Rossington All Saints Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's curriculum is ambitious and well thought through.

Teachers address pupils' misconceptions and scaffold learning as a matter of course. Pupils remember important knowledge well. In some subjects, art for example, the curriculum has recently been redesigned.

Leaders are aware that further work is needed to ensure that all subjects are as strong as the best.

Most pupils' experiences at the school are positive. Pupils feel safe in school.

Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils report bullying and leaders take swift and effective action to address this.

Staff generally have high expectations of behaviour.

Lessons are often calm a...nd focused. Staff manage disruption quickly and effectively. However, pupils use derogatory and sexualised language too frequently.

This includes homophobic language and sexualised comments that boys direct at girls. Leaders have identified and challenged some incidents of derogatory language. They have not recognised the scale of the problem.

This is a rare misstep from an otherwise strong leadership team.

Leaders are highly aspirational for pupils. Even the naming of the pupils' form groups has been carefully considered.

They are named after countries to inspire pupils to 'think big' and seek new experiences. Leaders have developed a highly effective careers programme which also helps to raise pupils' aspirations.

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

The curriculum is well sequenced so that important knowledge is revisited.

The level of detail within curriculum planning varies. More established subjects, such as Spanish and science, have extremely detailed curriculum planning. The small steps pupils need to take to develop their understanding are very clear in these subjects.

In other subjects, particularly where the curriculum is new, those small steps are not broken down as clearly. Leaders are aware of this area for development and are implementing their improvement plans currently. Curriculum leaders are well trained and knowledgeable.

Leaders provide regular opportunities for staff to work collaboratively. Curriculum leaders adapt the trust's curriculum overviews to ensure they address the context of this school closely.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very strong.

Staff are highly knowledgeable. Pupils get the right support to meet their needs. Pupils access an appropriately ambitious curriculum.

Teachers challenge and support pupils with SEND appropriately so that they learn well.

In most subjects, staff use assessment well. They identify gaps in pupils' knowledge accurately.

In a small minority of subjects, assessment is less secure. Leaders are aware that, in these subjects, they need to identify what they want pupils to know more clearly, so that teachers assess whether core knowledge has been remembered.

Leaders are developing a culture of reading across the school.

Pupils who struggle with reading are supported to learn well. Leaders have rightly identified that some pupils need to practise their reading even more frequently. New books have been purchased for these pupils.

Leaders have begun the process of making sure that the new books are matched to the sounds pupils know.

Behaviour around school is generally positive. Incidents of poor behaviour are usually managed well by staff.

However, the casual use of derogatory and sexualised language, usually aimed at girls, happens too frequently. Homophobic language is also commonplace. Pupils do not report this behaviour when it happens as a matter of course.

When it is reported, teachers do not respond to it consistently in accordance with the school's policies and procedures.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) does not meet the needs of the school cohort precisely. Curriculum planning does not explicitly cover the use of derogatory language.

Not enough is done to help pupils understand the impact of negative comments on individuals and within society. Pupils do not challenge each other over the use of this type of language or hold each other to account. Delivery of the PSHE curriculum varies in quality.

Where pupils engage with complex issues, such as peer-on-peer abuse, the work set is not sufficiently meaningful. As a result, pupils do not remember enough of their learning in PSHE.

Leaders provide a range of extra-curricular activities to help develop pupils' talents and interests.

This includes 'brilliant club', where pupils have tutorials delivered by Sheffield Hallam University. Educational visits are deliberately chosen to deepen pupils' knowledge of the planned curriculum. Some pupils also achieve the Duke of Edinburgh award.

They participate in a range of activities to achieve this, including orienteering and voluntary work.

There is an exceptional careers programme in place. Pupils have regular high-quality opportunities to learn about the world of work, including taking part in science, technology, engineering and maths project work with local employers.

These projects raise pupils' aspirations and inspire them to consider their own future careers. Pupils in key stage 4 are supported to choose the next steps in their education, employment or training very well indeed.

Those with responsibility for governance understand their statutory duties and are committed to the school.

They make effective use of data to support and challenge the headteacher in meetings when visiting the school. Where school leaders are aware of what they need to work on, they act quickly and effectively. However, leaders have not identified the frequent use of inappropriate language, which has become normalised, across the school.

Staff feel valued. Most feel that their workload is managed well. Morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are extremely knowledgeable. They know local families well and offer early help when needed.

Staff know how to identify pupils who might be at risk of harm. Leaders act on concerns quickly and effectively. They work well with external agencies, such as child and mental health services.

If pupils stop attending school, leaders carry out home visits to make sure pupils are safe. Pupils feel safe in school.

Checks are carried out to ensure staff and visitors are appropriately vetted before they are allowed into school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils use derogatory and sexualised language frequently. This use of derogatory language has become normalised. Leaders should ensure that all staff work in accordance with the school's policies and procedures to address pupils' use of derogatory language.

• In some subjects, important knowledge is not broken down as clearly as it could be. What pupils should learn and when is not sufficiently clear. Leaders should develop the curriculum to ensure core knowledge is set out equally well in all subjects.

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