Rosewood Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and learning and thereby outcomes for all groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics by:
  • raising teachers’ expectations by ensuring that learning is closely matched to pupils’ needs, particularly those of the most able
  • ensuring that teaching assistants are better deployed, particularly during whole class teaching
  • ensuring that teachers consistently follow the school’s marking policy to drive forward pupils’ learning
  • ensuring that differences in outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and others nationally are diminished.
• Develop leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that targets in the school development plan are measurable, are securely linked to school priorities and enable leaders to monitor progress and the governors to hold leaders more rigorously to account
  • making sure that feedback given to teachers following lesson observations focuses sharply on the progress of different groups of pupils and that teachers’ targets link more closely to school priorities

improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils by ensuring that the pupil premium money is used to good effect

implementing procedures to share best practice in the school

• developing further the role of some middle leaders to ensure that they make a greater impact on teaching, learning and assessment and further improve outcomes for pupils.
• Improve outcomes in the early years and ensure that a higher number of children achieve a good level of development by:
  • ensuring that children are challenged in all aspects of their learning, particularly those who are disadvantaged and the most able
  • exploring ways of encouraging more parents to take a fuller, active part in their children’s learning.
• An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leadership and management are not good because outcomes for pupils require improvement and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is uneven across the school.
• The school has been through a turbulent time over the last two years. A new headteacher had just been appointed and she has an accurate overview of the weaknesses within the school. She is determined that the issues highlighted by this inspection will be dealt with in a timely manner.
• Although a school development plan is in place, the targets set are not sharply linked to the current weaknesses in the school. Furthermore, targets are not measurable, which makes it difficult for senior leaders to monitor the progress the school is making towards achieving its goals.
• Senior leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching, and there is a range of training opportunities available to help staff develop their practice. However, feedback given to teachers after lesson observations does not focus sharply enough on the progress that different groups have made during the lesson. In addition, the targets set for teachers, as part of their performance management, are not securely linked to school priorities.
• Systems are being put in place to work collaboratively with other schools in the local area in order to share good practice and verify the accuracy of assessments. However, there are no clearly defined procedures within the school to allow teachers to share and learn from the best practice that exists in school.
• The leaders of English and mathematics have a good overview of their subjects and areas of responsibility. The effective leadership of mathematics had led to good progress at key stage 2 in 2016. The English leader is very aware that outcomes in reading are too low, particularly at key stage 2. An action plan has been put in place and changes have been implemented. For example, a new guided reading scheme has been introduced alongside other initiatives. Inspection evidence shows that these actions are bearing fruit and standards in reading are showing signs of improvement. However, some middle leaders of the non-core subjects do not monitor their subjects with the same rigour.
• Although senior leaders are aware of the barriers to learning that disadvantaged pupils face, the pupil premium funding is not being used to good effect to support this group of pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils.
• Senior leaders ensure that the sports premium is used well to help pupils be active and develop a healthier lifestyle. Specialist coaches work with teachers to enhance their skills in delivering high-quality physical education (PE) lessons. Increased access to competitions and a wider range of sporting opportunities are achieved through the effective deployment of this funding.
• The new curriculum is embedded and taught through a topic-based approach linked to the interests of the pupils. British values are strongly embedded throughout the curriculum. Through assemblies and ‘inter faith’ weeks, pupils learn about different religions and cultures and the importance of mutual respect and tolerance. A varied range of experiences, including out-of-school clubs, trips and visitors, further enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ experiences.
• The local authority provides ‘light touch’ support to the school, despite the fact that standards have been declining in recent years. Help has been provided to support governors with the appointment of the new headteacher and also to support staff with moderating assessments in writing.
• The website is bright, informative and easy to navigate. It is now compliant with the required information that must be published.
• Most parents are supportive of all aspects of the school’s work. They find teachers approachable and are kept well informed about the progress that their children make. Parents who are facing difficult situations comment positively on the support they have received from the teachers and staff in the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are aware that their role in the past was not fully effective but they are now fully committed to driving up standards in the school. They are aware of what the school does well and of the further improvements needed to improve outcomes across the school.
• Governors have a good awareness of the progress that different groups of pupils are making across the school.
• Data is analysed independently of the headteacher, which allows governors to ask some challenging questions.
• Governors are knowledgeable about the quality of teaching across the school. They acknowledge that the pupil premium funding is not being used as effectively as it might be.
• In the past, governors have not been afraid to take difficult decisions. The budget is well managed and linked to school priorities.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff have a good awareness of the indicators of abuse and procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child’s welfare. They talk with some confidence about the potential indicators of radicalisation, sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation.
• Those who have responsibility for safeguarding are trained at an appropriate level. The headteacher is aware of her duty to ensure that someone with responsibility for safeguarding is on site when the school is open to deal with any safeguarding concerns.
• The school site is secure and closed circuit television is in place outside the school to protect pupils. Visitors have their identity checked before being allowed into school.
• The single central record is compliant. Parents and staff are in full agreement that pupils are safe in this school.
• There are comprehensive procedures in place for the recruitment and selection of new staff. The school works well with parents and other agencies to ensure that pupils are safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent across the school and within different subjects. Over time, teachers do not make effective use of assessment and teaching does not provide enough challenge, particularly for those pupils who learn more quickly.
• Teaching is strongest at upper key stage 2. The planning of activities is well structured and clearly focused on driving forward pupils’ learning.
• Some teaching assistants are deployed effectively and work well with the teachers to support pupils in their learning. However, this is not consistent practice across the school, particularly during whole-class teaching at the start of the lesson.
• Teaching of mathematics is good at key stage 2 and improving at key stage 1. Pupils clearly enjoy solving mathematical number problems. However, at times, activities provided by teachers are not pitched at the right level and do not challenge pupils, particularly the most able.
• Although marking is regular it does not always reflect the school’s marking policy. For example, teachers do not always give pupils advice on how their work could be improved, which slows down their learning.
• Teachers generate positive relationships with pupils, giving them lots of praise and encouragement. Routines are well established and pupils follow teachers’ instructions straight away so that no learning time is wasted.
• Some teachers are skilled at using questioning well to probe and deepen pupils’ learning. This was exemplified during an English lesson where the teachers used well-structured questioning to develop and enhance pupils’ understanding of onomatopoeia.
• Most pupils enjoy reading. The most able pupils in key stage 1 read with fluency and with expression. They made good use of their phonic knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words. They were able to express their thoughts about the characters and predict what might happen next in the plot. Older pupils were able to confidently talk about their favourite authors. They also read fluently, had good intonation, self-corrected and discussed characterisation. However, some pupils across year groups found the books too easy with no challenge. The school libraries are uninspiring and corridors and other areas within the school are not used to best effect to promote pupils’ love of reading. The frequency with which reading books are changed also varies across some year groups.
• Teachers provide pupils with a range of opportunities to write in different styles. There are some good examples of writing across the school, particularly in upper key stage 2. Younger pupils studied patterns in poetry and then wrote their own winter poems. Older pupils wrote a newspaper article relating to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s body. This was then followed up by a piece of writing allowing pupils to express their ideas and opinions about who had killed Tutankhamun and why. However, from looking at pupils work, at times, there is evidence of less effective teaching with an over emphasis on the use of worksheets which stops pupils writing at length and in greater depth. On occasions, teachers’ expectations of the presentation of pupils’ writing are not high enough. Writing is poor, indicating that pupils do not always take pride in their work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Parents agree that their children are well looked after. Staff are approachable if parents have any concerns.
• Pupils are happy and confident. They enjoy coming to school, look smart in their school uniform and are keen to learn. However, they do not always take pride in their work, as some books show poor presentation.
• Pupils show respect for adults and each other. At lunchtimes, they sit happily in the dinner hall chatting to each other about the events of the day. Boys and girls mix well together socially.
• Attendance is broadly in line with the national average. As a result of a concerted effort led by the assistant headteacher, there has been an improvement in the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Clear procedures are in place to follow up any unexplained absences.
• Good procedures are in place to ensure that pupils keep themselves safe and healthy. Younger children are taught the importance of washing hands and eating heathy food. Older pupils are made aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol misuse. Visitors, such as the fire officer and the school nurse, talk to pupils about safety and health issues. Pupils are also aware of the dangers of the internet and how to keep themselves safe while online.
• Pupils are considerate of the needs of others and regularly raise money for a wide variety of charitable causes to support others who are facing difficult situations. For example, they have recently raised a considerable sum of money to buy books to help enhance the quality of education provided in a Ugandan school.
• Pupils are aware of the different forms of bullying and the distress that it can cause. Bullying does at times occur but pupils trust staff to sort it out promptly, which they do.
• Pupils make a good contribution to school life as members of the school council. As games ambassadors, they are also responsible for organising games at breaktimes, which pupils greatly enjoy.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and well mannered. They move around the school in an orderly manner. There is a warm and friendly atmosphere around the school.
• Visitors to the school are made to feel very welcome. Pupils happily chatted to inspectors at lunchtime and at break. They were keen to talk to inspectors about ‘amazing’ teachers.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes require improvement because progress is too variable across the school in reading, writing and mathematics. From 2013 to 2015 standards have dipped at both key stages 1 and 2 and progress has slowed.
• Outcomes dropped further in 2016 across the school. The number of pupils reaching the expected and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 1 was below the national average.
• The picture was a bit brighter at key stage 2 in 2016. Progress in mathematics was good. The number of pupils reaching the expected and higher standards in mathematics was above the national average. Furthermore, the number of pupils reaching the expected standard in writing was above the national average. However, progress in reading was poor. The number of pupils reaching the expected and higher standards was significantly below the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils attending the school is high. The pupil premium funding is not being used effectively to improve outcomes for this group of pupils. Published data in 2016 shows that at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 they perform significantly less well than others nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. This was especially so for the middle-ability and most-able pupils. Furthermore, although the number of pupils in the school reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check is in line with the national average, the number of disadvantaged pupils achieving the same results is well below others nationally.
• From observing teaching and learning and looking at examples of pupils’ work from the current year, inspectors agree there are some pockets of good progress across the school. This is particularly evident in upper key stage 2 in a range of subjects across the curriculum, including reading. However, current progress requires improvement because it is too variable. Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. The work that teachers set does not always challenge pupils, particularly the most able, to do as well as they can.
• The number of pupils reaching the expected standard in science at the end of key stage 2 was well above the national average and broadly in line with the national average at key stage 1.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make the same progress as others nationally. These pupils have a very diverse range of needs and the school works with other agencies to support these pupils in their learning. However, the impact of interventions is not monitored rigorously enough by senior leaders. The new headteacher has quite rightly recognised that this is an issue which is top of her list to address.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Children come into early years with knowledge and skills below those typical for their age. During their time in the early years, all groups of children make steady progress. However, the number of children achieving a good level of development is not rising quickly enough and is slightly below the national average. Consequently, a significant proportion of children are not ready for their transition into Year 1. In addition, published data shows that the number of disadvantaged pupils achieving a good level of development is significantly below others nationally. As a result, early years requires improvement. The quality of teaching across early years is variable and leadership and management is not strong.
• Teachers are engaging and enthusiastic. They share warm relationships with the children and are attentive to their needs. Children play well together and are respectful to each other.
• Routines within early years are well established and independence is reasonably well promoted. For example, young children are encouraged to take off and hang up their own coats. Standards of behaviour are good and children feel safe.
• Outdoor learning is well promoted through the provision of Forest School type activities.
• Indoors, children have a large amount of space to move around freely and learn and play in comfort. Independent play areas are well set out and reflect the seven areas of learning. However, the activities provided do not always challenge children or drive their learning forward at a pace.
• The teaching of phonics is good and develops children’s knowledge at an age- appropriate level.
• Good relationships have been established with parents, helping to promote security and consistency in children’s lives. However, there are some parents that the school find harder to reach. As a result, this group of parents are prevented from taking an active part in their children’s learning.
• Transition arrangements are effective and personalised to the needs of the child.
• There are no breaches of the statutory welfare requirements.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 133437 Lancashire 10024175 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 427 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Alex Bird Nerys Ditchburn-Hughes Telephone number 01282 463 790 Website Email address www.rosewood.lancs.sch.uk head@rosewood.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 29–30 January 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.
• This is a larger-than-average primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs is average.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• A new headteacher was appointed in January 2017. At the time of this inspection, she had only been in post for two weeks.
• Children attend the Nursery on a part-time basis and full time in Reception.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes and across a variety of subjects.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils in a separate meeting and informally at break, lunchtimes and around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in their books in a range of subjects and on display.
• A wide range of documentation was considered, including the school’s self-evaluation form, the single central record for safeguarding and information relating to the quality of teaching.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, other staff and members of the governing body. A telephone call took place with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read in all groups, with the exception of early years.
• Inspectors spoke to parents who were bringing their children to school at the start of the day.
• Account was taken of the 13 responses to the online questionnaire on Parent View and of the school’s own questionnaire to parents. Consideration was also given to the six responses to the online staff questionnaire and 45 responses to the online pupils’ questionnaire.

Inspection team

Sheila Iwaskow, lead inspector Barbara Dutton Lorna Rushton Sheryl Farnworth Liz Kelly

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector