Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery

St John’s Church of England Primary School Dannah Street, Ripley DE5 3BD

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 School leaders, including governors, identify key priorities and make sure that the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils is good.  Attendance has improved markedly since the previous inspection due to leaders’ efforts.  Behaviour is good. Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for because the school promotes pupils’ welfare well.  Staff know pupils well. They make sure that pupils are motivated to learn and develop confidence in their own abilities.  Those pupils in need of extra help receive good support in developing their academic and personal skills.  The curriculum is interesting and promotes pupils’ personal development and spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children in the early years achieve well because teaching is good.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all of the most-able pupils reach their full potential in writing.  Feedback and marking, particularly with regard to presentation, spelling and grammar, are not always consistent.  Pupils’ responses to teachers’ marking are not always meaningful and do not improve learning.  Not all subject leaders are fully effective in helping to speed up pupils’ progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further by making sure that teachers consistently: provide most-able pupils with tasks that help them to develop their writing skills more rapidly correct work where appropriate and expect well-presented work in pupils’ books  Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that all subject leaders help staff to understand how to speed up the progress of pupils in their subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders have successfully raised expectations of what pupils should achieve. As a result, outcomes for pupils have improved since the previous inspection and pupils now make good progress. The school is a purposeful place where good teaching and good behaviour flourish. Staff work well together to achieve the school’s aims because these are clearly identified and shared by senior leaders.  The headteacher is relentless in her drive to keep moving the school forward. She, together with the deputy headteacher, quickly identifies and addresses any weaknesses in teaching to make sure it is consistently good and gives all pupils equal opportunity to succeed. Targets set for staff to improve their work are closely linked to the school’s priorities and supported well by relevant training.  Subject leaders have an effective range of ways to check the quality of teaching in their subjects. However, not all are yet fully involved in helping staff to understand how to speed up pupils’ progress in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

their subjects. Good use is made of links with other schools to share expertise and improve teaching. The local authority provides good support in developing leadership skills and helping the school to evaluate the effectiveness of its work.  Pupil premium funding is used well to support eligible pupils in their personal and academic development. As a result, gaps in performance between them and other pupils are closing. Leaders recognise that this aspect of the school’s work remains a key priority.  The curriculum, including in the early years, motivates learning and sustains pupils’ interest. It is supported effectively by trips, visitors to the school and sporting and creative after-school activities. Leaders make sure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about people from backgrounds and faiths different from their own, and about key British figures and institutions such as the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

National Health Service, Parliament and the monarchy.  The school’s activities have a positive effect on personal development, raising aspirations and adding a ‘wow’ factor to learning. As a result, pupils enjoy what they do in lessons and say they cannot wait to see what they will learn next. Their positive attitudes are nurtured well by staff who expect all pupils to get on well together. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The primary sports funding is used effectively to develop teachers’ skills in teaching physical education lessons and helping pupils to acquire competent sports skills. The school’s analysis shows the spending has a positive effect on the proportion of pupils engaging in physical activity and increased success in inter-school sports.  The governance of the school: is good and has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Governors have honed their skills

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

in holding the school to account by asking relevant and challenging questions. They are involved in setting priorities and check regularly how well these are addressed. Governors undertake the training they need in order to meet their responsibilities. They carry out the performance management of the headteacher and know how staff are helped to develop their skills. They know how good teaching leads to good outcomes for pupils and how this informs decisions about teachers’ pay. Governors check information about pupils’ progress, including those eligible for support from pupil premium funding. They maintain a strong focus on pupils’ welfare and the effective promotion of key values.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Systems and policies to keep pupils safe are well maintained and consistently applied. Appropriate vetting systems ensure the recruitment of suitable staff and all receive relevant training. Leaders carry out regular checks to keep pupils secure and to minimise

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

any potential risks. Good links with parents ensure that pupils are well supported should any concerns arise.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Staff, including teaching assistants, promote positive relationships and manage behaviour well. They have a range of ways to make sure that all pupils feel fully involved and valued. They expect pupils to contribute to class discussions and to respect the views of others. Staff create an atmosphere of mutual trust where pupils feel confident to ‘have a go’.  Teachers make lessons interesting. They often link subjects together so that pupils see the point of their learning. For example, during the inspection, teachers in the Year 3 and Year 4 classes used geography and history topics well to develop pupils’ writing skills. In the Year 6 classes, teachers expected pupils to use computers to find out interesting facts about a leading scientist.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters represent) and of reading is good. Staff provide plenty of extra support for those pupils in danger of falling behind, and give pupils the right level of challenge to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

help them to do well. Books and stories play a major part in learning across a range of subjects and topics to spark pupils’ interest and aid their enjoyment.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils should achieve by the end of lessons. They ask the right questions to ensure that pupils understand what to do and address any misunderstanding quickly. They make sure that lessons build upon previous learning.  In mathematics, teachers are successfully addressing any gaps in pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. They pitch work well to the range of ability in the class, including for most-able pupils. Teachers make sure that pupils practise, consolidate and deepen their mathematical skills in calculation, problem solving and practical tasks.  When they mark pupils’ work, teachers help pupils to understand how to improve. It is the school’s policy to give pupils time to respond to teachers’ marking. However, pupils’ responses do not always indicate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

how they are developing their skills and knowledge. In some books, teachers do not correct spellings and pupils repeat mistakes.  Pupils’ writing is celebrated in attractive displays. In many books, pupils’ work is legible and very well presented. In some cases, though, teachers do not insist that pupils present their work well or give most- able pupils the right level of work to help them to develop their writing skills more fully and rapidly.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils talk keenly about the roles they take on in the library and on the school council and how they help the school. They participate in a sports council to express their views on sports activities. In this way, pupils’ understanding of fairness and democracy are promoted well.  Pupils strive to do their best and take pride in their achievements. They know about key values and are rewarded for demonstrating respect, tolerance and friendship. They participate willingly in a range of activities and develop confidence in their abilities. They recognise how the school helps them to improve, and respond well to the support they receive from staff.  Pupils are cared for well. They say they feel safe and like coming to school. They know about the different forms of bullying, including when using technology. They play their part in devising the school’s

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Personal development and welfare

e-safety policy so that it is clearly understood. Pupils know whom to speak to if they have a problem, and say that the ‘Worry Bins’ in each class are a very useful way to raise any concerns they may have. The school’s records show that incidents of bullying are rare but any that do arise are dealt with effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils become ‘Peace Pals’ and receive training to help other pupils. The school’s rules are consistently applied and understood by all. The very small number of pupils who find it difficult to behave well receive the help they need to conform to the school’s expectations and respond well in lessons.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning which contributes strongly to the good progress they make in lessons. They are attentive and respond well to adults. They maintain the same levels of good behaviour during after-school activities and when working with a range of adults. They settle to their learning promptly and no time is wasted.  Since the previous inspection, attendance has improved and is now average due to the school’s concerted efforts. The proportion of pupils who stay away from school frequently is reducing. This is because the school’s leaders have strengthened links with parents and help them to understand the effect of poor

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Behaviour

attendance on their children’s achievement.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The good start children make in the early years is effectively built on as pupils move through the school. They make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 2 in 2015, the most recent attainment information shows that pupils reached above-average standards.  In 2015, by the end of Year 6, pupils reached broadly average standards overall with clear improvements in all subjects from 2014, especially in reading and writing. This represents good progress from their starting points at the end of Key Stage 1 in spite of experiencing a period of only adequate progress during their time in Key Stage 2. This good progress was due to improved teaching which speeded up pupils’ learning in all classes.  Pupils currently in the school make good progress. Boys’ attainment is rising because staff provide work that motivates them to learn. Pupils do well in reading because those in danger of falling behind receive

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Outcomes for pupils are good

frequent help to improve. In mathematics, work in books shows that pupils are making good gains in grasping concepts. This is a popular subject because pupils say they like the level of challenge in their work. Writing becomes increasingly complex as pupils move through the school. They write at length in a range of subjects.  In 2015, more of the most-able pupils reached the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics than in 2014. They made the expected progress across Key Stage 2 from their starting points and some did even better. Currently, most-able pupils are making good progress in mathematics but they do not always reach their full potential in writing in all classes.  By the end of Year 6 in 2015, disadvantaged pupils reached higher standards than in the previous two years. They did best of all in reading where they were less than half a term behind their peers and a term ahead of other pupils nationally. In writing, they were nearly three terms behind their peers and just over

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Outcomes for pupils are good

a term behind other pupils nationally. In mathematics, they were a term behind their peers and other pupils nationally. The progress these pupils made during their time in Key Stage 2 was above average. The progress of disadvantaged pupils continues to be good due to the school’s determination to close the gaps in performance between them and their peers.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress in line with other pupils. They achieve well because their needs are identified early and they receive the right level of support in lessons and when working in small groups, often with teaching assistants. They make small steps in their personal and academic targets and become successful learners.

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Early years provision is good

 Good leadership of the early years makes sure that children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. There are good arrangements for children when they start school and good links are maintained with parents. Staff quickly identify children’s specific needs and abilities and make sure that the curriculum helps them to achieve well.  Children behave well and settle quickly. They take an interest in the tasks provided and are motivated to learn. Children mix with each other and share resources well. They learn to follow instructions and understand daily routines. Children listen to adults and contribute when prompted by their teachers. Staff have high regard for children’s welfare and children learn how to behave safely.  Staff assess children’s progress frequently and give them targets to work towards. Good teaching means that tasks are designed well to address areas where children’s skills are weaker. As a result children,

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Early years provision is good

including disadvantaged children, are helped to catch up in reading, writing and mathematics and to develop an understanding of the world around them.  By the end of the early years, most children reach the outcomes expected for their age in all the areas of learning and are well prepared for the curriculum in Year 1. In some cases, children’s skills in writing are lower than expected but staff are careful to ensure that these children catch up during their time in Key Stage 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 112849 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10001849

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 385 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Scott Beighton Headteacher Wendy Rose Telephone number 01773 742457 Website www.st-johns.derbyshire.sch.uk Email address enquiries@st-johns.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 September 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British background.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. The funding is received for pupils who are, or have been, eligible for free school meals, or who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The early years comprises a Nursery class, which children attend for morning or afternoon sessions, and two Reception classes which children attend full time.  Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced staffing changes with a number of teachers joining in September 2014.

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Information about this school

 A section 48 inspection of religious education did not take place at the same time as this inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 18 lessons and two sessions of collective worship. Four observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders. An inspector also observed some teaching of small groups of pupils. In all, 16 members of staff were seen teaching.  The inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work from all classes, spoke to pupils about their work and listened to pupils read. The inspectors also observed some after-school activities.  The inspectors held meetings with groups of pupils, members of the governing body, leaders and staff. An inspector also held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors analysed 15 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They took into account responses from parents to a questionnaire recently conducted by the school and spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  The inspectors analysed nine responses to the questionnaire completed by school staff.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at progress and attendance information, improvement planning, evidence of the monitoring of teaching and documentation relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Vivienne McTiffen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Vondra Mays Ofsted Inspector Mark Mitchley Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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. 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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