River View Community Primary School

River View Community Primary School Wheater's Street, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 1QZ

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 proportion of pupils making and exceeding expected progress is good, especially in reading and mathematics. This is due to a relentless focus by school leaders to ensure that pupils have the basic skills in place when they move into secondary school  Pupils make especially good progress when they start school and at the end of Key Stage 2.  Funding from pupil premium money has been spent well to support pupils, especially those who are struggling with writing and mathematics.  The school provides very effective support for pupils with special educational needs, including those in the resource base.  Weaker aspects of teaching have been improved, especially in English and mathematics. There has been a concerted effort to teach these subjects well.  Pupils are eager to learn.  The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite, friendly and welcoming to visitors.  Attendance, punctuality and exclusion rates

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have improved significantly.  Senior leaders and governors have an accurate picture of strengths and weaknesses. Action planning is comprehensive and clearly aimed at aspects of school provision which need improving.  Procedures to check the quality of teaching are thorough and linked well to a programme of support and professional development.  The school ensures that pupils have the basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy to prepare them well for life in their secondary schools.  The school is proud of its work in, and with, the local community. There is a strong focus on inclusion and the desire to improve the life chances of all pupils.  The school promotes competitive sport and physical exercise very well.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment remains below national averages, although it is steadily improving.  Teaching and marking is more fragile outside English and mathematics due to gaps in teachers’ subject knowledge. Presentation of work is an area which continues to require improvement and accuracy in grammar, punctuation and spelling is not as sharp as it could be.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching across all year groups in the school. In total, twenty four teaching sessions were observed. These included lessons, as well as guided reading and intervention sessions, where pupils were developing their speaking, listening and writing skills. Several of the lessons were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who were also observed reporting back to teachers on the quality of their teaching and learning. A school assembly was also attended. A learning walk to evaluate the quality of home reading was conducted, accompanied by the deputy headteacher.  The inspectors spoke to teachers as well as members of the governing body. They also talked to a number of parents at the end of and the beginning of the school day. They heard some pupils read and talked to them about their reading habits. In addition, formal and informal discussions were held with pupils. A discussion was also held with representatives of the local authority.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of evidence, including pupils’ work. A range of documents was scrutinised, including information relating to the school’s Pupil Premium (additional funding provided by the government for children in the care of the local authority and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the children of service families), sports funding, teachers’ performance records, monitoring reports, safeguarding procedures, minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan, monitoring and evaluation records and the data tracking pupils’ progress.  Inspectors also took account of the 18 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent view) and the view of a parent who wrote to inspectors during the inspection. The questionnaires completed by 28 members of staff were also taken into account.

p.2

Inspection team

Leszek Iwaskow, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Emily Wheeldon Additional Inspector Doreen Davenport Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This larger-than-average-sized primary school opened in September 2011 in a new building, having been formed by the merger of two local primary schools.   The school hosts a specially resourced provision for 13 pupils aged 5-11 with speech, language and communication difficulties. Pupils from across the local authority attend. The provision is organised into two small-class groups.  The majority of pupils are from White-British backgrounds and other pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is also above average.  The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs and those supported at school action plus is above average.  An above-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which

p.3

Information about this school

provides additional funding for children in local authority care, children from armed forces families and children known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school has a before-school breakfast club managed by the governing body that is attended by some children from the school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school participates in the FAST programme which is a multi-family group programme designed to enhance young children’s resilience and the learning readiness skills for children entering primary school. The school invites all children in a year group as they transition into school to come with their whole family to participate in this strictly voluntary programme.  During the course of the inspection, the school made Ofsted aware of serious allegations and these were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the

p.3

Information about this school

power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspectors’ judgements.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to develop teaching and learning, across all subjects, in order to further raise the achievement of all pupils by:  developing the roles of subject leaders to manage, support and improve the subject knowledge of teachers throughout the school  ensuring that work is pitched at the correct level and provides real challenge, especially for the more able students  engaging with the interests of pupils who could become disaffected or disinterested, for example through tackling boys’ reticence to read, by ensuring that home reading is more rigorously managed and that pupils have more frequent and better access to books which interest them  improving pupils’ accuracy in grammar, punctuation and spelling and encouraging them to take greater pride in the presentation of their work  ensuring that marking is clear and states what pupils need to do to improve, not just in English and mathematics, but across all subjects.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is improving and according to the school’s own current monitoring data has accelerated rapidly this year, particularly in upper Key Stage 2. The proportion of pupils making and exceeding expected progress is good and is beginning to compare favourably with national figures, especially in reading and mathematics. Learning outside mathematics and English is, however, more fragmented and not taught in sufficient depth.  Attainment remains below national averages, but is steadily improving. Although higher ability pupils make good progress from their starting points, few pupils currently attain the higher levels. Ethnic minority pupils do better than their White British classmates.  Writing was a concern this year and has been the focus of intensive support and the school has robust plans to continue to focus on this. Current data suggests that this has improved. However, variations still remain between some classes and the range of quality opportunities to

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

develop writing well across other subjects is still insufficient. Presentation of work is an area which continues to require improvement and accuracy in grammar, punctuation and spelling is not as sharp as it could be.  Children generally start the Early Years Foundations Stage with skills that are often well below those typical for their age. However, most children make good and sometimes outstanding progress, given their starting points.  Skilled staff understand the importance of giving these children the time and space to develop their own learning, but supporting them where necessary. This enables them to be more independent learners and develops their social skills, which is important for when they enter Year 1.  As pupils move through Key Stage 1 they make at least expected progress, but this needs to be improved if the attainment gap is to be closed at a quicker pace. Equally, pupils still have gaps in

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

their learning, notably in writing.  Results at the end of Year 1 screening check in phonics (letters and sounds) continue to improve and are expected to rise above the national average for the first time this year. The focus on improving reading skills in the previous year has also had an impact.  Most pupils generally make good progress in Key Stage 2, especially in Years 5 and 6, where classes are split into small groups for English and mathematics teaching and this is supported with significant intervention.  Funding from pupil premium money has been spent on more staff to support pupils, especially those who are struggling with writing and mathematics. The gap between these pupils and their classmates has closed and is continuing to close. They do still lag behind in their writing by at least a term and three terms in mathematics. In reading this gap is now minimal.  The school provides very effective support for pupils with special educational needs. These

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

pupils generally make good progress from their starting points. Those pupils who are attached to the Learning Resource Provision also make good progress, despite coming in at very low levels.  Girls achieve better than boys, they are almost one and a half years ahead of the boys in writing and two terms ahead in mathematics, although this gap is closing. Girls enjoy reading for pleasure, but boys are more reticent, especially in the upper school. Monitoring of home reading is not rigorous enough and better access to books is an area the school is aware needs developing.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Improving the quality of teaching has been the main focus of development in the school. Since the previous inspection, weaker aspects of teaching have been improved, especially in English and mathematics. There has been a concerted effort to teach well in these subjects.  Teaching is not yet outstanding because inconsistencies still remain across a small number of classes and teaching is not yet as strong in the broader curriculum due to weaknesses in teachers’ subject knowledge. This was remarked on by pupils. ‘We don’t get into enough depth in many of these subjects’ was one comment noted.  The quality of teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this now provides a secure base for future learning throughout the rest of the school. Staff work well as a team and ask open-ended questions to encourage children to work things out for themselves and try to use their imagination.  There is a strong focus on extending pupils’ speaking skills. In lessons pupils were frequently

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

asked to share ideas and work in pairs. This supported their social skills of listening to others and respecting views.  Pupils are generally eager to learn and respond to tasks which are challenging. For example, older pupils enjoyed more frequent opportunities to solve real life problems in mathematics and several used the term ‘up skilling’ with reference to improving their writing and vocabulary, using a thesaurus or dictionary. Unfortunately, thesauruses and dictionaries are not yet used consistently or frequently enough in all classrooms as part of everyday routine.  The school promotes pupils’ physical well-being through a regular programme of physical exercise and sport. Much of the sports teaching is done by qualified coaches employed for this purpose. Pupils are very competitive and proud of their achievements, which included recent success in both swimming and football against local schools.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Marking of pupils’ work varies in quality. In English it is especially effective because teachers explain how pupils can improve their work and pupils were able to show inspectors how they acted on this. Outside English and mathematics, marking tends to be more cursory.  Teaching assistants and extra teachers are used well and successfully to provide additional support for pupils, particularly those who have specific learning needs or have fallen behind in their work. They work well with pupils in small intervention groups but are not always employed productively in lessons.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most behave well in lessons, around school and in the outside areas. There are good levels of supervision in the dining hall and playgrounds, creating a calm, social atmosphere around the school.  Pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming to visitors, are obviously proud of their school and eager to talk about all it has to offer. They dress smartly and are proud of their school uniforms.  They move around school in a quiet, orderly fashion, opening doors for visitors and showing appreciation and respect for their stimulating learning environment.  Pupils say that behaviour is good and much better than it used to be. They acknowledge there is occasional falling out, usually about football, which is quickly sorted out by adults, as are the rare instances of bullying, name calling and racist incidents.  Pupils usually behave well in lessons because they are keen, interested and want to do well. This

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

impacts positively on the good progress they make in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics.  All pupils know the school rules and the rewards and sanctions that go with these. They respond well because of the good range of treats and incentives available to them. Many prompts on display around school remind pupils about the benefits of good behaviour.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying, especially cyber bullying and the use of computers. They know how to use school equipment safely and have a good understanding of personal safety, e.g. road safety, stranger danger.  Pupils say they feel safe in school because the teachers take good care of them and are always on hand to deal with any worries or concerns. Behaviour incidents are meticulously recorded , actions put in place and outcomes carefully monitored.  Attendance, punctuality and exclusion rates have improved significantly. Attendance is currently

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

above average. This is because of the sterling work done by the Family Support Team, in conjunction with other agencies, to promote the importance of regular attendance and its impact on pupils’ learning. Most parents have taken this on board.  Most pupils take a pride in the presentation of their work, but in some classes and some subjects there is room for improvement here.  Pupils say they feel safe in school because adults look after them well. All say the school site is secure. Appropriate risk assessments for the school site and beyond are in place.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All procedures for ensuring the pupils’ health, safety and well- being, which is at the heart of the school’s work, are securely in place.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The school is continuing to improve. Pupils readily endorsed the changes that have been made, and are continuing to be made, to improve their experiences during and after school.  Senior leaders and governors have a very clear vision for the school. They are determined to improve the life chances of the pupils in their care, but also to provide a focal point for the local community. Positive relationships are being fostered among diverse cultures and aspirations for both children and adults are being raised. Active participation in the FAST programme is an example of this commitment.  The headteacher and his team enjoy the widespread confidence of governors, parents and pupils. There has been a relentless and focused drive to ensure that pupils have the basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy to prepare them well for life in their secondary schools. As a result, achievement is rising and attendance has improved over the last year.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation by senior leaders and governors is accurate and provides a clear picture of strengths and weaknesses. Action planning is comprehensive and clearly aimed at aspects of school provision which need improving.  Monitoring of the progress pupils are making is very detailed and accurate. The progress of individuals and groups is clearly identified and ensures that support can be quickly provided for those pupils who are in danger of falling behind in their work. There is extensive and effective use made of intervention support.  Stability in staffing has been a major contributory factor to improvements in achievement. The deployment of staff is well managed. The impact of additional teachers who work with smaller groupings of pupils providing more personalised teaching has had a significant impact on improving performance in Year 6 and has now also been implemented in Year 5.  Senior leaders have thorough procedures to check the quality of teaching. Teachers are regularly

p.6

The leadership and management are good

observed and personalised programmes of support are negotiated for those staff who need to improve aspects of their teaching. This is also closely linked to the performance management process. Monitoring of pupils’ work, however, focuses too narrowly on improving writing and opportunities to evaluate the progress pupils are making in the full range of subjects are often lost.  The school curriculum is under review to bring it in line with new requirements from September. At the moment, a broad range of subjects are being taught as part of an innovative curriculum known as the ‘Learning Menu’. However, gaps in subject knowledge are currently not being sufficiently developed by subject leaders to enable teachers to plan these subjects with confidence or teach them as effectively as they teach English and mathematics.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Praise and

p.6

The leadership and management are good

stickers are used well to reward pupils’ efforts, boost confidence and self-esteem. Pupils experience a good range of clubs and trips including residential as well as visits to places of worship.  The school uses its primary sports funding effectively to provide specialist coaching as part of its daily sport curriculum. Pupils participate in a wide range of sporting activities during and after school and particularly enjoy competing with other schools. Pupil premium funding is also used well to close the gap between this group and ineligible pupils. As one pupil remarked ‘we are lucky to be in this school’.  The local authority has an accurate picture of the progress the school has made and of the improvements in achievement. Whilst the school has opted out of some services the local authority offers, it values the challenge provided by regular monitoring visits and reviews carried out by local authority officers.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school is proud of its work in, and with, the local community. The strong focus on inclusion and the desire to improve the life chances of all pupils in its care supports equality of opportunity very well.  The governance of the school:  The governance of the school is good. Governors are actively involved in school life and have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and where further improvement is needed. They see themselves an integral part of the school team which is driving the school forward. For example, governors produce their separate and specific input into the school’s self-evaluation and regularly challenge school leaders and hold them to account. Governors have a very good understanding and knowledge of performance management and have supported restructuring of staffing. The headteacher’s performance is managed extremely well and precise targets are set which reflect the specific needs of the school. Teachers’ pay and

p.7

The leadership and management are good

progression is closely aligned to teaching quality and unambiguous outcomes linked to specific staff responsibilities. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s finances and are aware of how pupil premium money and sport funding money is being spent and the impact it is having on pupil welfare and achievement. They ensure that statutory safeguarding arrangements are met.

p.7

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.8

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.8

School details

Unique reference number 136076 Local authority Salford Inspection number 442418

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 468 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joe Gallagher Headteacher Daniel Gauld Date of previous school inspection 27 February 2013 Telephone number 0161 921 2670 Email address info@riverviewprimary.co.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.9

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.10

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.10

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

p.10

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.10

School details

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

p.10