Rhyl Community Primary School

Rhyl Primary School Rhyl Street, London, NW5 3HB

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Since the previous inspection, leaders and members of the governing body have successfully secured the improved quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement, which are now good.  Leaders routinely check the progress of every pupil. Those identified as underachieving are given targeted support that helps them to make good progress.  From their below-average starting points, pupils achieve well across the school. Attainment is improving at the end of all key stages. In 2012, an above average proportion of pupils attained the expected level in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Leaders know the school well because they have established good systems for checking on the school’s work. They use this information effectively to prioritise plans for further improvement.  Teachers are well supported and trained to develop their skills. As a result, teaching is now good overall, with a little that is outstanding.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning and to all aspects of school life. They feel safe, are polite and behave well in lessons and around the school.  The curriculum offers pupils a broad range of enjoyable opportunities and experiences. These ensure pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They leave the school well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding and a small proportion requires improvement.  Teachers do not always set work that challenges pupils, especially the more able, to do their best. Consequently, not all pupils make the rapid progress of which they are capable.  In a few lessons, teachers talk for too long and pupils are not given the opportunity to work independently quickly enough. This slows their progress.  When planning actions for improvement, some leaders do not always set pupil progress targets that are ambitious enough to result in outstanding progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons taught by 16 teachers. In addition, inspectors observed the teaching of phonics (letter patterns and the sounds they represent) and small group support sessions. Many of these observations were made jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteachers of the school.  Meetings were held with the Vice-chair of the Governing Body and another three governors, parents and carers, staff, including senior and middle leaders, groups of pupils and two representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at school documentation, including teachers’ planning, the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, assessment information, monitoring files, governing body minutes, safeguarding documentation and samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked with them about their enjoyment of books. The number of responses to the on-line questionnaire for parents and carers (Parent View) was

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Information about this inspection

too few for the inspectors to consider. Inspectors did consider the 32 staff responses they received.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lily Evans Additional Inspector Liz Kissane Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much larger than average-sized primary school.  An above average proportion of pupils are supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families).  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is average.  Pupils who have Specific Language Impairment (SLI) are supported through the Language Resource Base, which currently has 6 pupils on roll and 2 on assessment placements.  A well above average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  A well above average proportion of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds.  The school’s governing body manages a daily breakfast club and an after-school club.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has achieved many awards. Recently, these have included the ‘Food for Life’ Partnership’s silver award and the School Food Trust’s ‘Let’s Get Cooking’ award.  The headteacher has been on long-term absence since September 2012 and, since then, the school has been led by an interim headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportions of pupils making outstanding progress by:  ensuring that teachers always plan demanding activities to stretch all pupils, especially the more able  ensuring that teachers allow pupils to work on their own as soon as pupils have understood their instructions  all leaders consistently setting highly ambitious pupil progress targets when planning actions for improvement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school in the Nursery with skills that are below those typically expected for their age, especially in their language development. They quickly settle into the welcoming and stimulating indoor and outdoor environments that have recently been remodelled. They are well supported by adults to make good progress in all areas of learning.  In 2012, Year 2 attainment in reading, writing and mathematics improved on the previous year’s poor results. Inspection evidence confirms the school’s view that this rising trend in standards is continuing and pupils are currently on track to reach average standards this year.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved steadily over the past two years so that it is now broadly average. From their previously low starting points at the end of Year 2, the proportions of pupils making expected and more than expected progress consistently exceed national

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The achievement of pupils is good

proportions.  The teaching of early reading has improved since the time of the previous inspection so that pupils across the school now make good progress. An above average proportion of pupils met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2012. Home reading is actively encouraged and pupils enjoy reading a great deal. Pupils who have specific difficulties or who are unable to read to an adult at home are given additional support and opportunities to read to adults in school.  Well-tailored support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those pupils in the specialist language resource unit, as well as those for whom English is an additional language and those of ethnic minority backgrounds, ensures that they are helped to make similar good progress over time to their peers.  The majority of pupils in the school are known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding. They

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The achievement of pupils is good

are supported through additional group teaching across the key stages, one-to-one tuition, additional reading resources and opportunities to enhance their personal development. As a result, they make good progress. The standards that they reached in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 last year were approximately two terms ahead of the pupils who did not receive the grant.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Better quality teaching since the time of the previous inspection has ensured higher achievement. Teachers plan enjoyable lessons and pupils are well supported by teaching assistants.  The good and few outstanding lessons are typically characterised by:  cross-curricular links that help to engage pupils well in their learning. In one lesson seen, for example, pupils developed their report writing skills and use of the past tense by reporting on events in ancient Egypt that they had learnt about  teachers demonstrating what is expected of pupils and helping them to understand how to learn well. This was seen in an Early Years session where children were rolling play-dough and the teacher modelled and discussed shapes that they could make, thus promoting their mathematical understanding  opportunities for pupils to work together in pairs or groups. This was observed in guided reading sessions and in a lesson on personal development where pupils had to tell each other

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The quality of teaching is good

about the good characteristics they had witnessed in their friend. This was effective in building pupils’ self-esteem  a good variety of teaching activities that extend pupils’ experiences and contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For instance, in the current whole-school theme of Africa, pupils are being taught to play African drums in music lessons, they are learning about and drawing African art in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) lessons and the choir is learning to sing and perform African songs. This learning is planned to be consolidated by a visit to the theatre to see a musical production with an African theme.  The quality of marking and feedback is good and pupils say it helps them to understand how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Mostly, pupils are expected to make corrections or undertake more difficult tasks, which helps them make good progress in their

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The quality of teaching is good

learning.  In the best lessons, teachers prepare different activities that are well suited to the learning needs of all pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. In some instances, however, the work is not difficult enough, especially for the more able, so they do not make the outstanding progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not always ensure that pupils only spend a short time sitting and listening so that they can quickly settle to work. This hinders some pupils, especially the more able, from developing their independent learning skills and making the rapid progress of which they are capable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and are polite and helpful. They welcome visitors and are keen to engage them in conversation. They are generally eager to learn and these positive attitudes help them to make good progress.  Pupils say that in this multi-cultural school, pupils get on well together as they learn to respect each other’s faiths and cultures. They are well aware of various types of bullying. When occasional disagreements do occur, they are resolved quickly, often by the pupil peer mediators.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and are well aware of unsafe situations. They know, for instance, how to keep themselves safe when using the internet, from gangs and from harmful substances.  Pupils and their families experiencing difficulties with learning, behaviour or regular attendance are well supported by the school’s learning mentors.  Pupils appreciate the many opportunities offered to them to take responsibility, such as being

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

members of the ‘ Great Green Team’ to ensure that the school is eco-friendly. They are particularly proud of growing vegetables in the school garden which are served in school dinners and which pupils also sell to a local restaurant.  Behaviour is not yet outstanding as occasionally learning is slowed by low-level disruption when classes are taught by supply teachers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and the governing body demonstrate determination to improve all aspects of the school’s work. Equality of opportunity is central to the school’s work. Pupils and their families are well supported so that pupils flourish academically, socially and personally. Discrimination is not tolerated and the safety of all pupils and staff is ensured.  Leaders keep a close eye on the progress of pupils to ensure that any falling behind are quickly supported. Teachers are held to account for their pupils’ progress through annual appraisal reviews, regular observations of their teaching and termly pupil progress meetings with senior leaders. Only good and outstanding teachers are awarded pay increases.  The quality of teaching has improved since the time of the previous inspection. This is because leaders give teachers regular feedback on how to improve their performance combined with a programme of training, coaching and sharing of best practice through the `lesson study’

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The leadership and management are good

programme. Where appropriate, tailored improvement targets and plans are agreed and leaders regularly check to see how the quality of teaching is improving. Leaders have correctly recognised that more needs to be done to secure higher proportions of outstanding teaching.  The school’s work is accurately assessed through good processes of self-evaluation. Action plans to address identified priorities for improvements are detailed. Leaders do not, however, always aim high enough. They do not specifically target their planned actions to ensure that pupils will make outstanding progress.  Pupils have access to a wide range of experiences in lessons and through an exciting programme of enrichment activities. Every pupil, for example, has the chance to learn to play a musical instrument. Pupils enjoy the extensive opportunities for outdoor learning and benefited recently from the visits of an overseas expert on outdoor learning as well as an author of books

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The leadership and management are good

on gardening. During breakfast- and after-school clubs, pupils have opportunities for playing sports and joining the choir and the school orchestra, for example. Learning is further enhanced through visits to many of London’s museums, art galleries and famous gardens.  The school provides parents with many opportunities to broaden their own learning, as well as offering workshops to help parents understand how they can support their children’s learning.  The local authority provides support for school leaders and teachers. This partnership has helped to secure improvements in teaching and achievement since the time of the last inspection.  The governance of the school:  Through regular reporting by the headteacher and other key leaders, the governing body is able to keep a close eye on pupils’ achievement and know how this compares to other schools. Governors check the quality of teaching and ensure that salary increases are linked to the

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The leadership and management are good

contribution made to pupils’ progress. Governors support and challenge leaders well in order to ensure continued improvements. They have identified the need to increase the frequency of their visits to the school to monitor more directly all aspects of its work. They ensure good value for money, including checking the impact of spending pupil premium funding on pupils’ achievement. All statutory duties are met, including arrangements for safeguarding. Governors undertake appropriate training to maintain their effectiveness.

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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 100021 Local authority Camden Inspection number 404707

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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 442 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helene Reardon-Bond Headteacher Rhian Swain Date of previous school inspection 13 July 2011 Telephone number 020 7485 4899 Fax number 020 7284 1272 Email address admin@rhylprim.camden.sch.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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