The Middle Rasen Primary School

Inspection of a good school: The Middle Rasen Primary School North Street, Middle Rasen, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire LN8 3TS

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Outcome

The Middle Rasen Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Middle Rasen Primary School is a small school with a big heart. Pupils say that they feel happy and safe. The majority of parents and carers agree. Pupils trust adults to help them if they need it. The staff know the pupils well and have high expectations of their behaviour, which pupils live up to. One parent captured the views of many when they said: ‘This is a really happy school. My child likes coming, and I feel the school helps them to do well.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school emphasises kindness, respect, determination, honesty and tolerance. Pupils are knowledgeable about different faiths, backgrounds and ways of life. They say that everyone is treated fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. Pupils are doing particularly well in their reading. Successes are celebrated, whether that be from within the classroom or outside. Pupils enjoy playing together in the spacious grounds. They can take on leadership roles and responsibilities within the school. They can play a role in their local village community, for example by getting involved in local charity work.

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

Pupil numbers have increased over recent years. The school has reorganised classes and reviewed their curriculum thinking in response to this. The new curriculum is ambitious. The knowledge that pupils learn is mostly set out in a logical order for each year. The school’s curriculum identifies the most important knowledge that pupils must learn in most subjects. This helps teachers know what to emphasise. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculums do not include all of the academic knowledge that pupils need to learn. In these subjects, there is an emphasis on learning facts rather than the most important concepts and skills that pupils need to build over time. 8 May 2024

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The school checks what pupils have learned, especially in reading, writing and mathematics. It works in partnerships with other schools to make sure their assessments are accurate.

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The reading curriculum is strong. The chosen phonics programme uses a variety of methods, such as the use of colour. This works well for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All teaching staff are trained well in how to deliver the programme accurately. They follow the agreed approach, starting at the beginning of the Reception Year. Staff are alert to any pupils who are falling behind. They provide extra support in smaller groups for pupils who need it, including pupils in key stage 2. The school encourages pupils to read increasingly challenging texts once they become fluent readers, including a wide range of novels, poetry and non-fiction. This enables them to become proficient readers. As a result, pupils enjoy reading and older pupils are well prepared for key stage 3.

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In mathematics, the detailed curriculum sets out what pupils should know, and be able to do, in each year. What children learn in Reception prepares them well for what comes next. The school identified that older pupils were not reaching the highest standards by the end of Year 6. They acted swiftly, introducing a strategy for pupils to be able to use and apply what they have learned in mathematics more frequently. This has been successful. The school now plans to embed this strategy across the school.

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The number of pupils with an education, health and care plan attending the school has grown over recent years. Most pupils with SEND are thriving in this mainstream setting. They are welcomed into the classroom and they play a full part in the life of the school. Teachers make sure that pupils with SEND can learn the same things as their classmates, for example by adapting the resources they provide. When appropriate, additional adults work closely with pupils who need extra support.

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Almost all pupils attend well. Attendance has been improving over the last three years. The school makes expectations of good attendance clear to both families and pupils. They work well with parents to improve their children’s attendance.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn about a range of different faiths, beliefs and ways of life. They develop leadership skills. For example, some pupils become members of the school council or well-being champions. Pupils talked knowledgeably about protected characteristics and the law. Pupils are kind and helpful to each other.

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Staff praise leaders’ consideration of their workload. They are proud to work at the school.

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There is strong and ambitious leadership in the governing body. Governors bring a range of knowledge and skills, which they draw upon to support their work in the school. They visit the school and hold leaders to account on the different aspects of their work. They listen to parents’ concerns and views and factor them into the decisions they make about school developments. 8 May 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the curriculums do not include all the academic knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that teachers prioritise the acquisition of facts over pupils’ knowledge and understanding of underlying concepts and disciplinary skills in these subjects. The school should ensure that the full range of knowledge specified is logically sequenced as part of the school’s curriculum thinking for all subjects, so that pupils achieve as well as they could.  The strategies for ensuring pupils can use and apply the mathematical knowledge they have learned are still in their early stages. They have not yet been widely implemented across the school. As a result, pupils are not all achieving as well as they could in mathematics. The school should continue to implement these strategies so that the successes seen this year with older pupils are built upon and have an impact on all

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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 October 2014.

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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. 8 May 2024

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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). 8 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils on roll at the school has increased since the last inspection.  The school does not use 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 received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors undertook deep dives into early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors 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. 8 May 2024

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 The inspectors observed and spoke with pupils and staff during breaks and around the school site.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including curriculum plans for other subjects, and the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The lead inspector met with governors and discussed minutes from meetings held by those responsible for governance.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires and information provided in a letter from a parent, and spoke with parents at the start of the day.  The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority on the telephone.

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Inspection team

Jo Ward, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Edmonds Ofsted Inspector 8 May 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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