Rack House Primary School

Inspection of Rack House Primary School Yarmouth Drive, Northern Moor, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 0BT

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 6 and 7 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rack House is a vibrant school with a strong community spirit. Pupils are safe, happy and enjoy school. They behave exceptionally well. They are polite and respectful towards each other and the adults who teach them. Leaders have high expectations for every pupil. The care and support that staff provide are of the highest quality.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to learn how to look after themselves both physically and mentally. They make regular checks on pupils’ well-being. They teach pupils to understand the importance of respect and equality. This is evident in pupils' words and in their deeds. Pupils told inspectors that bullying rarely happens. They said that pupils help each other to resolve problems. Pupils said that if this does not work, a member of staff will always help and sort problems out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide a wide range of experiences for pupils to develop their talents and interests. They use trips and residential visits to support pupils’ learning. Pupils have the chance to participate in several after-school clubs and sporting competitions. Older pupils also learn to play the steel drums.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to take on extra responsibilities. This includes playground buddies, school councillors and eco warriors. Pupils enjoy these important roles.

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better?

Leaders and staff are aspirational for all pupils at this school. They want to make sure that all pupils have the best possible education. Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. They have given careful thought to the content of each subject. They have worked with subject leaders to build curriculum plans that are well structured so that pupils’ knowledge builds on their prior learning. This is helping pupils to progress well through most curriculum areas. However, in a small number of subjects, there is a lack of precision about the knowledge that pupils need to acquire in each year group. This prevents pupils from making the progress that they could through these curriculum areas.

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better?

Leaders have made early reading a high priority and placed it at the heart of the school’s curriculum. They have recently reviewed and strengthened the teaching of phonics. Staff have a good understanding of how pupils need to be supported to progress through the phonics curriculum. They ensure that pupils can use their phonics knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words. Staff make sure that pupils read books that are matched to the sounds that they have learned. Careful, regular assessments help staff to identify any pupils who are struggling. Staff provide additional support to help these pupils catch up quickly with their peers. The older pupils that inspectors met with talked enthusiastically about the books they are reading. They also had a good knowledge of authors and poets from different eras. 6 and 7 October 2021

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The good quality of education begins in the early years. Staff work effectively with parents and carers to ensure that children learn the school’s routines and settle into school life quickly. Children enjoy exploring, playing and learning in the stimulating environment, both indoors and outdoors. They listen closely when staff are reading stories and teaching them about mathematics. The wide range of interesting resources allow children to follow their interests.

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Staff make regular assessments of pupils’ needs and development. This helps to identify those who are struggling with their well-being or aspects of their learning. The leader for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) works closely with teachers to identify the needs of these pupils and ensure that they have the right support. This ensures that pupils with SEND can access the same learning as their peers. This also enables pupils who attend the special provision to spend part of each day working in class alongside their year-group peers.

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Staff support pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. They provide high- quality pastoral support and help pupils to develop respect for different lifestyles, religions and cultures. Pupils also develop a strong understanding of the importance of healthy living.

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Pupils behave extremely well. They have excellent attitudes to learning and behave impeccably during lessons, breaks and dinner times.

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Governors share the headteacher’s ambition and high expectations. They are knowledgeable about the school’s policies and practice and provide both support and challenge to school leaders.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel extremely well supported and appreciate of the steps that leaders take to consider staff workload.

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Almost every parent who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, would recommend the school to others. Their positive views are reflected in the written comments shared with inspectors. One parent wrote, ‘The staff are amazing. Kind, approachable and supportive’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher and governors make sure that staff are well trained in safeguarding matters. Staff understand how to respond if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare or safety. Pupils are taught well about how to keep themselves safe. For example, they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe while working or playing online. 6 and 7 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge that pupils need to acquire and the sequence in which this should be learned. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans detail exactly what pupils need to learn and how this learning should build on what they already know.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 6 and 7 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200815 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 13 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school manages a specially resourced provision for seven pupils with SEND on behalf of the local authority. At the time of this inspection, five pupils were attending full time.  The governing body manages a breakfast club and several after-school clubs.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, the two assistant headteachers and other members of the leadership team, including the leader for SEND. 6 and 7 October 2021

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 The lead inspector met with seven governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during break times.  Inspectors visited the early years classrooms and spoke with the early years leader and other adults who work in the early years.  The lead inspector examined safeguarding records. He also met with the designated safeguarding lead, to discuss the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history, science and physical education. As part of this process, they met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. They also looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about their learning. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other subjects. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors considered the 108 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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They also looked at the 40 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 October 2021

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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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