Rosecroft Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Rosecroft Primary School is a friendly, positive and inclusive environment.

Pupils feel safe and speak positively about the staff who take care of them.

Expectations of pupils' behaviour are improving. Some pupils behave well but there are some pupils whose behaviour disrupts the learning of others.

There are some pupils who get extra support with their behaviour. This helps them to make the right choices. More recently, pupils are becoming confident that behaviour is getting better.

Pupils say that bullying happens every now and then but that staff sort things out quickly when bullying does occur.

As pupils move through the school, the curr...iculum is not always implemented consistently well. The quality of pupils' learning varies across different curriculum subjects.

Some staff do not use the school's support plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence and help them become more independent. Pupils enjoy the different residential trips, visitors and visits that the school plans for them.

Pupils value the leadership roles they can have. These include positions such as prefects, heads of school, librarians and play leaders.

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

There is a planned, appropriate curriculum in place for all subjects.

In the core subjects of reading and mathematics, pupils learn step by step the knowledge they need to know. Trained staff deliver the curriculum in a clear, structured way. Teachers routinely check what pupils know.

Foundation subjects are not always taught effectively. This contributes to pupils having gaps in their knowledge. Checks on pupils' learning are not in place in some subjects.

The subject leaders do not always have an accurate view of how well pupils learn in the subjects they lead. In addition, some subject leaders have not yet developed the skills to carry out their roles effectively.

The school understands the importance of pupils learning to read fluently.

Children in Nursery learn to listen and identify sounds ready to learn the formal phonics teaching in Reception. Pupils' reading books are matched to the sounds they are learning. Pupils' knowledge of phonics is checked regularly.

However, some pupils who fall behind are not always supported to catch up quickly enough. This means these pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they should. Where pupils do have the 'catch-up' sessions, the interventions are often confidently delivered by knowledgeable staff and children make progress.

Teachers adapt tasks to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. However, this is not always done precisely enough. The school is sometimes too slow to identify pupils who need greater support to access the curriculum.

Some support plans for pupils with SEND are not specific enough. Consequently, these pupils do not always gain the knowledge they need to achieve as well as they could. Over time, there has not been sufficient capacity for the leadership of SEND provision.

This has increased and improved recently.

Children make a strong start to their education in early years. They become increasingly confident and play and work well together.

They enjoy an ambitious curriculum that covers the different areas of learning. Staff choose tasks which encourage children to explore and be creative. This means that children learn to be curious and express themselves.

Meaningful interactions between adults and children support language and communication development. Staff design tasks that develop children's early mathematics skills effectively. Children are well prepared for their next stage in learning.

School leaders have prioritised improving behaviour. The school has a new behaviour policy which is starting to have an impact. Staff have received additional training.

The school has put in place various individual plans to support pupils to behave and learn well. Staff, parents and pupils have mixed views about behaviour at the school. The school is focusing on getting this right.

However, it is taking time for everyone to feel more confident about the actions for improvement and their impact on behaviour.

A well-structured personal development programme is in place. Pupils are being prepared well for life in modern Britain.

They have an age-appropriate understanding of different cultures and beliefs and know how to stay safe online. Pupils feel valued and celebrate differences.

Governors are committed and supportive.

Over time, the governing body has not held school leaders to account with enough urgency around school improvement priorities. Recently, governors have started to check on how well the school is doing. They are providing the required support and are asking challenging questions.

This work is in its infancy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not identify some pupils with SEND quickly enough or provide appropriate support.

Some pupils' targets are generic. They are not specific. This limits pupils' achievement.

The school should ensure that support for pupils with SEND accurately meets their specific needs so they can achieve well. Subject leaders are not making a consistent impact on the quality of provision in their subjects. This means that pupils have variable experiences of the curriculum.

Subject leaders need appropriate training, support and time to monitor and improve provision. This will ensure that they have an accurate understanding of their subject, and they develop the skills they need to improve the areas they lead. ? Some pupils, parents and staff are not confident in the changes taking place to secure better behaviour.

The school should work closely with the school community to ensure there is a shared vision and understanding of the school's chosen approach to managing pupils' behaviour. The school needs to ensure that it continues to provide further training, guidance and support to ensure that everyone can contribute to improving behaviour. ? The governing body has not held school leaders to account with enough rigour.

While governors are now starting to check how well the school is performing and ask questions to hold leaders to account, this has not been the case until very recently. This work is in the early stages of implementation. Governors must work with urgency to support and hold leaders to account to secure the key improvements required.