Roman Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Roman Hill Primary School, pupils are hindered by leaders' low expectations of what they can learn. Pupils, including in early years, are not as well prepared for the next stages of their education as they should be.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not receive an acceptable standard of education.

A significant proportion of pupils with SEND receive part or all of their education in separate spaces from their peers, called 'nurture rooms'. Pupils with SEND do not have full or equal access to the curriculum.

Behaviour in the school is very unsettled.

Pupils say they often cannot focus on their learning because of ...the noise. Serious poor behaviour is too frequent. Pupils say rudeness, swearing and name calling are the norm.

That said, they feel safe because staff respond well to their personal concerns. As a result, incidences of bullying over time are uncommon.

Many pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

They enjoy much of their education. In the playground, pupils like to discuss what they know, such as about magnetism in science.

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

Leaders have not put in place an effective curriculum for pupils.

In particular, leaders have not identified what pupils with SEND and pupils who learn in the 'nurture rooms' need to access the curriculum fully. As a result, pupils with SEND do not achieve well.

Some areas of the curriculum are better considered.

Where this is the case, leaders plan more effectively the content that pupils in key stages 1 and 2 need to learn. Leaders ensure that what pupils learn builds on what they already know. In these areas of the curriculum, teachers mostly deliver leaders' plans well.

As a result, pupils learn what leaders intend. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils learn and then use a range of movements that help them to be successful in team sports.

There is not a well-designed curriculum in early years.

Leaders do not identify what children must know to be ready to access and understand the planned learning in key stage 1. Consequently, teachers do not assess learning effectively. So, children do not achieve well.

For example, staff do not address children's misunderstandings in reading and writing quickly enough, and they are behind where they should be when they start in Year 1.

Leaders have not put in place an effective reading curriculum. They have not trained staff well about how to support early readers.

Staff are not confident in teaching the new phonics programme. The books pupils read are often not well matched to the sounds they know. As a result, pupils are not learning quickly enough to read fluently.

Expectations of behaviour are low. The pandemic has unsettled many pupils and families. However, leaders have not established effective systems to support positive behaviour or attendance.

Because of this, while many pupils behave well, a significant proportion of pupils behave poorly in lessons. Large numbers of pupils have very low attendance, and leaders do not have effective processes in place that improve this.

Leaders have failed to identify, assess, and support the needs of pupils with SEND well enough.

This is for both their behaviour and learning needs. In some instances, they place pupils with SEND in separate rooms because of behaviour incidents. While there are plans to support pupils, these are not effectively applied and so the behaviour of pupils in the 'nurture rooms' does not get better over time and does not ensure these pupils access the curriculum they require to achieve well.

While this is the case, staff in the 'nurture rooms' do offer helpful support for the emotional and social needs of pupils.

Many pupils enjoy a range of opportunities for personal development, such as clubs. They learn through the curriculum about life in the modern world, for example about democracy.

Leaders ensure staff support pupils well with their mental health and well-being. However, trustees and leaders have not enabled pupils with SEND to have equal access to a wide range of experiences.

Trustees and the school committee do not know the school's provision well.

They do not monitor leaders' work closely enough. The trust's support and challenge for the quality of education and behaviour is weak. The school committee supports leaders' work on safeguarding well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured all staff are vigilant regarding safeguarding. They have put in place strong processes for keeping children safe.

Staff are well trained in safeguarding and know how to spot and report concerns.

Leaders deal effectively with safeguarding cases. Records are thorough and show prompt and timely referrals to agencies.

Leaders know the local risks and teach pupils to avoid these. Leaders have identified that since the pandemic, pupils are more at risk from unsafe content accessible on the internet. Leaders ensure pupils know a lot about staying safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils with SEND do not receive an acceptable quality of education. Their needs are not identified, assessed, or supported effectively. So, these pupils do not access the full curriculum.

Leaders must urgently review the provision for pupils with SEND to ensure they are included in the curriculum and receive a high-quality education. ? Leaders have not trained staff well in supporting pupils who are early readers. Staff are not confident in teaching the new phonics programme.

Therefore, pupils do not develop their reading as well as they should. Leaders must put in place more effective training for staff to support pupils with reading. ? Leaders have not developed an effective curriculum for the early years.

Because of this, children are not prepared well for key stage 1. Leaders must ensure the curriculum in the early years prepares pupils effectively for their next stage of learning. ? Leaders have low expectations and poor systems for supporting positive behaviour and attendance.

Because of this, high-level and persistent low-level disruption to learning are common. Low attendance often does not improve. Leaders must put in place more effective systems to improve behaviour and attendance.

• Leaders and trustees have not ensured that pupils with SEND have equal access to the curriculum and opportunities for personal development. As a result, these pupils do not benefit from a wide set of experiences. Leaders and trustees must ensure that pupils with SEND can access the school's curriculum and that equality of provision is put in place effectively for all pupils.

• Trustees and those responsible for governance do not know the quality of the school's provision. Consequently, they do not challenge leaders effectively in their work to improve the school. Trustees and the school committee must ensure that they gather the right information about the quality of the school's provision to hold leaders strictly to account for school improvement.