Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School Rufford Road, Rainford, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 8JX

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Outcome

Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rainford Brook Lodge is a happy and friendly school that pupils enjoy attending. Pupils say that adults are kind and look after them. As a result, pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have organised a well-structured curriculum that helps pupils to build on earlier learning and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that staff have of them. As a result, they are polite and well mannered. In class and during breaktimes, they routinely behave well. Pupils believe that staff treat them fairly. They are willing to share any worries or concerns. Leaders do not accept any bullying. If bullying happens, teachers resolve any issues quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to hold responsibilities, for example as school councillors and prefects. They appreciate the many after-school clubs, such as choir, multisports and dodgeball, as well as the many opportunities to represent the school in sporting competitions. They value school trips and ‘treats’. including visits to museums to enhance their learning and residential trips to develop their team-building skills.

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

Leaders have ensured that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, have access to an ambitious and exciting curriculum. They have carefully identified what they want pupils to learn across the curriculum. Learning is logically ordered and makes links between subjects. This helps pupils to apply what they already know when they are learning something new. As a result, pupils, and children in the early years, achieve well.

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

Leaders ensure that teachers have the necessary expertise to lead their subjects effectively. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. During lessons, they explain new learning well. In some subjects, teachers and leaders use 8 and 9 November 2022

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assessment skilfully to check carefully on how well pupils are learning. This helps them to plan effectively to build on what pupils know. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders’ procedures for checking on what pupils know and remember are not effective enough. As a result, teachers are less clear about the next steps that pupils need to take in their learning. At times, this prevents some teachers from building on pupils’ prior knowledge as effectively as they could.

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Leaders ensure that teachers prioritise reading as soon as children join the school in the early years. They have organised a well-structured approach to teaching phonics. This curriculum is taught by well-trained staff. Pupils practise their reading frequently. Staff ensure that their books match the sounds that they know and are learning. Teachers check on how well pupils and children in the early years are doing and identify those pupils who fall behind. Staff provide pupils with the help that they need to gain the knowledge and skills they need quickly. This allows these pupils to catch up and become assured and fluent readers.

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Pupils understand why reading is important. Teachers foster pupils’ love of reading. Older pupils enjoy listening to the stories that teachers read to them. Pupils achieve well in reading. This means that at the end of Year 6, they are prepared well for the next stage in their learning.

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Leaders have effective systems for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND. They work in close partnership with parents and carers and, where necessary, other agencies. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND study the full curriculum. These pupils achieve well across the different subjects.

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Pupils behave well and enjoy their lessons. There is little disruption during lessons and classrooms are routinely calm and orderly. This is because of the positive relationships between pupils and adults. Children in the early years understand and happily follow the school routines. As a result, they settle quickly and learn well.

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Leaders place a strong focus on developing pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about faiths and cultures such as Christianity and Islam. They understand the importance of democracy and respect. They are proud of the charity work that they do to help others. Pupils enjoy weekly ‘MAGIC’ awards in assemblies to reward both their academic and personal achievements, such as being kind and helpful to others.

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The school is well led. Leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the attention leaders pay to their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture in the school. Staff receive effective training that allows them to identify and report safeguarding issues quickly. They are vigilant to signs 8 and 9 November 2022

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that pupils need help. Leaders and staff work with outside agencies to ensure that vulnerable families receive the appropriate support.

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Staff also know how to identify pupils who may need help with their mental or emotional health. Leaders put effective pastoral support in place quickly. Staff help pupils to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn how to ride their bicycles safely on roads. They have a good understanding of how to be safe when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, assessment strategies are not as effective as they could be. Teachers are less well informed about what pupils know and remember. This sometimes hinders teachers from building on pupils’ prior knowledge and skills. Leaders should ensure that assessment procedures identify pupils’ prior knowledge in order to build on what they already know and can do.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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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.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 8 and 9 November 2022

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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. 8 and 9 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.rainfordbrooklodge.st-helens.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 and 15 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s governing body runs a nursery on site offering 22 places for three- and four-year-olds. This provision is operated under community powers of section 27 of the Education Act 2002.  The school does not use alternative provision for pupils.

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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 this into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with six members of the governing body, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and other staff.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with pupils to gather their views about the school and considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire. He spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. 8 and 9 November 2022

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 The inspector spoke with staff to gather their views about their workload and well- being. He considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire  The inspector checked on safeguarding procedures and related documentation. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around school and considered information relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  The inspector considered a range of other school documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspector completed deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. As part of this work, the inspector visited lessons and discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and teachers. The inspector reviewed pupils’ work and spoke with them about their learning. The inspector observed pupils read to a trusted adult.

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Inspection team

Gary Bevin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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