Ringway Primary School

Inspection of Ringway Primary School Ringway, Guide Post, Choppington, Northumberland NE62 5YP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a good education, which prepares them well for secondary school. The curriculum strikes a fine balance between pupils’ academic learning and their individual personal development. Staff have high standards. They raise pupils’ own aspirations so that pupils, in turn, have high expectations of themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘Rainbow Values’ permeate all areas of school life. Pupils talk passionately about the importance of these values, such as respect and equality. Staff construct valuable opportunities to develop pupils’ own sense of character and citizenship. Well-planned activities and clubs help to build pupils’ self-belief and perseverance. Staff support pupils to appreciate the importance of teamwork and collaboration. As a result, pupils are well on the way to becoming active members of their community by the end of Year 6.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy life in school. They are safe and feel well cared for by staff. Pupils consistently told inspectors that bullying either never happens or is extremely rare. They trust adults to listen to their concerns, and to take them seriously. Pupils hold the school in high regard; so do parents and staff. All staff who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire said that they are proud to work at the school.

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better?

The curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge needed for future success in education. Since the previous inspection, leaders have focused on curriculum development. This work has been effective in improving the quality of education that pupils receive.

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better?

All pupils study the National Curriculum. Planning in most subjects is strong. For example, there is a precisely planned mathematics curriculum, which is well taught. Teachers help pupils to understand important mathematical concepts and secure this knowledge in their long-term memory. Teachers carefully introduce children in Nursery to early mathematics through well-planned activities. The curriculum in the foundation subjects is also generally strong. In most subjects, teachers benefit from clear and precise planning. This helps them to deliver the curriculum effectively. For example, in languages, a clearly planned curriculum is in place. Well-trained teachers help pupils build their knowledge of Spanish over time. As a result, pupils talk impressively when speaking Spanish to one another.

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better?

In a minority of subjects, the process of curriculum change is ongoing. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is sufficiently broad and ambitious in all subjects. However, some curriculum plans do not identify the key concepts that pupils should develop an understanding of over time. As a result, some pupils find it hard to articulate some subject-specific knowledge and themes. Some find it hard to connect their learning from one topic of study to another. 18 and 19 June 2024

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Some subjects are not taught continuously throughout the year. This includes history and design and technology. Important knowledge from these subjects is taught to pupils and then re-enforced through other subjects, such as art. However, this approach is not fully effective. Pupils find it hard to remember some important curriculum knowledge from subjects that are taught in this way. They can talk confidently about recent learning but find it hard to talk about important learning from the past.

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Teachers give effective support to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff swiftly identify pupils who may have additional needs. Teachers and support staff are attentive to pupils with SEND. For example, teachers carefully introduce new vocabulary to pupils with speech, language and communication needs. Staff then check pupils’ understanding of new words and phrases before moving on.

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Reading is well taught across the school. In Nursery, children are well prepared for when they begin to learn phonics. Staff in the early years nurture an interest in books among children. Phonics is prioritised in the Reception Year. Staff are sufficiently trained in the school’s phonics scheme. Pupils who need extra reading help benefit from extra reading practice with trained adults. Staff support pupils to develop a broad vocabulary across the school.

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Pupils behave sensibly. Staff in the early years help younger children get into good habits and routines. Across the school, behaviour is calm. Pupils are attentive in lessons. Staff are adept at spotting when pupils with social and emotional needs require support to stay focused in class. Pupils’ attendance is in line with national averages. Leaders have taken effective action to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils.

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Leaders have developed an effective approach to personal development. This helps pupils to become well-rounded citizens. Pupils hold mature discussions about healthy relationships. They are articulate about how they can keep themselves safe in the community. The curriculum develops pupils’ respect for different faiths, feelings and values. However, pupils do not have a secure knowledge of different religious beliefs. For example, some pupils know that Diwali is a religious festival, but do not know which religion it relates to.

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Staff consistently say that the school is well led. Inspectors agree. Areas that needed development at the previous inspection have been addressed. Leaders are focused on the right priorities for future school improvement. Governors are impressive. They keep a close eye on the work of leaders. Regular and well-focused visits to school help governors maintain strong oversight of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 and 19 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small minority of subjects, leaders have not sufficiently considered how pupils’ disciplinary knowledge should develop and deepen through the programme of study. This means that pupils do not build up their subject-specific knowledge and understanding in these subjects. The school should ensure that it develops the curriculum further in these subjects, so that pupils build up an increasingly sophisticated body of disciplinary knowledge.  Some subjects are not taught consistently throughout the year. In these subjects, the curriculum design is not strong enough to help pupils to fully secure the most important knowledge in their long-term memory. The school should ensure that the curriculum is designed and delivered in such a way that supports pupils to embed key knowledge from all subjects.  The school’s curriculum does not fully support pupils’ spiritual development. As a result, pupils have an insecure understanding of different religions, faiths and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

customs. The school should ensure that provision for pupils’ spiritual development is strengthened so that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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’ 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). 18 and 19 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Kristian Marshall

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher took up post after the previous inspection.  Since the previous inspection, the school has established a nursery provision for two- and three-year-old children.  At the time of this inspection, no alternative provision was being used by the school.

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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

 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. 18 and 19 June 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, members of the local governing body and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors spoke with staff from across the school, including teachers and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also heard several pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also visited lessons in other subjects and reviewed curriculum documentation relating to design and technology. They spoke to pupils about their learning from across the curriculum. Inspectors also spent time in the early years, including the two- and three-year-old provision.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection as well as observing lunchtime arrangements and visiting the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and parents given through Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Graham Findlay, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Mitchinson Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 June 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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