Ranelagh Primary School

Inspection of Ranelagh Primary School Pauls Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0AN

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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?

Ranelagh Primary School is a very inclusive school. Classrooms celebrate pupils’ many different cultures and languages. Pupils and families are made very welcome and are encouraged to learn about each other’s backgrounds. For example, some parents and carers recently visited to help the children learn about Eid al-Fitr. Pupils enthusiastically learn new vocabulary from the ‘language of the month’. They use these new words to communicate with any pupils who are new to the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children have lots of time to choose their own learning activities and to explore ideas through play. They become independent and confident. Pupils throughout the school are well behaved and polite. They learn to read quickly and enjoy reading the wide range of books on offer for independent reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

When there are incidents of bullying or pupils using inappropriate language, these are dealt with well. Pupils trust staff to deal with any problems quickly and say that they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are several sports and other clubs available, such as choir. Pupils are proud of their responsibilities such as those of anti-bullying ambassador or junior road safety officer.

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better?

Leaders have created well-structured curriculum plans. These plans provide a range of opportunities for pupils to deepen their learning and understanding as they get older. Leaders and staff have adapted plans to help pupils catch up with any learning missed due to COVID-19.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable about how to deliver leaders’ chosen curriculum. They create interesting activities that enthuse pupils in their learning. As pupils get older, they are able to apply their learning in more complex ways, and to more challenging tasks.

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better?

Teachers use assessment strategies effectively. They identify when pupils may be struggling or need extra help. Teachers use a range of language skills and specific strategies to help individual pupils. This support is particularly effective in helping pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils in the early stages of learning English, and those who are disadvantaged.

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better?

All children in early years and pupils in key stage 1 and those who need it in key stage 2 have daily phonics teaching. Teachers are skilled and knowledgeable in how to use the school’s chosen reading programme. The youngest children are given lots of small-group and one-to-one time with adults. Pupils are given additional support when they need it. As a result, pupils are able to decode words quickly. 10 and 11 May 2022

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Leaders also invest lots of curriculum time in ensuring that pupils can read widely and often as they get older. However, on occasion, teachers’ choice of texts and activities does not help pupils develop the knowledge that leaders intend.

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Adults help the youngest children to settle quickly. Children enjoy a vibrant and welcoming classroom. They learn to be kind, and to share and take turns. They get lots of opportunities to learn indoors and outdoors. They develop appropriate early reading, mathematical and writing skills. However, as children get older and move into Years 1 and 2, some staff are not as adept at supporting them in developing their pencil grip and early handwriting.

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Staff know pupils and their families well. This is a welcoming school community where staff do all they can to help families when they need it. Staff work hard to ensure that all pupils get full access to a range of opportunities and activities, including a free breakfast club, trips, visits and activities.

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Pupils’ personal development is woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils are good at being able to consider the rights and wrongs of various issues. They consider different viewpoints, for example the spiritual aspects of pieces of artwork.

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Children and pupils behave very well in class and throughout the school day. Children in early years engage well in activities and concentrate for extended periods. Pupils listen well in class and work hard. Children and pupils enjoy playing games together at playtimes.

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Leaders at all levels share a cohesive vision and know the school well. They are highly focused on making sure that all they do has pupils’ well-being at its heart. Leaders are rebuilding links with the various faith and cultural communities that the school serves since COVID-19 paused this. Staff feel well supported by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and other staff are trained well. They make appropriate referrals, including to external agencies, when required.

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Safeguarding

Governors undertake their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They have prioritised additional funding to focus more resources on safeguarding and supporting families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe both out and about and when online.

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Safeguarding

All appropriate checks are made on adults who are regularly in the school. 10 and 11 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Several younger pupils have poor pencil grip and some staff are not supporting them quickly to address this. This leads to pupils developing untidy handwriting that is hard to read. Leaders need to ensure that staff identify and plan activities that will help these younger pupils to develop better pencil grip and improve the legibility of their writing.  In some classes, teachers are not providing the same high-quality texts and activities to help older pupils practise the skills of reading. As result, some pupils do not develop the enjoyment and skills of reading as well as they might. Leaders need to ensure that teachers’ planning and resources are of the same consistent high quality in order to develop older pupils’ enjoyment and skill in reading.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

8 and 9 November 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has its own nursery, which operates alongside the Reception class as an early years unit. The rest of the school is organised into mixed-age classes, three in each of Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.  There is also a separately run and registered nursery that operates on the school site.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than average (46%).  A small number of pupils attend two alternative providers of education.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 10 and 11 May 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, science, art and design, and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons where possible, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to pupils and staff about the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at samples of work.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record and a sample of safeguarding records. They spoke to staff, parents and pupils.  Inspectors met with members of the leadership team, teachers, other staff, a standards and excellence officer, and representatives of the governing body.  Inspectors spent time observing playtimes.  Inspectors considered the 27 responses to Ofsted Parent View, 25 responses to the staff survey and seven responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Sutton 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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