Lancaster Ryelands Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Ryelands is a welcoming school. Pupils said that they have fun and enjoy attending school.

Pupils like their learning activities. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. These expectations are reflected in the effective curriculum that leaders have designed for all pupils, including children in the early years.

Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about Ryelands being a 'reading school'.

Leaders and staff truly care about the pupils who attend the school. They know pupils' backgrounds and interests well.

Curriculum thinking is underpinned by a shared goal that every individual is respected, valued and nurtured.

There is a strong s...ense of community at the school. Pupils are proud to state that everybody at the school is treated equally.

Pupils learn to respect and understand differences between themselves and other people, including those from different backgrounds and cultures.

Pupils behave well across the school because teachers have high expectations right from the start of children's entry into the Nursery class. Pupils said that they feel safe at school and that staff deal swiftly with any bullying.

Pupils learn to persevere when they initially encounter difficulties, because of the skilful support of staff.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that reflects their high aspirations for all pupils to succeed, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make effective use of the local area in order to bring the school curriculum to life.

Teachers use the subject curriculums well to prepare appropriate learning activities.

In most subjects, leaders have ordered what pupils will learn in a logical manner. This helps pupils to build on what they have been taught before.

As a result, pupils achieve well in these subjects. However, in a small number of other subjects, the curriculums are not as well ordered. This means that teachers are not sure of what needs to be taught and when this should happen.

This hinders pupils' progress through the curriculum.

Leaders make certain that all staff place a great emphasis on celebrating reading and teaching pupils to read. The new library, centred at the heart of the school, is inviting and well used.

Children learn how to read as soon as they start school. Leaders have adopted a systematic approach to phonics teaching and assessment.If some pupils fall behind, trained adults give them extra help to catch up quickly.

Teachers make sure that pupils read books that match their phonics knowledge. As a result, most pupils read with increasing accuracy and fluency.

In all year groups, including the early years, teachers regularly check what pupils have learned and remembered across most of the curriculum.

They provide additional support where needed. This enables pupils to build successfully on their skills and knowledge from early years to Year 6.

Leaders work closely with staff in early years and across the rest of the school to identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

Effective support is in place to support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND receive timely updates about their children's learning.

Leaders have trained staff well to deal with pupils' behaviour in a consistent manner.

Pupils follow the rules and show positive attitudes to their learning. This means that pupils, including those with SEND, can get on with learning the curriculum without distraction.

Leaders and teachers plan a wide range of opportunities through the school year for pupils' wider learning.

Pupils get regular opportunities to develop as responsible and respectful citizens. Pupils attend a wide range of extra-curricular activities which complement their classroom learning.

School leaders know what is working well at the school and what needs to improve.

The experienced governing body share leaders' aspirations for pupils' success. Governors ask leaders searching questions, so that they have an accurate view of the school.

Teachers are fully involved in deciding how best to adapt and strengthen the education that pupils receive.

Staff appreciate how leaders have brought about improvement while at the same time looking after their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The whole school team is committed to ensuring that pupils are safeguarded.

Staff receive regular training and updates on how to keep pupils safe.

Staff, parents and pupils know how to raise safeguarding concerns with the school's pastoral team. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils get the support that they need.

Leaders' record-keeping is meticulous and detailed.

Pupils talked knowledgeably about how they stay safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not as well ordered in some subjects as it is in others.

This hinders teachers from planning activities that help pupils to build on what they know. As a result, some pupils are not able to remember the important knowledge that they need to be successful in the future. Leaders should review the curriculum for these subjects to ensure that they provide sufficient guidance for teachers to help pupils to know and remember more over time.