River View Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

River View Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at River View, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are happy to come to school. They described their learning as 'fun'. The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve academically.

Pupils and children in the early years benefit from an ambitious curriculum. They achieve well.

Pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), aspire to be their 'best self'.

Most pupils attend well. They are fully involved in the life of the school..../>
Pupils' positive attitudes help create a calm and nurturing environment where they can learn and flourish.

Pupils are confident that they can speak with any member of staff if they have any concerns or worries. If bullying does occur, it is dealt with effectively by the school.

The school provides a wide variety of clubs and activities to spark the interests of pupils, including pupils with SEND.

For example, pupils enjoy taking part in the junior Duke of Edinburgh's Award, ballet and cycling clubs. They delight in playing in the well-equipped outdoor spaces.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils.

Learning is logically ordered so that pupils can build up their knowledge over time. The early years curriculum provides children with a secure foundation for key stage 1 and beyond. Children in the Nursery class settle quickly into school routines.

Teachers design imaginative and fun learning activities to enthuse children about their learning.

The school identifies the key facts that pupils need to know across the curriculum. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain new concepts clearly.

They check that pupils have remembered essential knowledge before moving on to new learning.However, in a few subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to build and connect their knowledge and therefore deepen their learning.

Pupils are attentive and engage with their learning well.

They can learn free from distractions.

Children develop their knowledge of sounds in the Nursery Year. This prepares them well to begin the formal phonics programme as soon as they start in the Reception Year.

The school provides regular training designed to give staff the knowledge and skills that they need to deliver the phonics programme well. Occasionally, this training does not have the impact that it should. For example, the programme to help pupils who find reading more difficult to catch up with their peers is sometimes not delivered consistently.

Therefore, some weaker readers do not catch up as quickly as they could.

Older pupils said that they enjoy reading. Teachers read to pupils from a variety of different types of books.

Teachers choose books knowledgeably to enhance the curriculum and to develop pupils' understanding of the world. Reading ambassadors act as role models for younger children.

The school is quick to identify if pupils have additional needs.

Staff receive regular training to enhance their knowledge of the range of needs of pupils in the main school and in the specially resourced provision. They expertly implement strategies in the classroom to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met. As a result, pupils with SEND in the main school access the full curriculum with their peers.

A bespoke curriculum skilfully meets the complex needs of the pupils who attend the specially resourced provision. The school ensures that the curriculum prepares these pupils to join their mainstream peers for some lessons. Staff work effectively with external agencies to provide for the individual needs of pupils as well as to help them to achieve their academic potential.

The school is committed to providing a wide range of opportunities to extend pupils' learning and experiences. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about trips to a museum and to art galleries. Older pupils attended a local university to find out about the future opportunities that their current learning may open up to them.

Pupils learn about democracy through electing their class representatives to the school council. Through the wider curriculum, they learn about world religions and different cultures. Pupils respect difference.

This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

Governors are well informed about the quality of education that the school provides for all pupils. They are knowledgeable about the key priorities for further development.

The school engages constructively with staff to consider their workload and to care for their well-being. For example, the school has listened to staff feedback and provided additional time for staff to fulfil their subject leadership roles. The school communicates well with parents and carers and guides them on how to support their child's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, the school's intended method for delivering the phonics programme is not followed consistently. This means that a small number of pupils do not benefit from a systematic approach to sounding and blending to develop their reading knowledge.

This hinders some pupils from becoming confident readers as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that staff follow the school's reading strategy to help pupils to develop reading fluency. ? The school's curriculum does not include sufficient opportunities for pupils to consolidate and connect learning.

As a result, some pupils do not deepen their learning as much as they could. The school should ensure that opportunities to strengthen and connect learning are incorporated into the curriculum thinking.

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 May 2018.

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