Riverside Primary School and Nursery

Riverside Primary School and Nursery Cookham Road, Maidenhead SL6 7JA

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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

 Leaders and governors have considerably improved the quality of education at the school since the previous inspection, despite major disruption to staffing. Better teaching has led to much more rapid progress for all groups of pupils.  Teachers are very good at engaging and interesting pupils in their work. As a result, pupils are keen to learn, behave well and their achievement is good.  Children in the early years get a good start in the school and make good progress. They are settled and happy in both Nursery and Reception.  The school has established an exciting curriculum that pupils enjoy. A new assessment system, tightly linked to the new National Curriculum, shows clearly how well each pupil is getting on.  Pupils enjoy school. Attendance has risen and is now average.  Teachers usually make good use of assessment information to provide work that is at the right level of challenge for pupils of different abilities.

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This is a good school

 Pupils rightly feel safe in the school. They get on well with adults and each other, work hard and take a pride in their achievements.  Staff are very successful in supporting pupils who have special educational needs or disability, especially in the resource base. These pupils make good progress as a result.  Gaps between the rates of progress of boys and girls are much smaller than in the past.  Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is much more rapid than in the past. Significant gaps between their attainment and that of others have been eliminated.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The school is not able to analyse quickly the progress made by different groups of pupils.  The standards applied by teachers in assessing pupils’ work are not yet consistent as some have not had enough opportunity to compare them with others in school or externally.  Teachers occasionally set work that is too easy or too hard for some pupils, and do not check carefully enough how pupils at different ability levels are getting on in lessons.  Some pupils do not have enough opportunities to solve problems in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Consolidate the improvements made in teaching by ensuring that teachers: routinely check how well pupils are doing during lessons, so that any who are stuck or have misconceptions can be given timely help consistently plan work that is at the right level of difficulty for pupils across the range of attainment in the class give pupils more opportunities to apply their skills in solving mathematical problems.  Consolidate the use of the new assessment systems by: using the new electronic tracking system to provide an efficient and accurate way of analysing pupils’ progress giving all teachers the opportunity to work with colleagues, in this school and beyond, to check that their assessments of pupils’ attainment are accurate.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 There has been a strong focus on improving teaching and pupils’ achievement, which, over the last year, has led to pupils making rapid progress. At the same time, consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, combined with a varied and lively curriculum, have improved pupils’ engagement and enthusiasm for learning.  The increasingly clear strategic direction given by leaders and governors, with good support from the local authority, has maintained a strong focus on improving pupils’ rates of progress. This is despite the potentially disruptive changes of headship: a major factor in maintaining continuity has been the consistently strong leadership by the two heads of school and other key leaders. For example, the good leadership of literacy, mathematics, provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability, and of the early years and the resource base has all helped secure a high level of teamwork, a common

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

approach to change and a better education for all pupils.  The school manages the quality of teaching well. Expectations are made clear and teachers are held to account for the progress of pupils. Targets are set and leaders check carefully to see that these are met, with pay progression dependent on success. The school organises suitable extra training to help teachers meet their targets, and provides good advice and support through monitoring lessons, as well as checking planning and work in pupils’ books.  Teachers who are relatively new to the profession are given good support and training. They report that all their more experienced colleagues readily provide advice, as well as their designated mentor and the leadership team. They say that they have been able to improve their practice systematically because of help that the school provides to meet their particular needs.  The school makes good use of pupil premium funding. Most of the money is spent on extra staffing and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

this is used to give carefully tailored help to meet pupils’ specific needs. Pupils’ attainment is tracked carefully and provision modified if required. The positive results are apparent in the diminishing gap between the attainment of these pupils and their classmates. Some money has also helped ensure that eligible pupils are fully involved in all aspects of school life.  The school’s use of the extra government funding to support physical education and sports has been successful. Money spent on training for staff and extending the experiences of pupils has ensured that the quality of lessons and the range of activities available have improved. More pupils are involved in after-school sports clubs. Many are looking forward to running a mile for ‘Sports Relief’.  The school’s curriculum is firmly rooted in the new National Curriculum, with meaningful links between subjects making lessons interesting for pupils and increasing their enjoyment and progress. The school’s

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

concentration on English and mathematics has improved standards, but there is also a wide range of activities across subjects that support pupils’ high levels of engagement and their love of learning. A strong focus on pupils’ personal development also supports their positive attitudes and good behaviour. A wide range of extra-curricular activities complements the good provision in lessons, including sports, the arts and cooking. Many visitors to school help extend pupils’ learning, such as the police or fire-fighters. Year 6 pupils said they went on ‘loads’ of visits both around the town and further afield.  The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The promotion of British values is a strong aspect of this, and pupils talk about this aspect with confidence. They understand about the importance of democracy and tolerance, for example. Pupils visit a wide range of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

places of worship, and show respect for different people and faiths.  The school has introduced a new assessment system, which is closely linked to the expectations of the National Curriculum. It provides teachers with good information to help them plan what pupils need to learn next and to identify those who need extra help. Some staff have had opportunities to meet with colleagues from other schools to moderate their judgements under the new system, but others lack this opportunity to check the accuracy of their assessments. The school is currently planning how this can be addressed. The school has good information on pupils’ attainment, but is not yet able to track their progress over time efficiently. The school is in the process of introducing a computer-based system that is designed to give a clearer overview of progress, including for different groups of pupils, so that any issues can be identified and addressed more quickly.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The local authority has provided good support to the school. As well as training to help teachers improve their practice and to help governors in their work, the authority has strongly supported the leadership of school in the transition period between substantive headteachers. In particular, the ‘loan’ of the school’s improvement adviser, who knows the school well, to be acting headteacher on two occasions, has helped maintain the steady upward trend in provision and outcomes in the last year.  The governance of the school Governance has improved significantly since the last inspection. Governors have good systems in place to provide an oversight of pupils’ attainment and the quality of teaching. This puts them in a stronger position than in the past to challenge the school about its performance and to offer appropriate support. Governors have undertaken training to help them fulfil their responsibilities and to keep up to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

date with current requirements. They have ensured that funding is spent effectively, for example the pupil premium and the extra money to support physical education and sport. They have ensured that the school pays proper attention to safeguarding pupils.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have had appropriate training, including for child protection and in combating extremism. Evidence shows that procedures are followed correctly when any safeguarding incidents occur, with good use of other agencies to ensure pupils’ safety. Links with parents are good and help staff to ensure that all pupils are safe, happy and secure in school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection. However, some minor inconsistencies remain.  Teachers provide pupils with work that is interesting and engaging, which pupils themselves say is ‘fun’. Teachers explain things clearly, based on their secure subject knowledge. They often use interactive whiteboards well to enhance their explanations. Teachers have good relationships with pupils, who like to please their teachers by working hard and behaving well. All these factors have greatly improved pupils’ attitudes to learning, their concentration and their behaviour since the previous inspection, resulting in good achievement.  Teachers now make good use of information about pupils’ attainment to plan work that is challenging for them but manageable. Usually they prepare harder work for the most able and easier tasks for those who struggle with academic work. Occasionally, however, this is not done accurately enough so that work is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

too easy for some, or too hard for others.  Teachers give pupils many opportunities to discuss their ideas together. This is very successful in engaging all pupils in the lesson, in helping them sort out their ideas and in enhancing their speaking, listening and social skills.  The most-able pupils are taught well. They are usually given challenging work and are expected to reach high standards. Occasionally, they work their way through the same tasks as others in the class before tackling the ‘challenge’, when they could have coped with the harder task from the start. However, they do well overall, and cope with some extremely difficult topics.  Good examples of challenging work were seen in mathematics. These include problem solving that helps pupils attain mastery of the subject. In some classes, however, opportunities for problem solving are a little limited.  Pupils report that they enjoy learning because teachers are patient and help them with their work if they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

are ‘stuck’. In most lessons, teachers and other adults keep a careful eye on pupils’ progress: this means they quickly spot if anyone is confused and help them to overcome misconceptions. They also regularly challenge pupils who are working successfully to extend their thinking and to refine their work. At times, however, when the adults are occupied for most of the lesson with helping particular pupils or groups, there is too little checking on the work of others so that mistakes and misconceptions are not addressed in a timely fashion.  There is good teaching of pupils who have special educational needs or disability. They are given work that is tightly matched to their skills and abilities so that they do well from their starting points. This is particularly true of pupils in the resource base, where high levels of staff expertise and tight management of the provision are used to excellent effect to support learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The school makes extremely good use of skilled extra adults to support pupils’ learning in class and in small groups outside the classroom. A particular strength is the use of speech therapists in the resource base to complement other teaching, so that these pupils do particularly well.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Thorough systems are in place to ensure that the premises are safe and address quickly any issues that arise.  Provision to promote pupils’ well-being is strong, with the staff’s good knowledge of pupils’ needs enabling them to provide the right support to any who need extra help. An emphasis on keeping healthy, particularly through exercise and sport, means that pupils understand this well. They are keen participants in the many sporting activities that the school offers.  Pupils feel safe in school and have learned how to stay safe themselves in different situations, for example in the event of fire.  Pupils understand about different kinds of bullying and say it does not happen often. They are keen to support their friends if they feel there are problems, and say they would be confident in telling an adult if they were worried.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. A combination of consistent application of the school’s behaviour policy and pupils’ greatly increased interest and enthusiasm for learning has supported this change. Pupils say they think the system of rewards and sanctions is fair and effective.  Pupils try hard in class and take a pride in their success. They concentrate well and show resilience when they find work difficult. They tackle corrections cheerfully and are keen to succeed. The calm, purposeful working ethos in classrooms supports their progress.  Disruptive behaviour is infrequent and pupils say adults deal with this quickly. The Year 6 pupils interviewed had a positive but realistic view of behaviour, saying that it was generally good, but admitting that they were occasionally a little silly if they worked with a teacher they did not know.  Pupils collaborate very well when working in small groups or as a whole class, but also get on diligently

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Behaviour

with their own work when required. They have good relationships with each other and with staff. They respect each other’s views, stating their own confidently but listening attentively to others.  Pupils are friendly, polite and sensible. They enjoy helping others and, for example, join in enthusiastically with fundraising for charities. Their increased enjoyment of school is shown in their much better attendance and the fall in persistent absence in the last two years.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 All groups of pupils now make good progress across the school, regardless of their starting points. Previous slow progress of boys compared with girls, and on the part of disadvantaged pupils, has been dealt with effectively. Pupils who begin school speaking little English make great strides in learning the language, so are able to achieve well. Pupils’ good progress is confirmed by the work in their books, the school’s information about attainment in this academic year and by the good progress observed in lessons.  Children start in the early years with skills and understanding that are much lower than those typical of this age. They make good progress but, because of their low starting points, their attainment on entry into Year 1 is still below average.  Pupils are making very good progress in phonics (how the sounds in words are represented by different letter combinations) in the younger classes. Over time, the results of the national check on pupils’

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Outcomes for pupils are good

attainment in phonics in Year 1 have risen steadily. Scores were close to average in 2015.  Pupils continue to make good progress overall in Key Stage 1. This was not reflected in the results of national assessments in 2015, when overall standards of attainment dipped. The school’s records show that those pupils who had been in the school since Reception made good progress across the key stage and attained well. Lower-attainment results overall reflected the proportions of pupils who had special educational needs or disability in the cohort, and of pupils who were at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Many of these pupils arrived in this school in the last few months of the school year.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 are making good progress to reach standards that are broadly average by the end of Year 6. Published results show a fall in 2015, reflecting the slower progress made by pupils in this

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Outcomes for pupils are good

cohort lower down the school. Despite this, the school’s concentration on improving writing last year ensured that all pupils made the expected progress across the key stage, though relatively few exceeded this. The school’s information and work in their books show that the current pupils in Year 6 are doing well.  Disadvantaged pupils now attain similarly to their classmates. Extra help to meet their particular needs, based on careful analysis of their individual progress by the school, has closed previous gaps in learning. In Year 6, for example, the current disadvantaged pupils are attaining the same standards as others in mathematics, and are reaching higher standards in reading and writing.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are making good progress from their starting points because of the carefully judged help they receive. Pupils in the resource base do particularly well.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The most-able pupils make good progress. Teachers challenge them to excel and they respond positively to the more difficult work they are usually given. They have good opportunities to extend their learning through particular provision, such as the ‘mathematics and science days’ where they work with other most-able pupils from different schools.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years classes are well led and managed. The leader has a clear vision for the provision, shared by all adults. The leader models effective teaching in her own practice, and supports colleagues to deliver consistently good teaching. The provision is evaluated continually, and modified to provide the best possible experiences for children.  Strong links with parents, with other agencies and with the local children’s centre support the good provision to promote children’s welfare and keep them safe. They feel safe and secure in the school, and enjoy the activities provided.  Teaching is good. Adults are particularly skilled at intervening in children’s play to promote their learning, sometimes joining in to model successful behaviour and demonstrate key skills. They are particularly successful in promoting children’s personal and social development. This stands children in very good stead for moving into Year 1.

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Early years provision is good

 The development of children’s early literacy and numeracy skills is effective, including their understanding of phonics. Staff provide excellent role models to children to improve their communication, extending their speaking and listening skills very effectively.  Children start in early years with overall skills that are much lower than those typical for their age. A high proportion have special educational needs or disability. They make good progress because the adults match activities to their needs. However, because of their low starting points, the proportion who reach a good level of development by the end of Reception is below average.  Many children start in the setting at an early stage in speaking English. The adults are very successful in enabling them to play a full part in school life, helping them to learn the language quickly so they are able to make good progress.  There is a good balance between activities directed by adults and those that children choose for

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Early years provision is good

themselves. Good use is made of the outside area and children enjoy going out, often getting their coats on independently. However, the outside area is limited in scope and there is a lack of large equipment to develop children’s motor skills. Plans are in hand to enhance this area.  Adults monitor children’s attainment and keep careful records in ‘learning journals’, which they use to plan activities for children that build on their particular skills and interests. However, the different formats of assessment and recording in the Nursery and Reception do not aid continuity. The leader has already identified this issue and is planning how to address it.

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School details

Unique reference number 109820 Local authority Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10002289

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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 Community Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 302 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Dudley Headteacher John Wright Telephone number 01628 621 741 Website www.riversideprimaryschool.org.uk Email address riverside@rbwm.org.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 December 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is a little larger than average for a primary school. It is growing because it now takes in two Reception classes each year. Children who attend the Nursery do so part time. Older children in the early years attend one of the Reception classes on a full-time basis.  About three quarters of the pupils are of Pakistani heritage. The rest come from a wide range of other ethnic backgrounds. A very large majority of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is well above average. A high proportion of these pupils, over four times the national average, have high levels of need.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability. This resource base caters for 12 pupils, aged from four to 11, who have speech and language difficulties.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is average. The pupil

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Information about this school

premium is extra government funding to help the education of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, or children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the current government’s floor standards, which are minimum expectations set for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There have been considerable changes to staffing, including the headship of the school, in the past year. Following the departure of the previous headteacher, the school was led by an executive headteacher, who spent two days in this school while continuing to lead another local school. At that time, two teachers were appointed as heads of school to provide support. After some months, the executive headteacher left and an officer of the local authority acted as headteacher until other arrangements could be made. An interim headteacher was then appointed to lead the school from January 2016 until July. A

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Information about this school

permanent headteacher has now been appointed, and will take up post in September. During the week of this inspection, the interim headteacher was away and the school was led by the same officer from the local authority who was acting headteacher previously.  Last year, a large number of pupils joined the school part-way through the year, particularly in Year 2. A high proportion of these pupils had special educational needs or disability, or were at an early stage in learning English as an additional language.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes, including in the resource base. Several of these observations were made jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Shorter observations were made of children in small groups learning phonics.  The inspection team had meetings with staff, representatives of the governing body, groups of pupils and a representative of the local authority. They also chatted informally to pupils, and observed them around the school, in assembly, in the playground and in the dining room.  Samples of pupils’ work were examined in books and on displays. Several pupils read to inspectors.  The team analysed a variety of documentation, including on the school’s website, particularly that relating to pupils’ achievement and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the 23 replies to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as information on the school’s website about consultations with parents. Forty-three replies were received

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Inspection team

Steven Hill, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Graham Marshall Ofsted Inspector Hilary Goddard 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.

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Inspection team

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

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

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