Rose Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Rose Hill Primary school is a caring school. All pupils receive a welcome into their classroom by their class teacher, reflecting the positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils of all ages play well together on the playground, eagerly making use of the climbing equipment.

The new headteacher is raising the ambition of staff and pupils. However, work to improve pupils' learning is at an early stage. Consequently, across the curriculum many pupils do not learn as well as they could.

The behaviour and conduct of pupils in school is variable. Pupils sometimes disturb each other's learning. Staff are not consistent in how they manage behaviour.

They d...o not all share the same common high expectations of classroom conduct. Leaders have not ensured that the support given to some pupils to improve their behaviour has been effective.

Pupils enjoy school.

They told inspectors that they feel safe and have an adult they can talk to if they have worries or concerns. Younger pupils do not have a clear understanding of bullying, and a few older pupils do not understand the importance of reporting it if it does happen. When unkindness or bullying does happen and is reported, staff deal with it swiftly.

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

Leaders have not yet built a well-designed and well-sequenced curriculum. This means they have not identified the key knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. In the early years, leaders have not yet incorporated sufficient development of communication and language.

There is not yet a strong enough focus on vocabulary development throughout the school. In many subjects, leaders have matched the content of the curriculum to the school's termly themes. This means leaders have focused on activities, rather than on key knowledge.

Assessment is underdeveloped in many subjects. In some lessons, teachers check to see if pupils have understood key knowledge. Teachers use this information to identify misconceptions and help pupils to address any misunderstandings before they move on.

This does not happen systematically across the school.

Leaders are prioritising reading. They have recently introduced a new reading scheme.

This is already having an impact. From the minute children join the school, they learn to read confidently and fluently. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy learning phonics.

However, leaders have not yet ensured that all staff are well trained to deliver the scheme precisely enough. A support programme for staff development is already planned.

The majority of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their peers.

The curriculum is not always adapted to support the needs of these pupils. Plans to improve their provision are in place and are already beginning to have an impact. For example, the recently introduced 'one-page profiles' provide staff with vital information on how to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND effectively.

Behaviour in lessons is often calm and purposeful. However, learning is regularly disturbed by pupils distracting each other or not paying attention to the teacher. Staff do not challenge low-level disruption swiftly or consistently enough.

Not all staff and pupils understand the school's behaviour management system. Consequently, new staff find it hard to establish and maintain the correct behaviour in their classrooms. At breaktime and lunchtime, the majority of pupils behave well.

Some pupils have not learned how to behave sensibly and safely in the dining hall. A small minority of pupils are not kind to each other and do not always follow the instructions of staff.

Pastoral care and support are strong.

A team of dedicated and well-trained staff support attendance and safeguarding at the school. Systems of monitoring absence are well established. Nevertheless, leaders have not been ambitious or tenacious enough in their attempts to improve attendance rapidly and consistently.

The punctuality of pupils has improved, but leaders know they still have work to do in this area as well.

Leaders have not placed a strong enough focus on the wider development of pupils. Leaders have not yet identified the key knowledge they want pupils to learn in the personal, social and health education curriculum.

Activities to develop pupils' awareness of different cultures and faiths are woven through the curriculum. Pupils learn about democracy in history and vote for their representatives on the 'student council'. Leaders have not yet ensured that clubs and activities, which were popular with pupils before the pandemic began, have restarted again.

River Learning Trust has clear plans for the future to support the improvement of this school. Governance has very recently been strengthened. Together with the new headteacher, leaders at all levels are beginning to collaborate effectively.

Trustees and senior trust leaders must continue to carry out their roles effectively in setting strategy and holding leaders to account at Rose Hill School.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has a securely embedded culture of safeguarding.

Leaders, including governors, ensure that children are safe at Rose Hill. All staff know how to identify concerns and the importance of reporting them quickly. Procedures are thorough and robust.

Leaders follow up any concerns swiftly and diligently.

The safeguarding team meets regularly with the pastoral team to discuss any concerns they have. Together they secure appropriate help for any pupils who might need it.

Strong relationships between staff and pupils mean that pupils know who they would talk to if they had a concern.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in most subjects. It is not yet fully clear what pupils should learn and when, to build their knowledge over time.

Leaders and governors must ensure the curriculum continues to be developed so there is clarity about what pupils should know and be able to do in all subjects across the school. ? The school's curriculum in the early years is not sufficiently well planned and sequenced to ensure that children develop knowledge and skills across all seven areas of learning. Children do not develop communication and language skills systematically enough as a result.

Leaders need to ensure the curriculum in the early years explicitly incorporates all seven areas of learning. ? Leaders have not established a clear and effective approach to assessment and feedback. Pupils do not always benefit from helpful feedback.

Leaders must ensure that they establish clear expectations for assessment and feedback and that staff apply agreed strategies consistently. ? The behaviour management system is not fit for purpose. Pupils and staff are often confused about the expectations of the policy.

As a result, pupils' behaviour and conduct are not consistently good. Leaders should ensure that expectations are clear, fully understood, consistently applied and followed by all pupils and staff. ? Low-level disruption in lessons is not challenged swiftly or effectively by staff.

This means learning is disrupted in many lessons. Leaders should ensure that all staff share the same high expectations of pupils' behaviour in lessons and that low-level disruption is eradicated. ? Leaders' work to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence has not been robust enough.

Absence and persistent absence remain high. Pupils, therefore, do not benefit as well as they should from their education. Leaders must take decisive action to reduce absence and persistent absence as quickly as possible.

• Leaders have not ensured that the provision of opportunities to experience, nurture and develop talents and interests has re-started since the pandemic. As a result, there are very few clubs and activities for pupils to participate in, either during or after the school day. Leaders should review the school's offer, ensuring that it is as rich and broad as it can be, and pursue strategies to encourage pupils to participate.

Leaders, including governors, have not ensured that there has been a strong enough focus on providing a high-quality education for all pupils. As a result, there are many policies and procedures that need revisiting, refreshing and embedding. Leaders must ensure that their plans to improve the school are enacted rapidly and that robust quality assurance systems are in place to enable leaders to evaluate their actions.