Richmond Primary School

Richmond Primary School Inspection report

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134246 Unique Reference Number Oldham Local Authority 316250 Inspection number 9 October 2008 Inspection date Michael Onyon Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 530 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Kay Thomas Chair Mr Tim Hatcliffe Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Winterbottom Street School address Oldham Lancashire OL9 6HY 161 6331693 Telephone number 161 6283241 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 9 October 2008 Inspection date 316250 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. The inspectors evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: children's achievement; their personal development and well-being; the quality of care, guidance and support; the effectiveness of the leadership and management; and the effectiveness of the children's centre. Evidence was gathered from observing lessons, scrutinising school documentation and questionnaires completed by parents, and through discussions with pupils, parents, governors, staff and the headteacher. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified. Such assessments have been included, where appropriate, in this report.

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Description of the school

Richmond is a large primary school. It includes provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). All pupils are learning English as an additional language and come from a British Asian Bangladeshi community that is socially disadvantaged with high unemployment. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the average as is the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school holds many awards including Healthy Schools accreditation. A children's centre is fully integrated both into the building and the work of the school. It offers a wide range of services and provides day care. A maximum of 96 children may attend with a current roll of 31. The Nursery is open each weekday from 08:00 until 18:00.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008

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Grade: 1

Richmond Primary is an outstanding school. It provides an exceptionally high standard of education and care for pupils and families in the local community. Parents say, for example, that, 'It is an excellent learning community providing many opportunities for adults as well as pupils.' The headteacher and leadership team provide extremely strong and purposeful leadership. Staff, pupils and parents know exactly what is expected of them. Staff are committed to the school and are keen to maintain and improve upon the excellent levels of pupils' achievement. They strive for excellence in all they do. Parents appreciate the care, dedication and approachability of staff and are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Staff are described as, 'very welcoming, friendly and helpful.' Children start the Nursery with skills and abilities that are generally very much lower than those expected for three-year-olds. The vast majority have a very limited knowledge of English.

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Grade: 1

Throughout the school, pupils make excellent progress because the school assesses the learning needs of each pupil very well and builds very effectively upon each stage of learning. A determined focus on reading, writing and language skills enables all pupils to access all elements of the curriculum. Results in national tests indicate a steady trend of improvement in Years 1 and 2 over the last four years. A similar improving picture during Years 3 to 6 means that all pupils, including those learning English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, progress equally well. By the end of Year 6 standards are average in English, mathematics and science. Improvements have been sustained because of opportunities for pupils regularly to use key skills such as problem solving and investigation. Teachers have an excellent understanding of what needs to be taught and there is consistency throughout

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Grade: 1

the school in marking and assessing pupils' work. Pupils' exercise books and the beautifully presented work on the walls illustrate clearly their excellent achievement. Pupils' attitudes to learning are exceptional. Their ability to concentrate in lessons, coupled with outstanding teaching, enables them to make excellent progress academically and in their personal development and well-being. Pupils enjoy school greatly. There is a strong sense of pride in belonging and they appreciate the opportunities school offers. They know about healthy lifestyles and make healthy choices at lunchtime. The effective school council actively contributes to decisions, for example the provision of play equipment and improvements to toilet areas. Taking responsibility in this way helps to prepare pupils extremely well for their future lives. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities feel well supported and are given equal

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Grade: 1

opportunity to succeed in all aspects of school life. The curriculum is rich, broad and balanced. An appropriate focus is placed on learning the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are provided with relevant opportunities to practise these skills in other areas of the curriculum. For example, working with a teacher from the local high school they express their ideas in various art forms that provide excellent displays around the school. The curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra-curricular activities. These include a residential visit to widen pupils' experience of geography and to develop their social skills by helping each other to complete a series of physical challenges. Such opportunities make a valuable contribution to pupils' impressive awareness of how to stay safe. Strong links have been established with a primary school serving an area of contrasting cultural diversity,

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Grade: 1

to widen pupils' experiences of other cultures. Pupils visit each other's schools and go to places of interest together. This is just one example of the school's strong efforts to promote community cohesion. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008 The quality of care, guidance and support provided is outstanding. All aspects of safeguarding pupils' well-being and health and safety meet current government requirements. Relationships are excellent. Parents say how well staff look after and care for their children. The school has an effective behaviour policy which pupils say is fair and leads to their excellent behaviour. They strive to obtain points and collect them to gain prizes. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and for those identified as gifted and talented is exceptionally well led and managed. Pupils who find learning the basic skills difficult are

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Grade: 1

identified early and given individual support by well trained teaching assistants. This high quality support is built upon effectively by class teachers and leads to excellent progress for these pupils. Guidance given to pupils in lessons and through target setting is excellent. All pupils have individual targets and explain the 'success criteria' they are working towards. They know how to achieve their targets because teachers explain the work set in lessons clearly and ensure that it meets pupils' individual needs. The leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The leadership team has an extremely clear understanding of what the school does well and what it needs to improve. This is captured effectively by the headteacher in the plans for improving the school, and these are shared with all members of the school community. There is an excitement about moving forward together. Because school policies are adhered to by all staff there is consistency in classroom

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Grade: 1

practice. Subject leaders are very effective. They set challenging targets for pupils and make very good use of available data. Because of this a consistent pattern of improvement has been maintained over the last four years. The school provides excellent opportunities for family learning so that parents can support their children in school. Links with the community are extremely strong and all are encouraged to learn together. An example of this is that there are a number of parents attending the school as helpers, taking advantage of the excellent adult learning opportunities the school provides, and going on to access further training or employment. Partnerships with other schools and Children's Services are used very effectively to enhance the provision for children. Governance is good. The high expectations in the school are shared by governors. As a result, the school has made outstanding progress since its previous

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Grade: 1

inspection and has an excellent capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 1

Highly effective management of EYFS provision ensures children's rapid progress. Children enter the Nursery with skills well below those expected nationally. They move into Year 1 working much closer to the expected learning goals for their age. Children make significant gains in their personal and social development becoming confident and independent learners. Careful tracking of their progress ensures that all children are included. Accurate assessments identify the next steps in learning with very good support for individual learners. Planning precisely identifies areas for improvement. For example, adults who speak the first language of children help them to understand and use English. Children play well on their own and in groups and those from the Nursery and Reception mix well together. Behaviour is excellent and children become increasingly enthusiastic as they grow older. They confidently enjoy using

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Grade: 1

information and communication technology and adopt safe practices, for example using scissors and resources carefully. A very well organised learning environment motivates children and has a good balance between adult- and child-led activities. Some adults are skilled in extending learning by purposeful questioning and interventions. However, some adults are new to the setting and miss opportunities to extend children's learning. A positive aspect of learning is 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008 the visits into the community by small groups of children, providing them with 'real' learning opportunities. Links with the children's centre are developing very well and providing continuous provision for children from 0 to 5 years, sharing the good EYFS provision of the main school. All welfare requirements are met; a strength of the care is the identification of key workers,

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Grade: 1

effectively helping parents and carers to help their children to learn. Health and safety is given a high priority and the necessary safeguarding procedures are in place. There are effective systems to track the learning of children in the centre. Very effectively overseen by the deputy headteacher, a strong team approach links the work of the children's centre, the day care, the Nursery and Reception.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that all adults in the EYFS make purposeful and appropriate interventions to engage children in the learning process. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Richmond Primary School, Oldham, OL9 6HY You may remember that a short while ago we visited your school and the children's centre to carry out an inspection. Thank you to those of you who talked to us and for sharing your views about your school. As promised, this letter is to explain what we found. We judged your school to be outstanding. You make excellent progress in all aspects of your learning, especially in English, mathematics and science. The work in your exercise books and on the walls is excellent. Your headteacher, the staff and the governors have very high expectations of you and they are proud of your achievements. Your behaviour is second to none! You concentrate superbly well in lessons and are polite and courteous around the school. You told us that you enjoy school and your parents say that you are proud to attend Richmond Primary. We can see why. Your teachers and teaching assistants provide you with excellent

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

opportunities to achieve your best. You told us that you find lessons interesting and that your teachers explain the work clearly. You are confident that your teachers listen to any worries you may have and will provide help. You know about keeping fit and healthy and make healthy choices at lunchtime. You enjoy the extra-curricular activities, especially the sport and the residential visit to Castleshaw. The work of the school council is impressive, helping to make improvements, such as those to the toilets. Your headteacher and other school leaders know exactly how to make your school even better. We have asked that all the adults working with the very youngest children talk to them about their learning to help them make the most of their activities. Thank you for making us so welcome. Keep up your excellent attitudes to work; it is good to see you trying so hard to achieve your best. I wish you all the very best for the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

future. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Richmond Primary School, 9 October 2008

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