Ryhope Junior School

108787 Unique Reference Number Sunderland LEA 278045 Inspection number 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 Inspection dates Mr Michael Onyon Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Shaftesbury Avenue School address Junior Type of school Ryhope Community School category Sunderland, Tyne and Wear 7 to 11 Age range of pupils 0191 5536275 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0191 5536277 Fax number 235 Number on roll Mrs Mary Fairclough Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Miller Headteacher 1 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278045 7 November 2005 - 7 to 11 8 November 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average size junior school providing education for boys and girls aged between 7 and 11 years. It is situated in a mixed socio-economic area. Overall attainment as pupils start school is close to average. No pupils come from minority ethnic groups. A below average proportion of pupils has learning difficulties. Very few pupils leave or join the school at times other than the usual times. The headteacher has been in post for twelve months.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ryhope Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. This judgement matches the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness. Parents have confidence in the school and it is held in high regard in the area. Teaching is good and enables pupils to make good progress and leave school with high standards. Pupils’ personal development is good and they are very welcoming and proud of their school. They enjoy school because staff are particularly good at helping them feel secure and valued. The school has overcome its previously identified weaknesses; standards have risen and are now high in most subjects. Standards in writing are not as high as those in reading, mathematics and science. Not enough writing is done outside of literacy lessons. New assessment procedures have been introduced. They do not yet do enough to help pupils understand what they need to improve. The headteacher has successfully taken over the reins of leadership and has

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Grade: 2

guided the school well since his appointment twelve months ago. All staff and the supportive governors work together as a team and the school is well placed to move forward. It provides good value for money. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the quality of writing by enabling pupils to use the skills they develop in literacy to support their learning in other subjects. • Involve pupils in setting targets and evaluating their learning so that they understand fully what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children start school with standards typical for their age. Pupils of all abilities, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, make good progress. They enjoy school and reach standards higher than those expected by the end of Year 6. Results in the national tests in English, mathematics and science are consistently good. Overall results in the 2005 national tests were very good with a high proportion of pupils gaining the higher level results in mathematics and science. Although these results are above average, performance in the writing elements of English has not been as good as that in reading. Consequently, the test results in English have not been as good as those in mathematics and science. The school has begun to tackle the issue of writing by starting to track the progress of individual pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school very much, and this is confirmed by their good attendance, good behaviour and the pride they show in their work. They have very positive attitudes to learning because lessons are interesting. 2 Inspection Report: Ryhope Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 Pupils have very good opportunities to contribute to the life of the school and wider community through initiatives such as the monitor system and the school council, together with the many fund raising event and community projects. These activities prepare them well for their future economic well-being Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils have good social skills and take good care of each other. They show an understanding of other faiths and beliefs, and the difficulties faced by communities affected by natural disasters. The strong community spirit within the school contributes very well to their

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Grade: 2

secure feeling of well-being. Pupils understanding of staying safe and living healthy lives are promoted well, and other professionals are effectively involved in this aspect of the school’s work.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. The teaching promotes learning well because teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan lessons that successfully build on prior learning, and challenge pupils to improve. The lessons start promptly and proceed at a brisk pace. All pupils progress at a good rate because work is matched well to the needs of different groups. The teaching assistants contribute well to learning, working well with the teachers. Pupils say that they enjoy their learning. They are confident that staff care about them and that they will be given the help they need to succeed. Lessons are well planned and the tasks set interest pupils and motivate them to learn even more. As a result they work hard in lessons and take pride in the work that they do. The teachers are now aware that some opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills outside literacy lessons are missed. Teaching contributes well to pupils’ personal development. Relationships are very

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Grade: 2

good. Staff listen to pupils and they value their ideas, therefore pupils involve themselves in lessons and ask for help when it is needed. Assessment is used well to identify the individual needs of learners but it has yet to involve the pupils themselves. They are not involved in finding out what they should do to improve and in setting targets to make the improvements.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is broad and varied, meeting all statutory requirements and reflecting the needs and interests of pupils well. The formal curriculum is enriched by a good range of out-of-hours learning opportunities in clubs, sport and community events. These activities are appreciated by pupils and they contribute well to their learning. 3 Inspection Report: Ryhope Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 Visits also extend the curriculum. A visit by Year 6 pupils to ‘Derwent Hill’ contributed very well to their personal development by providing high levels of challenge in safe but unknown situations. One pupil said, ‘I thought I couldn’t do it, but I did... I will remember it forever.’ The curriculum promotes high standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT, and provides many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, and to work with others. Some teachers make good use of links between subjects to provide a purpose for

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Grade: 2

learning that is relevant to the pupils. This is not consistent across the school and as a result there are some missed opportunities for children to apply the skills learned in one subject in order to support their learning in other lessons.

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Grade: 2

This aspect of the school’s work is good. All statutory procedures are in place. Pupils are confident to approach any adult for help, knowing they will be listened to and supported. Good efforts are made to minimise risks and eliminate dangers in all aspects of learning. From the youngest age, pupils become aware of the importance of behaving safely. Pupils are confident, articulate and caring. This stems from the very positive ethos that exists across the school. Pupils take responsibility for the well-being of others, influenced by the very positive role models that staff provide. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure in school, confident that any difficulties that arise will be dealt with quickly by staff.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have the children’s academic achievement and personal development at heart, and these priorities are shared by teachers and support staff. Equality of opportunity is strongly promoted and the management of the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is good. Since his appointment, twelve months ago, the headteacher has created a strong ethos and the school is now beginning to take up what the headteacher describes as, ‘exciting opportunities’ for the school in working with a network of local schools. The school knows its strengths and areas for improvement because it is self-critical and listens to the opinions of others, including parents and pupils. There is a clear understanding of what needs to be done, for example to develop writing and to involve pupils more in target setting. There is a commitment to raising standards. Governors discharge their responsibilities

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Grade: 2

well. Several new governors have recently been appointed and the school plans to involve them fully in monitoring and evaluating its performance. Subject leaders have shown that they can remove weaknesses and improve attainment. The schools’ 4 Inspection Report: Ryhope Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 improvement plan indicates that they are to be involved in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. The rising trend in standards is evidence of the work of the strong team now in place and the school’s capacity to improve is good. 5 Inspection Report: Ryhope Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Ryhope Junior School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk Ryhope Junior School Shaftesbury Avenue Ryhope Sunderland Tyne and Wear SR2 0RT November 2005 Dear Children Thank you for your warm welcome during our visit to your school. We very much enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn. These are the things we liked most. You work hard and make good progress in your learning. We agree with you that teachers make your lessons interesting and enjoyable. You are friendly and kind to each other and willingly help others, especially the younger pupils and those less fortunate than yourselves. You are encouraged to be healthy and you take the opportunities that your school gives you to help make decisions. The headteacher, staff and governors manage the school well. They understand what it does well and what it needs to improve. This is what we have asked your school to do now.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Let you do more writing in all your subjects so that it can be even better. Involve you more in setting targets for your learning so that you know what you have to do to improve. With best wishes, Michael Onyon School inspector Annex B

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