Rosemellin Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy at Rosemellin school.

They have warm and trusting relationships with adults. Leaders ensure pupils have different ways in which they can share any worries they may have. As a result of more rigorous systems, pupils now attend school more regularly.

Pupils' behaviour has improved in recent times. Leaders have changed the behaviour policy so that staff and pupils understand it better. Pupils focus well in class.

They have positive attitudes to learning. At social times, they play well together in the spacious grounds. Staff help pupils who sometimes find it difficult to manage their own behaviour.

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New leadership has created a clear vision for the school. Leaders have made many recent changes to ensure pupils learn more.

Leaders have created a new curriculum based on pupils being curious, active, reflective and evolutionary learners. However, they have not yet fully implemented this curriculum. Leaders know that while much has improved, there is still work to do to make the quality of education good.

Parents recognise the recent improvements to the school and are overwhelmingly supportive of leaders' actions. They appreciate the strong pastoral support offered to pupils and families.

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

Due to changes in staffing and the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has been through an unsettling and turbulent period.

Leaders have united pupils, staff, parents and governors together to drive rapid change. In the past, there was not enough focus on pupils' academic achievements. Pupils did not learn consistently well over time.

Consequently, outcomes in the key stage 2 national curriculum tests in 2022 were weak.

However, since taking up her post, the headteacher has begun to improve the quality of education. Through accurate self-evaluation, leaders, including governors and the trust, have prioritised the right issues.

They do not shy away from making difficult decisions. The school, in the words of one trustee, 'is on an upward path'.

Leaders have trained subject leads effectively.

They know the strengths and weaknesses of their subject. As a result, leaders at all levels share the same vision for the school. Staff morale, after an uncertain period, is now high.

Staff appreciate leaders' efforts to consult with them about changes they make.

Leaders have prioritised reading. It is at the heart of the school's work.

Leaders have successfully addressed the issues in early reading from the previous inspection. They have ensured there is now a highly consistent approach to the teaching of reading. This starts as soon as children enter the Reception Year.

Pupils now read books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. This means pupils become fluent, confident readers.

Staff have been well trained so that they quickly identify gaps in pupils' phonic knowledge.

They regularly check what pupils can do and swiftly put in place extra support for them if necessary. Pupils catch up quickly. In the early years, staff ensure these practices are established across all aspects of children's learning.

However, in key stages 1 and 2, leaders have not yet implemented consistently agreed approaches to checks in the curriculum. Consequently, in some subjects, staff do not know how much pupils have learned.

Leaders have identified the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to know in the curriculum.

In the early years, children get off to a flying start. Staff recognise that some children begin school with poor speech and language skills. They adjust their teaching so that children learn to communicate better.

For example, staff model language well for children.

Leaders have ensured that they have raised expectations of what children can do in the early years so that children are well prepared for year 1. However, in the rest of the school, despite leaders' work on raising expectations, this is less well established.

In some subjects and year groups, teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Sometimes pupils complete work that does not deepen their knowledge. This means children do not learn as much as they could.

Leadership of special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Leaders have placed an emphasis on early identification. Staff adapt the curriculum as appropriate.

They support those pupils who have the most complex needs effectively.

Leaders ensure that there is a strong personal development programme in place. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, such as singing, handball and dance.

They can talk about cultures and religions different to their own. Through visitors to the school and assemblies, they learn how to stay safe online and in the locality.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong and vigilant safeguarding culture in the school. Leaders train staff to spot signs of harm. Staff note any concerns they have about pupils in a detailed and timely manner.

Leaders act quickly on these. They escalate significant concerns to the local authority. Staff work closely with vulnerable families and different agencies to ensure that families get the support they need.

Leaders have clear and robust procedures for the recruitment of staff. Checks made on new employees and visitors are thorough. Governors make additional checks on the school's systems to check their effectiveness.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not always provide pupils with tasks that deepen or extend their thinking. As a result, pupils do not learn as much as they could in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure that teachers plan activities that deepen pupils' thinking.

• Approaches to checks on how well pupils have learned the curriculum are not fully established or consistent. As a result, teachers do not always know how much pupils have learned or remembered across the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that teachers use agreed approaches to check how much pupils have learned.