Ridgeway Infant School

Ridgeway Infant School Uplands Avenue, Littleover, Derby, DE23 1GG

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher has been instrumental in moving the school forward. Under his determined and very effective leadership weaknesses in teaching and in the assessment of pupils’ progress have been tackled successfully. Consequently, achievement is improving and is now good.  From starting points which are often below average pupils make good progress as they move through the school. In 2013 the attainment of Year 2 pupils was above average in both English and mathematics.  All groups of pupils, including those from different ethnic backgrounds, those who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium, achieve well.  Teaching is good. Teachers are enthusiastic, manage their classes well and have good relationships with their pupils. Most set varied tasks and use resources which engage their pupils’ interest so they want to learn.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils feel safe in school. Parents agree that the school looks after their children well. Attendance is above average. Most pupils behave well and show kindness and respect for each other, for staff and for visitors.  Leadership and management are good. Governors, the deputy headteacher and all staff share the headteacher's vision to raise attainment and accelerate pupils’ progress.  Staff feel valued and morale is high. Consequently, the school is well placed to improve further.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons teaching requires improvement and not enough teaching is outstanding.  Marking does not always provide pupils with clear guidance on how to improve their work.  Sometimes pupils are not given the opportunities to solve problems or find out information for themselves.  Newly appointed subject leaders have not yet fully developed their roles in leading and monitoring the quality of work in their subjects.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons and part-lessons and made a series of shorter visits to classrooms with the headteacher. They also listened to pupils read and observed the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) to smaller groups of pupils.  Discussions were held with parents, pupils, staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ books, progress data, safeguarding information and other documentation.  Forty responses to the on-line questionnaire, ‘Parent View’, were considered as well as those from the school’s own parental survey and from school staff.

p.2

Inspection team

Ann Ashdown, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stephen Palmer Additional Inspector Peter Heaton Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This infant school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding in this school for children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and some other groups, is below average.  A well above average proportion of pupils (over half) are from minority ethnic backgrounds and most of these pupils (almost half) speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is above average whilst the proportion supported at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is below average.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, so that it is consistently good and more is outstanding by:  checking pupils’ learning regularly during every lesson and moving them on promptly to the next task as soon as they are ready  giving pupils further opportunities to solve problems, think more deeply and find out things for themselves  ensuring all marking and feedback to pupils is of high quality so they know exactly how to improve their work.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the roles of newly appointed subject leaders in leading and monitoring the work of their areas by:  making sure they have continued access to high quality training and support from senior leaders in order to hone their skills further.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Reception class with skills which are often below those found nationally, particularly in communication, language and literacy. Both in the classroom and in the spacious well-equipped outdoor area children quickly settle into school routines and become confident learners. They make good progress and by the end of the Reception year their attainment is average. Children were engrossed in varied exciting activities on the day of the Halloween disco which involved counting spiders and bats in the sand and water trays and hollowing out pumpkins to make lanterns.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to make good progress and achieve well throughout Key Stage 1. Year 2 assessments in 2013 were above average in all areas of learning and significantly so in reading and mathematics. These results continue the upward trend of improvement in pupils’ achievement of the last three years.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Work in pupils’ books, data tracking their progress, and the school’s very detailed records of pupil progress meetings all confirm the good progress current pupils are making.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in learning to read. Good quality phonics teaching, the recent opening of a new library and a visit from the voice of ‘Horrid Henry’ have all contributed to their enjoyment of reading. Because of their low starting points, a significant number of pupils do not pass the phonics check at the end of Year 1. However, with the good support for reading, they are able to catch up with others by the end of Year 2.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in mathematics rose markedly in 2013. Teachers are now planning more demanding mathematical tasks which engage pupils’ interest. All groups of pupils, including the most able, make good progress. Pupil premium money is spent wisely to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. The provision of extra resources for these pupils allows them to go on school visits, attend after school clubs and provides extra tuition where needed. Hence, the gap between their attainment and that of other groups is closing and is narrower than the gap nationally. Assessments show that pupils eligible for the pupil premium are now less than one term behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The large proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well. In lessons most were seen to respond well to the good teaching they receive by working hard and answering questions readily.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive sensitive and skilled support from teachers and teaching assistants so they make good progress.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching, including that in the Early Years Foundation Stage, is good and in some lessons there are elements of outstanding practice. In a small number of lessons teaching requires improvement.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and continually strive to improve their teaching skills. Pupils respond by showing good attitudes to learning. Teachers plan lessons carefully and use a range of varied and exciting resources which add to pupils’ enjoyment of learning.  In an English lesson, pupils developed their speaking and listening skills very well. They watched a video of their teacher performing a magic trick very badly, learnt from this and then perfected their own performances by speaking clearly, engaging their audience and listening to their classmates’ advice on how to improve.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons teachers have high expectations of what their pupils can do and continually set them extra challenges to test their skills. Pupils are clear from the start of the lesson what they are trying to achieve so they know when they are successful.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants give very good support in lessons to disabled pupils and those with special needs. Small group teaching in phonics ensures work is pitched at exactly the right level for pupils, including those for who English is an additional language, and enables them to make good progress in developing their literacy skills.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and praise that which is done well which builds pupils confidence. They do not always give sufficient pointers to pupils on exactly how they can take the next steps in their learning and improve their work.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons where teaching requires improvement pupils sometimes spend too long on a task when they are ready to move on to something more difficult. In these lessons, they have too few opportunities to work on their own, solve problems and think hard about what they are doing.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils typically behave well in lessons and around the school. Most are keen to learn, work hard in lessons and answer questions readily. The school is a very harmonious community. Children from all backgrounds work and play together, are kind to each other and polite to staff and visitors.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils trust school staff and feel very safe in school. Parents are very pleased with the support the school gives their children. Those who need it are given expert additional help from school staff and from outside agencies.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has made great efforts to ensure pupils attend school regularly. Consequently attendance is above average and this has a significant impact on the good progress pupils make. Most pupils are punctual to school. There have been no exclusions in recent years.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They have an increasing awareness of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, but feel that this is not a worry in their school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. During the inspection pupils enjoyed raising money and wearing their pink clothes for ‘Wear It Pink’ day and older pupils had a good understanding of the important message this conveyed about breast cancer awareness.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has moved the school forward significantly in recent years. Weaknesses in the way in which pupils’ work was being assessed and in the quality of teaching have been quickly and successfully addressed so pupils’ attainment has risen, their progress has accelerated and the quality of teaching has improved.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 School staff feel very well supported by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Expectations of staff are high but the management of their performance is sensitive and constructive. Teaching is carefully monitored and staff receive constructive help and high quality training to improve their skills. Staff say they feel valued and empowered. Consequently morale is high.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Many subject leaders are new to their posts and have yet to fully develop their roles in leading and monitoring the work of their subject areas. They speak highly of the training they have received but recognise that further training and support is needed for them to fully develop their skills.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 School self-evaluation is honest and accurate. Priorities for improvement are clear and shared by all staff so the school has the capacity to improve further.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The progress of each different group of pupils is tracked very carefully and regular and effective pupil progress meetings make sure that any pupil falling behind in their work is given extra help. All groups of pupils have very good equal opportunities to succeed. Wise spending of pupil premium monies have ensured that gaps between the achievements of different groups of pupils are narrowing rapidly.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school works closely with other primary schools and a local secondary school as part of the Derby Pride Trust. The schools share expertise and provide training for staff at Ridgeway Infant School. They are working together to make the best use of the school sport funding to provide pupils with extra resources and coaching to enable them to keep fit and healthy.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects taught meet pupils needs, engage their interests and promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. It is reviewed regularly and prepares pupils effectively for the next stage of their education. Pupils speak enthusiastically of a range of trips and visits they enjoy as well as after school clubs where they improve their skills in activities as varied as football, singing and technology.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 All safeguarding requirements are fully met. Staff are well trained and fully aware of child protection and risk assessment procedures. The headteacher, in cooperation with an adjacent school and with the support of caretaking staff has been proactive in improving pupils’ safety by introducing safer traffic management systems, which rely on parents’ cooperation, at the beginning and end of the school day.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides good support for the school. The school advisor visits termly and has provided support and training for governors and given advice on improving the quality of teaching.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors know the schools’ strengths and weaknesses well and provide support and challenge in equal measure. They are knowledgeable about the quality of teaching, how staff performance is managed and how good teachers are rewarded. They are well informed about performance data and how the school is performing compared to other schools. Finances are well managed and governors hold the school to account for the spending of pupil premium funds.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 112757 Local authority Derby Inspection number 424973

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 5–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Hassall Headteacher Paul Rose Date of previous school inspection 6 February 2012 Telephone number 01332 760770 Fax number 01332 760770 Email address admin@ridgeway.derby.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9