Rise Park Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Rise Park Infant School Annan Way, Rise Park, Romford, Essex RM1 4UD

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Outcome

Rise Park Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are engaged in their lessons and like finding out about new things and learning new skills. Pupils are polite and well behaved. During lunch breaks and play times, pupils play well with each other and are kind to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils readily use their ‘learning powers’, such as ‘self-belief’ and ‘knowledge’, to support them, both when learning in class and at social times. Pupils learn about what bullying is. They are taught about how to include and support their peers who might want to join in with games in the playground. Pupils comment that bullying is rare. Issues are addressed quickly. Pupils know that if someone is feeling sad, staff will sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take an active role in their lessons. They enjoy books and stories, and they especially enjoy listening to stories being read to them. Teachers read with a great deal of animation, so pupils are enthused by the stories they hear.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious, and pupils achieve well. When teaching, staff find out what pupils know, have learned and enjoyed. Pupils’ needs are the starting point. For example, Reception-aged children learn about ‘changes’ by looking at photographs of themselves as babies. This helps children to discuss all of the things that they can do and have achieved, including how they are changing as they grow up.

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

Leaders have created a rich curriculum, which they keep under constant review. It is designed carefully to ensure that pupils can progress seamlessly to their next school in Year 3. Staff work closely with the neighbouring junior school to ensure that, when the time comes, pupils’ transition is as smooth as possible. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Reading is a priority. Staff have benefited from training to develop their expertise. They deliver the early reading curriculum confidently. This includes phonics, which, starting in Reception, is taught through a carefully sequenced programme. Staff make sure that pupils gain a secure knowledge of the sound each letter makes. They support pupils to apply their understanding to read with accuracy.

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From the early years onwards, leaders think carefully about the books and stories that are read to children. They make sure that, in all year groups, pupils are exposed to a wide variety of texts, including non-fiction and poetry. Staff also put a good deal of thought into the best ways of helping parents and carers support their children in learning to read. For example, staff organise workshops and coffee mornings so that parents can better understand the work that happens in school.

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Pupils who find reading challenging get extra practise with adults regularly. For example, they have additional time to read in a small group. Leaders ensure that reading books are phonically decodable and closely matched to pupils’ stage in the phonics programme. This helps pupils build their confidence as readers.

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Pupils are well behaved, both at break and lunchtime. They follow instructions carefully and play well together. In class, pupils readily support each other with their learning.

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Curriculum subjects are planned ambitiously. Leaders and staff check that pupils are remembering important knowledge. As part of this, they have identified that some pupils had gaps in their understanding following the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in mathematics, pupils’ understanding of key ideas was not as secure as leaders expected. Leaders are taking steps to address this. For example, in the early years, the curriculum provides increased opportunities for children to develop and practise mathematical ideas.

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Teachers have also benefited from recent training on delivering the curriculum. This has focused on making sure that teaching enables all pupils to master the same curriculum content. Teachers have good subject knowledge. Typically, they think about how to present ideas so that pupils understand them. Nevertheless, in some subjects, including mathematics, the delivery of the curriculum is, at times, not sharply focused on helping pupils deepen their existing understanding and apply what they already know.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified effectively. In lessons, staff support them effectively through well-chosen adaptations and make sure they use the correct vocabulary. If pupils have more complex additional needs, leaders provide personalised small-group sessions to support pupils’ learning and all-round development.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development is centred on helping pupils to understand the wider world. This begins in Nursery, where children are carefully supported to be curious about others and explore the environment around them and beyond. For example, children enjoyed finding out about people who help them when a firefighter spoke to them about his work. They were enthralled to see their teacher dress as a firefighter and have the opportunity to try on a real firefighter’s helmet. 21 and 22 March 2023

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The curriculum specifically prioritises pupils’ mental health and well-being. Pupils are taught about the things that they can do to keep safe and healthy. Staff are well trained. They know how to build pupils’ resilience and readiness to try new things.

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Staff are proud to work at the school and comment that leaders foster a culture where everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that safeguarding has a high priority. The relevant recruitment checks are carried out on staff before they start to work at the school. Staff know pupils and their families very well.

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Safeguarding

Thorough records are kept of any concerns, and prompt referrals to external agencies are made if they are required. Staff receive regular training and understand their responsibilities in keeping pupils safe. They identify and respond to potential concerns swiftly. Staff ensure that pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe in an age- appropriate way.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teaching is not sharply focused on helping all pupils to understand and master the ambitious curriculum content. This means that pupils do not progressively deepen their understanding as well as they could. Leaders should support teachers to deliver the curriculum in a way that enables all pupils to deepen their knowledge and apply 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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 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.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241949 Type of school Infant

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Rise Park Infant School joined the Success For All Educational Trust in September 2021.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  Leaders work closely with the neighbouring junior school.

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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 school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school and members of staff. He also met with members of the academy trust and the local governing body. The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each of these subjects, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 21 and 22 March 2023

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leaders, visited lessons, spoke with staff and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. He also considered the curriculum for other subjects.  The inspector spoke with parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including the free-text responses.  The inspector spoke with pupils and staff about the school’s work to keep pupils safe. He also considered safeguarding records and documentation, including the school’s single central record of staff suitability checks.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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