Ripley Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ripley Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. The school's motto, 'Inspiring Children - Moving Forward - Learning Together' is exemplified in the school's woodland learning.

Pupils say they learn to look after themselves, work with others and solve problems there.

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They behave well in lessons.

The school's, 'Attitudes to thrive - I can do it! Aiming High! Dare to be different! Thinking for Myself! More than just me! How well did I do?' approach guides pupils in their actions and deeds. Pupils enjoy being challenged, and challenging them...selves, in mathematics, for example.

Pupils are polite and well mannered.

They greet visitors warmly and with a smile. Pupils learn to be tolerant, caring and respectful. They understand their roles as future citizens.

For example, pupils organised a sponsored football match to raise money for a charity which supported someone they knew.

This is an inclusive school. It has high expectations and is ambitious for all its pupils to succeed, especially those who are disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Its work with a mental health charity provides support for pupils and families. This school cares about everyone who are associated with it.

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

Pupils talk positively about reading.

They liked the opportunity to choose the quality books for their new library. Teachers make story time fun. If pupils fall behind in phonics or reading they receive the help they need.

Skilled staff provide support in a timely manner to help pupils to catch-up.

The school has acted swiftly to address the recent decline in published performance outcomes in mathematics. The curriculum has been redesigned, which means that pupils have more opportunities to revisit their prior learning.

This has helped pupils to be able to recall what they have been taught in the past. They apply mathematical concepts, such as percentages, to help them understand taxes and salaries. Work in pupils' books is of high quality.

Pupils say that the instant feedback teachers offer helps them to get better at mathematics. However, these improvements have not yet come through into published outcomes.

The wider curriculum is well sequenced.

The school weaves themed events into the curriculum such as Greek and Roman days. This helps pupils understand more about life in those times. Furthermore, the use of an indoor space dome helps explain the universe in science.

In a few subjects, connections between key knowledge have not been made explicit enough with the wider curriculum. This means that learning does not build as well as it could over time and pupils cannot recall all prior learning. The school has responded well to the decline in pupils' progress recently.

Written work is now of good quality. Pupils take pride in their work. The school is still developing some aspects of its leadership, particularly checking how well the curriculum is being implemented.

Staff are united in their ambition for all pupils to do well. The school ensures that it identifies pupils' needs. Staff are provided with clear guidance on how to provide appropriate support for pupils.

This is particularly the case for pupils with SEND. These pupils and their families typically say they receive the support they need.

This school has a strong sense of moral purpose.

New strategies to ensure pupils attend school regularly have reduced rates of absence. Recent changes to the way the school manages poor behaviour has improved considerably. Low-level disruption in lessons is rare.

Pupils are confident the school deals with misbehaviour. However, a small number of pupils still struggle with managing their emotions. The school supports these pupils well.

Over time, the number of incidents of poor behaviour has declined.

The school's personal development programme helps prepare pupils as future citizens. Visits to local care homes help pupils to be compassionate and caring of others.

Pupil 'games makers' plan games and activities at break and lunch times. 'Thrive ambassadors' look out for those who may need cheering up. Pupils learn how to look after themselves, when learning online and at times when they are in the community.

Staff know the school cares about their well-being. Changes to the way staff provide feedback to pupils has helped with workload. There is a real sense of unity at Ripley Juniors.

As one member of staff commented, typical of many: 'I have never felt more supported.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, connections between key knowledge have not been made explicit enough across the curriculum.

This means that staff are not highlighting prior learning as well as they could, and pupils are not able to recall knowledge as well as they should. The school should revisit these curriculums and make strong connections to build knowledge over time and ensure that more pupils remember more of what they have been taught. ? The school is still developing some aspects of its leadership, particularly checking how well the curriculum is being implemented.

As a result, the school is not yet providing clear guidance on how to improve the teaching of the curriculum in a few subjects. The school should ensure that all leaders have the skills and expertise they need to evaluate more sharply the impact of their work and make any necessary improvements.

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 June 2018.