Rushmere Hall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Rushmere Hall Primary School Lanark Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 3EJ

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Paul Fykin. This school is part of the Eko Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running this school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Rebekah Iiyambo, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Philipa King.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that all staff have high aspirations for them. They appreciate the individual care and attention they are given so they can succeed both academically and socially. Pupils benefit from consistently high-quality support from adults, who find ways to make learning accessible to all. Pupils achieve well at this school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met exceptionally well. This includes pupils from the specialist resource bases.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit significantly from the array of opportunities to enrich their learning further. Leaders ensure that all pupils can access these wider experiences. Pupils enjoy singing and playing musical instruments such as ukeleles and violins. They are continuously encouraged to develop their interests and career aspirations. They learn about different career pathways through visits from successful ex-pupils. Pupils develop their leadership skills through roles as house captains, dining room helpers and school councillors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe at school. Behaviour is calm and sensible. Pupils engage consistently well in lessons. They listen to their teachers and respond with enthusiasm. They show high levels of respect for each other. At social times, pupils play well together. Children in the early years also get off to a great start. Staff make sure they quickly and securely know the routines, which helps all pupils to feel settled and happy. 30 and 31 January 2024

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

The school is determined that all pupils will achieve. It proactively and successfully finds solutions to any barriers to learning pupils may have. The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It is meticulously thought through and well planned. It sets out explicitly the knowledge pupils will learn step by step, starting in the early years. Pupils build on learning logically as they work through each stage of the curriculum.

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

Teachers show strong and secure subject knowledge. They use this well to break down difficult concepts to support pupils’ understanding. Teachers skilfully provide tailored resources and make adaptations to learning activities, so all pupils are successful. Pupils with SEND also receive highly effective support. Pupils follow the curriculum consistently well across all year groups.

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

Staff precisely check that pupils can remember what they have learned. They provide opportunities for pupils to recall prior knowledge. Pupils can refer back to key concepts they have learned. If there are gaps in knowledge, then these are usually very quickly identified and addressed. Work is well matched to what pupils need to learn. Leaders also check books regularly to ensure that pupils are following the curriculum as intended. Sometimes, a few pupils need reminders about accurate grammar when writing independently. Leaders have this in hand.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school has carefully selected the books pupils will study from early years to Year 6. This means pupils read a rich range of texts, including from other cultures, that they may not otherwise experience. In early years and the specialist resource bases, there is a sharp focus on children’s communication and language skills. Staff are expert at promoting children’s early language development. This helps them get off to a very positive start with their early reading. Adults are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. They support pupils to learn sounds and read fluently. When pupils read, adults address errors quickly. They put support in place immediately, ensuring that no one falls behind. As pupils develop their skills, they read increasingly complex texts fluently and accurately. All pupils have books that closely match their ability. A love of reading is fostered through interesting displays, well-stocked libraries

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

The school thinks deeply about pupils’ personal development. Leaders carefully track pupils’ engagement in the enrichment offer. They make changes to ensure there is something for everyone to take part in, including for pupils with SEND.

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

Pupils, including in early years, are specifically taught how to express feelings and emotions calmly and rationally. This means any conflicts are resolved quickly. Pupils learn about staying safe online. They know how to keep physically and mentally healthy. The school’s family inclusion team runs an inclusion café. This is a safe place for pupils who struggle, particularly at social times. The team works hard to build strong relationships with pupils and their families. It helps families to secure extra support when needed, and it supports pupils to attend school regularly. 30 and 31 January 2024

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Trustees and governors know the school very well. They provide timely support and expert challenge to ensure the school maintains its high standards. Staff feel well supported to carry out their roles. They receive the help they need to manage their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 predecessor school, Rushmere Hall Primary, 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.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Website www.rushmerehallprimaryschool.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Eko Trust, which it joined on 9 April 2021.  The school hosts two specialist teaching bases on behalf of Suffolk County Council. One is the hearing specialist base and the other the speech and language hub. Suffolk County Council oversees the admissions for these bases. The pupils who attend are on the school roll.  There are before- and after- school childcare clubs run by the school.  The school does not use any alternative education 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered 30 and 31 January 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers, support staff and the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met with the CEO and leader of education of the trust. They also met with three trustees and the chair and vice-chair of the local governing board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at work in pupils’ books. Inspectors heard pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also looked at a range of work in books for other subjects.  Inspectors met with staff to talk about the curriculum, workload, safeguarding and the behaviour and personal development of pupils. They also met with groups of pupils to

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talk about learning and well-being.  Inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement and minutes of meetings of the local governing board and the trust. Attendance records were checked.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtimes and at the wraparound care. Inspectors talked to pupils about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  Inspectors considered the 91 online responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’ online questionnaire for parents, including 48 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the 62 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and 81 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Karen Stanton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Heather Hann Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 January 2024

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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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