Mill Rythe Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher and her leadership team have brought about rapid improvements since the previous inspection. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils' progress are good and the school continues to improve.

Leaders with specific areas of responsibility have improved their monitoring skills through effective support and training from the local authority. As a result, they are able to provide accurate feedback to teachers and contribute well to improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because of the highly focused support... they receive from staff.

The governing body is effective. Governors know the school well, including its strengths and weaknesses. They provide effective support and challenge to senior leaders to drive improvements.

Children get off to good start in the effective early years provision. Pupils' behaviour is good and they are keen to learn. They are polite, courteous and respectful to each other and adults.

Parents regard the school and its staff highly. They say that children behave well and are safe and secure because all staff place a very strong emphasis on keeping children safe. The school promotes equality of opportunity, and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils very well through its highly inclusive ethos and values.

There is some teaching, learning and assessment practice that is highly effective. However, not all teachers set tasks that are matched carefully to the differing needs of pupils, including the most able. Although standards have improved markedly, pupils do not always make quite the same strong progress in mathematics and phonics as they do in reading and writing.

In mathematics, work is not challenging enough for the most able, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. Overall, pupils' attendance has improved since the last inspection and is now above the national average.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Mill Rythe is smaller than the average-sized infant school. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below average. No pupils attend any alternative form of education away from the school site.

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