Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School Priest Lane, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1LT

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Outcome

Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want the very best for their pupils. They have a clear picture of the values and personal qualities they want pupils to acquire. Staff and pupils treat one another with care and respect. Staff know their pupils well and are attentive to their individual needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a stimulating curriculum. Pupils learn how to respect the rights of others. They learn about and visit different communities. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Pupils make decisions about the charities and environmental causes they support. They consider important issues, such as homelessness and the status of refugees. Pupils’ personal development is enriched by the wide variety of clubs, trips and residential experiences on offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of pupils feel safe in school. Pupils behave well. They are often confident and enthusiastic in their learning. Many pupils are keen to share their thoughts and ideas. Staff work thoughtfully with pupils whenever behaviour needs to improve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of parents who made their views known feel that their children are happy and safe. They appreciate the wide range of subjects and experiences on offer. They believe that their children do well because of the high expectations of their teachers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have a clear idea of what they want pupils to learn across the curriculum. They have talked to pupils and parents about the personal qualities they want pupils to develop. They are building a curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Curriculum leaders have developed their understanding of what constitutes effective learning. They have worked with universities and local networks of schools. They have 11–12 February 2020

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used this knowledge to map out what pupils will learn. Leaders have considered how teaching and assessment will support the curriculum. In subjects such as science and art, pupils are introduced to important knowledge and skills in a carefully planned sequence. In other subjects, this depth of learning is less consistent. The important knowledge pupils learn in history in some year groups is not replicated in others. Leaders are aware of this and have processes in place to enhance the curriculum even further.

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Leaders have effectively improved standards of reading. They have ensured that children receive a prompt start to phonics teaching in the early years. Pupils who need to catch up are receiving strong support to become more fluent readers. Books are more carefully matched to the sounds and letters pupils know. Pupils are benefiting from new approaches to whole-class reading. Teachers help pupils to explore the meaning of texts. These approaches contributed to much higher outcomes for pupils in 2019.

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Leaders have worked with local hubs to improve the planning and teaching of mathematics. They are providing better training and support to staff. Teachers are building more carefully on what pupils already know. They are using assessment well to check what pupils know and can do. Pupils are becoming much more confident in their use of numbers. There are still some areas, such as geometry, where pupils’ knowledge of mathematics is not as secure. However, the quality of the mathematics curriculum overall is improving.

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The curriculum supports pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. Pupils develop a respect for other faiths and cultures. They visit different schools and communities. They listen to speakers who have worked with different groups of people, including refugees, from across the world. They raise money for different charities. These activities build pupils’ empathy and social responsibility. Pupils behave well. Leaders have developed a calm and respectful place for pupils to learn and achieve.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the full curriculum. Teachers provide support that allows pupils to learn well in many subjects. Teachers make sure that pupils with SEND take part in a wide range of activities and experiences.

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The headteacher has worked with teachers to raise expectations. Governors share his vision. He has worked with staff to improve pupils’ achievement in a relatively short period of time. His team are building their expertise through effective training and coaching. Leaders and governors are mindful of teachers’ workload. Some staff feel that increased expectations have created more demands on them. The majority of staff feel well supported and enjoy working at the school.

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Adults know and care for children in the early years well. Children are happy and benefit from supportive relationships. Adults are giving children a better start with their reading and use of numbers. Many children can count well beyond 20 and tell the time. In some areas, the curriculum is less developed. Children can move too quickly between activities. This limits their concentration and stops them from getting the most from their learning and play. 11–12 February 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff have up-to-date safeguarding information. They work with staff to raise awareness of pupils’ welfare. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns over pupils’ safety. Leaders follow-up concerns over pupils’ welfare quickly. They work with families and other partners to support children’s welfare. Leaders have taken action to make the school site safer. Leaders teach pupils about safety in assemblies and across the curriculum. Leaders check the suitability of adults working at school. Governors work with leaders to check that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders and teachers have worked well to plan a coherent curriculum across many subjects. In some cases, longer-term plans are not taught consistently well across all subjects and year groups. Leaders and teachers need to implement their plans consistently to further improve the quality of education for all pupils.  Leaders and teachers are improving the curriculum and teaching in mathematics. Pupils are becoming more confident in their use of numbers. There remain areas where pupils’ knowledge of mathematics is less secure. Improvement strategies need to be rolled out so that pupils’ knowledge in mathematics is further enhanced.  Leaders have reviewed the quality of education in the early years. They have established a greater focus on children’s early reading and use of numbers. Other areas of the curriculum are less developed. Children can jump between activities and do not consistently get the most from the experiences on offer. Leaders need to implement

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

improvement plans to enhance learning in the early years and to prepare children for Year 1.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 19–20 May 2016. 11–12 February 2020

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121823 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 19–20 May 2016

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher took up post in September 2018. A new chair of governors has taken up post since the previous inspection. There have also been a number of staffing changes since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 I held several discussions with the headteacher. I also held discussions with curriculum leaders. I talked to teaching and non-teaching staff.  I looked in detail into the curriculum in reading, mathematics and history. I talked to leaders and teachers about their curriculum plans. I also talked to pupils about what they knew and remembered in these subjects. I also looked at pupils’ work and visited lessons.  I talked to eight members of the governing body, including the chair, to find out how they supported and challenged school leaders. I also held telephone conversations with both the diocese and the local authority school improvement advisers.  I checked safeguarding arrangements. I looked at the school’s work to make staff and pupils aware of safeguarding issues. I also looked at safeguarding records to see how 11–12 February 2020

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concerns over pupils’ safety were recorded and followed up. I also looked at the checks made on the suitability of staff working at the school.

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Inspection team

Malcolm Kirtley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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