Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Rainford Brook Lodge Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Rainford Brook Lodge is a happy and friendly school that pupils enjoy attending. Pupils say that adults are kind and look after them. As a result, pupils feel safe.

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have organised a well-structured curriculum that helps pupils to build on earlier learning and achieve well.

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that staff have of them.

As a result, they are polite and well mannered. In ...class and during breaktimes, they routinely behave well. Pupils believe that staff treat them fairly.

They are willing to share any worries or concerns. Leaders do not accept any bullying. If bullying happens, teachers resolve any issues quickly.

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to hold responsibilities, for example as school councillors and prefects. They appreciate the many after-school clubs, such as choir, multisports and dodgeball, as well as the many opportunities to represent the school in sporting competitions. They value school trips and 'treats'.

including visits to museums to enhance their learning and residential trips to develop their team-building skills.

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

Leaders have ensured that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, have access to an ambitious and exciting curriculum. They have carefully identified what they want pupils to learn across the curriculum.

Learning is logically ordered and makes links between subjects. This helps pupils to apply what they already know when they are learning something new. As a result, pupils, and children in the early years, achieve well.

Leaders ensure that teachers have the necessary expertise to lead their subjects effectively. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. During lessons, they explain new learning well.

In some subjects, teachers and leaders use assessment skilfully to check carefully on how well pupils are learning. This helps them to plan effectively to build on what pupils know. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders' procedures for checking on what pupils know and remember are not effective enough.

As a result, teachers are less clear about the next steps that pupils need to take in their learning. At times, this prevents some teachers from building on pupils' prior knowledge as effectively as they could.

Leaders ensure that teachers prioritise reading as soon as children join the school in the early years.

They have organised a well-structured approach to teaching phonics. This curriculum is taught by well-trained staff. Pupils practise their reading frequently.

Staff ensure that their books match the sounds that they know and are learning. Teachers check on how well pupils and children in the early years are doing and identify those pupils who fall behind. Staff provide pupils with the help that they need to gain the knowledge and skills they need quickly.

This allows these pupils to catch up and become assured and fluent readers.

Pupils understand why reading is important. Teachers foster pupils' love of reading.

Older pupils enjoy listening to the stories that teachers read to them. Pupils achieve well in reading. This means that at the end of Year 6, they are prepared well for the next stage in their learning.

Leaders have effective systems for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND. They work in close partnership with parents and carers and, where necessary, other agencies. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND study the full curriculum.

These pupils achieve well across the different subjects.

Pupils behave well and enjoy their lessons. There is little disruption during lessons and classrooms are routinely calm and orderly.

This is because of the positive relationships between pupils and adults. Children in the early years understand and happily follow the school routines. As a result, they settle quickly and learn well.

Leaders place a strong focus on developing pupils' personal development. Pupils learn about faiths and cultures such as Christianity and Islam. They understand the importance of democracy and respect.

They are proud of the charity work that they do to help others. Pupils enjoy weekly 'MAGIC' awards in assemblies to reward both their academic and personal achievements, such as being kind and helpful to others.

The school is well led.

Leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and what needs to improve. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the attention leaders pay to their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture in the school. Staff receive effective training that allows them to identify and report safeguarding issues quickly.

They are vigilant to signs that pupils need help. Leaders and staff work with outside agencies to ensure that vulnerable families receive the appropriate support.

Staff also know how to identify pupils who may need help with their mental or emotional health.

Leaders put effective pastoral support in place quickly. Staff help pupils to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn how to ride their bicycles safely on roads.

They have a good understanding of how to be safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, assessment strategies are not as effective as they could be. Teachers are less well informed about what pupils know and remember.

This sometimes hinders teachers from building on pupils' prior knowledge and skills. Leaders should ensure that assessment procedures identify pupils' prior knowledge in order to build on what they already know and can do.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.