Richard Atkins Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Richard Atkins Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud members of the school community. They are happy and safe here. Pupils celebrate each other's differences.

They have great respect for each other, which is rooted in the school values. Pupils have many responsibilities around the school, such as being members of the Young Leaders and School Council.

Behaviour is calm and orderly, in class and around the school.

There is no low-level disruption to lessons. Pupils say that this is because staff have high expectations of them. Teachers follow the school behaviour policy consistently and fairly.

...>Bullying is extremely rare and is not tolerated.

Pupils enjoy termly trips linked to the curriculum such as visits to museums and the theatre. Older pupils really benefited from a project this year which involved visits to some London universities.

They explored potential routes into different careers and commented on how this opportunity has helped raised their aspirations. Whole-school events such as the Jubilee Picnic and Sports Day bring the community together.

Most pupils attend at least one after school club.

There are many clubs on offer such as music, mathematics, cricket and football. Pupils also take part in several competitions and events such as the cluster multi-skills competition.

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

Leaders have carefully designed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.

They have made sure that teachers know what to teach and when. They have planned for key themes to be re-visited in each subject every year. Staff help pupils make links and build on their knowledge.

As a result, pupils can remember what they have learned. Pupils can give examples of how they have improved their knowledge and skills over time. Although the early years programme is well planned in itself, little consideration has been given as to how it fits in with the whole school curriculum.

With the exception of mathematics, the early years planning is separate to that of the whole school. In Reception, children begin to learn the methods and use the same concrete resources in mathematics lessons as the pupils in Year 1. This prepares them for when they move up the school.

No time is lost, and progress is easy to track. However, it is not clear how other subjects develop as pupils move from early years to Year 1. These subject leaders do not have an ownership of how their subject is taught in Nursery and Reception.

Teachers have good subject knowledge and break learning down so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) understand. They make appropriate adaptations and use resources well. Teachers routinely assess what pupils know and identify misconceptions.

This helps them plan the following lessons. Pupils learn from their mistakes. They are shown where they went wrong and what to do to improve.

In music, younger pupils learn to play simple rhythms with percussion instruments. In early years, children use percussion to create a beat to accompany a familiar song. Older pupils get to choose an instrument that they wish to learn.

A wide choice of instruments is available such as trombone, clarinet, flute and trumpet. Pupils start learning in Year 5 and develop musical knowledge through this instrument until the end of Year 6. This instrument is made available for them to take home.

By the end of the year, they play their instrument as part of a whole class ensemble. As their confidence increases, pupils view themselves as musicians. Year 6 pupils are keen to continue with these instruments at secondary school next year.

Leaders have prioritised reading. They have carefully chosen a programme to ensure there is a consistent approach and rigorous systems in place. Any pupils who fall behind in their reading quickly catch up.

Books chosen for pupils to read match their decoding level. Teachers actively promote the love of reading. Leaders have carefully chosen texts that are representative of their pupils.

Leaders make sure that all pupils with SEND make good or better progress. They work closely with outside agencies and with parents. Due to high expectations, behaviour is never disruptive in lessons.

Some pupils who struggle to regulate their emotions spend time in the school's enhanced provision. Here, skilled staff teach them how to manage their feelings so that they can access their learning and not fall behind.

Staff develop positive relationships with all pupils.

They are proud to work at this school. They feel supported by leaders in school including personal matters and say that workload is manageable and that appropriate adaptations are made.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their families extremely well. They make sure that they provide families with the support needed. They are fully aware of the local context.

They engage well with outside agencies including charity groups who are equipped to support families in the way they need. They make sure that in school support and interventions are in place to support vulnerable pupils during the school day.Governors are fully aware of their statutory duties and take them very seriously.

They are involved in the safer recruitment of staff.

Pupils confirm that they all have a trusted adult they can talk to if they are worried about anything. They are well informed on how to keep safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum does not always include what is being taught in early years. This means that it is not clear how the learning journey continues from Reception to Year 1. Subject leaders do not have a good understanding of how their subject is being taught to the youngest children.

Leaders must make sure that they include early years in their whole-school curriculum. They must decide on how they will build on what children learn as they move up the school.

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2012.