Ridgeway Primary School

Inspection of Ridgeway Primary School Main Road, Ridgeway, Sheffield, Derbyshire S12 3XR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents and carers speak positively about the school. Pupils praise the ‘really good teachers’. They say that lessons are interesting and fun. Parents whose children have recently joined the school say that staff have gone ‘above and beyond’ to help their children settle. These comments echo the school’s vision to prioritise ‘every child, every day’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe at school. They understand how to protect themselves from bullying and online dangers. Pupils feel sure that staff will react quickly and kindly to any issues that may arise. The ‘kindness kids’ are there to help anyone who is upset at playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is good, in lessons and around school. In lessons, pupils are enthusiastic, resilient learners. They can explain the importance of ‘never giving up’ if something is tricky. Children in the early years follow routines sensibly and calmly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of activities to support their wider development. Some belong to after-school clubs such as for sports and music. Everyone is proud of the school’s involvement in the community allotment. All year groups have the chance to tend a patch, to grow fruit and vegetables. This promotes teamwork and enhances areas of the curriculum, such as science.

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better?

Leaders have acted quickly to address the recommendations from the last inspection. They prioritised safeguarding and the curriculum as key areas of focus. Over the past year, leaders have reviewed and revised the curriculum in all subjects. The curriculum now sets out the important knowledge and skills that pupils should gain, and when, from the early years to Year 6.

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better?

Curriculum leaders are in place, across all subjects. However, some are new to their roles and lack experience in leadership. Some leaders have not yet carried out checks on how well teachers are teaching their subjects. Some leaders require further training so that they can provide support and guidance to teachers.

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better?

Leaders and staff welcome pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to the school. The school has an inclusive, caring culture. The special educational needs coordinator liaises with school staff and parents to identify and address pupils’ needs. Leaders plan to strengthen the provision for pupils with SEND. At the last inspection, leaders were asked to ensure that the curriculum is equally ambitious for all pupils. Leaders have not yet checked that this is the case in all subjects.

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better?

Reading is a high priority at the school. Leaders and staff encourage pupils to develop a love of reading, through activities such as community ‘book quests’ and 10 and 11 May 2022

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‘secret readers’ with parents. Pupils in all classes enjoy using the revitalised school library. Children begin daily phonics sessions as soon as they join the Reception class. Leaders introduced a new systematic phonics programme in January 2022. Staff say that this is going well. They feel confident in delivering phonics sessions because they have been well trained. Pupils read from books that match their phonics knowledge. They are developing well as fluent readers.

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In mathematics, teachers adopt a consistent approach in lessons. They follow the school’s ‘know it, learn it, use it, prove it, master it’ sequence in lessons. As a result of this systematic approach, pupils are keen and confident learners. They can talk about how they apply what they already know when learning new concepts.

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Leaders and staff promote pupils’ broader development well, through the curriculum and beyond. Staff encourage pupils to take on roles such as being members of the school council and being ‘mini leaders’. These opportunities help pupils to develop as caring, responsible individuals. Pupils learn about a wide range of faiths and cultures. This helps them to become aware of the spiritual and moral issues that people face. Pupils speak thoughtfully about the importance of respecting everyone equally.

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Staff praise the care and support for their well-being shown by leaders and governors. Staff recognise that their workload is demanding; however, they work together as a supportive team. Governors share leaders’ vision for the school. They have been an effective driving force in enabling the recent improvements to the curriculum and safeguarding.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders say that pupils’ safety is ‘at the centre of everything’. Safeguarding is the top priority for all adults at the school. Leaders have strengthened their systems for gathering information and recording concerns, in response to the last inspection. Records now show that all concerns are noted in detail, without delay, and that leaders act quickly in response. Governors check the school’s safeguarding systems regularly, as part of their statutory duties.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say that they feel safe and well cared for. They receive teaching about how to stay safe, through the personal, social and health education curriculum. Older pupils learn about issues such as drugs and gang culture.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some curriculum leaders are inexperienced or new to their roles. They are not consistently skilled in providing guidance for teachers as they implement the revised curriculum. Some have not yet checked the impact of the curriculum on 10 and 11 May 2022

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pupils’ learning. This includes checking whether the curriculum is equally ambitious for pupils with SEND. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders develop the skill and experience to gain an accurate view of how well the curriculum enables all pupils to know and remember more over time.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227029 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 6–7 July 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, a range of staff, and some members of the governing body, including the chair.  The lead inspector held a telephone discussion with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, geography and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and reviewed pupils’ work in some other subjects. 10 and 11 May 2022

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks and by holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Monaghan Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 2022

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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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