Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Ripon Cathedral Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe at this welcoming and inclusive school. They describe the school as a friendly place where everyone helps each other. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and warm.

Pupils trust the adults in school to take good care of them.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour and learning. Pupils rise to these.

They behave well and have exceptionally positive attitudes to school life. Pupils enjoy working together and discussing their lea...rning. They recall with great enthusiasm the many educational visits they have enjoyed.

These include visiting the Viking Centre and residential visits to Lindisfarne and London. Pupils achieve well and are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils have many opportunities to develop life skills and to care for others.

Through their 'courageous advocacy' work, they support animal welfare, environmental and community organisations. Pupils have great fun and learn important skills through raising money for various causes. Year 3 pupils make healthy sandwiches and Year 5 print T-shirts.

They enjoy selling these on their stall at Ripon market. Pupil leaders, including school ambassadors, sports leaders and spiritual leaders, play useful roles in school.

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

The school has kept a clear focus on improvement since the previous inspection.

This has helped to strengthen pupils' achievement in national tests. Pupils produce high-quality work in their books and take pride in their presentation.The school's curriculum identifies and sequences logically the key knowledge pupils need to remember.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. In mathematics, learning builds step by step throughout lessons. Staff quickly spot misconceptions.

They provide effective support to help pupils to keep up. Pupils use mathematical language confidently to support their explanations and reasoning.Pupils talk confidently about their current learning in other subjects.

It is clear how their knowledge builds over a series of lessons. In geography, for example, Year 3 pupils learn about the movement of the earth's plates and their role in the formation of mountains. However, the school's agreed approach for helping pupils to remember important knowledge is used less consistently in the wider curriculum than it is in the core subjects of mathematics and English.

Where this is the case, pupils are not easily able to make links with prior learning.Rewards for achieving reading challenges help to get pupils excited about reading. Pupils enjoy listening to teachers read to them every day.

Staff deliver the new phonics scheme consistently well. As a result, children in Reception and pupils in Year 1 get off to a strong start in reading. Older pupils who need extra support get the help they need to keep up.

They steadily develop confidence and fluency.

The early years environment is an exciting place to be. Children explore and challenge themselves indoors and out.

Staff skilfully model and support language development. As a result, children thrive and achieve well across all areas of learning.

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

This is because strategies to support their inclusion in class learning are highly effective. In addition, extra support that takes place outside the classroom is precisely focused on pupils' needs. Staff get to know each child very well when they start school.

This helps them to identify individual needs from the start.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe physically and mentally. They have lots of opportunities for physical activity, including the daily mile.

Pupils learn that exercise, along with a healthy diet and enough sleep, is important for keeping healthy.

The school ensures that pupils have first-hand experience of other faiths and cultures. Links with schools in Leeds and in Spain help to broaden pupils' knowledge and understanding of the wider world.

Pupils learn values such as tolerance and respect for others. They say that you should always treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself. This is reflected in their attitudes to each other.

There is very little bullying or unkind behaviour in school.

Leaders and governors have a strong and shared vision for the school. Engagement with stakeholders and the community supports the work of the school.

Parents have likened the school to a loving family and appreciate the school's community spirit. Staff appreciate leaders' consideration for their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's agreed approach for helping pupils to remember important knowledge is not used as consistently in foundation subjects as it is in core subjects. This means that on occasions, pupils are not easily able to make links between their current learning and what they have learned before. The school should ensure that strategies for helping pupils to remember important knowledge are used consistently well across all subjects.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2016.