Round Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Round Hill Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Round Hill Primary is a wonderful school. This is the view of the majority of parents/carers and staff.

One parent summed up the views of many others when they said, 'Round Hill is an excellent school, with strong leadership and fantastic teachers, who know my child really well.'

All staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and their attitudes to learning. This, in turn, creates a calm and purposeful atmosphere, where pupils can thrive as learners.

Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Staff model the kindness and respect they expect the pu...pils to show. Pupils know that the committed and highly skilled staff will look after them and help them to learn.

Pupils are kind, caring and inclusive of each other. They warmly welcome anyone new to the school. They are eager to demonstrate the school's five core values of reflecting, persevering, dreaming, being daring and working as a team.

Pupils say that they feel safe. They enjoy attending the school.

Leaders have ensured that the school values are at the heart of everything they do.

They are determined for all pupils to be independent, confident learners, starting from the early years provision.

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

Leaders have constructed a well-planned curriculum, which builds from an excellent start in the early years provision. Children in Reception enjoy carefully planned, adult-led sessions, as well as independent learning in a wonderfully rich learning environment.

Pupils continue to build on their foundational knowledge through a well-structured curriculum in key stages 1 and 2.

Leaders are continuing to develop the strong curriculum offer so that it is ambitious for all pupils. In all subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the important knowledge they want pupils to learn and the order in which they will learn it.

In some subjects, this detailed planning is new and is only just starting to have an impact in lessons.

Teachers recap on previous learning at the start of lessons to make sure that pupils remember the important knowledge they need. Typically, teachers build on this knowledge and develop it further to deepen pupils' understanding of the subject.

For example, in a design and technology lesson, younger pupils were looking back at their design criteria to help them evaluate the glove puppets they had made. This helped them to deepen their understanding of the design cycle.

Teachers use questions to check that pupils understand what they are learning.

This helps teachers to identify what pupils know and what they still need to learn. Most of the time, teachers use this knowledge to ensure that all pupils get the level of support and challenge they need in their lesson. Teachers and assistant teachers continue to assess pupils' understanding during lessons.

This enables staff to pick up on and address any misconceptions pupils may have.

In some lessons, the high ambition leaders have for all pupils is not always seen for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers have placed a recent focus on adapting their lessons to meet the needs of all pupils.

Pupils with SEND are included in the learning with their classmates. However, some of the targets teachers set for some pupils with SEND are not always sharp enough to ensure that these pupils achieve as highly as they should.

Leaders have prioritised reading.

Pupils read every day. They enjoy the many opportunities they have to engage with books. Teachers find creative ways to spark pupils' enthusiasm for books.

Younger pupils have daily phonics lessons taught by well-trained staff. This allows most pupils to become accurate and fluent readers.

There is a strong focus on pupils' broader development.

Leaders have created a well-planned programme, with a strong ethos of inclusion and respect. Families who speak English as an additional language (EAL) benefit from some excellent support from the school. Many pupils take part in a wide range of clubs and activities after school.

Pupils are proud of the opportunities they have to be monitors or to help run the healthy eating tuck shop.

The school is well led by highly skilled leaders. Staff say that leaders care deeply about them.

Leaders are considerate of staff's well-being and workload. Staff value the support and opportunities they receive. They are proud to work at the school.

Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities and provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders prioritise pupils' safety and well-being.

They regularly monitor individual pupil's circumstances. Staff receive regular safeguarding training to ensure that they keep their knowledge up to date. They know how to identify and report any signs of concern.

Leaders respond swiftly in providing support to pupils who may need help. They work effectively with external agencies to keep pupils safe.

Leaders keep accurate records of checks on the suitability of adults and visitors.

They have appropriate procedures in place to manage any allegations. Governors often check aspects of the school's safeguarding work.

Pupils learn about how to stay safe, including when online, in an age-appropriate way.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The high expectations leaders have for pupils are not realised for all pupils with SEND. While much has been done to include pupils with SEND in lessons, some are not always challenged to achieve as well as they can. Some targets set for these pupils do not have clear success criteria.

As a result, leaders cannot assure themselves that these pupils are making the best possible progress towards ambitious outcomes. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers provide pupils with SEND with learning opportunities that stretch them and set ambitious targets that enable them to achieve as highly as they should.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2012.

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