Rowner Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Rowner Infant School is welcoming, inclusive and nurturing. Staff care deeply for the pupils' well-being. As a result, pupils are happy and safe.

They behave well in classrooms, when moving around the school and in the playground. The school's behaviour values of 'be kind, safe and ready' underpin all that it does. These expectations encourage pupils to be independent and to take responsibility for their own learning and behaviour.

The school has made significant improvements to the curriculum since the last inspection. It has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Staff establish strong links with families from the outset.

Children in early years receive... carefully considered provision to meet their varied starting points. This enables pupils to get a good start to their education, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils' learning is enriched with experiences throughout the curriculum.

For example, links with the local naval community are strong. The school ensures all pupils have experiences to enhance their appreciation of local history. Through careful teaching, pupils develop a strong understanding of their own and others' feelings.

Pupils learn to respect differences in others and know that being unkind to others is wrong.

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

This is a school that works hard to meet the needs of all pupils, no matter what their background or barriers in life. The school has recently developed much of its curriculum.

It is now broad, balanced and ambitious. The key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils should learn are clearly identified. This structure is supporting teachers to help build pupils' knowledge over time.

In some subjects, such as in art, the impact of this recent work is strong as pupils develop their art skills and knowledge very effectively.

Following some disappointing phonics outcomes in 2023, the school correctly prioritised the teaching of reading and phonics. Staff are now more confident in delivering the phonics programme.

Staff help pupils gain the right knowledge they need to become confident readers. They ensure pupils have reading books that match the sounds they are learning. This helps most pupils learn to read more quickly.

However, some pupils do not get the consistent support they need to catch up. This means they do not always make the rapid progress they could.

Staff check pupils' learning effectively in English and mathematics, using information about pupils' achievement to adapt future learning.

In other subjects, this is not as effective. This is partly due to the recent developments in curriculum not being fully embedded yet. As a result, some pupils do not always engage in lessons fully and learn as effectively as they could.

This is because some of the tasks set are not matched to pupils' current knowledge, including for some pupils with SEND.In early years, staff support children well to develop social interactions and make progress in their learning from the start. Adults plan activities that stimulate children's interests.

This provides children with meaningful opportunities to learn. This includes children with more complex SEND. Staff in 'The Hive' provide bespoke and accurate support for these children.

Pupils behaviour is good and they play well with one another. Pupils have trusting relationships with the adults. They feel safe and will seek support when needed.

The school understands the importance of pupils' attendance, which is now improving after a significant dip. Thorough processes are in place to identify any barriers to pupils attending school. The school has strong relationships with parents and takes effective action to improve the attendance of pupils.

The school promotes pupils' broader development well. It has implemented some effective strategies to enable pupils to manage their feelings and emotions. Pupils talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe.

Pupils have an active voice in the school through the elected 'Bee Team'. The school organises a variety of clubs for pupils to take part in. The school tracks pupil participation in the wider school life carefully.

This enables staff to encourage the most disadvantaged pupils to broaden their interests.

The school, including governors, has acted promptly to introduce positive changes since the last inspection. The school has also benefited from the local authority's guidance.

There is a strong team spirit at the school. Staff morale is high. Staff value the school's support for their professional development, workload and well-being.

The overwhelming majority of parents are delighted with the school. They typically comment that their children thoroughly enjoy school and are well supported by staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the revised curriculum is embedding, including early reading. Consequently, some pupils' learning is not consistently secure in phonics and some other subjects. The school should ensure that the intended curriculum is fully implemented and monitored effectively to help pupils remember and use important subject knowledge.

• Teachers do not always provide tasks that are matched to pupils' current knowledge, including for some pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils do not always learn as well as they should and sometimes display disengaged behaviour. The school should ensure that teachers effectively use assessment processes to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils in all subjects.

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