires, talking with you and watching you learn and play. We know that you thoroughly enjoyed your multicultural week, and I particularly enjoyed watching Year 5 drumming. Rydon is a good school. These are the things that you do well.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 Your learning is good in both English and mathematics and you reach above average standards.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 The teaching is good and sometimes outstanding.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 You behave well in lessons and around the school.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 Your parents and carers are very positive about the school and how well the staff keep you safe and help you to learn.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 Your headteacher and deputy headteacher provide outstanding leadership and they are helped by all the staff and members of the governing body. This helps your school to continue to get better.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

Even in a good school, there are ways to make your school better and we have asked your headteacher and teachers to do some things to improve it even further. These are for your teachers:

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 when marking your work to give you targets for the future, particularly in mathematics.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 in the Reception classes to make sure that their teaching of letters and sounds gives challenge to all the children.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

 to ensure that more of you get a chance to speak during introductions to lessons.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

You can help by continuing to work hard! Thank you again for your help. We hope that you continue to enjoy your time at Rydon.

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Inspection of Rydon Primary School, Kingsteighton TQ12 3LP

Yours sincerely Keith Sadler Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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