Roman Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Roman Road is a good school.

It has improved since the previous inspection in July 2022. Pupils enjoy a well-balanced curriculum. Staff ensure that strong emotional and mental health support for pupils underpins their learning.

Pupils feel safe and are clear that behaviour has improved since the last inspection. Leaders have strengthened their work with families, pupils and the community. This has helped staff to address worries and issues that pupils may face.

A calm, purposeful atmosphere that is tolerant of individual needs permeates the school. Staff listen to pupils' views and include them in changes they make, such as the recent changes to all subject c...urriculums.

The new structured lessons on personal, social and health education (PSHE) inform pupils about a range of relevant issues.

These include healthy relationships and staying safe. Pupils are confident and call out inappropriate behaviour. While bullying is rare, pupils are clear that it is unacceptable, and staff deal with it if it arises.

Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities they have at school. For example, they enjoy the various sports clubs, visits to a local place of worship and the educational visit to the open-air Beamish Museum.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Leaders and governors have been successful in addressing the shortcomings highlighted at the last inspection. A full review of all curriculum areas, safeguarding and behaviour has taken place. This has enabled leaders to address areas of weakness with speed.

The early years is a vibrant and exciting area of the school. The introduction of a new approach to teaching mathematics is already seeing improvements in children's mathematical fluency and accuracy. Staff in the early years engage in meaningful conversation with the children.

Pupils communicate with confidence. In Nursery, staff support children well. The children communicate, explore and discover learning opportunities.

Staff and pupils understand the importance of reading. Leaders provide staff with training in reading. This ensures that the chosen approach to teaching phonics is of the highest standard.

Staff have considered the books that are class texts and the books pupils read individually. These include different genres, authors and a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Pupils enjoy the variety of texts and can talk about what they enjoy reading and their favourite books.

All subject leaders have recently reviewed their curriculum. They have made adjustments to where topics are in the sequence of learning. Staff have refined the way they teach pupils, ensuring that important ideas and concepts are clearly highlighted to pupils.

At all times, staff consider the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Subject leaders have collaborated effectively with other schools and the local authority to refine and develop curriculum thinking.

Leaders acknowledge that assessment of pupils' learning, while in place, is not as effective as they would like it to be. Leaders collaborate with staff and provide supportive, subject-specific training. Curriculum planning focuses on building pupils' knowledge over time.

However, the connection of new knowledge to that already covered in other topic areas is not always clear to the pupils. This contributes, in part, to weaknesses in pupils' ability to recall their previous learning. Pupils in Year 6 who left the school in 2022 did not benefit fully from the changes.

The provision for PSHE is carefully mapped out. Content is cross-referenced with other subjects and linked to educational visits. Staff and pupils have positively embraced the renewed focus on this aspect of school life.

Consultation with staff and support through regular PSHE training is in place. A curriculum that continually supports pupils' development is also in place. Safeguarding has a high profile in PSHE lessons.

Staff are flexible and adjust content to meet local needs, when required. For example, recently, leaders changed assembly and lesson themes to cover knife crime following information from external agencies. Pupils have an awareness of different faiths, values and beliefs.

Leaders' dedication to improving pupils' behaviour and the systems used to record the incidence of poor behaviour is reaping benefits. Pupils and staff understand the system well. Staff submit concise and accurate incident reports.

This helps leaders and governors with their effective oversight of behaviour. Leaders review pupils' patterns of behaviour to determine the support individual pupils may need. The number of behaviour incidents has reduced for the whole school since the last inspection.

The pastoral care offered in school and the small group session are improving postive behaviour. Pupils love the 'Frogetts' reward programme. Leaders are working with families to improve attendance.

The termly family reward is a focal point. This recognises efforts at home to support their child in achieving 100% attendance.

Governors are supportive and equipped to offer challenge to leaders.

Staff feel supported and cared for at Roman Road.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have diligently reviewed and strengthened the safeguarding systems and processes since the last inspection.

The engagement with the local authority and other external agencies has provided the necessary challenge and support. Staff attend regular safeguarding training. They are acutely aware of the risks that pupils face in the local community.

Safeguarding records are accurate and include follow-up actions that are checked and reviewed.

Leaders have developed their working relationships with children's social care and use their knowledge of each pupil and their families or carers to secure appropriate support. Governors have enhanced their understanding of safeguarding through training.

The chair of the governing body has recently completed designated safeguarding leader training.

Pupils are taught appropriate behaviours and the importance of keeping safe as part of the new PSHE curriculum.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not use checks on pupils' learning as well as they should.

Teaching is not always addressing gaps in pupils' knowledge. As a result, developing and embedding knowledge over time is not secure for some pupils. Leaders need to strengthen the use of assessment information and provide teachers with support so they have the expertise to use assessment effectively.

• Teaching does not always help pupils to connect new learning to the content they have already been taught. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall knowledge and make important links across different subject areas. Leaders should ensure that when new knowledge is taught, staff integrate it effectively into the larger curriculum ideas that are set out.