Richmond Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited and eager to tackle the challenges of the school's ambitious curriculum. They particularly enjoy using a range of technology to support their learning and to communicate their understanding. Pupils acquire a range of knowledge and skills.

If they are behind, teachers help them to catch up quickly.

Everyone who works in this school cares deeply about the pupils. Each and every pupil matters.

Pupils' mental health is a high priority. Pupils feel listened to. They value the support provided by the trained emotional literacy support assistants (ELSAs) and the time they spend with Dudley, the school dog.

As one pupil said, 'The adults h...ere care about our emotional well-being and we feel safe.'

The school's values of compassion, respect, truth and friendship are promoted throughout the school day. Pupils learn to value and celebrate diversity and difference.

They respect each other's different beliefs and opinions.

The school has an inclusive ethos. Pupils often use Makaton sign language when greeting visitors.

Pupils are kind, polite and friendly to one another, and to school staff. When pupils do fall out with their friends, staff help them to resolve this quickly. This means that friendship issues rarely escalate.

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

Leaders have taken the school on a journey of continual improvement. They are tireless in their efforts to provide the very best education because their pupils deserve nothing less.

School leaders have worked closely with leaders across the trust to develop a high-quality curriculum.

This begins with firm foundations in the early years. In most subjects, schemes of work outline in detail the knowledge pupils will learn. Leaders have a little more work to do in a small number of subjects.

For example, in history leaders have not identified precisely enough the key knowledge that pupils need to learn.

A broad range of trips, visitors and experiences are planned to broaden pupils' horizons. Leaders have designed the wider curriculum to help pupils develop key characteristics such as resilience and perseverance.

Staff make sure that any barriers pupils face do not prevent them from accessing the exciting learning opportunities on offer. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff are determined to make all pupils confident, fluent readers who love reading.

Teachers follow a systematic programme for teaching phonics. Mostly, this is taught skilfully. Children get off to a strong start learning to read.

They enjoy reading. They get very excited when they read a new word, using their sounds successfully.However, too many pupils are behind with their phonics in Year 2.

Despite leaders' current efforts, more needs to be done to help these pupils catch up.

Most teachers deliver the curriculum well. In the early years, children learn in a stimulating, vibrant environment.

They encounter interesting activities that help them to learn important knowledge and skills. As pupils move through the school, most teaching builds on these foundations well. Teachers explain important concepts clearly.

They check carefully what pupils have remembered and revisit any concepts that have not been understood. Technology is used well to support pupils' learning in different subjects. This means that pupils remember the important knowledge that they have been taught in most subjects.

However, pupils find this trickier in history.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable. She provides effective support and advice for staff.

Pupils' particular learning needs are identified early. The SENCo works with staff and parents to make sure the right support is in place for these pupils. Staff make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum to ensure that these pupils achieve well.

On occasion, teachers do not deliver curriculum content as well as they might. This is because the tasks they set do not support pupils to learn well enough. Consequently, despite pupils working hard to stay focused, they do not learn the knowledge they should.

Leaders are providing training and support for teachers to build their confidence and to help them improve. Alongside this, leaders consider staff well-being and their workload. Staff feel well-supported by leaders.

All staff promote a culture of high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils who struggle to control their behaviour are given support and strategies to help them be successful. Classrooms offer a range of different seating options.

Pupils choose whether to sit at a desk, on low-level seating with a lap table, or on an exercise ball. This flexibility helps pupils to concentrate and manage their behaviour well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils' welfare and their well-being is at the heart of the school's work. All staff are trained extensively in safeguarding and it remains high on their agenda at all times.

Staff know pupils really well and have worked hard to build strong relationships with their families.

The members of the school's safeguarding team are knowledgeable and work relentlessly to make sure that pupils and their families get the help and support they need. Leaders work closely with outside agencies whenever necessary.

Pupils learn about potential risks to their safety, including those online, through the curriculum.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified explicitly enough the key knowledge that pupils need to learn. Furthermore, the tasks some teachers set do not help all pupils to learn the crucial curriculum content well enough.

This means pupils cannot always confidently recall prior learning or build on what they have already learned. Leaders need to ensure that the key knowledge pupils need to know in all subjects is explicitly clear. They also need to provide training so that teachers set tasks that help pupils to learn the curriculum content well.

• Too many pupils in Year 2 are behind in their learning of phonics. These pupils are not yet confident and fluent readers. Leaders need to strengthen their efforts further to provide these pupils with the high-quality, additional support they need to catch up quickly.