Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery

St John's CofE Primary School Dannah Street, Ripley, DE5 3BD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Over time there has been variability in standards at Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils do not make good progress throughout the school.  Teachers do not always have high enough expectations for the presentation of work. Spelling, grammar and punctuation errors are not always corrected and work is not always matched precisely enough to pupils’ different levels of ability.  In some lesson pupils are not able to move on to working by themselves quickly enough or given sufficient opportunities to work together in groups.  There are not enough opportunities for pupils to write longer pieces and mathematical skills are not always developed progressively with time for pupils to use these in problem solving activities.  Leaders, managers and governors have not ensured teaching and achievement have improved enough to be good.  Leaders do not always make sure that links are made with the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Expectations of teachers are not

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

always clear and leaders do not check regularly enough to make sure improvements are made.  Governors are not rigorous in making sure there are improvements in the school and these are maintained.  Attendance is below the national average. The school has not worked closely enough with parents and pupils to promote the importance of attendance.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress due to the regularly strong teaching they receive.  There were improvements in standards in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2 in 2013 and in the proportion of pupils reaching the standard required for the phonics (letters and sounds) check in Year 1.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and are confident that teachers will help them if they have a problem.  The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted in the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 24 part-lessons including five jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also observed senior leaders feeding back to staff on pupils’ learning and progress in lessons.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their views of the school, listened to pupils read and attended an assembly.  Meetings took place with the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, staff, pupils and a local authority officer.  The inspection team took account of the 25 responses to the online Parent View survey, written correspondence from parents and their views from conversations with inspectors in the mornings before school. The returns from 18 staff questionnaires were also scrutinised.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, reviewed records of pupils’ recent attainment and progress, the school’s evaluation of its own performance, plans for improvement, checks on teaching, minutes of meetings of the governing body, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance

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Inspection team

Susan Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Valerie Palmer Additional Inspector Andrew Lagden Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The very large majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, additional funding from the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups, is above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so it is regularly good or better across the school by ensuring that:  lessons proceed at a brisk pace so pupils are involved in activities more quickly  work is more precisely prepared for pupils different levels of ability so it is not too hard or too easy  there are more opportunities for pupils to work independently or in groups and to discuss their work together.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve standards across the school, and in particular at Key Stage 1, so they are broadly average by:  teachers having higher expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work and their handwriting  ensuring basic errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation are corrected  providing more opportunities across the school for pupils to develop their writing in longer pieces in different subjects  developing basic skills in mathematics progressively throughout the school and giving pupils the opportunity to apply these to problem solving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attendance so it is similar to national levels by promoting the importance of the link between good attendance and good achievement with pupils and families.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure leaders and managers are more rigorous with quality assurance so pupils make good progress by:  making links with the quality of teaching judged in lessons with the progress pupils make over time  making the expectations about teaching explicit across the school and monitoring more regularly to ensure improvements are made  governors asking more searching questions of senior leaders and holding them to account for standards rising, progress being good and attendance improving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards have fluctuated over time at both Key Stage 1 and 2 and pupils do not make consistently good progress in these key stages. In 2012 standards at Key Stage 2 were average in English and below average in mathematics. They rose in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2 in 2013. There were also some improvements at the higher grades at Key Stage 1, although overall standards declined. However, these pupils entered Key Stage 1 with below average standards.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Expectations are sometimes not high enough so pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of their work is not always of a good standard. Basic errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation are sometimes not corrected to help pupils understand what they could do better. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop their writing in longer pieces in literacy lessons and in different subjects to help them improve their writing skills, especially in Key stage 1.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school has focused on improving pupils’ achievement in mathematics and this has been successful at Key Stage 2. However, basic skills in mathematics are not always developed progressively throughout the school and pupils are not given opportunities to apply these to problem solving.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils for whom the school receive pupil premium funding receive additional help in lessons and in small groups. Some pupils also have ‘positive play’ sessions to help them develop their confidence and attitudes to learning. In the national tests in 2012, these pupils were approximately six months behind other pupils in English and two months behind in mathematics. School data shows the gap is narrowing between these and other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive extra help in lessons. Teaching assistants are particularly skilful at helping pupils understand the work and guiding small groups of pupils through the steps they need to be successful in the learning. Although progress is not good for these pupils in the school, it is accelerating. The school is focused on promoting equality of opportunity for pupils’ learning and narrowing gaps where they exist.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Reading has been a particular focus for the school and a new programme has been introduced. Pupils enjoy reading and during a wet break all ages of pupils helped themselves to books which they enjoyed sharing with their friends. The school also promotes reading with regular sessions in classes and one at the end of the day where parents are invited to come into school and read with their children. In the Year 1 phonics check in 2013 pupils did much better than in 2012 with the large majority of pupils meeting the national standard,

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress. They usually enter the Nursery with skills and knowledge typically below those expected for their age and although standards are still below average when they leave, the gap has narrowed. Work is extremely well planned to meet their needs and interests. Parents are particularly positive about how staff work closely with them and explain what children are learning so they can help them at home.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good across Key Stages 1 and 2. Sometimes, lessons do not proceed at a brisk enough pace to involve pupils quickly enough and this slows down their rate of learning. On occasions, work is a little easy for more-able pupils and too hard for less-able pupils which means pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the best teaching, there are opportunities for pupils to discuss their work together and to work in groups or by themselves where they can learn at a rate which suits them. For example in a Year 5 lesson on poetry focusing on similes, pupils had very well matched work, opportunities to discuss their work and learn from each other and made good progress. However, there are not enough of these opportunities for pupils to work independently and with each other across the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are positive relationships between staff and pupils in lessons. Teachers have good subject knowledge and deploy teaching assistants well to support pupils with their work. The school has developed the use of targets which pupils stick in their books so they know what they need to do to improve their work and teachers usually share with pupils what they are learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is stronger and is usually good. Teachers are enthusiastic and engage pupils in their learning, for example in a Reception lesson on counting, pupils enjoyed moving into the circle and being active when they counted, sang together to make the learning fun and the teacher used lots of praise to reward children. Activities around the room supported the main learning with a range of counting activities with different equipment which helped children make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance is below the national average. The school does not work closely enough with parents and pupils so they understand how important it is to attend school regularly and the difference this makes to pupils’ achievement and success in school. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are also not always positive across the school, particularly where the pace of learning is slow.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 School records show that behaviour outside lessons has improved. The school has changed break times so pupils go out to play at different times which means there are fewer pupils in the playground at any one time. Exclusions have reduced. Pupils say behaviour has improved and that any disruptive behaviour is dealt with quickly. They say that they feel safe in school; some pupils said that the new fencing also helps this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils know about different types of bullying including physical, name calling and cyber bullying. They are clear about how to keep themselves safe, especially on the internet and are aware of the potential dangers of social networking sites. Pupils say that if they have a problem staff will help them to sort it out.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school has continued the Olympic legacy with the ‘Pride Lion.’ Pupils receive ‘pride’ points for rewards; there is a small Pride Lion for each class to reward an individual each day and a very large Pride Lion which pupils can have lunch with on a Friday to reward them for their work or attitudes in school. The school is effective in promoting positive relationships and making sure that discrimination is tackled.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Some pupils take on additional responsibilities in school such as the school council and Year 5 and 6 play leaders, who play with younger pupils and help them feel safe in school. Each class grows produce which has been used in school lunches and sold at the eco-fayre.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders do not always link the quality of teaching judged in lessons with the progress pupils make over time. Expectations about teaching across the school are not always made clear and leaders do not check regularly enough to make sure improvements are made and sustained.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school links its checks on teachers’ work to the teacher standards (national standards for teachers) and set teachers targets focused on improving their pupils’ progress, through improving their teaching. Recent targets have been more specific about which groups of pupils need to make faster progress and this is supporting progress improving in most year groups. The school has developed staff to lead specific areas including English and mathematics and this has led to improved achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has improved the curriculum since the previous inspection with a new reading programme and has introduced trips linked to different topics to interest pupils in their learning. Year 3 pupils talked enthusiastically about their Vikings trip and followed this up with writing in class. The timetable has been adapted this year to give more time to develop longer pieces of writing which the school has identified as a priority.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral and social and cultural development is a particular strength of the school. There is a daily act of collective worship and the worship team, a group of pupils, help lead this. Pupils have close links with the local Church and learn about different faiths in religious education lessons. There is a spiritual garden with a waterfall and a set of stones which classes leave in a pattern when visit. The school also has an ‘alone walk’ where pupils can go to reflect.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school is working in close partnership with local schools to use their sports funding and the local authority to develop sporting opportunities for pupils. They have increased the range of sporting activities on offer for pupils and have plans for widening participation in local competitions. A dance coach has been employed to give pupils a different experience and to develop staff expertise.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority gave a high level of support to the school last year and worked with senior leaders on developing teaching which led to improvements in teaching and achievement at Key Stage 2.

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The governance of the school:

Governors are very supportive of school leaders and the work that they do. However, they do not always ask searching questions, particularly about teaching, pupils’ achievement and their attendance to ensure that leaders are held to account and that these areas improve. They have seen the published information about the school including the data dashboard but have not interrogated this in detail with senior leaders. They know how pupil premium funding is being used and receive updates on information from the headteacher. They receive updates on the management of teachers’ performance and sign off pay awards. They have received information form the headteacher about where underperformance has been tackled in the past and the quality of teaching in the school. They ensure safeguarding meets statutory requirements and governors have the opportunity to attend courses with the local authority.

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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 112849 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 424979

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 384 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Freeborn Headteacher Wendy Rose Date of previous school inspection 21–22 November 2011 Telephone number 01773 742457 Fax number 01773 742457 Email address enquiries@st-johns.derbyshire.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

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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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