Ruswarp Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of Ruswarp Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Ruswarp, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 1NJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They say that staff work hard and take care of them. Pupils get along well together and describe the school as ‘one big family’. This makes them feel safe and well supported. They know that staff would take their concerns seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has an inclusive ethos where staff want to achieve the best for all pupils, particularly pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the positive start that children receive in early years is not carried through to key stages 1 and 2. Although the curriculum is improving, pupils do not benefit from a sufficiently good quality of education. Expectations for what pupils can learn and achieve are not high enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in a calm and settled atmosphere. Staff help pupils to learn about the wider world around them. Most pupils behave well and work hard. This is particularly the case in early years. However, in the rest of school, a small number of pupils miss out on learning because they do not listen or complete tasks that have been set. These pupils can miss important learning.

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better?

Reading is an absolute priority. Leaders have ensured that all staff are experts in teaching phonics. Children get off to a flying start in Nursery, joining in enthusiastically with stories being read to them. In Reception and Year 1, pupils have access to high-quality phonics sessions. Pupils enjoy opportunities to read with their teachers. Most books are well matched to pupils’ abilities. Leaders ensure that pupils who are falling behind are quickly identified. These pupils receive timely intervention so they can keep up with their peers. Pupils love reading and enjoy opportunities for reading in school. They talk excitedly about the books they have read independently or with their teachers.

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better?

Leaders have recently undertaken work to improve the quality of the curriculum for writing. However, much of this work is either at the development stage or has only recently been implemented. As a result, the impact cannot yet be seen. The quality of pupils’ writing varies across the school and within classes. Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not consistently high enough. However, there are signs of progress and by the end of Year 6, most pupils are writing at a level that prepares them for the next phase of their learning.

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better?

Although the school has adopted a well-structured mathematics curriculum, there is too much variation in its implementation. Sometimes, teachers move on too quickly before pupils have a secure understanding. At other times, pupils spend too long going over the same topic when it is clear from their work that the concept is secure. This means that pupils are not making enough progress in their learning and are at risk of not covering the full mathematics curriculum. Leaders acknowledge 14 and 15 June 2023

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that they need to check the teaching of the curriculum and curriculum coverage more frequently and robustly.

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Pupils enjoy art and design. Leaders have recently introduced ‘Arty Hour’, during which pupils look at the work of artists and produce work informed by their style. Such changes are enhancing the art and design curriculum but remain in the early stages of development. Pupils are able to talk about work they have completed recently but they struggle to recall what they have been taught previously in art and design.

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Leaders are keen that pupils understand the world beyond their local area. An issue from the news is incorporated into collective worship each week. Pupils then have time to discuss this with their peers. This, alongside a well-sequenced curriculum for personal development, is providing pupils with a good understanding of potential risks to their personal well-being and a ‘window’ into the lives of other people. Pupils enjoy the after-school offer but say that they would like more clubs than are currently being delivered.

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The early years is a hive of activity. Eager learners hang on the words of their teachers. Children work happily together solving problems. The environment is inviting and resources are placed so that children can work independently. The early years curriculum is well taught. Children are well prepared for learning in Year 1 as a result. However, the school do not build on this strong start well enough at key stage one.

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Pupils are at the heart of all decision-making. Senior leaders and governors are determined to improve the school and know that there is still work to be done. Governors acknowledge that they need to review the educational offer of the school more thoroughly. Most parents are pleased with the school. However, some parents would like to receive more communication to help them understand the rationale behind the changes being made to improve the quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a culture where safeguarding is the highest priority. All staff know the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures well. Pupils are taught how to stay safe. They know how to recognise and assess a range of different risks, including the potential risk posed by trains on the local railway line.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know what to do if they have a worry or concern. They understand about personal space and how to deal with situations where they feel uncomfortable.

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 Many areas of the curriculum are at an early stage of development. There is too much variation in how the curriculum is implemented. The school should take further action to ensure that all staff consistently implement the planned curriculum well.  The curriculum in key stage 1 and 2 does not build sufficiently well on what children learn in the early years. This means that opportunities to develop pupils’ learning over time are missed. The school should ensure that learning builds from the early years through to Year 6 so that pupils build strong knowledge and skills over time.  The quality of work produced by some pupils is not good enough. The school needs to raise expectations for what all pupils can achieve, including pupils with SEND.  Some pupils do not to engage in lessons well enough or give adults the respect they deserve. This means that they can miss planned learning opportunities. The

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school needs to make sure all pupils behave positively and maintain focus in lessons so that they learn and achieve well.

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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. 14 and 15 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Helen Isaac (Acting headteacher)

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School details

Website https://www.ruswarp-primaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has both a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, English and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and spoke to some pupils about their learning.  Inspectors also looked at planning and samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult. 14 and 15 June 2023

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 An inspector visited both the breakfast and after-school club.  Inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils.  An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, checked the single central record of adults working in the school and looked at safeguarding records.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, around the school and during social times. They held discussions with leaders about behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors met with the acting interim executive headteacher, the teacher in charge, who is also the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the local authority adviser, the director of education for the diocese and members of the governing body.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents during the inspection. They also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s questionnaires for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Jane Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Natalie Fountain Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 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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