Rangeworthy Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school does not provide pupils with the education they deserve.

Pupils do not learn enough in too many subjects. They have significant gaps in their learning. Until very recently, the school's expectations of what pupils can achieve have been far too low.

As a result, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Despite these failings, pupils enjoy coming to school. They are friendly and polite.

Pupils say they feel safe knowing that they can talk to an adult.

Pupils say their behaviour is getting better. Social times are enjoyable as pupils can do a wide range of activities.

They play happily together. Pu...pils like the rewards they receive for demonstrating good behaviour. This helps to develop a sense of community and pride.

However, when learning, a minority sometimes lose focus and disrupt others. This limits everyone's learning.

Pupils learn the importance of respecting different faiths and cultures.

They celebrate the diversity in their school community and understand the responsibility they have to think about other people.

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

There has been significant turbulence in the school's leadership and staffing since the previous inspection. The school, including governors, has been too slow to sort out the widespread weaknesses.

The quality of education that pupils receive is poor.

The recently appointed school leaders are working with the governing body to provide some clarity and direction. They have identified the failings of the school.

However, it is too soon to see any demonstrable impact.

The curriculum is weak and poorly planned, including in the early years. The school has not ensured that the curriculum sets out the key knowledge that pupils need to know, understand and remember.

Staff training has been scant. The school does not use assessment well enough to check what pupils know and remember.

The school curriculum does not match the full breadth of the national curriculum across all subjects.

For example, in history, pupils do not learn a sufficient range of knowledge that they need to gain a secure understanding. As a result, pupils do not build up a rich body of knowledge over time.

The school's approach to teaching phonics and early reading is lacking.

The school does not have the knowledge and skills required to teach phonics and early reading with success. Children in the early years are not getting off to a strong start with learning their letters and the sounds they make. Pupils do not practise the sounds they are learning enough.

The books used to teach and practise reading are not always matched closely enough to the pupils' stage in the phonics programme. This limits pupils' reading fluency and accuracy. However, pupils enjoy story time and are enthusiastic about the stories they have read to them.

This is helping to develop a love of books.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not getting the help they need. The school is not taking the right actions at the right time to ensure appropriate adaptations are made to help these pupils learn.

Pupils' targets are too broad. Consequently, pupils with SEND do not achieve well across the curriculum.

Provision for pupils' wider personal development is in place and evolving.

Pupils are enthusiastic about the enrichment opportunities the school provides. Activities include cheerleading and sports. Pupils enjoy the residential trip to Wales.

Such activities develop pupils' social and leadership skills. However, some aspects of personal development are less well developed, for example healthy relationships.

The school ensures that pupils learn the difference between right and wrong.

Pupils are confident in the behaviours that the school does not tolerate and the consequences that are in place. As a result, pupils are respectful and polite They line up sensibly and move around the school calmly.

Relationships within the school are strong.

Pupils are confident that they can talk to any adult if they have a worry or concern. They appreciate the focus on their mental health. The school encourages them to look after themselves, to be healthy and to look after each other.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Over time, governors have not held school leaders accountable for the quality of education. Pupils across the school do not achieve as well.

Governors must ensure that effective systems are in place to increase their level of challenge to school leaders for the quality of education pupils receive. ? The curriculum is not ambitious. Consequently, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.

The school must ensure that pupils receive an ambitious curriculum that teaches them the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in all subjects. ? The curriculum is poorly planned. Pupils do not gain the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well across the curriculum.

The school must ensure that all subjects identify the key knowledge and skills pupils need to learn, and assessment processes check how well pupils know and remember the curriculum. ? The school has not ensured that the books pupils read include the sounds that they know. Pupils' reading books are often too hard.

Many pupils at the early stage of reading, including in the early years, cannot use and apply phonics to read accurately. The school should ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds they know, so that they develop accuracy and reading fluency. ? Pupils with SEND do not receive effective support.

Teaching is not adapted well enough to meet pupils' needs. The school should ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met, in order for them to achieve success in their learning. ? A minority of pupils do not consistently show positive learning behaviours.

This hampers the amount of progress these pupils make. The school must ensure that pupils behave consistently well during their lessons. ? The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection.