Ryhope Infant School Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is a good school where children thrive.

Since the last inspection the school has sustained pupils' good progress and achievement as a result of maintaining effective teaching, a good curriculum and now by providing outstanding care, guidance and support. A wide range of activities augment pupils' experience and widen their horizons. In turn, most aspects of pupils' personal development have markedly improved.

Pupils feel exceptionally safe and their behaviour, and consideration for others, is exemplary. They have an extensive knowledge of the importance of looking after their health and well-being, and they make a very creditable contribution to their school and local community. Together..., their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

These outstanding outcomes stem from the strong drive and ambition of the headteacher and leadership team. They ensure all staff work with a common purpose to nurture pupils' development and improve learning. They forge exceptionally fruitful partnerships with parents.

Careful review and evaluation make a secure contribution to clear self-evaluation and development planning that focuses on raising attainment and progress. The school's capacity for further improvement is good. Children join the Nursery with skills and abilities generally expected for their age, but their language skills and social development are lower than expected.

They thoroughly enjoy learning and participate wholeheartedly in lessons. From their starting points they make good progress through both the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. Determined and successful initiatives to improve learning have led to a year-on-year rise in attainment which is now above average.

Pupils' progress and attainment is better in reading and writing than in mathematics, which is closer to average. The exceptional quality of care, guidance and support, with well-chosen activities to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, makes a most effective contribution to the good progress they make. Although teachers gather accurate information about pupils' attainment, they do not fully exploit its use to foster their better progress.

Not all higher-attaining pupils are sufficiently extended with appropriately challenging work to help them reach the highest levels. When marking pupils' work, teachers celebrate pupils' accomplishments but do not comment to help them take the next steps in their learning.

Information about the school

This is an average sized infant school.

A Children's Centre is integral with the school. The governing body manages full day care for children from birth to three years old, before- and after-school care for children up to 11 years of age and extended care services throughout the year. The number of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average.

An above average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities; fewer than average have a statement of special educational needs. Most pupils are of White British heritage and a small number of pupils with Pakistani and East European origins speak English as an additional language. The school has gained Healthy School status, the Activemark, the intermediate International award and the Silver Eco award.

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