Rosley CofE School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further strengthen teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that pupils continue to make good progress from their starting points by consistently using information about pupils’ progress to ensure that any underachievement is noted and dealt with rapidly.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders and governors have high expectations and are ambitious for further improvement. Disappointing aspects of the school’s national test results in 2016 and 2017 have been firmly addressed. Performance management is used effectively. Weaker teaching has been eradicated. There has been a review of the curriculum. Teachers have taken part in a range of effective professional development activities.
• The headteacher leads by example. She promotes collaborative working. The whole- staff team have a passion for their own professional development, which has led to improved teaching. The school’s own information shows that pupils are making good progress as a result.
• Leaders are active in seeking out good practice, for example through their membership of local school networks. This has led to valuable partnerships established with other schools through which staff can share ideas.
• Leaders and governors have created a caring culture where everyone can succeed and develop responsibility. Through their commitment to the school, staff and pupils play a significant part in maintaining a positive, Christian ethos.
• Pupils, parents and staff are positive about how the school is led and managed. They recognise the role taken by the headteacher in leading a caring, Christian community. Parents recommend the school to others.
• Leaders have used the additional funding well to provide effective support for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities to meet their individual needs. Disadvantaged pupils are supported well because the pupil premium funding is used effectively to target their individual needs. The physical education and sport premium is used to provide training for staff and direct instruction for pupils, alongside specialist provision, such as swimming, and participation in local competitions and tournaments. Pupils speak very highly about their participation in sport.
• Leaders ensure that despite the small size of the school, pupils have access to a wide and varied curriculum. Specialist teachers visit regularly to teach art, French and music. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities that provide them with interesting experiences and enrich their learning, for instance the visit to Beamish Museum.
• School leaders facilitate a wide range of extra-curricular activities. These include sporting, musical and dramatic clubs and activities, which build life skills, such as baking. All key stage 1 and 2 pupils have swimming lessons. Most members of key stage 2 participate in various sports competitions and many have taken part in the Carlisle Music Festival. This helps to motivate and inspire pupils to do their best and helps to build their self-confidence.
• Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Starting with the school’s values, it is woven throughout the school’s curriculum and extra-curricular activities. For example, the school held an afternoon focused on Burns Night, with poetry, music and Scottish dancing. British values are promoted well through assemblies, special events and lessons. For instance, pupils explained the whole process of the school council elections and the importance that this body has within the school. Pupils are knowledgeable about other faiths. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders have introduced a new information management system, which is still being embedded in practice. Although it makes it easier to monitor the progress of current pupils, on occasions it is not being used effectively to pick up on underachievement. Consequently, the needs of pupils who are falling behind are, at times, not dealt with swiftly.

Governance of the school

• Governors are knowledgeable about the school, effectively scrutinise information, and hold the headteacher to account. Their questions lead to discussions which bring about careful analysis of issues and well-thought-out plans for improvement.
• Governors take advantage of opportunities for developing their expertise, for example by joining the staff team in safeguarding training. Governors provide support as well as challenging the headteacher, for instance by attending local authority briefings when the headteacher has teaching commitments.
• Governors attend parents’ evenings to give them the opportunity to talk with parents, monitor parents’ views and build relationships with them.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors ensure that the required checks for anyone working or volunteering in the school are carried out.
• Leaders and governors ensure that pupils are kept safe by the school. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, learning how to spot risks and report them. They know who to talk to if they are worried about something and are confident that if they have a problem, adults in school will help them to sort it out.
• Pupils understand that there are potential dangers when online and are taught how to manage those risks appropriately. Information about this is shared with parents and governors through leaflets and workshops.
• The school works well with parents and other stakeholders to ensure that all children are supported and safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils benefit from consistently good teaching because leaders have taken effective action to address any weak teaching. This good quality of teaching is reflected in the work in pupils’ books and in leaders’ recorded evaluations.
• Teachers have reviewed the curriculum and their teaching methods. They work collaboratively to develop their classroom skills through professional development and peer mentoring, and draw on good practice and resources from the local subject- coordinators network.
• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils should achieve in their work. In most cases, their planning takes good account of the needs of pupils and the relevant programmes of study as they devise activities which interest the pupils so that they learn well.
• Teachers provide pupils with helpful information to extend their learning. Exemplar materials displayed in the classrooms provide good prompts so that pupils can be more independent in their work.
• Phonics strategies are used well to support reading. High-quality texts, which appeal to pupils, are used to promote their reading and writing skills.
• Pupils systematically learn the skills needed for writing, with activities focused on texts in a range of styles. Spelling is an important focus. There is a ‘Tricky words challenge’ for the most able pupils. Pupils are tested on a regular basis to check on their progress in spelling and can see that they are improving.
• Pupils build key mathematical skills. They are challenged to apply, explain and justify their actions. This helps to deepen their understanding of new concepts.
• Topic work provides opportunities to link subjects other than English and mathematics with the core skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
• Some teachers use appropriate ‘success criteria’ to enable pupils to know what to include in their work. Use of the most challenging of these helps the most able pupils to work on tasks at greater depth.
• Leaders share the expectations about homework with parents. Teachers provide homework as appropriate for classes to consolidate pupils’ learning. Homework help sessions are available if needed. Feedback from parents with older children confirms that the homework provided by the school helps to prepare pupils well for secondary school.
• Staff effectively use good questioning to check pupils’ understanding. They assess pupils’ outcomes regularly, giving useful guidance which pupils use to improve their work.
• A new information management system is being used to collect and analyse assessments. This system is beginning to provide teachers with greater insight into pupils’ progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pastoral care is very effective in this small school. The school has a reputation for looking after pupils extremely well. Pupils move to the school to benefit from this high level of support.
• Pupils are articulate and demonstrate confidence throughout the school. This becomes particularly noticeable as they get older. Senior pupils have a considerable level of responsibility, for example as ‘young sports leaders’ and have an extremely mature attitude. They are positive role models for younger pupils, who are aware of this and aspire to follow in their footsteps.
• Staff are very aware of pupils’ interests and needs. They expertly tailor opportunities for individuals to learn and grow. Pupils have a very good relationship with staff.
• Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They appreciate what the school offers, and talk about the strengths of activities, such as sport and music. Pupils are reflective and proud to talk about aspects of the curriculum they enjoy. They are equally keen to talk about things that they have found challenging and have mastered.
• Year 5 and 6 ‘buddies’ look after younger pupils, for instance on the playground and in the dining area. This gives a sense of family to the school. Buddies described what they had learned from this, as well as what the younger pupils had gained from the pairings.
• There is a calm, purposeful atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils have an awareness of risk. They told inspectors where they would go to run about, and where it is better to go in the outdoor area to be quiet with their friends. They understand risks in their community, such as flooding, and know how messages will be sent to their families should there be an alert. They have learned about e-safety, which is reinforced through assemblies and class sessions, as well as being tied into classwork.
• Pupils are very positive about the school and feel safe. They say bullying is not a problem. They know that pupils sometimes fall out with each other, but know that if they go to a member of staff things will be sorted out quickly. School records confirm these views, with no recurring cases. They also show that there are very few incidents of the use of unpleasant language.
• Pupils are involved in the development of some of the school’s policies and procedures. For instance, classes discussed the development of the school rules, then they were considered on a whole-school basis through the school council.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Routines are firmly embedded into the working of the school, helping pupils to develop self-discipline. As a result, little learning time is lost.
• Pupils are confident because they have many opportunities to achieve success.
• Pupils are friendly and polite. At playtime, they behave and relate well to each other. They look after the school environment. They are kind, considerate and have good manners, for instance holding open doors for adults and for each other. They move promptly from one activity to another and conduct themselves calmly around the school.
• Older pupils, through the ‘buddy’ system, look after and help younger pupils to learn, for example about good manners in the dining hall.
• Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Attendance is in line with the national average for primary schools. The school has good procedures in place for following up on the absence of any pupils.
• Most pupils respond promptly to the direction of adults. A small number of pupils are focused on improving their self-discipline.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders and governors have taken action to deal with situations which led to dips in outcomes in some subjects and key stages in 2016 and in 2017. Other outcomes remained mainly at or above the national average.
• The school has recently introduced half-termly assessments across key stages 1 and 2 and is tracking pupils’ progress to monitor progress.
• Most pupils make good or improving progress with their learning in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2017, provisional results highlight that almost all pupils who had been in the school throughout key stage 2 reached the standard expected for their age by the end of Year 6, with many of them exceeding this.
• The reasons for underachievement in the key stage 1 writing and mathematics outcomes, in 2017, have been addressed. Targeted teaching is having a positive impact on this group of pupils. The school’s own information and other inspection evidence show that as a result, they are now making good progress with their learning. Some are making accelerated progress.
• The dip in unvalidated results in 2017 also extended to the Year 1 national phonics screening check. Targeted teaching, including a focused phonics programme, is having a positive impact. The school’s own information shows that as a result, these pupils are now making good progress with their reading. More than half of the group are making accelerated progress.
• Most pupils develop basic reading skills quickly and read widely and fluently. Pupils know the importance of reading and love to read. In key stage 2, they keep highly valued reading journals.
• Pupils learn the basic mathematical skills and apply these to analyse problems and justify their reasoning. Pupils’ good progress can be seen in mathematics workbooks and in the school’s own information system.
• There is careful monitoring of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities to check that they make at least good progress from their starting points. They are well engaged and supported in class.
• The number of disadvantaged pupils is too small to generalise about their progress. However, individuals make good progress from their starting points.
• Pupils make good progress within the wider curriculum. Topic themes that interest and engage pupils are well planned to develop further core skills, as well as learning subject-specific and wider-enquiry skills.
• Pupils learn to reflect on their learning, for example at the end of themes in topic work. They develop maturity and an awareness of their learning which prepares them well to move on to secondary school.
• In the provisional 2017 key stage 2 outcomes, some of the most able pupils achieved very well, but not all did so. Very few of this group had been at the school throughout the whole of key stage 2. Some had gaps in their learning from which it had not been possible for them to catch up.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision consists of a Reception class which has well-planned indoor and outdoor areas. Leaders have developed an early years environment that is well organised and stimulating. A wide range of learning experiences is provided.
• Many children enter the Reception Year from the nearby private nursery. There are close links which enable children to make a smooth transition between the two settings.
• The school has developed an effective online assessment system which is shared with parents. It is used to monitor the progress made by children in the Reception Year. Leaders encourage parents to make contributions to these assessments about the progress they see their children making. Observation notes and photographs are linked to the next steps in learning. This assessment gives staff a strong basis on which to plan future activities. The leadership and management of the early years are good.
• Children get off to a good start in the Reception Year. They become more confident in their language and communication skills, learning the routines that reinforce the structure of the day and classroom practice.
• In 2017, most children ended the Reception Year ready for Year 1, but a small number of children did not achieve a good level of development, even though they had made good progress from their starting points. Individualised provision has been put in place for these children to help them to accelerate their progress.
• Leaders ensure that children’s welfare and safety are given the highest priority. Children respect and respond to the facilities and equipment while engaging in purposeful activity.
• Children’s behaviour is good. They show respect for each other and interact cooperatively together. Adults ensure that children who have SEN and/or disabilities are always included in activities. Children respond well to each other, sharing resources and talking together about their activities.
• Early literacy and numeracy skills are developed through the activities provided for children, including phonics.
• Classroom talk is important. Staff take every opportunity to develop the vocabulary used by children. Children are enthusiastic about their work, keen to show it to visitors and to talk about their learning.
• Direct teaching is combined with opportunities for children to choose their own activities. Children were observed taking part in a ‘shape hunt’ in the outdoor area, identifying a range of two- and three-dimensional objects. On another occasion, they were observed taking part in a sorting activity, where they had to justify the choices they had made. Staff enable children to make good progress with the learning opportunities provided, for example by using questioning to probe understanding and to prompt the development of vocabulary. However, there are a few occasions when teachers do not check what children are learning, so some opportunities to extend learning are missed.
• Safeguarding in the early years is vigilant. All statutory requirements are met. Staff receive training alongside the whole-school staff to keep children safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112306 Cumbria 10037787 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 70 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Joan Gate Stephanie Wilson Telephone number 01697 342776 Website Email address www.rosley.cumbria.sch.uk admin@rosley.cumbria.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 June 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets most requirements on the publication of specified information on its website but does not meet some of the detailed requirements on the publication of information within the SEN Information Report and Local Offer.
• Rosley CofE Primary School is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. There are very small numbers of pupils in each year group. Classes consist of mixed year groups.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is slightly higher than the national average. No pupils have an education, health and care plan.
• A high proportion of pupils enters and leaves the school each year.
• In 2016, the school did not meet the government floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector reviewed the comments of 23 parents and eight staff made through the Ofsted online questionnaires. There were no pupil responses to the online survey. One letter to the inspector was also considered. The school’s own survey of parents was considered.
• The inspector observed teaching and carried out learning walks in classes, the school hall and outdoors. The inspector observed pupils during breaks and lunchtimes.
• The inspector met regularly with the headteacher, teachers who hold posts of responsibility and a range of other staff throughout the inspection.
• The inspector heard some children read and considered a range of pupils’ work.
• The inspector spoke with a wide range of pupils from all age groups in classrooms, during formal meetings and informally around the school site.
• The inspector met with representatives of the governing body.
• The inspector considered a range of information about the school, including the school’s website, school improvement plans and self-evaluation documents and the school’s own information about the progress of pupils. In addition, the inspector scrutinised school policies and records about the care and progress of pupils.

Inspection team

Linda Griffiths, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector