Weston Rhyn Primary School

Weston Rhyn Primary School Old Chirk Road, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, SY10 7SR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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’ progress across the school has improved and is now good. Standards are similar to national averages at the end of Year 6.  Increasing numbers of pupils are reaching levels above those expected for their age.  Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Children have a good balance between learning through play and learning with adults.  Teachers say that the school has helped them to improve. Teaching is now good and sometimes outstanding.  Pupils rise to the high expectations of their teachers. They take a pride in their work and feel they are making good progress.  The school tracks the attainment of each pupil carefully and acts quickly to prevent underachievement.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. The system of red, yellow and green cards is seen by pupils as fair and effective.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. They say that bullying is rare and when it occurs it is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

swiftly tackled.  Parents are very positive about the school and say their children are well cared for and are receiving a good education.  Leaders and managers have correctly identified areas where improvements are needed and have made the necessary changes. The checking of pupils’ progress is now much stronger and teaching has improved.  Governors are effective in holding the school to account and they provide good support and challenge.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have enough opportunity to develop literacy and numeracy skills in subjects other than English or mathematics.  Marking is too focused on individual pieces of work and does not address the targets of each pupil.  Support provided to some pupils to help them catch up does not fully meet the needs of a small number of pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited parts of sixteen lessons, including one observation shared with the headteacher.  Work in pupils’ books was analysed and the inspectors talked to individual pupils about their work. They listened to pupils read, visited an assembly and observed playtime activities.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, three members of the governing body, key staff, and pupils. A telephone call was made to a representative of the local authority.  Documents looked at included: the school’s self-evaluation summary, the school’s own information on pupils’ progress, documents relating to safeguarding, school management and the curriculum, monitoring records, minutes of the governing body meetings and policies, procedures and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  Parents’ views were taken into account through the 26 responses to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View) and through meeting parents before school and through the views of five parents

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Information about this inspection

who wrote to the inspectors.  13 staff completed a questionnaire return, which the inspector took into account.

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Inspection team

Mary Le Breuilly, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynn Stanbridge Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Weston Rhyn Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is below average.  The number of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and others) is average.  There is a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs at school action level than average and the proportion of pupils at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is about twice the national average.  The school has a part-time (morning) Nursery class and a Reception class for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  A playgroup on the school site provides care for children between the ages of two and four in the afternoons. There are also before- and after-school clubs on site. All of these facilities are

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Information about this school

privately managed and are inspected separately.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and ensure all pupils make rapid progress by:  providing opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills in a wide range of subjects  providing comments in marking that help pupils meet their individual targets for improvement  matching support for pupils with special educational needs more accurately to the specific weaknesses of individual pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills, knowledge and understanding that are, on average, slightly below those typically seen at their age. They make good progress, and by the time they reach Year 1 many have caught up and some are beginning to move ahead of the expectations for their age group.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The standards that pupils reach by the end of Key Stage 1 are improving steadily; the majority of pupils currently in Year 2 are on track to reach expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics and a growing number are working at higher levels. This reflects the increasingly good progress that pupils make in their learning and demonstrates an improvement since the previous inspection.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The results that pupils achieve by the time they leave the school in Year 6 are also increasing, and pupils enter secondary school with standards that are broadly in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The most able pupils are now being appropriately stretched and, as a consequence, a greater proportion of pupils is gaining higher levels, particularly in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in all year groups has improved. In most year groups pupils are making good progress and sometimes better. In the current Years 5 and 6 progress has accelerated rapidly, making up for the slower progress noted in the previous inspection report.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 As a result of good support, pupils eligible for pupil premium funding make similar progress to their classmates and sometimes better. In 2013 they reached standards that were similar to their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs generally make good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics. They receive small group and individual tuition, and school leaders follow their progress closely and arrange for additional help when needed. Occasionally this support does not fully match the needs of individual pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 School leaders ensure that all pupils have the same opportunities to achieve well and to engage fully in all the activities the school offers. Consequently, pupils make good progress in their learning and well-being throughout the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Work in books shows that lessons are often lively and that pupils are making good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. There is a good range of activities, some of which are led by an adult and others chosen by children. The learning environment provides opportunities for children to develop a wide range of skills. As a result they make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers expect a great deal from their pupils and challenge them to improve on their previous work. Pupils are keen to please their teachers and they work hard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers strive to find ways of providing activities that stimulate pupils’ interest and as a result pupils engage well in lessons. Where teaching is outstanding they are enthusiastic about learning, for example one Year 6 pupil described literacy lessons as being ‘like going on an adventure every day’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers listen to, carefully observe and skilfully question pupils during lessons. They quickly recognise when pupils need more time on an area of learning and adjust their plans accordingly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are keen to do their best. They take a real pride in their work and they feel their teachers want them to succeed. They feel they are making good progress because they get help when they are stuck or are finding things difficult.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where pupils are at risk of falling behind, or need help to keep up with their classmates, the school provides extra support. For most pupils this is very effective, but for one or two pupils the support provided by the school does not quite match their needs, for example two pupils were asked to blend sounds to make words before they had properly learned the sounds relating to the letters.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is detailed and regular. All teachers use the ‘two stars and a wish’ format of marking in English and mathematics and the pupils like this and say it helps them to improve. However, the marking tends to focus on the specific piece of work just done rather than on helping pupils tackle their individual weaknesses. As a result, it does not always address the pupils’ personal targets for improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school is successfully developing a love of reading in pupils. Many pupils told the inspectors how much they enjoyed reading and most read at home.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop the skills of literacy and numeracy in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, at playtimes and around the school the pupils behave in an orderly fashion. They are polite and friendly and show respect to each other and to adults in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They listen carefully to their teachers and apply themselves well to the tasks set. They work well in groups, discussing and sharing ideas and they support each other in their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has introduced a system of red, yellow and green cards to help manage behaviour. Pupils say they like this approach and they feel it is fair. The school’s records of behaviour show that the system has been effective in improving behaviour. Low level disruption in class is rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe in school and they have opportunities to learn how to stay safe in a range of situations, including how to stay safe online.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Bullying is rare and is quickly tackled when it arises. Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and they understand that hurtful comments are not allowed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides good support to pupils who find it difficult to behave and this enables them to learn to manage their own behaviour so that they are able to play a full part in the life of the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Absence rates rose sharply in the previous academic year but have recovered in the current year and attendance is now similar to the national average for primary schools. The school has a range of effective measures in place to support parents in getting their children to school regularly. There are good partnerships with the education welfare officer and her support has helped the school tackle persistent absence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good. Assemblies provide opportunities for reflection and prayer. Pupils learn about culture in Britain and around the world through topic work and through visits and trips, for example to different places of worship. They have opportunities to take responsibility in school, for example acting as playground buddies.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders of the school know its strengths and weaknesses well and have been successful in making improvements in the quality of teaching and in driving up standards since the previous inspection. School planning is carefully focused on aspects that require development and progress towards meeting targets is carefully checked.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders and those responsible for leading other aspects of the school play a useful role in ensuring that standards are at the heart of all developments. They make checks on teaching quality and support their colleagues through professional development and have made successful improvements in their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are good

 The quality of teaching is checked rigorously and performance management is very effective. Teachers are dedicated and keen to do their best for their pupils. They say that they have received good professional development and that, as a result, their teaching has improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority views the school as able to manage its own improvement and currently provides appropriate light touch support. It has successfully supported the school in making sure that assessments of pupils’ work are accurate.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents have confidence in the school and feel it has improved and that their children are getting a good education. Inspectors received several letters from parents praising the school. One said that teachers ‘worked hard to ensure that children are constantly engaged in learning and see the purpose of activities’. All were highly complimentary about the quality of care their children received.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are taught a wide range of subjects. The school provides a number of opportunities to set learning in context, for example through trips and visitors.

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The leadership and management are good

 Primary sports funding has been used to good effect to promote healthy lifestyles and increase participation in sport. Sports coaches work alongside teachers in physical education lessons and they run a number of well-attended after school sports clubs. Many pupils have now taken up these sports beyond the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school takes equality of opportunity seriously and acts to ensure that the personal circumstances of individual pupils do not lead to barriers in their education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors play an effective role in holding the school to account. They receive regular reports from the headteacher on the progress pupils are making and on the quality of teaching and they make good use of external reviews to validate the school’s judgements. They visit classrooms and understand national information about the school’s performance.  Governors monitor financial and safeguarding aspects well. They know how additional funding, such as that for the pupil premium or primary sports, is spent and what its impact has been.  Governors have put in place a clear system for the performance management of teachers. They are clear that any rewards for teachers are only as a result of good performance.  There are good relationships with the local community that ensure governors are well informed of parents’ views, both through formal consultation and informal conversations.

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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 123403 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 442571

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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 174 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Burke Headteacher Richard Hines Date of previous school inspection 28 November 2012 Telephone number 01691 773429 Fax number 01691 774692 Email address admin@westonrhyn.shropshire.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 and 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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