School report

Riccall Community Primary School

Coppergate, Riccall, York, North Yorkshire, YO19 6PF

Inspection dates

1112 December 2012

Previous inspection:

Satisfactory

This inspection:

Good

Achievement of pupils

Good

Quality of teaching

Good

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Good

Leadership and management

Good

Overall effectiveness

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.
Pupils make good progress. Standards are
above average in English and mathematics.
Standards are particularly high in reading and
writing. The majority of pupils in Year 6 are
two to three years ahead of the standards
expected of pupils of similar age.
Good leadership of teaching has made
teaching better since the last inspection.
There is good teaching in every class.
Lessons are interesting and thoughtprovoking. Pupils agree, School makes you
think about things and teachers help you
when you get stuck.
Pupils behave well in lessons and around the
school. Attendance is above average.

Pupils feel safe. They know about the different

types of bullying. They are confident that
adults will help them if they are worried about
anything.
Senior leaders are good at checking what the
school does well and what it needs to do next
to improve further.
Governors support and challenge in equal
measures and do all they can to help.
Parents are closely involved in their childrens
learning and progress.
These factors produce a happy, learning
community where everyone embraces the
school motto: Be the best that we can be.

It is not yet an outstanding school because

Aspects of teaching mathematics are not as
strong as they should be and so standards
are generally a little lower than they are in
English.

Leaders and managers have not yet carried

out an audit of mathematics to establish
exactly where pupils have gaps in their
knowledge. This slows pupils progress at
times.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors observed 15 lessons or parts of lessons taught by seven teachers. They also
watched teaching assistants teach small groups from most classes.
The inspection team observed lessons when pupils were taught how letters and sounds link
together (phonics) and guided reading lessons when they heard pupils read and discuss books.
The inspectors looked at pupils English and mathematics books in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 to check
the standards of their work and how much progress pupils had made since the start of term.
In addition, a group of Year 6 pupils read some of their writing to the lead inspector. They talked
about the books they liked to read and discussed what helped them to learn generally and what
they found difficult in mathematics.
The inspectors held meetings with two groups of pupils, the headteacher, staff and the Chair of
the Governing Body. The lead inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative from
the local authority.
The inspection team looked at a range of documentation supplied by the school. This included
information relating to safeguarding, attendance, the schools evaluations of teaching and pupils
progress.
The inspection took account of the 25 parents views in the online questionnaire (Parent View),
letters written by parents and a telephone conversation with a parent.

Inspection team
Lesley Clark, Lead inspector

Additional Inspector

Peter Allen

Additional Inspector

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Full report
Information about this school
This school is a little smaller than the average-sized primary school.
Most pupils are White British. A few come from other European countries and Kenya.
The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average.
An above-average proportion of pupils have a statement of special educational needs.
The proportion of pupils supported at school action and school action plus is broadly average.
The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectation
for pupils attainment and progress.
A third of staff have changed since the last inspection.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Improve the overall teaching of mathematics and its leadership by:
carrying out a thorough audit of mathematics to show precisely where pupils have gaps in
their knowledge
making sure that teachers use this information to fill these gaps quickly so that pupils build
securely on what they know and understand
ensuring that quick-fire questions at the start of lessons challenge the more-able pupils
mental calculation skills
improving pupils presentation in mathematics so they can check their work easily and make
fewer mistakes
enabling pupils to apply and use mathematics in other subjects.

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Inspection judgements
The achievement of pupils

is good

Pupils achieve well. They make good progress from their different starting points. Typically,
almost all pupils reach the level expected in national tests at the end of Year 6 in English and
mathematics. Half the pupils do better than this. About a fifth of pupils read and write at an
exceptional level for their age and a few are working at a high level in mathematics.
Pupils who have special educational needs and those who are known to be eligible for the pupil
premium make good progress. Typically, they do better than similar pupils nationally. The gap
between the performance of pupils in receipt of the pupil-premium funding and all pupils
nationally is negligible. The school therefore promotes equality of opportunity and tackles
discrimination well.
Reception children make good progress. They have a wide variety of activities to choose from,
all of which promote good learning. For example, some children used the interactive whiteboard
to practise their counting skills while others made snowmen out of scrap paper or built a sledge
together outside in the building site. These activities develop their physical, creative, social,
reasoning and problem-solving skills well.
Pupils make rapid progress in learning early literacy skills. This is because they have a good
grounding, from Reception onwards, in understanding how letters and sounds link together.
They have a lot of practice in reading and writing because they use these skills in most subjects.
Pupils read fluently and with good understanding. Pupils in Year 4 had a lively debate about
whether a character in a story they were reading should run away or not. They gave convincing
reasons for their views, for example, There are consequences if you run away. By Year 6, pupils
read classic fiction confidently, recommending and swapping books with each other and talking
about ideas in depth.
Pupils writing is of a similarly high quality. By Year 3, pupils are beginning to write at length and
use a wide vocabulary. By Year 6, pupils write with an awareness of audience. Gripping openings
and well-punctuated, varied sentences hold the readers attention.
Pupils say that they find it helpful to use checklists. They like reading each others work,
Because youre reading it at your level. For example, average-attaining pupils pointed out,
Space it out more, it will be easier to read. They do not check each others work in
mathematics. Poor presentation in mathematics makes it harder for pupils to check their work
and to avoid making careless errors.
Generally, pupils progress is more uneven in mathematics. It occasionally dips when pupils have
gaps in their knowledge. This means that pupils need to spend time revising intensively in Year 6
rather than extending their knowledge and skills further. The more-able pupils sometimes take it
a bit easy at the start of lessons because the tasks do not challenge their mental calculation
skills. The large majority of pupils choose to do the more challenging options in the main part of
lessons. Their progress accelerates at this point.

The quality of teaching

is good

The staff in the Reception and Year 1 classes work well as a team to ensure they meet the
needs of each child. In both classes, there is a good balance of adult-led activities and those
chosen by the children themselves. This helps the children to develop the skill of working things
out for themselves, a feature of which supports pupils learning well further up the school.
Good features in lessons include making clear to pupils what they are expected to learn and
giving pupils time to review at the end of lessons what they have learnt. Teachers use question
and answer sessions well to generate in-depth discussions.
Teachers have good subject knowledge and so they are able to explain ideas clearly and
confidently. The impact is seen in well-organised phonics teaching leading to pupils advanced
literacy skills.

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The teaching of reading and writing is a strength. Teachers read childrens fiction avidly. This
sparks pupils enthusiasm for reading and generates interesting discussions as teachers and
pupils swap books and ideas. Marking in English is very effective and fully involves pupils. This
means they know just what to do to improve their work.
The teaching in mathematics is less consistent. On occasions, teachers miss opportunities to
challenge the more-able pupils at the start of lessons. Teachers accept poor presentation in
mathematics, even though their marking frequently picks up that pupils do not check their work
well enough.
Teachers promote pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through their high
expectations of behaviour and encouraging pupils to work collaboratively. Consequently, pupils
work productively in pairs or groups.
Teaching assistants play a key role in enabling pupils with special educational needs, those
known to be eligible for the pupil premium and, on occasion, gifted and talented pupils to make
good progress. They have a significant impact on pupils learning and development.

The behaviour and safety of pupils

are good

Pupils are polite and welcoming. They clearly love coming to school and enjoy all it has to offer,
as shown by their punctuality and above average attendance.
Pupils are well-behaved in lessons. They are sociable and friendly and cooperate well with one
another. For example, Year 3 pupils enjoyed working out spelling rules with a partner and then
applying them to different words they knew.
Pupils have good, but not exemplary, attitudes to learning. Although, in the main, they work
quite hard, on occasions, pupils are content to carry on conversations and take a more leisurely
approach to tasks. They do not always take pride in their work and some of their work in books,
especially in mathematics, is untidy.
Pupils readily take on responsibilities around the school. Year 6 pupils get a taste of adult life
when they apply for their jobs in school, as well as having a real purpose for writing well. The
school council manages a budget for purchasing playground toys. Play leaders, playground
buddies and eco-warriors make a good contribution to cheerful break times.
All these help to make a friendly school, characterised by good relationships between pupils and
between adults and pupils.
The curriculum ensures that pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and
others safe. Pupils know how to use computers and the internet safely.
Pupils say that the school is successful in creating a community where bullying is not tolerated.
They are very sure that there is no racism or homophobic bullying. They explained, The school
teaches us that everyone should be treated the same.

The leadership and management

are good

The headteacher gives an excellent lead to raising achievement and improving the quality of
education for pupils.
Senior leaders have a clear picture of the schools strengths and weaknesses. Improvement
planning is based on careful checks of what works well and what needs to be developed further.
Improvements since the last inspection include: revitalising outdoor play provision for Reception
children, better identification and provision for pupils with special educational needs and high
writing standards across the school.
Despite these clear strengths, the leadership and management are not yet outstanding. This is
because some aspects of leadership, for example, of those staff who take responsibility for
leading subjects, are still developing. As a result improvement planning for mathematics is not
as precise as it should be. Leaders have not yet carried out a thorough audit of mathematics to
show exactly where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. As a result pupils who need extra help

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with a specific area of mathematics sometimes miss out because interventions are not
sufficiently precise or immediate.
The leadership of teaching has successfully brought about greater consistency in teaching
quality. School leaders regularly check teaching quality through lesson observations and looking
at pupils work in books. They are well aware that mathematics is the next area to concentrate
on. Their recent observations reflect those of this inspection.
The school uses performance-management targets well to ensure that all staff are more
accountable. These are linked to salary progression. Staff are increasingly involved in checking
how well their pupils are doing over time. Pupils get a lot out of their pupil/teacher interviews.
These help pupils to review their progress and set their own targets.
Pupils are provided with a curriculum which in the main meets their different needs but they do
not have enough opportunities to improve their mathematics skills by practising them in different
subjects.
School leaders ensure that safeguarding arrangements keep staff and pupils safe.
The local authority gives basic level support to this good school. It uses the expertise available in
this school to support teachers returning to classroom teaching in other schools.
The governance of the school:
Governors are increasingly involved in evaluating the schools performance. They know about
the quality of teaching and have a thorough understanding of how performance management
is used. This makes a good contribution to pupils learning. Their role has developed
considerably over the past two years and they now hold the school much more to account.
The governors have a very good understanding of the budget. They have made sensible
decisions as to how pupil premium money is spent. For example, governors have authorised
increasing the level of support for groups and individuals to help close the gaps between
different pupils performance. As a result pupils across the school achieve well.

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What inspection judgements mean

School
Grade

Judgement

Description

Grade 1

Outstanding

An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes

that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils needs. This ensures
that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their
education, training or employment.

Grade 2

Good

A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well

for all its pupils needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage
of their education, training or employment.

Grade 3

Requires
improvement

A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it

is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within
24 months from the date of this inspection.

Grade 4

Inadequate

A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and

requires significant improvement but leadership and management
are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular
monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.
A school that requires special measures is one where the school is
failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and
the schools leaders, managers or governors have not
demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary
improvement in the school. This school will receive regular
monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

Inspection report: Riccall Community Primary School, 1112 December 2012

School details
Unique reference number

121457

Local authority

North Yorkshire

Inspection number

402023

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

Type of school

Primary

School category

Community

Age range of pupils

411

Gender of pupils

Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll

193

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair

Peter Northrop

Headteacher

Sam OBrien

Date of previous school inspection

18 January 2010

Telephone number

01757 248234

Fax number

01757 248575

Email address

[email protected]

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