Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School Bilton Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 3DT

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Outcome

Richard Taylor Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they love school and their friends at Richard Taylor Primary. Pupils feel safe, and are safe, because staff look after them well and help them with any problems they may have. Teachers help them to do their best. They are well supported by school staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to meet the high expectations set for them by teachers. They are catching up with lost learning brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because teachers make sure the work that they give to pupils targets their gaps in knowledge and skills. Learning was well managed during the pandemic. This was achieved through the school’s thorough remote learning offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. There are clear policies and expectations for behaviour which all pupils know and understand well. This ensures a calm and orderly environment in class and around the school. Pupils say that bullying does not happen, but if it did, they trust that adults would deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of sports activities, events, visits and clubs. Leaders plan such opportunities to enrich the school’s curriculum. Pupils in the gardening club are excited to be entering their vegetable box into the Great Yorkshire Show this year. Pupils also say that they enjoy singing in the ‘Young Voices Concert’ and playing in the school orchestra.

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

Leaders have maintained the good quality of education in the school despite the challenges of the pandemic and staff illness. Some classes include pupils from two different year groups, so leaders have skilfully adapted curriculum plans to meet the needs of pupils in each class. They have ensured that the important knowledge pupils need to know is planned and sequenced so that pupils build on prior learning each year. In geography, leaders have ensured that the crucial facts pupils need to remember are planned for each class. In Reception, children learn to make plans showing their own local 29 and 30 June 2022

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area. Learning about human impact on the environment is core to pupils’ experience. Teachers plan activities which provide pupils with the opportunity to demonstrate what they know and understand. In mathematics, pupils practise the skills that they have learned so that they become confident learners. Pupils in Year 6 use their knowledge of multiplication and division to write simple algebraic expressions. Pupils in Reception quickly recognise 10 potatoes because they know how to count accurately to 10.

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Adults often read to pupils with enthusiasm to foster reading for pleasure. There are many planned opportunities for pupils to read high-quality texts in history, geography and science. This helps pupils to develop their vocabulary. Some books are chosen to help prepare pupils for life in modern Britain, for example, older pupils said they enjoyed reading ‘Grandad’s Camper’ by Harry Woodgate. Reading ambassadors enjoy reading to the youngest children in school. This helps children to aspire to be confident readers and to love the stories.

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Pupils receive a well-planned daily phonics session. The reading books are well matched to the sounds and letters they know. Children learn how to recognise and blend letters in Reception. However, the way sessions are delivered by staff is not consistent. Some staff do not say the sounds precisely so that pupils blend sounds together accurately. This is because some staff lack expertise in teaching phonics.

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Pupils behave well. This is because leaders have created a culture of respect and kindness. Pupils know the rules and enjoy the rewards for behaving well. They enjoy being ‘Star of the Week’ which leads to wearing the special yellow jersey. The way that teachers organise classrooms support learning well. Pupils engage enthusiastically with lively, practical activities. They also know when to work calmly. This allows teachers to deliver the curriculum effectively.

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The special educational needs coordinator works in partnership with staff and external agencies such as speech and language therapists. Together, they make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The curriculum for pupils with SEND is broad and ambitious. Pupils with SEND achieve well. Needs are met by tailoring the support and resources for each individual pupil. Support includes small group work to help pupils learn friendship skills. Resources such as using visual overlays and eye-friendly reading books help pupils read more easily.

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Clubs and extra-curricular activities, such as science club, promote personal development well. Science ambassadors run a club for pupils in Year 2. These older pupils set up investigations for pupils to conduct. Pupils recently showcased their science research findings in London as part of a science project. This helps pupils develop their leadership skills and show how they can help others.

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Trustees, governors and school leaders are united in their vision for the school. Sharing the school’s Christian values has ensured there is a strong duty of care towards pupils and families. Staff are proud to work at the school. They say that leaders support them well. Most parents say the school is a great community to be part of. Staff support parents well. They keep parents up to date with information about what their children are learning. 29 and 30 June 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide training and support for all staff, so that they know what to do when they are worried about a pupil. Adults report all concerns quickly. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and the deputy DSL act swiftly to report their concerns. They get the right support for pupils when needed.

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Safeguarding

Records are well organised and maintained. Leaders carry out the necessary checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with children.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritised staying safe online when pupils worked remotely and on their return to school. As a result, pupils have a thorough understanding of internet safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are some inconsistencies in staff expertise to deliver phonics. As a result, some pupils in the earliest stages of reading are not competent at blending letter sounds to read a word. Leaders are in the process of putting in place a more systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. Leaders should ensure that all adults are fully trained to teach this new programme.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school of the same name to be good in December 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 29 and 30 June 2022

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

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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. 29 and 30 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227980 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 25 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Richard Taylor Primary is a Church of England School. The last section 48 inspection took place in October 2017.  The school is a part of the Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the interim chief executive officer and school improvement lead from the trust. The inspector also had a telephone conversation with an independent school improvement adviser and a representative from Leeds Diocese.  The inspector held a meeting with three members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their 29 and 30 June 2022

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learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other aspects of the curriculum were discussed with some leaders.  To check leaders’ management of safeguarding, the inspector spoke with the headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead. The inspector scrutinised the single central record and records related to behaviour and safeguarding concerns. The inspector spoke with pupils, staff and governors to check their views on safeguarding.  The inspector met with groups of pupils to seek their views about the school.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s website and a range of school documents, including the school’s own improvement plans, self-evaluation document and minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspector spoke to some parents and carers outside the school and evaluated the responses of parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses and responses to the survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 June 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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