Rampton Primary School

Rampton Primary School Retford Road, Rampton, Retford, DN22 0JB

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

p.1

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

 Turbulence in leadership, governance, and staffing has adversely affected the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Progress has slowed last year, particularly for older pupils. In 2014, Year 6 did not attain the standards they should have done. Too few pupils made good progress.  Achievement in mathematics across the school is not good enough.  Systems for tracking pupils’ progress have not been effective enough, so some pupils have not received rapid support when falling behind, including some of the most able pupils.  The provision for children in the early years requires improvement. The proportion of children in Reception achieving a good level of development has been low.  Marking has improved but is not yet consistent in identifying what pupils need to do next to improve.  Subject leaders have yet to fully develop their monitoring roles to support planning for improvement.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher and governors have established high expectations of what pupils can achieve.  All staff, including the new teachers, have improved and strengthened teaching.  Pupils behave well, are keen to learn and relationships across the school are strong.  Attendance rates have improved markedly.  Parents, pupils and staff are rightly confident in the quality of education that the school is currently providing.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 All teachers were observed teaching across the year groups, most of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  One-to-one and small-group support given by teaching assistants was observed.  The behaviour of pupils was observed in lessons, in registration and assemblies, during breaks and during lunchtime.  The inspector met with pupils, parents, the headteacher, a representative of the local authority, the Chair of the Governing Body and with staff.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at its policies, self-evaluation, development planning, monitoring records, information about pupils’ progress, safeguarding documents and samples of pupils’ work across each year group and in a range of subjects.  The 18 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the 11 responses to the staff questionnaire were analysed and the views expressed in them, taken into account.

p.2

Inspection team

Shannon Moore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is a below average sized primary school with differing numbers of pupils in each year group. The pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes.  There have been significant and recent changes to the leadership and staffing in the school after a period of interim leadership. The new headteacher was appointed in September 2014. There is a new Chair of the Governing Body and some new governors. Three new teachers have been appointed.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs in 2014, at about one third, was almost twice as high as the national average. Currently this is one fifth of the pupils.  The proportion of pupils that qualified for support through the pupil premium in 2014 was one in eight of the pupils, and was below national levels. Currently this is a quarter of the pupils.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is low.

p.3

Information about this school

 Most pupils are of White British heritage.  There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to make a reliable judgement as to whether the government’s current floor standards were met.  The nursery and reception classes are full-time with a phased entry.  The number of pupils in many year groups is low. The numbers of pupils with special educational needs, that qualify for the pupil premium or that have high ability, vary in the different year groups but also can be low. In many year groups, new pupils have joined. This makes comparisons over time for small groups of pupils difficult.  The school works closely with other primary schools in the Retford Oaks Family of schools.  Support has been given by a local leader of education from Dunham on Trent Primary School.  There are close links with the Trent Valley Teaching School Alliance.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of pupils making good and outstanding progress by:  embedding the use of information from the good tracking of pupils’ progress to quickly challenge and support pupils and groups not doing well as they could  continuing to plan carefully to provide demanding work, particularly for the most able pupils  improving pupils’ skills in calculation and problem solving  continuing to improve the language and communication skills of children in the nursery and reception classes  sharing the best practice in the school to help pupils to improve their work.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the work of subject leaders so that they make full use of the information they collect when monitoring, to bring further improvements.

p.3

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership over time has not made sure that the teaching has been of sufficiently high quality to deliver good progress for pupils. This downturn in the school’s performance had a negative impact on behaviour and attendance levels, although both have recovered strongly.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leadership and management of early years has not ensured a high enough proportion of children reach a good level of development. The current leadership has, in a relatively short time, improved the progress of children, the quality of the classroom and resources, the extent of parental involvement, planning and teaching. Children are making faster progress and a greater proportion is likely to achieve a good level of development this year.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Those now in leadership posts have already had an impact on their areas of responsibility, not only in the progress now being seen in the work of the pupils, but also in the more stimulating environment for learning. However, their leadership roles are not yet well established particularly in respect of monitoring the work of colleagues. It is too early to judge how their work alongside new systems for monitoring and evaluating performance will influence whole-school planning.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new headteacher has, in a remarkably short time, galvanised her staff to urgently address the needs of the pupils. This has resulted in a very high level of satisfaction among parents and staff in the quality of education now being provided for pupils. Morale is high. The whole staff team share a determination to improve the outcomes for pupils. The headteacher is building a culture of high expectations of behaviour and achievement.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher’s self-evaluation is based on honest and accurate analysis of past performance and identifies strengths and the right areas for development. The school development plan is comprehensive, ambitious and practical, articulating a way forward to improve achievement.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The setting of targets for teachers, to improve their work, now links directly to the achievement of the pupils and identifies the training they need to play a full part in improving the school. Checks of the impact of these targets on teaching are done through work scrutiny, pupil progress meetings and planned lesson observations. The headteacher has an accurate view of the quality of teaching, has already seen this improve and has taken steps to bring further improvements.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Good tracking systems have been put in place to ensure that all teachers and teaching assistants are able to target their support and challenge to pupils and groups. Early indications are that this support is delivering better progress.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Safeguarding is well managed and the pupils feel safe. Attendance is closely monitored and absence followed up where necessary.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum is broad and balanced, with good opportunities for pupils to develop spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. This is helping to prepare pupils for life in modern British democratic society and fostering tolerance of others. Assemblies are well planned and pupils respond well and sing beautifully. The curriculum is being revised to ensure full coverage of the new National Curriculum requirements. Assessment arrangements relating to these requirements, therefore, are not yet fully in place.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has supported the school through the recent difficult times, through personnel, finance, governor and school improvement services. It also brokered arrangements to cover the headship until a permanent appointment could be made. A local leader of education has supported the school.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupil premium funding has been well targeted. Teaching assistants are timetabled to provide the small number of disadvantaged pupils with one-to-one or small-group support. The impact on progress is monitored by the headteacher and this shows pupil premium having a greater impact on progress. The funding also ensures that the pupils can access residential experience and educational trips, demonstrating commitment to equal opportunities.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Sports funding has been spent on coaching and equipment to broaden the experience of pupils and to develop their skills. This has had a direct and positive impact on the range and quality of the teaching of sport experienced by the pupils, their health and well-being and the levels of skills they are developing.

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governance over time has not been strong enough to ensure that the school has performed well. However, with support from the local authority, the recruitment of new members and the appointment of a new and experienced Chair, the governing body is now far more effective. They have regained the confidence of staff and parents.  Governors are skilled in analysing data and aware of the challenges facing the school, based on past performance.  Governors now have a range of relevant skills which have allowed them to provide better support for the school. They have undergone a skills audit, have identified further areas for development and have commissioned training from the local authority governor services.  There is now a good programme for checking progress that links to the school improvement plan priorities. It involves governors in, for example, checking the standard of work in pupils’ books and

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

observing changes to classrooms to improve and stimulate learning.  Governors now provide a better balance between challenge and support for leaders and exercise this through an effective committee structure. Governors are ambitious for the pupils and are committed to their role. They meet their statutory duties. They monitor school spending and have targeted additional funding appropriately.  Governors ensure that performance management arrangements link performance with pay progression and have tackled underperformance when necessary. Governors are aware of the quality of teaching across the school. This view has been formed through reports from the headteacher, analysis of data and by visiting lessons.  Their links into the local community are good and they support the school’s efforts to celebrate diversity and to promote understanding of and respect for people of all faiths and cultures.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils come to school ready for learning. One parent said that their children enjoy school so much that they look forward to getting back to it when still on holiday.

p.5

Behaviour

 Attendance has improved to be close to national levels, helped by an improved curriculum and, currently, better teaching. Attendance is monitored for all groups in the school and has improved for all. There is competition to be the class with the best attendance. There have been no exclusions.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils said that they all got on with each other and helped each other. They said that there is no name- calling. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. The pupils are sensitive to each other’s needs and work easily, and enthusiastically, with each other in class.

p.5

Behaviour

 Good rewards and sanctions policies and practice are now in place. These help children to modify their behaviour positively. Rewards go towards Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and headteacher awards, which are presented in assembly. The pupils appreciate these systems and report that behaviour in the school is much better than previously.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils are aware of different types of bullying. They said that there is no bullying and that if they had any concerns that they would talk to an adult and help anyone who was upset. There has been no bullying recorded and this situation is reflected in the staff and parents’ responses to the questionnaires.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils are proud of their school and treat the buildings, their own and others’ property and belongings with respect. Punctuality is good.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure pupils are safe within school and when they go from school on activities.

p.6

Safety

 Pupils told the inspector that they felt safe at school and that they believed that all the teachers cared for them. They have an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when they are using modern technology, and how to get help. The curriculum addresses aspects of safety and well-being, including for example, road and water safety and safe-sun awareness.

p.6

Safety

 The site is secure and all safeguarding checks on staff are carefully made prior to appointment. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and child protection. All current requirements are fully met.

p.6

Safety

 Responses of staff and parents to questionnaires also reinforced that this is a caring school with the safety of pupils at its core.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Over time the quality of teaching has not been strong enough to ensure that pupils made the progress they should. Too few pupils overall made good progress and too few reached the higher levels of attainment by the end of Key Stage 2. Teaching has been weaker in mathematics than in reading and writing. The teaching of problem solving in mathematics has been a particular weakness. As a result, too few pupils have reached higher levels in mathematics.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Until recently, teaching within the nursery and reception was not strong enough. As a result, too few children reached a good level of development.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) has improved and a good proportion of Year 1 pupils reached the required standard when their knowledge was checked in Year 1, last year.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils’ work is regularly assessed and there are opportunities in some subjects for them to help to assess the work of others. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is now improving because staff are following agreed policies. Some of the good practice is not yet consistent enough across the school. In some books pupils make good responses to teacher’s comments. This, too, is not yet fully consistent.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The new monitoring and target setting systems and pupil progress meetings, have helped staff, including the teaching assistants, to target extra help towards individuals and groups who need additional support to improve further. This includes disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and some of the disadvantaged pupils.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The systems to monitor pupils’ progress are new, but the early indications are that they are already increasing the rate of progress for individuals and groups who were underachieving. Teachers are reflective and amend their teaching in response to the needs of the pupils.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Staff expectations and pupils’ expectations of themselves, are high and pupils are now making better progress and work in their books is of a higher standard. Pupils take on challenges well. For example, pupils reading to the inspector used their knowledge of phonics well when faced with difficult or unfamiliar words.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and use effective relationships with pupils to introduce them to new learning in exciting and challenging ways. Pupils said that teaching has improved and lessons are fun. In the teaching and learning observed, during the inspection, this was borne out as all pupils were fully engaged and tackling the challenges set, with enthusiasm.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Homework is used appropriately. The vast majority of parents agreed with this. It allows some flexibility of interpretation by the pupils, so they can build on their interests. Pupils have reading and spellings to do as well . Homework makes a good contribution to the progress and learning of pupils.

p.6

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of children enter Nursery with skills, knowledge and understanding that are typical for that age group. Their communication skills are weaker than other areas of learning. Until recently, they have not achieved as well as they should because teaching has not been effective in enabling them to make good progress.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Similarly, in Key Stage 2 last year, pupils did not make good progress and standards fell sharply. This should be seen in the context of very small cohorts where standards are likely to fluctuate. Nevertheless, while some of this small group made the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics, others did not. The pupils’ progress was weakest in mathematics.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The percentage of pupils reaching the expected level in using letters and sounds (phonics) in the national screening check, in Year 1, was above the national average, in 2014. This result was a considerable improvement on that of the previous year. Attainment at the end of Year 2 improved. Pupils’ attainment in writing was ahead of pupils nationally. Attainment in mathematics was weaker than in reading and writing.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Current school tracking shows that disadvantaged pupils’ progress across the school is now equivalent to other pupils and half of them are making even better progress. Access to additional support is funded by pupil premium and has helped them to catch up. However, there were too few pupils, supported by the pupil premium, to make meaningful comparisons of their attainment with other pupils in school or nationally.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The most able pupils in the school are now making at least the progress expected of them and half of them are making good progress. Some are already attaining at a high level because teachers are now putting more challenge into lessons to stretch the most able. Throughout the school these pupils have targets to ensure that there are more of them making rapid progress. The samples of the most able pupils’ work scrutinised by the inspector, showed good improvement this term.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs across the school are now making similar progress to others in the school. Teaching assistants, planning with teachers, are tailoring their support to meet the specific needs of these pupils, across the school. This means that they are experiencing more success which reinforces their learning when working in class, in small groups or as individuals with support.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Observations in class and scrutiny of work in pupils’ books, including in mathematics, indicate that most pupils are now consistently making the progress expected of them across subjects. Work is well targeted and the quality is improving at a good rate. Opportunities for extended writing are now being planned into the curriculum and the work completed by older pupils shows that they are developing higher level skills.

p.7

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils enjoy reading and weaker readers are well supported to improve. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and the most able can talk knowledgeably about authors. There is a programme which provides additional support from competent readers for more hesitant readers. Pupils from different years read to the inspector and were able to use good strategies to tackle unfamiliar and difficult words.

p.7

The early years provision requires improvement

 Children whose learning was disrupted last year struggled to make good enough progress to secure a good level of development. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development was low in 2014, affecting their readiness to start Year 1. They did not develop their communication and language skills well enough. As a result, achievement, teaching and leadership and management of the early years require improvement.

p.7

The early years provision requires improvement

 Steps have already been taken bring about rapid improvements. For example, the improved environment for learning, zoned for Reception and different age-bands makes meeting the needs of different children more effective across the areas for learning.  Current tracking shows that most children are now making faster progress. This includes disabled children and those who have special educational needs, those who are most able and the disadvantaged. At least seven out of every ten of the children are expected to achieve a good level of development this year. The better targeted support for children indicates that this is a realistic target and therefore more children will be ready for moving on to Year 1.

p.7

The early years provision requires improvement

 Individual and group needs are met through targeted guided sessions for writing and mathematics. Grouping by ability and phase is used when children are learning about letters and sounds. These arrangements enable staff to improve the progress of children in these important areas of learning.

p.8

The early years provision requires improvement

 Children’s behaviour and safety is good. They work enthusiastically with teachers and teaching assistants. They have opportunity to choose areas for learning. They learn to cooperate and work within the classrooms and outside. They are eager to learn. The rewards scheme is used well to praise children for developing skills, such as listening. Children are taking responsibility for organising themselves, for example, when dressing for outside play. All the statutory requirements are in place.

p.8

The early years provision requires improvement

 The excellent ‘learning journey’ of each child, with parental contributions, carefully records the developing competence of the children across the areas of learning. The information is clearly assembled from work, photographic evidence and quotations of how language skills have developed over time. Judgements are moderated. Links with other providers and with other nurseries are strong.

p.8

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 failing

p.9

Grade Judgement Description

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.9

School details

Unique reference number 122671 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 448547

p.10

School details

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

p.10

School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 65 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Mark Thomas Headteacher Louise Selden Date of previous school inspection 3 February 2010 Telephone number 01777 248251 Fax number 01777 248136 Email address office@rampton.notts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

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.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

School details

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

p.11