Mill Rythe Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of their inclusive and happy school community.

They take part in their learning with delight and love coming to school.The school offers a breadth of wider opportunities that pupils are keen to share with visitors. They adore looking after the animals on their school farm and growing vegetables in their garden.

Pupils value their leadership roles, such as 'trick box' and 'play' ambassadors, who support younger pupils to settle in to learning. The school council actively contributes to school improvement, such as choosing the outdoor trim trail and sports games equipment. Social times around the school are joyful because pupils look after ...each other and their environment.

A strong culture of respect and support permeates through the school. Pupils behave well and work hard. They say that one of the best things about their school is how kind staff are.

They appreciate that staff present learning in engaging ways that keep them motivated. Staff take opportunities to widen pupils' experiences through various trips and visits. The school celebrates and recognises pupils' different achievements and successes.

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

The curriculum is broad and highly ambitious for all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils, especially those who need the most support, receive considered help to access the curriculum. Staff adapt tasks carefully to pupils' personalised targets, so they achieve as well as their peers.

The school has recently started to make some well-considered changes to the curriculum. This means that the intended learning is now sequenced carefully and sets out the small steps of knowledge and skills that pupils should learn in all subjects. In mathematics, there are helpful opportunities for pupils to recall and use their knowledge to solve problems and apply their learning.

However, in some subjects, the teaching of the planned curriculum is not as consistent as it could be. This is because these subjects are at an earlier stage of development. Consequently, teachers are not consistently using activities that enable pupils to learn as well as they could.

The subject leadership in these subjects is also at an earlier stage of development. The school is starting to provide opportunities to help subject leaders make more confident checks that pupils are learning as effectively as intended.

Reading is prioritised across the school.

Pupils' progress and ability to read are checked regularly and systematically. There is a love for reading across the school, which filters through all staff and pupils. This is achieved through regular reading time in class and personalised 'must reads' for each year group.

Pupils immerse themselves in high-quality books. They talk fondly about their favourite authors and genres of books. Phonics teaching is in place to help those who find reading more difficult.

Staff have had the required training they need to help these pupils. Pupils' reading skills are strengthened further through 'closed reading' tasks and 'themed reading'. Engaging texts are carefully identified to support pupils' wider understanding of the curriculum.

The school is focused on ensuring that pupils' attendance is high. Successful strategies enable pupils and families to receive support where needed. As a result, pupils' attendance continues to be excellent.

Staff promote pupils' personal development effectively. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. They know about British values and the importance of acceptance and respect for all.

Pupils learn about eating well and being healthy through their work and time spent in the school garden. They also learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

All members of the school work well together to continue to improve the education provision for all pupils.

The school is determined that all staff have access to high-quality training. Staff appreciate the time they are given to spend on work that benefits pupils' learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not always design tasks that enable pupils to build knowledge systematically. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. The school should continue to develop teachers' expertise through ongoing professional development to help them implement the curriculum effectively across all subjects.

• Some subject leaders are new to their role and are not yet as confident in checking how well pupils are learning in a small number of subjects. This means that some subject leaders are not always clear about how successfully pupils are learning the planned curriculum. The school should continue to develop the knowledge and expertise of leaders as the school's curriculum is implemented.

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