Rushwick CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Rushwick Church of England Primary School. They know and live the Rushwick motto of, 'Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.' Pupils know that people are all unique and different.

They are respectful of each other. Bullying is not tolerated at the school. Staff deal with it properly if it happens.

However, leaders have not prioritised the safety and well-being of pupils. This is a serious cause for concern.

Leaders do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Pupils enjoy reading and many pupils read well. However, staff are not trained well enough to teach the school's phonics and early readi...ng programme. This means that some pupils do not get the help they need in order to keep up.

The school's programme of after-school activities has been significantly hampered by the pandemic. Leaders have started to reinstate these activities.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils are polite and courteous. They are well behaved in lessons and when moving around the school. Pupils know the school's golden rules: to be kind, helpful and honest.

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

Leaders have not paid enough attention to several important areas of the school's work, particularly safeguarding. They do not have high enough aspirations for pupils. Even allowing for the disruption caused by the pandemic, leaders have not focused enough on pupils' safety or on the curriculum.

Leaders have planned the school curriculum, but do not know how well it supports pupils' learning. Leaders have not established ways of checking what is happening in lessons. This means that leaders are unaware that subjects such as computing and music are not taught frequently enough in some year groups to enable pupils to progress well through the curriculum.

In addition, there is variation in the way in which staff teach daily phonics sessions.

Leaders have made some improvements to the mathematics and phonics curriculums. For instance, leaders now prioritise reading, and books match the sounds that pupils are learning.

These changes are beginning to improve pupils' achievement. However, there is further work to do. Recent improvements to the mathematics curriculum have only focused on two year groups.

Consequently, practice across the school is too variable. Leaders have not ensured that all staff have the subject knowledge they need to teach mathematics and phonics well. In key stage 1, checks on pupils' learning are not effective.

Leaders do not know which pupils need further help or support. As a result, some pupils do not get the help they need to achieve well. Leaders have not provided staff with the training and support they need in order to teach mathematics and phonics well.

Children in early years settle quickly into school life. Staff have high expectations of children and help them to achieve. Staff model early language and communication skills well.

Leaders know what children should learn and when. They build on children's current knowledge and broaden their learning. Learning activities are carefully planned and well matched to children's needs.

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to learn the same curriculum as other pupils. In classrooms, there are positive working relationships. Pupils with SEND benefit, both academically and personally, from working alongside their peers.

However, some pupils with SEND who need support with reading do not get the help they need. This is because adults working with them do not know the right things to do.

Leaders have prioritised pupils' mental health and well-being following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pupils learn about resilience and know that it is important to keep trying. Special roles, such as that of curriculum ambassador, allow pupils to take on responsibilities. Pupils enjoy these opportunities.

However, the school does not prepare pupils well enough for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils do not learn enough about other cultures and religions.

Leaders and those responsible for governance have not maintained sufficient oversight of the use of specific funds, such as COVID-19 catch-up and pupil premium funding.

Improvements have been implemented too slowly, or funds have not been used effectively.

Staff appreciate the support they received from leaders to cope with the impact of COVID-19 on their school and home life. However, they do not always feel guided by leaders when new initiatives are introduced.

This means that some staff have found it difficult to adopt new approaches during the pandemic.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil.

They are aware of specific areas of concern, such as protecting pupils from sexual harassment and domestic abuse. However, leaders do not act quickly, nor follow the correct procedures, when concerns or allegations arise. Engagement with external agencies is too slow or does not happen when it should.

Leaders do not have effective procedures for recording accidents and injuries when these happen. In addition, systems for staff employment checks are not robust. All of this means that pupils could be at risk of potential harm.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. School systems for identifying risks are not robust enough. Leaders do not act soon enough to share information with the right people.

Not all the required checks are carried out on adults who work in school. There are delays in reporting and recording accidents. Leaders should address these weaknesses in safeguarding with urgency.

• Not all staff have a good enough understanding of how to teach early reading. This limits pupils' learning. Leaders should develop staff's subject knowledge so that they teach phonics and early reading more effectively.

• There is variation in teachers' knowledge of how to teach mathematics well. This leads to inconsistency in how the mathematics curriculum is implemented across the school. Leaders should ensure that all teachers know how to teach mathematics well.

• Reading provision for some pupils with SEND does not meet their needs. This means that these pupils do not get the help and support they require in order to make the best possible progress. Leaders should ensure that all pupils with SEND get the help and support they need to read well.

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