River View Community Primary School

River View Community Primary School Wheater’s Street, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 1QZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Although it is now beginning to speed up, pupils’ progress is not as good as it should be, particularly in writing. While rising, attainment by the end of Year 6 is below average. Pupils’ achievement, therefore, requires improvement.  Across the school the quality of teaching is inconsistent. Consequently, pupils do not always learn as much as they should in all lessons.  In some lessons time is not used sufficiently well, teachers’ explanations are not clear enough and so pupils are not as interested in their work as they should be.  Sometimes the work planned for some pupils is too easy and does not provide them with enough challenge to get the best out of them.  Marking is helpful but not all teachers provide pupils with the time or opportunity to act upon or ask advice about all the comments made.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders have quickly established ways to run this new school effectively. They know the school well and know what to do to improve it further.  Teachers work hard and are well supported by leaders to improve their practice. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving.  The school’s effective systems for improving pupils’ behaviour have resulted in behaviour that is now good. Pupils are proud of their school, like coming each day and say they feel safe.  Governors have a good understanding of the school and provide the necessary support and challenge to leaders in order to bring about improvements quickly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 25 lessons taught by 24 teachers. In addition, they conducted some shorter visits to classes to check the quality of the curriculum. Two lessons were jointly observed, one with the headteacher and the other with the deputy headteacher.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other senior and subject leaders, the co- ordinator of provision for Language Resource pupils and those with special educational needs including disabled pupils, the coordinator of the Early Years Foundation Stage, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 27 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), conversations with parents and the school’s own records of parents’ views.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including safeguarding policies, school development plans, the school’s records of checks on the quality of

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Inspection team

Liam Trippier, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Laughlin Additional Inspector Michael McLachlan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This larger-than-average-sized primary school opened in September 2011 in a new building, having been formed by the merger of two local primary schools. This is the school’s first Ofsted inspection.  The school hosts a specially resourced provision for 16 pupils aged 5-11 with speech, language and communication difficulties. Pupils from across the local authority attend. The provision is organised into two small-class groups.  The majority of pupils are from White-British backgrounds and other pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is above average.  An above-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, children from armed forces families and children known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs and those supported at school action plus is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has a before-school breakfast club managed by the governing body that is attended by some children from the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching and eradicate that which requires improvement in order to further increase pupils’ progress and attainment, particularly in writing, by:  sharing the best practice that is evident in the school more widely  making sure lesson time is always used well, so that pupils remain interested and learn quickly  making sure teachers’ explanations are clear and pupils’ learning is checked regularly in lessons  ensuring that activities and work precisely meet pupils’ differing needs so that they make consistently good or better progress  providing daily opportunities for pupils to respond to teachers’ written comments in their work books and checking that they are clear about how to improve their work  creating exciting opportunities for pupils to write in a range of subjects so that they are enthused to write.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children start school with skills, knowledge and understanding well below that found typically for their age. Across the school most pupils make the progress expected of them in English and mathematics, but few do better than this; pupils’ achievement, therefore, requires improvement.  Pupils’ progress is now accelerating due to improvements in the quality of teaching. It is strongest in the Early Years Foundation Stage and towards the end of Key Stage 2; however, progress in other year groups is more variable.  While pupils’ attainment is below average in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6, inspection evidence from pupils’ current work and the school’s tracking of information about their progress over time show that attainment is rising. Records demonstrate that the school is helping all groups of pupils to catch up to expected levels but not enough are yet doing better than this.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Throughout the school progress is not as strong in writing as it is in reading and mathematics. Although the school has rightly focused on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills to help improve their written work, in some classes writing is not taught consistently well and pupils do not have enough exciting chances to practise their writing in a range of subjects. As a result, pupils are not always motivated to produce good-quality pieces of work.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium are just less than one school year behind other pupils in English and mathematics but this gap is closing. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those in the language resource provision, make the same progress as their peers. These groups of pupils benefit from effective small-group teaching and work that matches their needs well.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to other pupils in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

lessons and they receive appropriate support so that they can access activities. However, inspectors found that reading materials selected for pupils who speak English as an additional language do not always support and develop their understanding of English as well as they could.  Pupils heard to read by inspectors say they read regularly. Recently pupils are reading a wider range of books than in the past. Pupils have been taught about different authors but generally only the more able readers were able to tell inspectors about this. Younger pupils are able to put letters and the sounds they make (phonics) together to read unfamiliar words.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is improving steadily but is inconsistent. During this inspection some good and outstanding teaching was seen but inspectors also saw lessons that required improvement. As a result, the progress pupils make is variable but it is improving over time and school records confirm this.  In the best lessons pupils are challenged well by the activities they have to do and the time in which they have to be completed. For example, Year 5 pupils made outstanding progress in improving their spelling skills because the teacher provided short, timed tasks that were set at the precise level for the pupils to practise and quickly improve their accuracy. The teacher observed and checked pupils’ learning regularly throughout the lesson and made useful comments to help them learn exceptionally well.  In most lessons teachers ask questions to encourage pupils to think about their answers carefully, in order to check what they have understood. Pupils are provided with useful

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

opportunities to talk and think about ideas with their classmates. Teaching assistants also make a good contribution to lessons by leading small groups well and providing help for pupils to guide their learning when they need it.  When teaching requires improvement, activities are not as closely matched to the abilities of the different pupils because teachers have not used information about how well pupils have learned in previous lessons to plan more precisely for their needs. As a result, some pupils find tasks too easy. When teachers’ explanations are not clear and when they do not check pupils’ learning often enough in lessons, pupils do not always work hard and mistakes are not addressed.  Pupils’ workbooks are presented neatly and teachers mark them using the agreed policy. Pupils are given useful next steps to improve their work but not all teachers provide pupils with the time or opportunity to act upon or ask advice about all the comments made. Older pupils know

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

how to improve their work using the good advice provided by their teachers but younger pupils are less clear about how to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that behaviour in school is good and has improved. They appreciate the rewards for good behaviour and they are very clear about the school’s rules to keep them safe. Pupils know that there are others who find behaving consistently well difficult but say that the school works successfully with them to improve their conduct.  Pupils have positive attitudes in lessons and they thoroughly enjoy participating in tasks that require cooperation. They conduct themselves well around the school, in assembly, at playtime and lunchtime. The school’s records show a significant improvement in pupils’ behaviour since the school opened and the number of incidents of poor behaviour has declined quickly.  Pupils say that there has been some name-calling on the playground but do not now consider it a serious issue. Most pupils know about the different forms of bullying and know how to deal with it but some younger pupils confuse bullying and bad behaviour. Pupils say that, when told,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

staff will always address any incidents of bullying or misbehaviour effectively and there is always someone to help them if they have a problem.  Pupils demonstrate good manners and are welcoming to guests and visitors. They hold doors open for each other and enjoy receiving praise and encouragement. Pupils behave well in the breakfast club and use this time to eat and drink, talk to their friends or read books.  Parents’ views of pupils’ behaviour are generally positive but not all agree that behaviour is good. Inspectors found that, although there are a few pupils who do sometimes misbehave, the improvements to behaviour over time, since the school opened, are significant.  Pupils’ attendance is average and has improved quickly since the school opened due to the school’s effective and close work with families to make sure their children attend regularly. Pupils are aware of the importance of good attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the school opened leaders have shown great determination and developed good-quality policies and procedures that ensure the school runs well and that its performance is improving. All leaders regularly check the school’s work, make accurate judgements about how well it is doing and devise good-quality plans to ensure that teaching continues to improve and the trend in pupils’ achievement is upward. This demonstrates the school is well placed to carry on making improvements.  The headteacher has high ambitions for the school and has ensured staff are well trained and equipped with the necessary skills to improve their teaching. Teachers are held to account for the progress the pupils in their classes make and performance management arrangements are fully in place, robust and clearly linked to salary progression. Teachers’ targets for improvement are linked to the government’s nationally expected standards for teachers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new curriculum meets the needs and interests of the pupils. Interesting topics that provide an element of choice from the ‘Learning Menu’, such as ‘In the Eye of the Beholder’ in art and ‘Life Below Stairs’ in history, provide exciting ways to raise pupils’ curiosity and develop their knowledge, skills and understanding, although there are missed opportunities to increase pupils’ enjoyment of writing.  The school has established useful partnerships with other schools, organisations and the children’s centre. The school’s Child and Family Support Team work well within the school’s community to ensure pupils attend regularly and achieve well. The school’s Family and School Together (FAST) group is particularly successful in helping parents improve their children’s achievement through a range of activities including playing family games at picnics and cooking meals together after school.  The school’s promotion of equality and tackling of discrimination is good. This is shown in the

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The leadership and management are good

way leaders have used funding for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium to narrow the gap between their achievement and that of other pupils and in the way the school carefully checks the achievement and attendance of the different groups of pupils it serves.  The local authority provides effective support for the school that is appropriate to its needs as a developing place for learning in the heart of the community.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements. All policies and training are up to date and procedures for vetting staff are firmly in place. The beautiful, new school building provides a safe, secure and welcoming place for the pupils and their families to learn.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well throughout the school. Pupils sing exceptionally well together in assemblies and through the curriculum and they

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The leadership and management are good

experience a good range of educational visits and visitors to promote an understanding of people’s different backgrounds, faiths and cultures. Pupils are provided with good opportunities in lessons every day to develop their social skills and they have a strong sense of right and wrong.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is fully aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses because governors are well-informed, highly organised and check the school’s effectiveness for themselves. They have a clear understanding of the progress pupils make throughout the school and challenge leaders to ensure pupils’ achievement continues to improve. Safeguarding is checked regularly and governors ensure that equality of opportunity is promoted well in the school by monitoring closely the wide range of groups the school serves. The governing body ensures that resources such as the pupil premium funding are used well

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The leadership and management are good

and has a good understanding of the school’s performance management arrangements and how this links to salary progression for staff. Governors recognise the improvements the school has made since opening but are not complacent and know there is more to do.

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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 136076 Local authority Salford Inspection number 400266

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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 476 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joe Gallagher Headteacher Daniel Gauld Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0161 921 2670 Fax number Not applicable Email address info@riverviewprimary.co.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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