Ribbleton Avenue Infant School

Inspection of Ribbleton Avenue Infant School Ribbleton Avenue, Preston, Lancashire PR1 5RU

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since April 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are made to feel welcome at this school, which prides itself on supporting families in the community that it serves. Respect and friendship are school values that pupils work hard to model. They appreciate their friendships with their classmates and the caring relationships that they have with staff. Pupils trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive start to their education at this school. This stems from the high levels of ambition that the school has for pupils’ learning and development. From the Nursery class onwards, pupils are well mannered and considerate towards others. Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across much of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the trips that they experience. These include visiting the beach, different places of worship and seeing a pantomime. Pupils benefit from opportunities to take on responsibilities in school. These include being part of the eco committee, becoming a member of the school council, or taking on class monitor responsibilities. Such experiences help pupils begin to understand what it means to be a good citizen.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. In a small number of subjects, refinements to the curriculum are relatively new. In these subjects, the curriculum is well thought out. However, as a result of weaknesses in the previous subject curriculum, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that remain unaddressed. Consequently, their understanding is insecure and at times this hinders these pupils’ ability to make sense of new learning and concepts.

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

The school has considered the important knowledge that pupils should learn across the curriculum, beginning in the Nursery Year. Across many subjects, the school has developed ways for teachers to check on what pupils know and remember from previous learning. Typically, teachers use all of this information well to design learning activities that build up pupils’ knowledge. That said, some of the learning activities that a few teachers design do not support pupils to successfully connect to and build on what they already know. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

Across a number of curriculum subjects, staff benefit from high-quality training that helps them to deliver the curriculum consistently. Effective training for staff also informs the well-chosen resources and support for pupils with SEND. This helps pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. This is all underpinned by the school’s systems that accurately identify the additional needs of these pupils at an early stage. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND highly value the support that the school provides for them and their children. Overall, pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for their next stage of education in junior school. 29 and 30 October 2024

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The school places a high priority on children in the Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 developing a secure knowledge of phonics. Staff teach the phonics programme consistently well. They quickly identify and support those pupils who need extra help. Pupils who are new to learning English as an additional language quickly begin to understand the different sounds that letters represent. Many pupils who speak English as an additional language develop a secure understanding of phonics by the time that they leave Year 2.

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Behaviour across the school is positive and learning is rarely interrupted. Children in the early years learn cooperatively alongside one another and follow class rules and routines well. The school has been highly effective in improving attendance following the COVID- 19 pandemic. The school’s systems and procedures swiftly pick up any attendance concerns at an early stage. The tenacious approach taken by the school helps to ensure that pupils benefit from the good standard of education that it provides.

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Pupils experience a range of opportunities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils know what to do if they see something online that upsets them. They understand what they should do in order to cross the road safely. Pupils experience activities in school that bring British values to life in an age-appropriate way, such as voting for school council members.

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Governors support and challenge the school well to improve the quality of education. They work effectively with the school to realise the agreed values. Staff are very appreciative of what the school does to support their workload and well-being. This includes being provided with the time that they need to carry out their roles effectively.

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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, some of the activities provided for pupils do not build on what they already know. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to design activities that connect learning and help pupils to build up a deep body of knowledge.  In a small number of subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge as a result of weaknesses in the previous curriculum. Some of these gaps have not been identified or addressed. Consequently, this hinders the ability of some pupils to make sense of new learning. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to identify and swiftly remedy these gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This is so that pupils can build and further strengthen their knowledge in these subjects. 29 and 30 October 2024

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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). 29 and 30 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 April 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The governing body operates a breakfast club.  The number of pupils attending the school who have English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The number of pupils attending the school who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 October 2024

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 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. 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.  The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair. He

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also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicky Parkinson Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 October 2024

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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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