Richard Lee Primary School

Inspection of Richard Lee Primary School The Drive, Wyken, Coventry, West Midlands CV2 5FU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Ofsted has not previously inspected Richard Lee Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Richard Lee Primary School to be good, before it opened as an academy. 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Richard Lee Primary School is a friendly and welcoming school. Pupils and staff are proud of their school. Pupils are proud of the school’s values of ‘resilience, kindness, honesty, pride and unity’. This is demonstrated by pupils’ kindness towards others at playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations for how pupils should behave; this is shared by all staff. Pupils follow the school’s ‘golden rules’ and are motivated by the many positive rewards they can earn. They particularly like rewards such as having afternoon tea with the headteacher. Pupils’ behaviour has improved over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend many after-school clubs, including football, cricket, British Sign Language and art. They take part in a range of education visits, including trips to a zoo and the seaside. Pupils relish the leadership roles they are voted into, like junior leaders. Junior leaders recently visited the Houses of Parliament in London to learn about democracy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made sure that raising standards in reading, writing and mathematics has been a priority. Pupils now achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. However, some subjects still require further development so that pupils achieve equally high standards across the whole curriculum.

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better?

Governors and trustees have focused leaders’ attention on raising standards for all pupils. They know the school well and care about how well pupils achieve. Governors and trustees have focused on improving standards in reading, writing and mathematics, and this has worked. They support staff well, taking into consideration their workload and well-being.

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better?

New leaders, with the support of trust leaders, are having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics. They have devised and implemented a new curriculum in these subjects and have made sure that staff have the expertise to teach these subjects well.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that, for most subjects, the curriculum includes the important concepts and knowledge pupils should learn and how they should be taught. Some subject leaders have not carried out sufficient checks to make sure that the whole curriculum is taught in the way that leaders intend. Consequently, some subject leaders are unclear about what improvements are needed or what support some staff need. This means that pupils are not achieving high standards in these subjects.

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better?

Leaders have made the teaching of reading a high priority in recent years. Leaders have ensured that the reading curriculum is well thought through and ambitious for 10 and 11 May 2023

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all pupils. Staff are experts at teaching reading because of quality development opportunities. They swiftly address any misconceptions that pupils have and ensure that pupils learn to read with both accuracy and fluency. Pupils listen to staff read each day; pupils enjoy this time. Leaders have introduced a variety of ways to encourage parents and carers to support their child’s reading at home. This has had a positive impact and many pupils read regularly at home.

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Early years leadership is strong. Practitioners use their good understanding of early childhood to reflect on and improve their practice. They consider the needs of all children and work well to meet their diverse needs. The early years curriculum is well thought out and builds progressively on children’s prior learning. The environment is purposeful and carefully planned for each area of learning. Children play cooperatively and enjoy their learning, including about growing sunflowers. Parents value the regular communication between home and school.

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Parents are well supported by staff in ensuring that they receive any help they may need in accessing local services. Leaders work with a range of agencies to accurately identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This starts in the early years. However, some staff lack the expertise to adapt the delivery of the curriculum effectively for a small number of pupils with SEND. This affects outcomes for these pupils.

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Pupils are respectful that others may have different faiths or beliefs and that everyone is accepted for who they are. They demonstrate that they understand democracy and that junior leaders are voted for in a fair and democratic way. Pupils understand the rule of law. They have fundraised for different charities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that appropriate recruitment checks take place and are recorded on the school’s single central record. They make sure that staff are well trained in what to look for and how to report concerns. Staff are vigilant and report any concerns to leaders, which are followed up quickly and appropriately. Leaders involve external agencies when necessary and follow advice that is provided. They make sure that families receive the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about how to stay safe online and when away from school. They have learned a range of strategies to keep themselves safe. 10 and 11 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders have limited opportunity to monitor how well the curriculum is delivered across the school. They are unclear about where further improvements are needed or how they can support their colleagues. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the skills and opportunities needed to check how well the curriculum is being implemented and how well pupils are achieving.  Leaders have not fully ensured that the curriculum for all pupils with SEND is appropriately adapted and expertly delivered. This means that the needs of some pupils with SEND are not being fully met. Leaders should ensure that they action their detailed plans so that all pupils with SEND benefit from an ambitious curriculum that is implemented effectively.

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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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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 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269172 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined Castle Phoenix Trust in December 2018.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast before-school childcare club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website, as well as published information about the school’s performance.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, leaders of the trust, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, and the chair of the governing body. 10 and 11 May 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English, geography, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, visited lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher, who is the designated safeguarding leader. Pupils’ case files were reviewed. The single central record of checks on staff’s suitability to work with children was scrutinised.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss their workload and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school and how they learn to keep themselves safe.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, and the staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Roulla Gabriel Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 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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