Ribble Drive Community Primary School

Ribble Drive Community Primary School Ribble Drive, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 8TD

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Through a period of staffing turbulence school leaders, including governors, have secured improvements in the achievement of all groups of pupils and in the quality of teaching. As a result, the school continues to improve.  The new headteacher wants the very best for every pupil. She is well supported by the governing body, the acting deputy headteacher and a staff team entirely committed to her view of how successful the school can be.  The subjects provided effectively meet pupils’ needs. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed so that they learn to respect themselves and others.  Behaviour is good both in class and around the school. Pupils like their teachers and enjoy learning.  Pupils are happy and feel safe in school because staff care for them well.  Teaching is effective because it is well led and managed. Teachers create lessons which motivate and engage pupils.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress from their individual starting points in reading, writing and mathematics because they are taught well.  Children in the early years now make good progress because good quality leadership results in good quality teaching. In turn, this helps to develop children’s enthusiasm for learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching and learning is not outstanding overall. This is because there are times when the most able pupils do not get on with challenging work quickly enough.  Sometimes opportunities are limited for pupils to use their mathematical skills to solve real-life problems during mathematics lessons.  Teaching assistants are not always fully effective in supporting learning across the whole lesson.  The governing body does not have a clear enough understanding of national data to be able to make comparisons and challenge school leaders more effectively with regard to pupils’ progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes taught by teachers and in activities taken by teaching assistants. Two walks around the school to check on learning also took place.  Inspectors met with two groups of pupils and observed and spoke to pupils during lessons, play times and at lunchtime. They also listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with parents, staff, senior leaders and managers and a member of the governing body. A telephone conversation took place between an inspector and a consultant who supports the school.  A range of documents were considered by inspectors, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, the school development plan, information about pupils’ progress, checks on the quality of teaching and records relating to attendance and safeguarding. Inspectors also examined work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors took account of 12 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and of a summary of

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Information about this inspection

the responses to separate parents' and pupils’ questionnaires recently distributed by the school.  Inspectors also considered responses from staff to a recent school questionnaire and 20 responses to the inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Louise Murphy, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is similar in size to most primary schools.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium, is well above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to help to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average, as is the proportion of pupils for whom English is not or believed not to be their first language.  The school provides full-time places for children in the Reception class and full- and part-time places for pupils in Nursery.  Since the previous inspection, there have been many changes to staffing. In April of this year, the headteacher and acting deputy headteacher were promoted to their current posts from within the school.

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Information about this school

 The school hosts a breakfast and after-school club for pupils and shares a site with a children’s centre, both of which are subject to separate inspections.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in order to increase pupils’ progress by making sure that teachers: - move the most able pupils swiftly on to challenging tasks so that they make as much progress as possible - check that teaching assistants are fully effective in supporting learning throughout the whole lesson - provide pupils with more real-life problems to solve during mathematics lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by developing the skills of the governing body in analysing national data so that they can challenge school leaders even more effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new headteacher has an accurate view of what the school does well and what needs to be improved. She is well supported by the acting deputy headteacher. Together, they have improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement following a period of significant changes to staffing. They have the skills, determination and expertise to continue with school improvement.  Staff morale is now high and staff are keen to take on new roles of responsibility to help the school continue to move forward. For example, the deputy headteacher and the early years leader have both been promoted temporarily and are effectively driving forward improvements in their areas of responsibility.  Middle leaders are now able to make a valuable contribution and, together with senior leaders, regularly check upon the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils make. Their role is developing but is beginning to impact positively on the quality of teaching and the development of the curriculum

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The leadership and management are good

throughout the school. However, they have not yet ensured that the most-able pupils get on with challenging tasks quickly enough or that all teaching assistants effectively support learning across the whole lesson.  The primary school sport funding is used well. Specialist coaches work with pupils and staff to help develop their skills in a wide range of sporting activities. For example, during the inspection, coaches were in school supporting pupils to develop excellent dance routines to perform at their leavers’ assembly.  The school is committed to ensuring that any form of discrimination is successfully tackled and all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. Consequently, pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils and any gaps in achievement or attainment are being successfully diminished.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Good relations are

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The leadership and management are good

fostered across the school and this is evident in the way that pupils learn and play well together. The subjects on offer meet pupils’ needs and prepare them appropriately for life in modern Britain. Through the school council, pupils are encouraged to share their opinions and develop their understanding of democracy.  Safeguarding requirements are effective. All staff and governors agree that keeping pupils safe is a priority.  The school receives a light level of support from the local authority . An experienced headteacher has been approached by the local authority to provide support for the new headteacher.  The governance of the school: - Governance of the school is effective. Although there have been changes to the governing body, governors know the school well because they receive detailed information from school leaders. Governors do question the information that they are given if there is something that they do not

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The leadership and management are good

understand. However, they recognise that they have not had sufficient training to enable them to analyse national data in order to challenge school leaders effectively regarding pupils’ progress. - Governors are fully involved in setting targets for the headteacher and have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching. They also know how good performance is rewarded and any underperformance is tackled.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning and make sure that their work is very neat and tidy. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and this is reflected in how pupils enter their classroom ready to learn. They listen carefully to their teachers and respond quickly to instructions.  Pupils’ behaviour in the classroom and around the school is consistently good. Pupils play calmly during break and lunchtimes. They are proud of their school and value the contribution that they have been able to make toward redecorating the toilets and the design of a grassed hill which provides a fun area for younger pupils to enjoy.  Pupils are polite and respectful. They welcome visitors and are keen to talk about all of the good things that happen at their school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Parents who spoke with an inspector were very pleased with the way the school looks after their children.  All parents responding to the online questionnaire Parent View confirm that the school keeps their children safe and happy.  Pupils report that they feel safe because they know that adults care for them well. The school mentors have placed a ‘worry box’ outside their room for pupils to use to post any concerns to them that they may have. Pupils are confident that sharing a problem with an adult is the start of getting the problem quickly and effectively dealt with.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They understand about different forms of bullying. They say that bullying is rare in their school and this is confirmed by school records.  Pupils whose current circumstances might make them vulnerable are very well supported by school staff

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Safety

who work with families and external agencies, when necessary.  Pupils’ attendance is always high on the agenda. As a result, the incidence of persistent absence has fallen and overall attendance remains above the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Following a period of great volatility in staffing due to repeated absence, illness and a succession of temporary teachers, consistently good quality teaching of reading, writing and mathematics has now returned. As a result, pupils achieve well and this is confirmed by the school’s own records, observations in the classrooms and work seen in pupils’ books.  Developing reading skills is given high priority. Teachers encourage good attitudes towards reading. One pupil in Year 6 explained why he loves reading saying, ‘I can get into a book and it can take me anywhere.’ Improvements in the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) have resulted in pupils being able to apply their skills to read tricky words with fluency and understanding.  Writing is taught well and teachers plan writing activities that pupils enjoy. For example, Year 5 pupils worked in ‘the pod’, which is an inflatable that screens large-size videos and includes surround sound to

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The quality of teaching is good

increase dramatic effect. Pupils concentrated hard to find clues following a suspected alien abduction. This acted as a stimulus from which pupils were able to develop highly detailed newspaper reports.  Basic mathematical skills are now taught well. For example, Year 6 pupils confidently used the internet to check the current interest rates offered by a range of banks and financial institutions. This enabled them to calculate the real cost of an £8,000 loan. They could then provide advice on which company offered the most cost-effective deal. Pupils used their basic mathematical skills very well to help them to solve this real-life problem. However, there are too few opportunities like this for pupils to use their skills in real-life contexts during mathematics lessons.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. They praise what has been done well and provide guidance to help pupils improve their work. Pupils are given the time to complete their corrections so that they can learn

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The quality of teaching is good

from their mistakes. Teachers’ comments during lessons help pupils to understand what they need to do to improve their work. Vibrant classrooms, thoughtfully organised with up-to-date learning prompts displayed on the walls, also help pupils to understand how to make their work even better.  Teamwork established between teachers and teaching assistants usually guarantees high quality support for pupils with additional needs. This is evident when pupils are working one-to-one with adults and during small group sessions. The talents that teaching assistants have are not so effectively used at all stages of the lesson, for example at the start when the teacher introduces learning to the whole class.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Senior leaders have focused relentlessly on improving the quality of teaching and making sure that standards of achievement fully recover from the dip seen last year at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2.  Achievement in Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics has improved this year. This represents good progress for the current Year 2 pupils who left the early years setting with skills below those typical for their age. Attainment for pupils now leaving Key Stage 1 is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in the phonics screening check has increased. The proportion of pupils currently working at the expected standard is close to that seen nationally.  The majority of Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s own data and evidence in books indicate that the proportion of Year 6 pupils who have made or exceeded the progress expected of them is similar to the most recent national

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The achievement of pupils is good

averages, as is their attainment. This shows a marked improvement over the 2014 reading and mathematics results which were expected to dip because of several reasons. These included the fact that in 2014 Year 6 pupils had been taught by seven different teachers between Years 3 and 5, several pupils joined the school in Years 5 and 6, and a high proportion had complex learning needs.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils currently at school is at least in line with and often better than that of other pupils the in their year group. Disadvantaged Year 6 pupils who left the school in 2014 achieved levels of progress very similar to others in their class. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who made the progress expected of them, and the proportion that made more progress than expected, in writing were both larger than those found nationally. However, these proportions were smaller than the national

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The achievement of pupils is good

figures for reading and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils who left Year 6 in 2014 attained approximately half-a-term behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. The gap between disadvantaged pupils in the school and other pupils nationally was two terms behind in reading, half-a-term behind in writing and four terms behind in mathematics. This was due to the dip in reading and mathematics seen across the whole year group.  In the 2014 national tests, the most-able pupils made the progress expected of them in reading and mathematics. A greater proportion of the most-able pupils made more progress than expected in writing than that seen nationally. The most-able pupils currently in the school make good progress, although at times they do not always get to the more difficult tasks soon enough to help them make even faster progress.  The additional needs of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are met well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Teachers ensure that work is well matched to their abilities. Progress is tracked by the special educational needs leader to make sure that pupils receive any additional support required to help them achieve well. The same high quality provision is available for pupils who join the school later than expected and those in the early stages of learning English as an additional language; they too make good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 Children start school in the Reception and Nursery classes with skills and knowledge mostly below those typical for their age, though this does vary year on year. This year, the proportion of children who have reached a good level of development is above the 2014 national average. They are well prepared for the learning that they will meet in Year 1.  A new teacher joined the team in September 2014 and, due to staff absence, has stepped up to act as the early years leader. As a result of effective leadership and management, the quality of teaching and the early years environment is good. The staff team work successfully together to quickly get to know each child and provide activities to maintain interest and enthusiasm for learning.  Adults skilfully question children to encourage them to think carefully and share their ideas. For example, during snack time, children enjoy a special time when they can talk about all of the new things that they

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The early years provision is good

have learnt. Staff encourage the children to ask and answer questions of each other. The strong emphasis on activities to promote social, communication and literacy skills supports children to make good progress from their different starting points in all of the areas of learning.  The environment in the early years is well resourced. However, there are fewer opportunities to promote the development of early reading, writing and number skills in the outdoor area than there are in the classroom. The acting early years leader has plans in place to tackle this.  Children’s behaviour, safety and personal development are good. The well-planned curriculum provides opportunities for children to learn about keeping themselves and others safe and healthy. For example, children were seen washing their hands, using scissors safely, taking turns and very carefully working their way across a challenging climbing wall.

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The early years provision is good

 Parents are encouraged to share any information about their child’s development. They are able to do this through the range of opportunities to meet with staff or through writing a message in their child’s individual record of achievement, known as their learning journey.

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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 failing

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 105300 Local authority Bury Inspection number 461896

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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 248 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Matthews Headteacher Kath Higson Date of previous school inspection 5 April 2011 Telephone number 0161 766 6625 Fax number 0161 796 3397 Email address ribbledrive@bury.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory 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

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’.

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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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