Reevy Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Reevy Hill Primary is a caring and welcoming school. Pupils are happy, smiling and feel safe. They enjoy coming to school.

Pupils are respectful and polite to each other, staff and visitors. They try their best in lessons and enjoy their learning.

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils.

The motto of 'Dream, Believe, Achieve' is embedded in the school's everyday life. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the changes that have improved the school over the last two years. The headteacher and his staff want every pupil to do their very best in all aspects of school life.

Teachers know their pupils very well. Relationships between teachers and pupils ...are very positive. There is a calm atmosphere around the school.

Pupils behave well. They say that bullying is rare and when it does happen, teachers sort things out quickly.

There is a wide range of activities for pupils to take part in outside of lessons, including football, basketball, drama and dance clubs.

Pupils particularly enjoy the 'culture club' where they learn about all aspects of different cultures.

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

School leaders, supported by the trust, have developed a curriculum that is well planned across subjects. They have thought carefully about what pupils need to learn and in what order.

In some subjects the content pupils learn is connected to another subject. For example, in science in Year 6, when carrying out experiments, pupils use their knowledge of how to create graphs. However, these connections are only beginning to feature in other subjects.

Leaders have already begun work to embed this.

Reading is a priority in this school. The two teachers responsible for reading and phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) support staff very well.

All staff understand how phonics should be taught and they do this well. Extra help is given quickly to any pupils who need to catch up. Pupils enjoy reading and read frequently at home.

The books that pupils read in school are matched to the phonics they have been learning. As a result, the achievement of pupils in phonics and reading is improving.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well.

Teachers believe strongly that all pupils must achieve to the best of their ability. Teachers identify any learning needs early. They adapt the curriculum to meet each pupil's needs.

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND have full access to all extra-curricular activities.

Teachers have had the right training to help them deliver the curriculum. They are very positive about how the headteacher considers their workload and well-being.

Teachers use assessment well to check if pupils have learned the curriculum. They adapt their teaching to plug any gaps in pupils' knowledge or to clear up misconceptions. As a result, pupils' achievement in reading, writing and mathematics is improving.

Children in the early years settle in quickly because adults help them to feel safe, secure and welcome. Children share and take turns when learning. Children move about safely, both indoors and outdoors.

Leaders have very recently reviewed the curriculum in Reception and it is clearly planned in all areas of learning. However, teachers are only beginning to think about the order in which children learn things.

Pupils behave well in and out of the classroom.

They move around the buildings with care and open doors for visitors. They are proud of their environment, especially the recently opened library. The relationships between teachers and pupils are positive.

Pupils are very well cared for.

Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. They work closely with leaders and the trust to make sure the school is managed well.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to take part in. For example, during lunchtimes pupils can play football, basketball and hockey. Pupils can play indoor curling or chess.

They can take part in drama or dance clubs or go on residential team-building trips. When pupils go to the culture club, they learn about different countries and cultures and healthy eating and visit different restaurants.

Since his appointment, the headteacher, has worked hard to improve the school.

Staff and parents said how much the school has improved over the last two years. Parents' views about the school have strengthened over time. Parents told inspectors that the 'school cares' and 'the headteacher listens'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The headteacher and his senior leaders make sure that there is a strong culture of keeping children safe. Staff receive regular training and understand any issues in the local area.

They know what signs to look for if they have any concerns. Leaders work closely with the police and other local community groups to raise awareness around knife crime and gang culture. Pupils know how to stay safe at school, at home and in the local community.

They also know who to go to if they have any concerns. Leaders ensure that safeguarding records are accurate. They carry out appropriate recruitment checks to make sure that staff are safe to work with pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The sequencing of curriculum content in most subjects is done in a logical way so that pupils' knowledge builds up over time. Leaders need to continue to connect the content of different subjects so that pupils acquire wider prior knowledge and increase their vocabulary. .

Following a period of weak leadership and teaching, leaders have now put in place a curriculum that is coherently planned. However, leaders need to ensure that the content of the curriculum taught in Reception is more clearly sequenced. That way, children can build up cumulative knowledge and skills so that more of them are ready for Year 1.

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