Rosebery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Rosebery School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud members of the school community.

They appreciate their similarities and celebrate their differences. They are proud of their achievements and aspirational for their future. All members of the school community behave in a way that upholds the values and ethos of the Rosebery Way.

Pupils are happy and safe.

Pupils' conduct in classrooms and around the school is calm and orderly. Low-level disruption is not tolerated, so learning is not disrupted.

Incidents of bullying and or discriminatory behaviour are extremely rare. When they do occur, they are ...dealt with quickly and appropriately. Pupils are polite and respectful.

They are kind and considerate.

Pupils welcome the opportunities offered to broaden their outlook through trips, visits, theatre and residentials as well as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Extra-curricular activities include sport, music and drama as well as a medical society, creative writing, a coding club and the extremely popular cheerleading activities.

Aspirations are ambitious and supported by a strong careers programme, including visiting speakers, work experience and employer engagement. Careers support in the sixth form is strong and all students have access to appropriate careers advice. Students are very well supported in their university applications.

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

The curriculum is expertly planned, meticulously sequenced and precisely implemented. It is hierarchical, developmental and ambitious. The sixth-form curriculum is bold and relevant.

Courses in the sixth form are academically focused with accessible and reasonable entry requirements. Students do well in the sixth form. They benefit from the passionate support, active encouragement and extensive opportunities which the sixth form provides.

Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well catered for. Staff are determined to ensure that they achieve as well as their peers. They are known and encouraged.

Extra-curricular talks, national competitions and university visits are actively pursued. Higher prior attaining pupils are identified and challenged through supplementary work and enrichment activities.

Teachers' subject knowledge is exceptionally strong and pupils appreciate their excitement and enthusiasm.

Lesson planning ensures that topics are revisited with a focus on retaining knowledge. This is supported through retrieval activities and revision homework.

Literacy skills are championed, and pupils take a great pride in the presentation of their work.

Messy thinking is encouraged so that pupils appreciate that their thinking is just as important and valuable as their presentation.

Assessments are standardised and feedback focused on closing gaps in knowledge. Students value their feedback and benefit from the support and encouragement of their teachers.

Misconceptions are vigorously anticipated and addressed.

Procedures and practices, detailed in the behaviour policy, are meticulously followed. Attendance is very high, so pupils benefit from the exemplary education provided.

Pupils demonstrate a strong work ethic and arrive to their lessons punctually. They show considerable respect and support for their teachers and one another. Sixth-form students act as excellent role models.

High-quality pastoral support ensures that all pupils understand protected characteristics and have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. The school provides a robust programme supporting pupils' personal development, welfare and well-being. The programme is well considered and well constructed.

Content supports pupils' well-being, relationships, community and understanding of fundamental British values.

Pupils' welfare is energetically supported by well-being ambassadors and the Hive facility, which offers exceptional support for pupils' mental health. The provision supports pupils with a range of concerns such as anxiety, stress, depression and low self-esteem.

In addition, the Hive website offers a wealth of information for parents, including where to find support and guidance.

Leaders at all levels talk with enthusiasm, commitment and pride about the school. They are relentless in their pursuit of excellence and joy for every child at the school.

Staff are supported through effective line management, coaching and access to appropriate training. School leaders have considered workload and teachers are positive about this.

Leaders work hard to reach out to parents in a number of ways, but in particular in relation to mental health and safeguarding support.

Staff meet with family members regularly and attend multi-agency meetings. They offer training and information sessions for parents on common themes such as self-harm, anxiety and eating disorders.

Trustees and governors have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

They carry these out effectively and efficiently with the active encouragement of school leaders. They faithfully support the school's vision and strategy. The school contributes extensively to the education community through outreach work and support for other trust schools.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has an exceedingly strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that safeguarding arrangements are robust and fit for purpose.

The single central record is suitably detailed with all required checks being carried out. Leaders follow safer recruitment protocols when making appointments.

Safeguarding training is provided for all staff throughout the year with frequent updates.

This ensures that staff are alert to the signs of vulnerability and abuse, and entirely proficient in reporting concerns. The school enjoys robust relationships with external providers, including children's services and alternative education providers.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in May 2017.

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