Reigate Park Primary School

Reigate Park Primary School Reigate Drive, Mackworth Estate, Derby, Derbyshire DE22 4EQ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 This is a rapidly improving school. Senior leaders are committed to providing pupils with a high standard of education.  Leaders’ work to improve the school is effective. The executive headteacher’s clear and strong vision, shared by all staff, has resulted in good-quality teaching which has raised standards for all groups of pupils.  This is a highly inclusive school where hearing and deaf pupils are educated alongside each other in a mainstream setting. Pupils’ personal development is good. Everyone is treated with respect, regardless of differences.  Teaching is good. Lessons are planned carefully to engage and interest pupils. Teachers use questioning well to check how well pupils understand what they are learning.  Improvements made to the school’s curriculum ensure that pupils develop their skills across all subjects at the correct standard for their age.  Historically, attainment was not high enough in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. The picture for current pupils shows much higher standards because progress has accelerated.  The school’s effective safeguarding procedures ensure that welfare is strong. Behaviour around school and in class is good. Pupils are polite, well-mannered and courteous.  The early years provision is well led and children have a good start to their education. Teaching is good and a high priority is placed on developing children’s early oracy skills. However, teachers do not make best use of visual aids to support children’s understanding.  Some pupils, including some middle-ability and the most able, are not routinely challenged sufficiently in lessons. Sometimes teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, too few pupils reach the higher standards, particularly at the end of key stage 2, in reading, writing and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

mathematics.  Attendance is low but improving. A small minority of pupils whose attendance is not good enough still need to improve.  The governing body are highly effective and know the school very well. They have the skills and information to hold the school leaders to account. They make frequent visits to the school to ensure that they have all the evidence they require to support leaders effectively.  Most parents hold positive views about the school. However, a very small minority believe that the school is less effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve attainment for all pupils in reading, writing and mathematics, especially in key stage 2 by: – ensuring that teachers match activities to the pupils’ needs more precisely so that more pupils are challenged still further – increasing teachers’ expectations so that greater proportions are able to achieve the higher standard and greater depth – eliminating inconsistencies in the quality of teaching.  Improve attendance and reduce persistent absenteeism by: – continuing to embed the strategies that have brought about improvements, including challenging and supporting parents to make sure that their children are in school more often.  Engage more fully with the very small minority of families who feel that the school does not meet their children’s needs well.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The quality of the school’s self-evaluation is strong. Leaders know where the strengths of the school lie and where continuing improvements need to be made.  Staff share the headteacher’s commitment to improving standards throughout the school. Leaders ensure that staff have good training and time to plan the delivery of good quality lessons. The impact of the improvements is regularly checked and actions adapted if necessary. Despite this, the consistency in the quality of teaching needs further improvement.  Leaders, including middle leaders, are knowledgeable and committed. Their well- written plans for improvement help them to drive forward the aspects of the school for which they are responsible. The impact of these plans is checked regularly by governors in their meetings and school visits. There are good links with other schools. The assistant headteachers regularly deliver support across all three schools which

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

share the same executive headteacher. They demonstrate considerable expertise in their areas of responsibility.  Meetings which focus on the progress of pupils have been instrumental in holding teachers to account for the progress made by the pupils they teach. Teachers make assessments about how well each individual pupil is achieving based on their performance in lessons and in a range of tests. Teachers then use the school’s tracking information to identify any pupils who are not achieving as well as they could and put interventions and initiatives in place to accelerate their progress. The improvements made by these pupils, based on the evidence that teachers bring to these meetings, form part of the discussions with senior leaders.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and has good coverage of a range of subjects. Pupils enjoy their lessons and find them interesting. The school promotes the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills effectively. For

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

example, pupils show that they value different cultures and religions and show an understanding of the role of democracy in Britain. There are good opportunities for extra-curricular activities, including sport and music.  Leaders make good use of the pupil premium funding and regularly review the impact of initiatives. The progress made by these pupils now more closely matches the progress made from similar starting points by others nationally. Some of these pupils currently in school have made considerable progress, especially in reading.  Sports premium funding is used to good effect. Older pupils being trained as sports ambassadors and as play leaders has increased participation in physical activity at lunchtime.  The local authority has supported the school exceptionally well in its journey of improvement. Challenging half-termly meetings with leaders, including the chair of governors, are linked to regular monitoring activities. Support visits with a specific focus

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

have been instrumental in the rapid progress made in improving all areas of the school.  Most parents engage well with the school and have given very positive feedback, for example about the English and mathematics open days, where they have learned the methods that teachers use to teach their children. However, a small minority of parents spoken to during the inspection or who expressed their view through Parent View were not positive about some aspects of the school, including how well the school was led and managed, pupils’ behaviour and how the school responds to the concerns that they raise. The inspection team’s findings did not support the concerns raised, but inspectors judge that further work is required by the school’s leaders to allay parents’ doubts.  Only since September 2017 have leaders begun to have an impact more successfully on improving the attendance of a small minority of families. Attendance, therefore, is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

still not good enough for all pupils. Previously the management of attendance was outsourced and only had limited success on improving attendance.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are highly ambitious and committed to the school. They have an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Through detailed regular checks on leaders’ actions, they accurately evaluate where aspects are not as strong as they should be. As a result, they are supporting the school’s continued improvement very effectively.  Governors have a good understanding of pupils’ achievements. They are skilled at interpreting assessment information. Governors regularly check up on the funding that the school receives for those pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities and the funding that the school receives for disadvantaged pupils, to ensure that it is used effectively.  Governors are well trained and organised. They have ensured that the members of the governing body contribute strongly to the full range of required skills. They have their own plans for improving their effectiveness and regularly take part in training to keep

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Governance of the school

their skills and knowledge up to date. They ask leaders probing questions about the impact of the school’s improvements, ensuring that they challenge leaders so that pupils achieve well.  Governors know, and carry out, their safeguarding responsibilities and include a range of safeguarding evaluations in their regular checks on the work of the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff are trained well and vigilant in checking that pupils are safe and well looked after. Safeguarding records and policies are comprehensive and clear. All statutory checks on staff, governors and visitors are complete and thorough. Nearly all pupils say that they feel safe in school and that adults are easy to talk to if they have a problem.  The system for reporting concerns is effectively managed. Safeguarding referrals are made appropriately and rigorously followed up. Staff also check the outcomes of any concerns that they pass on to the designated safeguarding leads. Support is put into place for children and their families when required. Children’s safeguarding files are kept up to date and are well organised.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have ensured that improvements have resulted in good teaching, learning and assessment across the full range of subjects. Previously, weak teaching and low expectations of what children could achieve limited progress. Teachers now use pupils’ starting points and prior knowledge well to plan lessons. When necessary they are able to adapt their explanations and activities during lessons to help pupils understand what they are learning.  The teaching of phonics has improved and is now effective. Teachers ensure that pupils’ knowledge of the sounds that letters make is secure. Pupils learn to separate and to put sounds together accurately. They apply these skills well in their reading and writing. The teaching of reading comprehension has also improved because leaders analysed where weaknesses in pupils’ skills lay and ensured that the curriculum was adapted to address this.  Teachers’ and teaching assistants’ use of questioning is good. They ask a wide range of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

questions to help pupils discuss and clarify their ideas, as well as to identify any misconceptions.  The teaching of mathematics has improved considerably since the last inspection. Teachers now make good use of mathematical apparatus to support pupils’ learning and to help them to explain new concepts. Pupils have good basic skills, including the rapid recall of number facts and of times tables, because the school has focused successfully on improving these through games and carefully planned lessons. In Year 2, for example, pupils were able to explain using different apparatus and using jottings, how to divide by 2 and 3. Pupils have good opportunities to develop their problem- solving and reasoning skills.  Teachers usually, but not always, provide suitably challenging work for the most able pupils. This enables them to demonstrate their skills and challenge their thinking. Occasionally, some middle-ability pupils are ready to move on sooner, but instead

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

spend too long on work they have already mastered.  The school has focused on developing children’s oral skills through storytelling using pictures and actions. Pupils now have better ideas and can sustain and develop these so that a reader becomes much more engaged in the pupils’ writing. Their sentence structure and punctuation are now more typically at the standard expected for their age. Pupils regularly edit to improve their work following good feedback from their teachers and teaching assistants.  Deaf pupils are fully supported in class through signing and other additional guidance. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to these pupils’ learning, ensuring that they can fully access not only what the teacher is saying and explaining, but also other pupils’ answers and relevant discussions that take place around the classroom.  Pupils take pride in their work and handwriting is usually neat. The school has been

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

successful in helping pupils to secure consistency in their letter sizes and improve their joining in all the writing that they do.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Throughout the school, relationships between staff and pupils are strong. There is genuine respect from staff and pupils towards each other and the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. Adults are very sensitive to the needs of the children. Pupils open doors for one another and for adults. They help each other in lessons if they are stuck and before approaching the teacher. They try to solve minor disputes themselves.  Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning and are keen to do well. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong and say that most children in the school are kind and friendly.  Pupils typically say that they feel safe and that incidents of bullying are rare. They understand what bullying is and the school has given them clear strategies which help them to stay safe. For example, pupils show a good knowledge of how to stay safe

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Personal development and welfare

online and also think that the school has guided them well, so they have a good understanding about aspects of road safety and what to do if approached by a stranger.  On the whole, most parents are pleased with the school. They have appreciated the improvements made and say that their children are happy and taught well and believe that they are safe and well looked after.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils settle quickly to their learning in class and respond appropriately to any staff directions. Behaviour in and around school is impressive. Pupils move around the school building in an orderly and quiet manner, queue sensibly and play cooperatively. Staff deal appropriately with any pupils whose behaviour is less than good and there is a clear system for recording any behaviour incidents.  The leadership of behaviour is strong and information from staff’s and governors’ monitoring shows significant improvements in behaviour and in the consistency of how well behaviour is managed by staff. Pupils are clear on the incentives to behave and the consequences of any less than good behaviour. They always try to do their best and are proud of their achievements.  Some of the parents who took part in the online survey, Parent View, and a small minority of the pupils spoken to during the inspection, showed concerns about

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Behaviour

behaviour and bullying in the school. A thorough focus on behaviour and on bullying throughout the inspection judged that behaviour is good and bullying is rare.  Pupils’ attendance is low but improving well. Figures show that nearly all groups are subject to a significant impact from a small group of families, whose attendance has now started to improve.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The large majority of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make good progress in a variety of subjects, including English and mathematics. As a result of effective teaching, standards are improving rapidly and pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.  Leaders identified that the new curriculum, introduced across the country in September 2014, was not originally taught at the appropriate level for the pupils. This, together with a significant proportion of weak teaching, caused gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. As a result, standards at the end of key stage 2 have been too low for the last two years. Attainment is now much higher, but this legacy has still resulted in too few pupils achieving at the higher levels and greater depth.  A further challenge for the school is the number of pupils who leave or start at the school other than at the usual times. Teachers now ensure that these new pupils are

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Outcomes for pupils Good

assessed as early as possible, so that their needs can be met.  Better systems are now in place to track pupils’ independent reading. Leaders have now linked the school’s independent reading books to their teaching of phonics. Younger pupils use their phonic skills effectively in their independent reading. Pupils read often, but until recently the older and most able pupils did not always record what they had read. Quizzes, now completed at the end of each book, are well liked by the pupils. These have enabled teachers to start to give better direction, especially to the most able pupils, to guide them in what they might read next to ensure challenge and enjoyment.  The pupils in the Enhanced Resource Facility make at least good progress from their varied starting points as a result of targeted interventions and good-quality teaching in class, where they learn alongside their peers. Progress for current pupils shows that

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Outcomes for pupils Good

they are improving rapidly and more are working at the age-appropriate standards than previously.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities supported at school level and those with education, health and care plans (but who are not members of the Enhanced Resource Facility) also make progress at least in line with, and sometimes better than, their peers, especially in key stage 2.  Significant changes in the way that the leaders now check on the impact of the pupil premium grant have resulted in accelerated progress for may disadvantaged pupils. Their achievement is improving strongly towards other pupils with similar starting points because they are making faster progress than their peers.

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Early years provision Good

 Children start school with skills and abilities typically below those expected for their age, with a large proportion of pupils well below the expected levels of development.  During the early years, children make good progress from their starting points. The proportion of pupils who reach a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year is close to national averages.  Routines are well established and children are helped to be independent. Children are able to find equipment that they need within the classroom or the outdoor learning area and they show good organisational and memory skills when tidying away.  Good-quality phonics teaching helps children with their early reading, mark-making and writing. Good-quality opportunities to do these types of activities independently are plentiful. There are lots of examples of writing to support children’s learning throughout the environment. Developing children’s spoken language is a priority for

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Early years provision Good

staff. Records show that excellent progress has been made by some children in their ability to articulate their ideas and tell stories.  Assessment and tracking of children’s progress is accurate and detailed. This information helps staff to plan further lessons and activities and to identify any additional support that may be needed. Activities are usually challenging and resourced well. There is a good balance of opportunities for children to work with an adult and to work independently. Adults use questioning well to extend children’s thinking but at times do not make the best use of visual aids to support children’s understanding.  Children behave well. They learn to take turns and to listen to each other. Children show care and concern for each other. They play well together and alongside each other. Parents and carers are welcomed and regular open mornings enable parents to engage in learning alongside their child. Parents contribute regularly to evidence

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Early years provision Good

collected to demonstrate what children have learned or taken part in. There are initial home visits to ensure that as much information as possible is known about each child on entry.  Leaders ensure that statutory welfare requirements are met. Children are safe and their needs appropriately catered for. Children are happy and well looked after.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Penny Brown (Executive headteacher), Karen Ratcliff (Head of school) Telephone number 01332 298969

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School details

Email address admin@reigatepark.derby.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 December 2015

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs support is average. The proportion with a statement of educational needs or education, health and care plan is well above average.  The school has a 26-place Enhanced Resource Facility for severely to profoundly deaf pupils, provided by the local authority. Currently 21 deaf pupils attend the school.  Many pupils join or leave the school at other than the usual starting times.  The school did not meet the government’s floor standards in 2017, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school’s executive headteacher is also the headteacher at Ash Croft and Cottons

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons, alongside the school’s senior leaders. A very large number of shorter visits to lessons and intervention activities were also made during the two days.  The team held meetings with senior and middle leaders, two groups of teachers, four governors, two groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority. There were also many informal conversations with staff and pupils. Inspectors listened to pupils read.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised pupils’ books and tracking information and records of pupils’ attendance.  They looked at self-evaluation and improvement planning, minutes from governors and local authority meetings and other information provided by the school’s leaders.  They evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures. They took account of 13 free texts sent by parents during the inspection,

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Information about this inspection

and 55 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as talking informally to a number of parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Angela Kirk, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janis Warren 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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