Rosliston CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This small school is a great hive of activity at the heart of the village community. Leaders use many local resources to enrich pupils' education. Pupils feel safe and happy.

Parents highly value the school's nurturing ethos. One parent commented that, 'Staff make school life an extension of family life.' Pupils and staff express similar feelings.

They talk about how they know and care for each other and say that the school feels like one big family.

Pupils show great enthusiasm for every aspect of school life. They behave well in lessons and get on with their work.

All ages support and encourage each other in many active games at playtimes. Pupils k...now that bullying is not tolerated.

Parents greatly appreciate the stability provided by the acting headteacher.

They say the school has improved considerably and provides greater opportunities for pupils.

The few staff members go to extra lengths to provide many after-school activities. Pupils enjoy the sports, craft and singing clubs.

They are proud that their athletics team has reached the county finals.

Leaders have increased ambitions to enable pupils to 'reach for the sky'. They are working hard to ensure that pupils can achieve consistently well across the curriculum.

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

Leaders have focused on improving reading as a priority. They recently introduced a new phonics programme. Trained staff deliver well-structured phonics sessions.

Pupils learn with enthusiasm. They practise reading with texts that match the sounds they know. Staff regularly check pupils' progress and provide extra support when pupils struggle to keep up.

Older pupils are keen to read their class novels. Teachers select captivating texts that add to pupils' knowledge of the topics they are studying.

Leaders have recently overhauled the curriculum to make it more ambitious and interesting for pupils.

They have specified what they want pupils to achieve. In core subjects, leaders have identified and sequenced the key knowledge pupils need to achieve these end goals. Leaders ensure that Reception children gain the right foundations, for example in their number knowledge.

Teachers make sure that pupils gradually build on what they know here. They present new material clearly and check pupils' understanding. Teachers make appropriate adaptations for the range of age groups.

In these subjects, pupils remember important knowledge well and connect new learning with what they already know. For example, older pupils explained how thermo heat accelerates the dissolving process.

However, leaders have not completed their review of the curriculum.

In some subjects, they have not sufficiently identified precisely what pupils need to learn or set out a clear sequence which teachers follow. As a result, teachers do not focus as well on teaching the important knowledge. They do not check what pupils know or remember.

Pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge they need.

Staff help children to settle in well in the early years. Children quickly learn to follow the rules and routines.

They focus well, learning alongside the key stage 1 pupils. Leaders recently improved the Reception area learning environment, including outdoors. It now promotes purposeful play in many areas of learning.

The children were excited to look after the seeds they planted in the garden centre area. Leaders are developing the early years curriculum but have not sufficiently identified precisely what children will learn in their Reception Year yet.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They have improved processes for accurately identifying the needs of these pupils. Staff employ helpful training to make many adaptations for SEND pupils. Leaders are introducing individual plans with targets to ensure that the support for these pupils is consistently appropriate.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. The curriculum ensures that pupils learn about equality and treating all people fairly. Pupils learn about current issues and their implications, such as spending your money wisely.

They enjoy many responsibilities. The anti-bullying ambassadors, for example, help to prevent bullying at Rosliston. Pupils talk about the importance of being healthy, physically and mentally.

Leaders made sure that pupils who struggled to return to school after the lockdowns were well supported. Pupils enjoy visits from Dora the therapy dog.

Leaders are taking effective action to realise their ambitions for pupils.

They have a firm grasp of what they need to do. Leaders make effective use of considerable guidance from the local authority. Some subject leaders are new to their roles.

They know that there is still work to do. Staff value how they have been well supported through several leadership changes. They appreciate that leaders always consider their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that staff have the required knowledge to identify pupils who may be at risk and to report their concerns. Regular training is made relevant to the local context.

Leaders follow up concerns swiftly and rigorously. They are proactive in ensuring that families get the right help.

Leaders keep detailed records and make all the necessary checks to ensure that staff are safe to work with pupils.

Pupils will talk to an adult or use the 'worry monster' if they have any worries. The curriculum helps them learn how to keep themselves safe outside of school or when they are online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum review, including for the early years, is not complete and some recent revisions have not been implemented yet.

Leaders have not identified precisely the important knowledge pupils should learn in all subjects. The order in which pupils should learn key knowledge in some foundation subjects has not been set out sufficiently well. As a result, teachers do not make sure that pupils gain sufficient grasp of key knowledge and do not build well enough on what pupils know.

Leaders should complete their curriculum review and make sure that sufficiently detailed and coherently sequenced plans are implemented. ? Leaders have not fully planned how they will assess pupils' learning in the foundation subjects. This means that teachers do not carefully check to make sure that pupils have learned and remember important components.

Once the curriculum plans are complete, leaders should establish their approaches to assessment, without creating any unnecessary burdens on teachers. ? Some foundation subject leaders are new to their role and have not been able to check how well most foundation subjects are taught, if staff have the right expertise or if pupils are making the progress that they should. Leaders should develop foundation subject leadership so that these leaders can impact on pedagogy and check the implementation of the completed curriculum plans.

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