Ramsden Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at Ramsden Infant School.

They enjoy coming to school and arrive each day excited to learn. Pupils, including children in the early years, are proud of their successes, and celebrate these with each other and with adults. The positive relationships between pupils and staff help pupils to feel safe.

Leaders have high expectations and aspirations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils understand the expectations leaders have of their behaviour and learning, and try hard to rise to them. They want to do their best.

As a result, most pupils achieve well.

Pupils are caring an...d considerate of each other. They play nicely together and ensure that everyone is included.

They trust adults in school to deal with any worries that they may have quickly and effectively. Leaders deal with rare incidents of bullying swiftly to stop them from happening again.

Pupils enjoy the opportunities that they have to help the local community.

For example, they take food and other goods to the homeless shelter and they work in the community garden. They also sing in care homes for the elderly and in the local market. They attend events in the local church.

These occasions help them to feel rooted in their local community and to be thoughtful citizens.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum, from the early years to key stage 1. They have thought carefully about how to make the curriculum relevant for pupils, and have ensured that it meets the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.

There is a sharp focus on developing pupils' language across the school. Staff efficiently model ways of communicating to help children and older pupils to develop a wider range of vocabulary. Leaders have identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when they should learn it.

This helps pupils to build knowledge in a logical way.

Teachers know what they need to teach and when they need to teach it. They have the resources they need to enable them to teach the curriculum well.

However, leaders do not check well enough how teachers are implementing the curriculum. As a result, in some subjects, the teaching of the curriculum does not help pupils to know and remember more over time. In addition, leaders have not fully developed a consistent approach to teachers' checking of learning.

As a result, teachers do not have enough information to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Staff quickly identify pupils with SEND. Leaders provide staff with the information and training they need to support these pupils effectively.

This means that pupils with SEND get the help that they need to give them access to the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates.

Leaders have prioritised reading right from the early years. They have invested in new and engaging books to ensure that pupils read widely and often.

Leaders have successfully introduced a new phonics curriculum, starting from the beginning of the Reception Year. They have ensured that staff have the knowledge and expertise to teach it consistently well. Pupils learn and remember the sounds they need to read new and unfamiliar words.

The books that they read contain the sounds that they know. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers. Staff successfully help pupils who are struggling to keep up with the phonics curriculum to catch up quickly.

Pupils are friendly and welcoming. They are kind and respectful towards each other and adults. They understand the importance of treating everyone the same, and include everyone.

Children in the early years learn to follow established routines. This means that there is a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils enjoy learning new things in their lessons.

It is rare for lessons to be disrupted by poor behaviour.

Leaders have provided opportunities for pupils that extend beyond the academic curriculum. Some pupils are class leaders and members of the school council.

They learn how to make decisions about school life and how to carry out roles of responsibility well. Pupils value the range of clubs that are offered by staff. They attend board games, craft, printing and British Sign Language clubs.

Some pupils participate in football and gymnastics competitions with other schools. These experiences help to prepare them for the next stage in their education.

The school is well led and managed.

The restructuring of leadership and governance has allowed governors to challenge and support leaders effectively in the actions that they have taken to improve the school since the previous inspection. Governors understand their role, and carry it out effectively. Staff feel valued by leaders.

They appreciate the steps that leaders have taken to prioritise their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff have the training that they need to be able to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm.

Staff know pupils and families well. They are alert to signs that pupils may be suffering from abuse or neglect. Leaders have established a clear system for staff to report and record any concerns that they may have.

They respond quickly to these, and follow them up effectively. They provide help in school and work with other agencies to secure additional support for vulnerable pupils and families.

Leaders respond effectively to local safeguarding issues.

They ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online, and know what to do if they have any worries or concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teaching does not build knowledge in a clear and logical way. Leaders should ensure that they have a rigorous approach to monitoring and improving the implementation of the curriculum to ensure that staff teach it effectively to allow pupils to achieve well in all subjects.

• In some subjects, leaders have only recently reviewed the curriculum. As a result, they are still developing assessment strategies for teachers to use to check what pupils know. They should ensure that staff have enough assessment information to identify gaps in learning so that they can help pupils to know and remember more.

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