Rawmarsh Ryecroft Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Rawmarsh Ryecroft Infant School South Street, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S62 5QW

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Outcome

Rawmarsh Ryecroft Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and friendly school. It is a safe place. Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. The ethos of ‘secure, happy and successful’ is a lived experience for pupils in this school family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Low-level disruption that may impact on learning is quickly dealt with by adults. Most pupils understand what bullying is. Bullying rarely happens. When it does, pupils know whom to speak to. Adults sort it out effectively. Some pupils need extra support when they struggle with their behaviour. Adaptations to the environment, such as sensory stations, help pupils to manage their own behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of resilience, respect, care, community and achievement are woven through the curriculum. Pupils understand these values. They explain how they learn and how teachers support them to be successful. Pupils know that it is important to keep on trying and to show resilience. They are encouraged to achieve their best academically and in their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The staff demonstrate a strong commitment to engage with families. There are regular family learning and support events. Pupils thrive, enjoy learning and achieve well at this school.

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

The school has developed a sequenced curriculum that draws on the local context. The key knowledge that pupils need to learn is identified. In core subjects, pupils revisit and build on the knowledge that they have learned previously. For example, in mathematics, pupils use their knowledge of mathematical facts to work out and solve problems. In early years, children develop their knowledge of number by learning rhymes and singing counting songs. 14 and 15 November 2023

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt the curriculum, adding smaller steps and additional support where necessary. Strategies, including regular breaks and group work in quieter spaces, are used. This helps pupils with SEND to focus and achieve well.

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Local trips and visitors enhance pupils’ understanding of the curriculum for foundation subjects, such as history. This begins with the history of the school and visits from local historians. However, in some foundation subjects, teachers do not consistently check to ensure that pupils have learned the important knowledge identified in the curriculum.

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The school has developed a reading culture. Pupils enjoy stories. They have favourite books that teachers share with them. There are several well-attended events offered to parents and carers, such as ‘books and a biscuit’. This is where parents share stories and discuss books with children. These events raise the profile of reading and encourage pupils to read at home.

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Teaching pupils to read is prioritised at this school. Phonics begins as soon as children start in Reception. The school works with adults to fine tune their teaching practice. They are becoming experts in teaching pupils to read. Children who need help with reading are quickly identified. They get extra daily practice to close the gaps in their knowledge of sounds. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. Pupils across the school practise their reading every day to increase their fluency. As a result, pupils use their phonics well and learn to read fluently.

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The school develops pupils’ character beyond academic subjects. Pupils are actively encouraged to attend a range of clubs run by staff. These clubs appeal to pupils’ wider interests, such as sporting activities, film club and Lego club. They are well attended. Some pupils can undertake different leadership roles. They can be a front-of-line leader or apply to join the pupil leadership team. Pupils work together to run projects that help the community. For example, they promote safety on the road outside school and collect for the local food bank. Pupils further their experiences of community through visits to the local church. They lay a wreath at the cenotaph for remembrance. The school promotes environmental projects. This helps pupils to understand the impact that they can have as global citizens.

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Pupils understand differences and different types of families. They understand discrimination as being unfair. This prepares them for life in modern Britain. Their knowledge of faiths and non-faiths is variable. Teachers need to use assessment effectively to make sure that pupils have learned and remembered key knowledge about different religions.

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The school seeks opportunities to develop staff’s expertise. Staff feel valued and supported with their workload and well-being. Governors and the local authority know the school and community well. They work together to meet the needs of their community. They strengthen leadership and provide effective support and challenge. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, assessment is underdeveloped. This means that subject leaders and teachers do not adapt the curriculum to address misconceptions or fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school should develop a consistent approach to assessment in order to understand what pupils know, address any gaps and ensure that pupils’ knowledge builds over time.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2013.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 14 and 15 November 2023

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christopher Oxer

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School details

Website www.rawmarshryecroftinfantschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a higher than average number of pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with a wide range of staff, including the headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead, the SEND coordinator and subject leaders. The inspector also met with the chair of governors, the governing body and the local authority school improvement partner.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of 14 and 15 November 2023

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lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke to pupils both formally and informally, including with some single- sex groups of pupils.  The inspector considered a variety of school documents, including minutes of governing body meetings and the school’s self-evaluation plan.  The inspector took account of the views of staff and parents through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Lesley Sullivan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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