Reepham Primary School

Reepham Primary School School Road, Reepham, Norwich, Norfolk NR10 4JP

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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 Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since becoming an academy, leaders have significantly improved the quality of education. As a result, pupils achieve well by the time they leave the school.  The multi-academy trust (MAT) and local governing body (LGB) provide strong support and challenge. The MAT has enabled teachers to work alongside colleagues in other schools, sharing expertise.  Children in the early years are provided with an excellent start to their education. In their interactions with the children, adults constantly look to move them on in their learning through purposeful yet enjoyable activities.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They have good manners and are polite. In class, their behaviour is excellent. There are very few incidents of bullying and any poor behaviour is dealt with well by school leaders.  Teachers use common approaches to teaching reading, writing and mathematics. Where these are used well, pupils make strong progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported by the use of practical equipment in mathematics and by teaching assistants.  Phonics is taught well and pupils through the school have a love of reading.  Teachers and pupils make strong use of technology to enhance learning, particularly in key stage 2. Pupils are skilled in explaining their thinking orally to produce video blogs.  Pupils learn about topics that both are of local interest and extend their world view. Leaders are working on developing the curriculum to provide better opportunities for all pupils to be able to apply their knowledge in written and oral explanations.  Teaching is, however, not of a consistently strong standard in all classes. Consequently, attainment at the end of key stage 1, particularly in writing, is lower than it should be.  Leadership of the school has been affected by staff absence and changes over the last year.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

During this time, there has been less capacity for improving teaching than would have been ideal. New deputy headteachers have been appointed from within the staff for September and are clear, alongside the head of school, about what needs to be done. Where they have been able to support colleagues so far, there has been a clear impact.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that new leaders have the opportunities and skills to work with colleagues to improve their teaching.  Improve teaching and learning and, consequently, outcomes by: – raising expectations and developing teacher confidence in the teaching of writing in key stage 1 – developing the wider curriculum to allow more opportunities for pupils to increase and apply subject-specific knowledge.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The school opened as an academy in September 2016, joining the nearby high school in a new MAT. Just before this, a new head of school had been appointed. Since this time, leaders have substantially improved the quality of education. The head of school is knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses of the school at present and is clear on what needs to be done to further improve.  There have been substantial staff changes and absences during the year 2018-19 and, as a consequence, the head of school has been less able to develop teaching and learning as well as she would have liked. A staffing reorganisation has resulted in the appointment of two deputy headteachers to a job-share as of September. These current middle leaders are clear on what their roles are to support further improvement.  Where middle and senior leaders have had the opportunity to work with teachers this year, it is clear that the quality of teaching and learning has improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The MAT has grown rapidly over the last three years and now provides strong support to school leaders. There are also opportunities for teachers to work with colleagues across the trust and see examples of good practice elsewhere. These opportunities are well regarded by staff.  Staff feel well supported; they are encouraged to be confident to share ideas for improvement. They prioritise resources and time by considering, ‘Is it right for the child?’  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Leaders introduced whole-school topics to enable pupils and teachers to work with others across the year groups. This has engaged pupils and they talk with interest about what they have learned. The topics are in the process of being rewritten to ensure that leaders’ expectations of the balance of the type of work is clear in every year group. Leaders are also aiming to put in place a programme of clearly sequenced and progressive knowledge, with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

opportunities to apply it. However, this is not yet in place.  The pupil premium is used effectively. The cohorts of pupils eligible for this funding are small, and they broadly make the same progress as other pupils. Funding supports interventions where necessary, including emotional and/or mental health support, but also ensures that no pupil is unable to take part in school trips or have the correct uniform.  The SEND coordinator (SENCo) has high expectations for pupils with SEND, shared with wider staff. Effective implementation of plans leads to rapid improvements and the securing of good-quality provision. The SENCo is knowledgeable about SEND and uses the expertise of colleagues within the MAT to improve provision.  The physical education (PE) and sports premium is used particularly well, and sports are considered a strength of the school by parents. Staff confidence in delivering PE lessons has improved. Pupils are active at lunchtimes as a result of investment in clubs

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and equipment. Virtually all pupils take part in competitive activities during the year, funded by the sports premium. During the inspection, pupils were taking part in county-level competitions in both swimming and cricket.  Leaders ensure that British values are woven through the work of the school. The school’s motto is ‘inspire, challenge and succeed together’. This is clear in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and of academic standards by the end of key stage 2.  There are well-established international links, with both Japan and Malawi. The pupils regularly learn about the culture of these two contrasting countries. There is a Japanese garden for quiet and reflective times; pupils conscientiously fundraise for Malawi.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are reflective and aware of the challenges that the last year, with the staff changes and lack of leadership capacity, have brought. However, they have kept up a level of challenge and support for school leaders. They keep themselves informed about what is happening in school by focused and useful visits. They are highly focused on ensuring that the new leadership team is effective next year and looking to develop their skills as a group to further improve the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff are clear on what their responsibilities are in regard to safeguarding the pupils in their care. There is a clear safeguarding culture within the school.  Pupils feel safe and are taught about keeping themselves safe, both on the internet and when out and about.  MAT leaders and local governors ensure that all appropriate checks have been made by school leaders on adults regularly in the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The impact of teaching is very high in some year groups, and strong in others. Where it is less well developed, it is nevertheless clear that leaders’ intervention and training have improved practice.  For the teaching of English, there is an emphasis on discussion building up to writing and then of performance of finished pieces. This results in pupils currently in key stage 2 making very strong progress in writing.  Reading is emphasised throughout the curriculum and teachers make regular use with their classes of a well-stocked and pleasant library. Phonics teaching by teachers is a strength in the school and pupils are well prepared to be able both to read for pleasure and to seek information.  Mathematics has been a focus area for the school in recent years. The result is that approaches to the teaching of mathematics are consistent, with a high emphasis on the use of practical apparatus, pictorial representations and understanding of number.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers use a variety of approaches to engage pupils and to check for understanding and confidence while the pupils are working. Pupils regularly work with partners to discuss what they are learning about.  Technology is well embedded, particularly in key stage 2. Pupils and teachers make seamless use of it to support learning and to provide a platform for performance of work, to share with parents.  The teaching of PE is of a high standard. There is a tight focus on skills development, and pupils enjoy playing games and taking part in activities that help to develop these.  The wider curriculum of subjects such as history and geography is taught through topics that several year groups share at a time. This interests the pupils and there is a detailed skills development programme through the school. However, pupils do not yet have enough opportunities to apply knowledge in reasoning or to other contexts.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Leaders are planning to set out what knowledge and vocabulary is being learned year by year, but this is not yet in place.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Parents are extremely positive about the school’s work with their children. This comment is typical of those made to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey: ‘I have always found all staff to be attentive and caring towards the family as a whole. Not only have they catered for his academic needs, but they have also ensured that he is developing into a well-rounded young man.’  There are many opportunities for pupils to develop cultural understanding of the wider world, particularly through the links with Japan and Malawi, for example by building mud ovens such as in Malawi. Pupils are keenly aware of how others are less fortunate than themselves and raise money for the Malawi schools.  Pupils are encouraged to have a voice, with a self-formed ‘eco club’ that has led assemblies and organised whole-school activities.  The high emphasis on PE helps to keep pupils healthy. Leaders aim for all pupils to

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Personal development and welfare

take part in a competitive activity each year.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in the classrooms is excellent. They listen carefully both to adults and to their peers. They work hard and want to do well.  When moving around the school site, they are sensible, talking excitedly about their learning. They enjoy playing on the spacious school site in mixed-age groups.  Year 6 pupils take their ‘prefect’ responsibilities very seriously, checking for other pupils’ safety and well-being at break and lunchtime.  Attendance is in line with the national average. Pupils are punctual to school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 By the end of key stage 2, pupils’ achievement is of a good standard. Reading and mathematics attainment at the expected standard was well above the national average in 2018. Although attainment in writing has been in line with the national average at the expected standard, progress has not been good in the past. Current pupils are making strong progress in writing, particularly in upper key stage 2.  Leaders and teachers track pupils’ progress closely. This attention to detail and focus on individual needs has resulted in the attainment and progress now in place.  Changes in teachers and a lack of leadership capacity to support improvement have resulted in some pupils in key stage 1 not making the progress that they should have, particularly in writing. Although pupils are now making good progress, there are still not enough pupils achieving the expected standard in writing at the end of key stage 1.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils across the school have a love of reading. Teachers teach them to use phonics well and they make use of these skills to read regularly and at length as they move through the school. The majority of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading at the end of key stage 2 in 2018.  Children in the early years make excellent progress from often low starting points in reading and writing in particular. They make strong progress in other areas of learning too.  Pupils with SEND make good progress from their starting points, particularly where teaching is strongest.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 The quality of interactions with adults throughout the school day, tailored to individual children’s next steps, means that children make excellent progress in their time in the Reception class.  The structure of the day is flexible, with some direct phonics and mathematics teaching. Children get deeply involved in projects following their own interests. Adults encourage writing at every opportunity. For example, children write descriptions if they want to keep a construction model, plan and review wood-working projects and make signs for display around the classroom and outside.  Both inside and outside areas are extremely well resourced with items acquired on a limited budget, but that provide for open-ended play, discovery and learning. Leaders have made the most of a small tarmacked area, and although there are few opportunities here for climbing and running, children make use of the wider school site

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Early years provision Outstanding

to do this. There are opportunities for children to take controlled risks, using tools carefully.  Children enjoy learning about the world around them, setting and growing plants, considering where they would be best to grow. They learn about other cultures through the links with Japan, Malawi and their own experiences out of school.  The early years teacher is passionate about ensuring that the children in Reception move on to Year 1 with strong reading, writing and mathematics skills. She has developed a team that share her high expectations and provide high-quality interactions with the children as a result of regular training. These staff all know exactly what each child needs to do next in English and mathematics to make progress and they target these next steps throughout the day.  Children are extremely confident with number, working well above the expected standard for the end of Reception. They are familiar with the practical apparatus and

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Early years provision Outstanding

use this to support their working out.  Parents are very positive about the start their children make at school. They have daily discussions with staff when dropping their children off and also focused discussions with the teacher on a termly basis.  Safeguarding of children is of a high standard.

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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

Email address office@reephamprimary.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened as an academy in September 2016. The predecessor school was judged to be requiring improvement at its last inspection in December 2014.  The school is part of the Synergy Multi-Academy Trust. The head of school reports to the chief executive officer. An executive principal works alongside heads of school across the MAT.  A local governing body reports to the board of trustees.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There is a greater than average proportion of pupils who receive SEND support.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed teaching and learning in every class. Most of these observations were undertaken alongside members of the senior leadership team.  A wide range of pupils’ workbooks were looked at by the inspection team.  The inspection team met with representatives from the LGB and the MAT. They met with senior leaders, middle leaders and other teachers and also considered the responses to the staff survey.  A group of pupils met with an inspector. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally in lessons and at playtimes.  The inspection team scrutinised the school’s website and a range of documents, including assessment information and the school’s self-evaluation.  Pupils read to inspectors and talked about their reading preferences.  The 67 responses made by parents to Parent View were considered. The inspection team also spoke to some parents before and after school.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynsey Holzer 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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