Riverside Primary School and Nursery

School report Ellington Primary School and Nursery Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7JA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 Pupils’ achievement is not good across Years 1 to 6. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 6 is below average and has slipped since the time of the previous inspection.  The learning of different groups of pupils is not as good as it should be. More-able pupils are not always challenged to produce their best work.  Teaching is not always effective enough to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. This is because some of the work given to pupils is too easy or too difficult.  Pupils’ attendance is improving but is not regular enough.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not consistently positive. There are times in lessons when they do not listen well enough.  Pupils are not always given enough help to enable them to set their own learning targets and judge for themselves the progress they make.  Leaders and managers have not improved teaching and pupils’ achievement as they intended because professional development

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

and checks on the quality of teaching have not been sufficiently robust to rectify weaknesses.  Governors, many of whom are new to the school, have yet to fully get to grips with their roles and responsibilities.

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The school has the following strengths

 Action taken by school leaders, through better teaching, is improving progress and raising attainment for some groups.  School leaders have improved the way young children learn letters and the sounds they make (phonics) so they are becoming more confident readers.  Achievement is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the speech and language resource base.  Teachers provide a very positive climate for learning. Discussion to clarify thinking and develop pupils’ vocabulary is promoted well.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school and free from bullying. Pupils’ conduct around the school is very respectful and courteous.  Leaders know which areas of the school need improvement and track the progress of different groups of pupils regularly. Staff are committed to improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons of which six were observed jointly with the headteacher. They also scrutinised samples of pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body, groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Parents’ views were gathered from informal conversations and a recent school questionnaire which had 139 returns. There were not sufficient responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to show results for this school.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documents, including improvement plans, checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to attendance, and the school’s data on pupils’ progress.

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Inspection team

Peter Clifton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kanwaljit Singh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Ellington Primary School and Nursery is an average-sized school for its type.  Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds with the large majority being of Asian or Asian British and Pakistani heritage.  A large majority of pupils’ first language is not English.  The pupils are taught in nine classes.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with speech and language difficulties. This is in the form of a base for 15 pupils from across the borough. Currently, 13 pupils have places, all of whom have statements of special educational needs.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is well above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs (outside the specially resourced provision) is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for

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Information about this school

children in the care of the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups, is average. Currently, the school’s pupils in receipt of this support are those known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards (these set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics).  Many new governors have recently joined the school and, at the time of the inspection, the Chair of the Governing Body had been appointed for less than one month.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the quality of teaching, so that pupils’ attainment and progress improve by:  making sure that activities provided for different groups of pupils are not too easy or difficult so that pupils are able to learn as well as possible, particularly for those who are more able, in order to challenge them to do their best work  giving pupils more help so that they can set their own learning targets with teachers and helping them to become more involved in their own learning so that they can judge for themselves the progress they make  helping pupils to maintain their concentration and interest better, for example by ensuring that introductions are more sharply focused on their needs.  Strengthen the impact of leadership and management by:  driving through improvements in teaching more robustly, for example by closer checking on the learning and progress of different groups of pupils in lessons so they make better progress

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 using high quality teaching practice in the school more effectively to promote improvement  working more closely with parents to raise attendance.  Complete the review of governance (which has already been started) with the support of the local authority, in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be strengthened.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment by the end of Year 6 has slipped since the time of the previous inspection, and is below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Results show that in 2013, pupils in Year 6 made the progress generally expected nationally from their starting points in Year 3.  Children start school with knowledge, skills and understanding that are significantly below those expected for their age, particularly in key areas of communication and language, literacy and mathematics. Many children come into the Nursery speaking little English. Since the previous inspection, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development has increased. In 2013 it was a little below the national average, and this represents good achievement.  In 2013 pupils’ attainment was below average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. This group of pupils made progress that is in line with that generally expected nationally

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

from their starting points in Year 1.  Results in the 2012 Year 1 phonics screening check were well below national expectations, with just over one-third of the pupils achieving the expected standard. The school has established a more robust system for teaching reading skills and in 2013 over one-half of the pupils met the expected standard.  The school’s records show that for all groups, including those who speak English as an additional language, pupils’ progress is now strengthening but is not yet good. This was confirmed by looking at samples of the pupils’ work. In Year 2, the proportion of pupils on track to reach the expected Level 2 is markedly higher than in 2013. More-able pupils write fluently using a range of connectives to join their sentences together but could be further ahead with more challenge. Similarly, pupils in Year 6 are on track to improve on the 2013 results.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, outside of the speech and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

language base, make progress which is similar to other pupils.  In 2012, the overall gap in performance between pupils eligible for the pupil premium and other pupils, in Year 6, was equivalent to being one year behind. The gap in performance in 2013 was closed in mathematics and reduced in reading, but not in writing. Currently, progress of this group of pupils is similar to and sometimes better than other groups across Key Stage 2.  Pupils in the speech and language resource base make good progress from their different starting points and achieve well. This is because teaching in the resource base is very closely matched to their needs.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet sufficiently strong to promote good progress and achievement across the school. Teachers’ expectations about what pupils can achieve are not always high enough, in particular for more-able pupils.  Planned activities are not always matched well enough to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. There are occasions when work given is too easy or difficult. This inhibits pupils’ progress and occasionally pupils lose interest.  The use of targets and the quality of marking are inconsistent. At its best, for example in the speech and language base, the pupils are clear about the level of their writing and what they need to do to improve and they are activity engaged in assessing for themselves how well they are doing. There are examples of good marking where pupils respond to comments made and improve their work. However, comments in the rest of the school are sometimes too general to

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

be of any use in promoting improvement.  Typically, teaching assistants providing sensitive support to help pupils, including those who are disabled or have special educational needs, or to make sure they understand what is being taught. A good example was seen in Year 5 to develop pupils’ understanding of fractions.  A feature of many lessons is the good use of talk to help pupils express and develop their ideas and expand their vocabulary. This particularly supports those pupils who speak English as an additional language. The strategy was used well, for example, to explore the concept of migration in Year 6.  In Nursery and Reception there is a strong emphasis on developing the children’s speaking skills through singing, using rhyme and adults modeling language. Writing and the use of phonics are promoted well.  Relationships between staff and pupils are strong and teachers manage pupils well, especially in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

the speech and language base. In lessons, learning typically takes place in a very positive environment. Pupils are confident to express their views and enjoy helping each other in group tasks.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not consistently positive. This is most noticeable during whole- class introductions by teachers when pupils are asked to listen carefully. Some pupils lose focus when these inputs are not sufficiently challenging or they go on for too long.  Some pupils do not attend regularly enough. Attendance this term has improved. Leaders promote regular attendance. However, extended stays overseas by some pupils remain the key reason for this issue.  Some pupils do not take enough pride in their work and this is reflected in the comments made by teachers in pupils’ books. For example, they repeat comments such as ‘more should have been completed in the time available’.  The school is a caring place and pupils are treated as individuals. The code of behaviour is understood by pupils and discrimination is not tolerated. In lessons most pupils respond quickly to requests from staff but a few need more regular reminders.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 In the speech and language base the pupils show considerable enjoyment of learning and are rightly proud of the writing in their literacy books.  Pupils spoken to say they are very happy in school. They feel safe and secure in school and are free from bullying. They know about keeping themselves safe and have trust and confidence in the adults who look after them. Pupils in Year 6 have an appropriate awareness of e-safety, but this is less secure from discussion with younger pupils.  The responses of parents and staff from the questionnaire returns show that they think pupils’ behaviour and safety are mostly good. A number comment that their children are happy and well integrated. Inspectors found that pupils’ attitudes to learning are not always as positive as they should be.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management have not ensured that teaching and achievement have improved enough to reach the required standard of being good. Joint observations with the headteacher confirm the school’s capacity to effectively judge strengths and weaknesses in teaching. This has yet to have the desired effect of ensuring that learning activities meet the needs of different groups of pupils equally well.  Inconsistencies in marking, the use of targets by pupils and planning activities for different groups have not been tackled robustly enough. The best practice in the school is yet to be fully exploited to promote better teaching.  Leadership and management of the speech and language resource base and the Early Years Foundation Stage are strong. In both areas, the curriculum is based on a thorough knowledge of the different needs of the pupils and adapted as these change. Careful attention is paid to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

helping the pupils develop English language skills.  Leaders have written appropriate plans to improve literacy and numeracy and to ensure more- able pupils are challenged in lessons. Some aspects of these plans have been driven through well, for example strategies to improve pupils’ spoken vocabulary. Staff are united in their support for change and improvement.  Leaders have good information about the progress of different groups of pupils. This is yet to be used to its fullest extent to promote better achievement. They are, rightly, reviewing the use of pupil premium funding to accelerate progress and reduce gaps in attainment.  The school draws suitably on the cultures and faiths represented in the school to celebrate and value differences. Pupils’ social and moral development is promoted well across the school. Assemblies help pupils to understand ‘what makes us special’.  Leaders have drawn up plans to use the additional money from the primary school sports

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The leadership and management requires improvement

funding to increase pupils’ participation rates by extending the number of extra-curricular activities and to strengthen the quality of provision for physical education. These are at an early stage of implementation.  The local authority has increased support following analysis of the school’s results. This support is helping the school to strengthen pupils’ achievement.  The governance of the school:  With the support of the local authority, governors are in the process of reviewing governance in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. New governors bring a valuable range of skills into the school. Training has been identified in order to extend their knowledge and expertise. Governors monitor the budget carefully. The Chair of the Governing Body is ambitious for the school and strategic plans for development and expansion have been agreed with the local authority. Governors know how the school’s results

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The leadership and management requires improvement

compare with the national picture and that there is more to be done to improve pupils’ attainment. Decisions about whether or not teachers should move up the salary scale are appropriately linked to pupils’ performance and the monitoring of teaching. Governors fulfil their statutory requirements including those for safeguarding children.

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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 109820 Local authority Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 427327

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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 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Dudley Headteacher Rehana Juna Date of previous school inspection 9 March 2011 Telephone number 01628 621741 Fax number 01628 673155 Email address ellington@rbwm.org 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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