Ribchester St Wilfrid’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ribchester St Wilfrid's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

In this small school, pupils are well known and cared for. They feel safe. They, and their parents and carers, appreciate the supportive and kind environment that leaders create.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They relish both the academic and social opportunities that they experience as part of the inclusive school community. For example, they talked with pride about their performances in a local production of a Shakespeare play.

They were also keen to share how much they had enjoyed recent Easter celebrations.

Leaders set... high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to meet these high expectations of behaviour and achievement.

They work hard and achieve well. Around the school, leaders have created a culture of respect and tolerance. Pupils respond well to this and they treat each other with kindness and consideration.

Bullying and name-calling is never tolerated. Leaders deal with it effectively should it occur.

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to develop themselves beyond the academic curriculum.

For example, they go on residential visits and school trips. This allows them to gain an understanding of their local community and the wider world. They also enjoy taking part in a range of extra-curricular activities that develop their skills and interests, such as baking club and team sports.

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

Leaders have made significant changes and improvements to the overall curriculum in recent years. It is broad and suitably ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.

In most subjects, leaders have carefully identified and ordered the essential knowledge that they want pupils to acquire.

This helps pupils to develop a deep understanding of key terms and subject-specific concepts. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They are adept at teaching the curriculum effectively, even when they are presented with logistical challenges related to small cohorts.

In many subject areas, leaders have devised clear ways for teachers to check carefully what pupils know and remember. This helps them to adapt future teaching to ensure that pupils build securely on their prior knowledge and embed their learning.

However, in a small number of subjects, leaders are still in the process of deciding the precise information that they want pupils to learn.

As a result, some teaching does not deepen and develop pupils' subject-specific knowledge well enough. At times, teachers do not check effectively how well pupils are learning so that they can adapt their teaching accordingly. Consequently, a small number of pupils develop misconceptions and do not build on what they already know as well as they could.

Leaders place a strong emphasis on the importance of reading. They prioritise regular opportunities for pupils to read and be read to. They think carefully about the diverse and challenging range of texts that pupils read.

This ensures that pupils read books that interest and engage them. They enjoy reading for pleasure.

Leaders have successfully implemented a new phonics programme.

All staff have received support and training to deliver the programme with increasing confidence and consistency. From the start of Reception, pupils learn sounds systematically each week. Leaders and staff have taken great care to ensure that they read books that match the sounds that they learn.

They provide extra support and catch-up sessions for any pupils who fall behind in their reading. This is helping all pupils, including those with SEND, to read with fluency and confidence.

Staff successfully help pupils with SEND to follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Staff receive ongoing training to ensure that they swiftly and effectively identify and address pupils' additional needs. Leaders devise helpful strategies to ensure that teachers adapt the curriculum when necessary.

Pupils' positive behaviour and attitudes contribute to how well they learn.

Lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils learn without distractions. Leaders reinforce strong values for behaviour through clear expectations and standards.

They follow up incidents of poor behaviour and resolve them effectively. Typically, pupils are polite. They form strong relationships with the adults that work with them.

They are enthusiastic about their learning.

Leaders provide a range of wider experiences as part of pupils' school life. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs.

They understand and appreciate the importance of respect and tolerance in modern British life. They actively contribute to daily school life, for example by becoming part of the pupil leadership team or a house captain. This helps pupils to develop a sense of responsibility and moral awareness.

Governors know the school well and are accurate in their evaluation of its progress. They challenge and support leaders effectively to ensure ongoing improvements to the quality of education for pupils. Staff feel valued and they appreciate the actions that leaders take to consider and address their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that everyone at the school prioritises safeguarding. Staff receive regular training and up-to-date information so that they are clear about how to spot any signs of potential harm.

They report concerns consistently and swiftly. This helps leaders to identify any pupils who are vulnerable and may need extra support.

Leaders secure advice and help for families from other professionals when required.

They ensure that pupils receive a range of information about how to keep themselves healthy and safe. For example, a local community support worker encourages family engagement and works with groups of pupils to develop their social and emotional resilience. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the importance of personal safety, including online risks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders are still refining and developing the curriculum. Teachers are not clear about the precise knowledge that leaders want pupils to have and the order in which they should learn it. Consequently, pupils do not develop sufficient depth of subject-specific knowledge and understanding.

Leaders should ensure that they complete their curriculum thinking so that teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember in all curriculum areas. ? In a few subjects, teachers' strategies to check on pupils' learning are underdeveloped. As a result, teachers do not identify and address misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge well enough.

This hinders the learning of some pupils. Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently use checks on pupils' knowledge and understanding to adapt future teaching, so that pupils can build securely on their prior learning and achieve well.

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 December 2017.