Reeth Community Infant School

Reeth Community Primary School Healaugh Road, Reeth, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL11 6SP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress throughout the school. They reach above average standards by the time they leave school at the end of Year 6.  Children make a strong start to their learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are inquisitive about the world around them in response to the stimulating activities teachers provide for them.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers expect the best of their pupils who, in turn, find their lessons informative and enjoyable. As a result, pupils of all abilities work hard and achieve well.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Their attendance is above average. Pupils feel valued and extremely well cared for. As a result, they are considerate and take very good care of each other.  The clear, imaginative and persistent leadership of the headteacher has brought good improvements to pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching since the last

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

inspection. She is well supported by an effective staff team and good governing body. Consequently, the school has shown it is capable of continuing to make improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally pupils are not challenged to make the very best progress they could.  A few opportunities are missed for pupils to practise and develop their literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects.  Teachers do not always make best use of marking and feedback to help pupils make improvements to their work in all subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons including three joint observations with the headteacher. The inspector also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Chair, and other members of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority, and members of staff including senior and middle leaders. The inspector also heard pupils read from both key stages.  Inspectors took account of 20 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the outcomes from the school’s consultations with parents.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including data on pupils’ current and previous progress, the school development plan, performance management documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is smaller than the average sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from White British families.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional government funding allocated to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after by the local authority or the children of forces families.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is federated with Gunnerside Methodist Primary School. They are approximately six miles apart and share a headteacher and governing body. The staff and pupils work between the

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Information about this school

two schools. At the time of the inspection the Year 5 and 6 pupils were largely taught in Gunnerside Methodist School.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the already good quality of teaching to outstanding by:  making sure that pupils are consistently challenged to achieve the best they can by matching work closely to their level of ability  ensuring pupils have more chances to find things out for themselves and to work on their own  providing more opportunities for pupils to use and practise their literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects  providing guidance in teachers’ marking on how pupils can improve their work, especially their literacy work, in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with knowledge and skills which are generally typical for their age although they vary from year to year because of the small numbers involved. They make at least good progress in all areas of their learning. They concentrate well and are proud of their achievement.  Pupils achieve well and their progress is much more consistent than at the last inspection. Pupils’ progress is accelerating and is occasionally outstanding. This reflects the teachers’ good use of accurate measures of pupils’ achievement to set high expectations and good improvements to the quality of teaching.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and increasingly good skills for improving their own work which contribute well to the progress they make. Pupils make good use of information and communication technology (ICT) in their learning.  Occasionally, relative weaknesses in the quality of teaching limit pupils of all abilities from

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The achievement of pupils is good

making the very best progress they could.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. This is because staff understand their learning needs and make rigorous efforts to meet them. The increasingly successful attention given to establishing key literacy and numeracy skills ensures that these pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.  The few pupils supported by pupil premium funding make good progress and the gap between their achievement and that of other pupils is reducing. The use of the funding to provide individual, one-to-one support in literacy and numeracy is carefully reviewed to ensure it has a maximum impact on pupils’ learning often resulting in better than normally expected progress.  Pupils read fluently and widely by Year 6. Younger pupils generally tackle new and unfamiliar words well because they develop a good understanding of letters and their sounds. Their

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The achievement of pupils is good

enjoyment of reading and depth of understanding make a good contribution to their overall achievement. Pupils of all ages and abilities read with expression and enthusiasm.  Pupils’ writing skills are good. They write neatly with a fluid handwriting and a good knowledge of grammatical structure and the use of paragraphs. Their writing is often best when it is linked to other areas of their studies or themes which excite their imagination. They often write at length.  Pupils’ mathematical skills are well developed. For example, by Year 6 most pupils confidently apply their very good understanding of percentages and multiplication to solve realistic problems. Occasionally, chances are missed for pupils to apply and improve their literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects which limit their chance to make the very best progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships between adults and pupils are very good. Consequently, lessons run very smoothly and pupils have very positive attitudes to learning.  Teachers use very good procedures to measure pupils’ attainment and the progress they make. They use this knowledge well to set high expectations for pupils’ achievement. This sometimes leads to outstanding progress. For instance, in the Early Years Foundation Stage staff make very good use of ICT to observe and record pupils’ daily achievements and adjust their planning accordingly.  Occasionally, however, teachers miss the chance to challenge pupils further. For example, pupils are sometimes given more guidance than they need before tackling work on their own. Teachers sometimes do not give additional challenge soon enough when pupils manage the work they are given more easily than expected.  Lessons often start with an activity which grabs pupils’ attention and sharpens their thinking,

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The quality of teaching is good

especially in outstanding lessons. For example, with the aid of ICT teachers make good use of pupils’ own work as a starting point and model for others. They use challenging and fast-paced mental calculation games, role play and colourful resources to motivate pupils.  Teachers and teaching assistants ask open questions to explore pupils’ understanding and develop their thinking skills. Pupils with a disability or special educational needs are taught well. Teaching assistants and other adults provide sensitive and skilled support when needed while encouraging pupils to work as independently as possible.  Reading skills are taught well because teachers increasingly promote pupils’ understanding of letters and sounds through work closely matched to pupils’ ability, regardless of age. They guide pupils well to read with expression and understand the deeper meaning of the text.  Teachers generally provide good opportunities for pupils to practise their reading, writing,

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The quality of teaching is good

numeracy and ICT skills through other subjects. However, a few chances are missed for pupils to make written notes, use their extended writing skills rather than answer one-word questions or practise their mathematical skills in some subjects.  The overall quality of marking and feedback is good. However, sometimes teachers’ comments do not provide clear enough guidance for pupils as to how to amend and improve their work, especially literacy work such as spellings, in subjects other than English.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school is calm, friendly and very orderly. Pupils are extremely well behaved throughout the school. They listen very attentively to teachers and their peers. They move around the school with care and consideration for others. Pupils are punctual and well prepared for the day.  There are excellent arrangements to ensure pupils are safe and secure when they travel between the two schools. Pupils feel very safe and act very responsibly on these occasions.  The school works very closely with parents to support pupils with emotional and social difficulties. These pupils receive very good support so they can work and play safely with their peers. Consequently, parents appreciate teachers’ high expectations and poor behaviour is very rare. There have been no recent exclusions.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and feel that very little goes on. They make a very good contribution to the maintenance of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

school rules through their roles as school councillors, for example.  The pupils respond extremely well to the strong moral and social guidance they receive. They develop very positive attitudes to life and learning through the teaching of common values and expectations through assemblies and personal and social education such as the daily 'Circle Time' in some classes. Pupils have a very good understanding of moral and ethical issues through their studies on Fair Trade and other global issues, for example, and express this well in their writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher's very clear view of how successful the school can be is shared by all staff. Subject and senior leaders make full use of rigorous systems to check the quality of all aspects of the school's work and plan for its future development. This process has had a particularly strong impact on bringing the two schools in the federation into a closer alliance for the benefit of the pupils. As a result, provision and pupils’ achievement have improved well.  The systems for mentoring, supporting and coaching teachers and leaders in their roles are very thorough. The headteacher provides a very good role model and staff are increasingly skilled in observing teaching and setting targets for improvement. Staff are aware of their accountability for the progress their pupils make and understand how this is linked to salary progression. Consequently, the school is aware of the few aspects of teaching and learning requiring further

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The leadership and management are good

development and is well placed to address them.  The school receives good support from the local authority. This has contributed well to developing the links between the schools and contributing to training of subject and other leaders.  The headteacher and other senior staff work well with the cluster of local schools in sharing ideas on leadership and the teaching of literacy and numeracy.  Policies for safeguarding pupils meet legal requirements and are supported by the excellent quality of record keeping.  The school is at the heart of the community and parents hold it in high regard. The school strongly promotes good relationships and equality of opportunity through all its work.  The school makes learning exciting and memorable through many different subjects and the links between them. The 'Forest School' project, the development of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum into Key Stage 1 and initiatives to promote pupils’ talking, reading and writing

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The leadership and management are good

skills are driving forward pupils’ enjoyment of learning and the standards they reach to increasingly higher levels.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very well led and is well informed about the school's provision and performance, including the quality of teaching and performance management procedures, through high-quality reports from the headteacher and the governors’ own first-hand observations of the school's work. The governing body understands data and receives regular and detailed information on the progress of all groups of pupils. This is used well to ensure teachers and teaching assistants are effectively deployed across the two schools to maximise pupils’ achievement. They participate in a good range of training through links with the local authority and local schools. As a result, the governing body makes a good contribution to establishing the future direction of the school and its view about how well

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The leadership and management are good

the school is doing is accurate. Governors ensure that financial management is matched well to improving pupils’ achievement and the impact is carefully scrutinised. They make sure that the outcomes of pupil premium funding, particularly that used for individual tuition, leads to positive outcomes.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 121311 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 406016

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 60 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karen Miles Headteacher Linda Cork Date of previous school inspection 6 October 2010 Telephone number 01748 884308 Fax number - Email address headteacher@rg-schools.org.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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