Risley Lower Grammar CE (VC) Primary School

Inspection of Risley Lower Grammar Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Derby Road, Risley, Derby, Derbyshire DE72 3SU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement Primary School 21–22 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Risley Lower Grammar is a welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to it. They get along well with each other. They feel safe here. When they do have worries, they say that adults will always listen and help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. However, this is not the case in all subjects. For example, in history and in design and technology, the curriculums do not help pupils sufficiently to know and remember as much as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well. They are friendly to one another. There are few bullying incidents. If bullying does occur, staff act quickly to ensure that it stops. Staff go out of their way to help pupils who find working and playing with others difficult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils’ personal development is a priority. Pupils have an important voice. When they asked for more competitions and a ‘no football Friday’, leaders listened.

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better?

Leaders and governors have been slow to ensure that all subjects are well planned. In some subjects, leaders have not thought enough about what they expect pupils to know and remember at different points. Teachers are unsure what skills and knowledge they should be building on when they plan lessons. Subject leaders do not check closely how well the curriculum is being taught and how well pupils are learning.

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better?

Curriculum plans do not always help teachers to make learning interesting, or build the skills that pupils need. Pupils rarely design their own tests in science to find things out. They have little experience of fieldwork in geography. In design and technology, there are few opportunities for pupils to be creative. Some pupils find the work they are set too hard. This limits the learning of some pupils, including some of those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

These weaknesses are not evident in all subjects. The teaching of phonics is well planned. Staff know the sounds and words children should be able to read by the end of each term. They check how well pupils are learning and know how to help those who are falling behind. Children in Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 are better readers than at the time of the previous inspection. Most pupils in key stage 2 read with good understanding. The curriculum focuses on helping pupils to ‘read between the lines’. Teachers do not always check that weaker readers in key stage 2 are reading regularly. Some pupils very rarely change their reading books. This hinders them from becoming fluent and confident readers. Primary School 21–22 January 2020

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In mathematics, teachers follow the school’s curriculum well. They present new ideas clearly. Some pupils grasp new ideas with particular speed. However, leaders do not check that all pupils are appropriately challenged.

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Physical education is planned and taught well. The subject leader and the specialist teaching assistant have relevant expertise. Pupils develop skills and techniques systematically over time. They also enjoy the competitive games threaded into the curriculum.

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The early years curriculum is carefully planned. Staff use songs and rhymes to bring books and poems to life. This helps children to learn new vocabulary. Staff make sure that work in reading, writing and mathematics matches the needs of each child. Children learn and play together happily and sensibly. The classroom is well organised to allow children to be independent and creative.

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The school’s curriculum gives pupils a rich range of experiences. There are numerous clubs for pupils to join. The school goes out of its way to make sure that there is something for everyone. Pupils have opportunities to learn about the beliefs and cultures of others. The music curriculum gives them all the chance to learn to play a musical instrument and to enjoy a wide range of music.

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The great majority of pupils work hard in lessons and are respectful of adults and their classmates.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. A number told us of their respect for the headteacher. They feel that he always acts in the best interests of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff at this school do all they can to keep pupils safe. They pass on their concerns in a prompt and clear manner. Leaders are careful to ensure that they follow up any signs of a pupil being at risk. The school works well with external agencies to safeguard children.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have secure and effective recruitment systems in place to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children. Governors understand their responsibilities. They keep the school’s systems under regular review.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is not well planned, and pupils’ learning is not carefully assessed. This means that pupils do not experience an ambitious curriculum that systematically builds up their knowledge and skills as they move through the school. Leaders need to review the curriculum to ensure that, in all Primary School 21–22 January 2020

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subject areas, it matches the breadth and ambition of the national curriculum. The revised curriculum plans should identify what pupils are expected to learn and remember, and how this will be assessed, for each year group.  Teachers do not check that weaker readers in key stage 2 regularly change their reading books. This limits improvements in their reading skills. Leaders should ensure that greater attention is given to encouraging weaker readers to read more often so that they can become fluent and confident readers.  Subject leaders do not check carefully that the curriculum in their areas of responsibility is being implemented effectively. This means that, in some subjects, weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum are not picked up. This limits pupils’ learning. Subject leaders should check that teaching matches the curriculum intent and is having a sufficiently positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. Primary School 21–22 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121196 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes since the previous inspection.  The school last received a Section 48 inspection on 18 June 2015.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 In order to judge the quality of education, we looked particularly closely at specific subjects. We did deep dives in reading, mathematics, design and technology and physical education. This entailed discussions with senior and subject leaders, visiting lessons, speaking with the teachers of those lessons, and meeting with the pupils who were being taught. We also looked at samples of pupils’ work.  We met with a representative from Derbyshire local authority. We had a telephone conversation with the chair of the governing body.  We reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records, meeting with staff and through discussions with pupils. Primary School 21–22 January 2020

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Inspection team

Anthony O’Malley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Chambers Ofsted Inspector Primary School 21–22 January 2020

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