Rosslyn Park Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

Every minute counts' is the mantra at this school.

The school has high expectations for all pupils. These are rooted in consistently positive relationships between staff and pupils. Staff know pupils well.

They take good care of them.

Pupils understand the school's seven values. They know that it is important to be respectful, motivated, inclusive, resilient, collaborative, always proud and aspirational.

They are motivated by the reward points on offer. Weekly golden time is highly prized. Pupils understand the sanctions that are applied if they do not behave well.

Those that need extra help to live up to the school's expectations get the h...elp they need. These pupils are supported by an expert team of staff.

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to experience new things.

Pupils are proud of their work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Nottingham Contemporary art gallery. Three classes of older pupils eagerly await their upcoming trip to London.

Pupils make good use of the wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities on offer.

All pupils are encouraged to join in. Particular favourites include the many sporting activities, pottery and fencing. The school has set up a sewing club in response to a very well written letter from a pupil.

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

The school has prioritised reading. Pupils are taught to read as soon as they join the school. The school's phonics programme is well organised.

It makes clear which sounds pupils should know at each stage of their education. It is taught consistently well. Staff confirm that regular training and feedback give them confidence to teach phonics well.

Beyond phonics, the school's curriculum ensures that pupils get better at reading, term by term. Teachers check carefully on how pupils are getting on. They put extra help in place quickly where it is needed.

The rest of the school's curriculum is well planned and sequenced. It makes clear what pupils should know and when. It builds cumulatively over time.

Teachers plan lessons that are engaging. Staff check carefully on how well pupils are learning content. However, in a small number of subjects, some pupils struggle to recall what they have been taught in the past.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive expert help. A wide range of skilled staff plan and deliver lessons that help these pupils to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils' needs are meticulously understood.

Pupils working in the internal 'enhanced provision room' receive well-tailored support to help improve their communication and language skills.

Children get on well in the early years. They quickly learn the well-established routines.

Adults ensure that children know what is expected of them. Children soon learn to play collaboratively. They are happy and well looked after.

Overall, the early years curriculum is well planned and sequenced. However, in a small number of cases, it does not make clear enough the precise content that children are expected to know and remember.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) prepares pupils for life in modern Britain.

It teaches them how to stay safe. Pupils learn that everyone should be treated with respect. Leaders deal swiftly with any cases of discrimination.

Incidents are rarely repeated. However, some pupils do not appreciate how serious such incidents are. They do not report some instances of discriminative behaviour.

As such, some incidents go unchallenged.

Too many pupils miss too much school. This, along with a high level of pupils leaving and joining the school during the year, contributed to low outcomes in the 2022 national assessments.

The school has acted decisively to address this. It checks more closely on how pupils get on when they join the school. The school also tackles poor attendance well.

This has reduced absence over the last year.

At all levels, leaders' ambition and determination are uncompromising. Leadership is distributed.

Roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability are clear. There is a systematic approach to quality assurance. Leaders have created a culture of self-improvement.

Staff welcome leaders' guidance on how to improve their practice. A robust training programme ensures that staff are well prepared to teach the subjects and pupils that they are responsible for. Leaders, at all levels, have the knowledge and skills needed to provide expert support.

The governing body and the trust know the school well. Together, they provide the highly effective challenge and support. They make sure that all actions have a positive impact for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Very occasionally, pupils do not report incidents of racist or homophobic behaviour. This is because they do not understand how serious it is.

This means that some instances are not dealt with. The school should ensure that all pupils know how and why to report all instances of racist and homophobic behaviour. ? In a small number of subjects, pupils do not recall curriculum content as well as they should.

This means that they do not remember longer term what they have been taught. They are unable to apply this to new learning. The school should ensure that strategies are in place to enable pupils to remember, longer term, what they have learned, across all subjects.

In some places, the early years curriculum is not fully sequenced. In these cases, the curriculum makes clear what children will do as opposed to what they will learn. As a result, staff cannot be consistently sure of precisely what children are expected to know and remember.

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