Rainow Primary School

Inspection of Rainow Primary School Round Meadow, Rainow, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 5UB

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending this picturesque village school. Their exemplary attitudes are underpinned by the school’s six learning values. Pupils feel safe and happy. They are celebrated for their individuality. The supportive, caring relationships that staff form with them allow pupils to flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has extremely high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), consistently live up to or exceed these expectations. This is reflected in the exceptional way that they discuss and debate what they have learned. Pupils across the school achieve remarkably well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in the vast array of enrichment activities that the school provides. The school makes the best use of its beautiful grounds to deepen pupils’ understanding and enhance learning. For example, pupils learn orienteering skills in their woodland and field. They use the stream running through the woods for their geography and science activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In addition, pupils benefit from carefully programmed trips to local venues such as the transport museum and the theatre. From Year 2 to Year 6, pupils enjoy yearly residential trips to Whitby, Wales and the Yorkshire Dales. These experiences help to broaden pupils’ horizons and develop their social skills.

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

The school is extremely ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. It has carefully considered the important knowledge that pupils should learn at each stage and in each subject. It has then enhanced this to deepen learning. This broad and balanced curriculum flows seamlessly from the beginning of the early years to the end of Year 6.

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

Staff at the school are experienced and have benefited from high-quality ongoing curriculum training. As a result, they design curriculum content extremely well and ensure that it is delivered as intended. Staff are adept at swiftly identifying pupils’ misconceptions and misunderstandings. They use the school’s checking strategies well to identify where pupils may have gaps in their knowledge and to shape their future learning.

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

Pupils are given regular opportunities to recall and retrieve their learning so that it becomes embedded in their memories. Over time, pupils develop an exceptionally deep body of knowledge that interconnects between subjects.

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

Children start learning phonics as soon as they begin the Reception Year. If pupils struggle with reading, skilled staff provide effective support to help them to catch up quickly. Most pupils become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2. They speak excitedly about their favourite stories. Older pupils read widely from a diverse range of texts and authors. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Pupils with SEND are quickly identified by skilled staff. The school provides bespoke training to staff who support pupils with SEND. Staff make necessary adaptations to their teaching to enable pupils with SEND to learn successfully. These pupils are fully involved in all aspects of school life and achieve well.

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Pupils and children in the early years display a real thirst for learning and show extraordinary independence and resilience. They follow clear routines which enable them to move around the school sensibly and safely.

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Throughout the school, attendance rates are high. The school prioritises maintaining this. The trusting relationships that staff build with families help to identify where support is needed. This lessens any potential dips in attendance.

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The school offers a comprehensive range of experiences to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn to celebrate the differences between people. Pupils are proud to carry out leadership roles such as being Rainow rep school councillors, planet protectors and sports leaders. The school wholeheartedly encourages pupils to take the lead in community events, such as the Christmas fair. This enables them to experience and value the feeling of giving back to the community, which they equate with well-being. Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They understand the concept of consent and what makes a healthy relationship. They also know about different religions and cultures. As such, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governors have an extensive skill set that equips them to oversee the school successfully. They know the school and community well. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and support staff and leaders’ well-being successfully. Staff are immensely proud to work in the school. They feel valued and listened to. They greatly appreciate how well their workload is considered by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 June 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school manages an on-site breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any 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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 The lead inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff. She also met with members of the local governing board, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history 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.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector observed some pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar adult.  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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and breaktimes. They also spoke with pupils about their experiences of school.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ruth Moran, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Swift Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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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