Rawmarsh Ryecroft Infant School

Rawmarsh Ryecroft Infant School South Street, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, S62 5QW

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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.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects throughout their time in school.  Children are well prepared for their future learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They enjoy learning and are curious about the world around them.  The most-able pupils achieve well. They are taught to be independent and think for themselves.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. They respond well to teaching programmes carefully tailored to their individual needs.  The quality of teaching is good overall. It is occasionally outstanding. Lessons are well- planned and stimulating. Teachers involve pupils well in assessing and improving their own work.  Pupils are well behaved and feel safe. They are proud of their school and take their responsibilities such as school councillors seriously.  The pupils’ personal development, including

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their health and well-being, is promoted well throughout a wide range of visits, visitors and clubs.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide a clear direction for improvement and rigorously review all aspects of the school’s performance. They receive strong support from subject leaders and an effective governing body.  As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement has improved well since the last inspection. The school is well placed to continue to develop.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, teachers do not make certain all pupils are working as hard as they can in the lesson.  Sometimes the questions teachers ask do not help pupils deepen their learning and secure their understanding.  Teachers do not always make full use of other adults in the classroom to maximise pupils’ achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 15 lessons including two joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. The inspectors 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 leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities. Inspectors also heard pupils read.  Inspectors took account of 17 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), the outcomes from the school’s consultations and several discussions with parents during the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including information on pupils’ current progress, the school’s plans for improvement, the management of teachers’ performance, the use of pupil premium funding, and documentation and records

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Information about this inspection

relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Keith Massett Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and receive the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after.  The large majority of pupils are from White British families. A small but increasing number of pupils are of Eastern European heritage.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve pupils’ achievement through increasing the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  ensuring teachers make certain pupils work to their full capacity in lessons  making certain that teachers regularly ask questions which deepen pupils’ learning and secure their understanding  ensuring teaching assistants and other adults are effectively deployed throughout the lesson to maximise pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and understanding which are below those typical for their age, and well below in their communication skills. They make good progress in all areas of learning. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. Children’s early speaking, reading, writing and number skills are securely established. They become self- confident and independent learners who are well placed for their future learning.  Throughout Key Stage 1 pupils continue to make good progress. They reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are reflected in the rising trend of national assessment results by the end of Year 2.  Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and supported by pupil premium funding make at least good progress. Many of these pupils work at standards which are similar to other pupils through school and the gap between them is narrowing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those supported at school action and school action plus who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. Their reading and writing skills are well developed and they learn to make good use of reference sources such as 'word banks' and 'learning walls' to aid their independence.  The few pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress. The school’s focus on basic skills and good opportunities to apply them contribute to good achievement.  Pupils acquire good independent learning and thinking skills which contribute to the achievement of all groups of pupils, especially the most able.  The effective promotion of equality of opportunity is reflected in the good progress made by the many different groups of pupils represented through school.  Pupils’ speaking skills are good by Year 2. They speak clearly about their work and explain their

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The achievement of pupils is good

thinking well to others.  Pupils’ reading skills are good. They tackle new and unfamiliar words well because they have a good understanding of letters and their sounds to help them. This is reflected in increasingly above average results in national assessments for these skills. They enjoy reading a good range of fiction and non-fiction books for pleasure and information.  Writing skills are well developed. The large majority of pupils are productive and write legibly at length. They spell accurately and make good use of punctuation and paragraphs to enliven their writing. Pupils’ handwriting is neat and legible because of the high quality of teachers’ own writing example set in lessons and on displays.  The pupils’ progress in mathematics is good. Their counting and mental calculation skills are well developed and they apply them well in solving mathematical problems.  There are examples of a good standard of work in art and design, information and

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The achievement of pupils is good

communication technology, history and science throughout school.  Although pupils of all abilities achieve increasingly well in a range of subjects, they do not always make the very best progress they are capable of because the quality of teaching is not consistently outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Activities children select for themselves in the Early Years Foundation Stage are carefully matched to the needs of children of all abilities. This is a good improvement since the last inspection and promotes children’s independent learning and their good progress in speaking, reading, writing and number skills.  Reading and writing skills are taught well through sharply focused lessons with a strong concentration on basic skills and good opportunities to apply them. For example, teachers and teaching assistants skilfully model how letters are written and how sounds blend together to make new words.  The school has participated, and taken an increasingly lead role, in a local writing project which has developed pupils’ understanding of different genres and accurate vocabulary. Systematic reading schemes and regular opportunities to read aloud to adults further secure pupils’ good progress.  Teachers’ expectations are high. They set challenging targets for all pupils and are quick to

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The quality of teaching is good

intervene if achievement looks like it might fall below this standard. The school makes good use of daily teaching programmes for those who struggle to achieve, such as 'Ready to Learn' to boost pupils’ progress. The most-able pupils also receive targeted English and mathematics lessons and work as a smaller group which are tailored to their needs and contribute to high levels of independent working.  The provision of regular opportunities for pupils to work independently is a good improvement since the last inspection.  The use of good marking and feedback to involve pupils in assessing and improving their own work is a strong feature of their learning in many subjects.  Teachers make good use of points of reference and key information for further learning in literacy and numeracy. For example, pupils make good use of number lines and number squares to embed mathematical facts and attractive dictionary cards for their reading and spelling work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well by skilled staff who know their needs well. They are also taught to be independent which underpins their good learning.  Sometimes teachers do not check pupils’ progress closely enough during the lesson and ensure they are meeting the targets they have set for them in the time available.  Occasionally, teachers and other adults ask questions which do not allow pupils to explore their understanding fully and encourage them to think deeply about their work.  In a few lessons, teachers do not make full use of teaching assistants and other adults in the classroom to boost pupils’ learning and contribute fully to effective teaching. For example, sometimes they are not able to see all that goes on or to easily join in discussions with pupils when they are in a large group on the carpet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children settle quickly into the Early Years Foundation Stage because of the good care and support they receive from all adults. There are good induction procedures to welcome new children and their parents which contribute well to the good start they make.  Pupils are well behaved, polite and considerate. They establish high quality relationships with adults and other pupils. Their behaviour is sometimes exemplary in lessons.  Pupils say they feel safe because they are well cared for by teachers and other adults. They say that bullying seldom happens and school records confirm this. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying including appropriate internet safety. If bullying takes place, pupils are confident it will be quickly dealt with by staff.  Pupils enjoy school. They have positive attitudes to work and want to do well. They try to show the school's 'values', such as 'Captain Teamwork, Resilio-Resiliance and Professor

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Thoughtshower', in their work and play.  The school has good links with parents and works closely with them to improve opportunities for their children. As a result, pupils are punctual and attendance is average and improving.  Children take their roles as school councillors seriously. They have been involved in planning the playtime resources which contribute to pupils’ health and well-being.  Pupils’ behaviour is not outstanding because, very occasionally, the quality of teaching does not inspire pupils to be fully fired up about their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s clear vision and drive for high achievement is fully shared by all staff, governing body and parents. There is a continuous pursuit of high standards and the school continues to build on strengths seen at the last inspection.  The headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior staff provide good role models to their colleagues and are skilled in assessing the quality of teaching and setting challenging targets for teachers to aspire to. Teamwork is a strength of the school. Although some subject leaders are new to their roles, they are well supported to become effective.  Thorough and imaginative assessment systems underpin the good and improving quality of teaching and learning and inform senior leaders and the governing body in all aspects of the school’s work. As a result, self-evaluation is accurate and the school is aware that the few inconsistencies in the quality of teaching are yet to be fully addressed to improve achievement

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The leadership and management are good

further.  The school receives good support from the local authority. Good partnerships with other schools through the 'Learning Community' contribute to the continual professional development of all staff and pupils’ achievement in many areas such as writing and physical education.  Staff are held accountable for the progress their pupils make and have to meet stringent criteria in order to achieve the next salary level.  The curriculum is well planned to promote all aspects of pupils’ learning including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, links between subjects make learning a relevant and emotional experience. This is very evident in many well-written poems on the theme of Remembrance.  There are regular sporting, artistic and musical events for all pupils to participate in. A clear policy for effective use of new primary school sports funding to broaden these experiences and

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The leadership and management are good

develop teachers’ skills is in place, although it is too soon to measure its impact.  The school tackles any issues of discrimination well and promotes equality of opportunity.  Policies for safeguarding meet requirements and are supported by rigorous record keeping.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is led and organised well. It is effectively informed through detailed headteacher’s reports, its own systematic checks on the school’s work and detailed analysis of pupils’ progress. The governing body makes good use of first-hand observations from regular visits to school, discussions with subject and other leaders to contribute to the school’s self- evaluation. They have a good understanding of pupils’ achievement and regularly ask challenging questions to school leaders to ensure they provide the best teaching and learning they can. They appropriately decide whether teachers and staff should be rewarded with

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The leadership and management are good

salary increases and review targets for the headteacher. They manage the finances well by, for example, carefully scrutinising the use made of pupil premium funding and its impact on learning.

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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 106876 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 425741

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 5–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 178 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michael Bramall Headteacher Carolyn Smyth Date of previous school inspection 23 November 2011 Telephone number 01709 710599 Fax number 01709 719270 Email address rawmarsh-ryecroft.infant@rotherham.gov.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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