Ben Rhydding Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ben Rhydding Primary School Bolling Road, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 8QH

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Outcome

Ben Rhydding Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Ben Rhydding Primary School are taught to show empathy, curiosity and courage both inside and outside of school. Older pupils are ‘buddies’ for children in the early years and support them on educational visits and during their reading sessions. Pupils value, respect and engage with their local community and environment. A regular gardening club, singing for residents in a nearby care home and litter picking arranged by pupils all demonstrate the caring nature of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious that every pupil will achieve their best. Parents comment on how staff regularly go above and beyond to do the best for pupils. Children in the early years demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning that grows as they progress through school. Because staff know pupils well and there is high-quality pastoral support available, pupils feel safe and happy and love to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to their education are excellent. Pupils respond well to staff questions and demonstrate a thirst for knowledge. Opportunities to learn beyond the classroom are frequent. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about visits to local activity centres, nature reserves, museums and the theatre. Pupils develop a deep knowledge and respect for those who are different from themselves. The school is a kind and tolerant place where pupils’ individuality and success are recognised and celebrated.

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

The school regularly reviews their curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have considered the most important knowledge, skills and vocabulary they intend pupils to learn in each subject. Pupils’ work is of a high quality. In art and design, pupils’ sketchbooks demonstrate how their skills and knowledge have improved over time. Pupils take pride in their work. They are increasingly confident when drawing, painting and 9 and 10 July 2024

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printing. However, the curriculum provides fewer opportunities for pupils to practise their sculpture work. This limits pupils’ breadth of knowledge in this area of the curriculum.

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Staff promote high-quality conversations in classrooms. In mathematics, for example, pupils consider and discuss complex problems. Staff expertly guide pupils towards a solution. The school has implemented a ‘prosody’ curriculum, which ensures pupils can speak, read and write confidently. Published outcomes for reading and writing are strong.

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Pupils’ recall of what they have been taught is very secure in most cases. However, there are sometimes missed opportunities for staff to check what pupils have understood and remembered. This is particularly the case in some foundation subjects where pupils have not mastered the same wide range of vocabulary and skills that they have elsewhere in the curriculum. This results in pupils not having the same depth of knowledge and understanding in some subjects as they do in others.

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Pupils read a wide range of texts on a regular basis. Pupils talk enthusiastically about reading. Leaders ensure that pupils learn to read as soon as they join the school. The early years environment includes many opportunities for children to use letters and language. Pupils who are at an early stage of learning to read get the support they require to read with confidence. Staff are skilled and knowledgeable. Regular training ensures that the phonics scheme is consistently well implemented.

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The early years setting at the school is exciting and well resourced. Learning is precisely planned to develop specific skills and knowledge. For example, staff help children to understand quantity through the use of measuring equipment in the sand and water areas. Formal learning includes regular opportunities to read, write and work with numbers. Children are proud of the work they produce. Much of this is kept in school, and children talk about it enthusiastically when interacting with adults. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education because they can communicate well, write and use numbers with confidence.

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The school’s wider curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. It teaches them the importance of good physical and mental health. Pupils understand what constitutes a healthy relationship and how to communicate how they feel from an early age. Pupils are strong advocates for those who are less fortunate than themselves. They regularly take part in charity and community work. The school teaches pupils how to avoid danger to themselves and others. This includes water, road and internet safety.

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Staff are supportive and caring towards one another as well as pupils. They are proud to work at the school. Leaders’ approach to school improvement is well considered. The school ensures that changes have time to become embedded before moving on to the next stage. Staff say that this helps them manage their workload. Professional development opportunities ensure that staff develop a wide range of knowledge and skills to support the school’s priorities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 9 and 10 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to assessment, particularly in the foundation subjects, is underdeveloped. This means that sometimes, staff do not identify whether pupils have developed the depth of knowledge and vocabulary that is intended. The school should ensure staff consistently check that pupils have a deep and secure understanding of what they have been taught and that suitable adjustments are made to the curriculum where this is not the case.

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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 school to be good in July 2019.

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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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and several other senior leaders are new to their roles.  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 received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector also spoke with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, art and design and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils and teachers 9 and 10 July 2024

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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 observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at breaktimes, at lunchtimes and in lessons. The inspector also spoke to pupils about behaviour and bullying. The inspector spoke with leaders, teachers and pupils about the school’s programme of personal development and careers provision.  The inspector considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. This includes the comments submitted via the free-text facility. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

John Linkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 9 and 10 July 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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