Rowledge Church of England Controlled Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 1–2 May 2012 Inspection number 379234 Rowledge Church of England Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 116337 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 379234 Inspection dates 1–2 May 2012 Lead inspector Brian Netto

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rachel Swan Headteacher Richard Catchpole Date of previous school inspection 1–2 November 2006 School address School Road Farnham GU10 4BW Telephone number 01252792346 Fax number 01252795750 Email address admin@rowledge.hants.sch.uk Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 2 of 12

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education a nd training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 3 of 12

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors visited 16 lessons or part-lessons taught by seven teachers. Four of these were jointly observed with a member of the school’s leadership team. Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, staff, members of the governing body and different groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at the school’s self- evaluation and planning documents, external evaluations of the school’s work, policy documents and pupils’ work. They analysed 155 questionnaires from parents and carers, those from a sample of pupils in Key Stage 2, and 21 from staff.

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Information about the school

This is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Reception Year. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in staff. The on-site after-school club is not managed by the governing body and did not form part of the inspection. The school has received a number of awards including The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Rights Respecting Schools award. Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 4 of 12

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Information about the school

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Rowledge is a good school. This reflects the view of the overwhelming majority of parents and carers. Many spoke of its inclusive and caring environment. The school’s care, guidance and support for pupils and its partnerships with parents and carers are notable strengths. It is not yet outstanding as some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching mean that pupils’ progress is not consistently rapid and sustained.  Achievement is good. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a good start for children, who make good progress. The good, and often rapid, progress of pupils across the rest of the school, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, demonstrates the good improvement made during the past year.  Teaching is usually good throughout the school. It is characterised by strong relationships, questioning that challenges pupils at different levels, high expectations, and activities that are suitably matched to the needs and interests

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Key findings

of the pupils. Where teaching is occasionally satisfactory, activities are directed by the teacher too much and are not used effectively to promote pupils’ independent learning.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are good and this comes in part from the strong relationships built up between pupils and adults in the school. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning and enjoy coming to school, which is reflected in their improving attendance.  Good-quality leadership and management have built an effective staff team where the sharing of good practice is helping to improve the quality of teaching. Members of the leadership team lead by example, and promote high aspirations for the school at the centre of its village community. The headteacher has a good understanding of the areas for development, including the performance and professional development needs of staff. Governors support and challenge the school well, and ensure that the curriculum offers

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Key findings

stimulating and enriching experiences that excite and challenge pupils. Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 5 of 12

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Key findings

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement and sustain good progress consistently for all groups of pupils by:  embedding independent learning habits across the core subjects  improving the quality of marking and assessment, so that they are consistent across the core subjects and provide precise guidance and opportunities for pupils to respond to their next steps in learning  increasing the proportion of good and outstanding teaching so that all teaching is consistently good or better across the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Children make a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Their skills and experiences on entry are similar to those expected for their age. They are provided with a rich learning environment which encourages them to develop early writing skills and independence in making choices. They willingly take on responsibility to organise themselves and easy access to equipment helps them to do so. Activities are well planned for both outside and indoor environments, which leads to good engagement. As a result, they make good progress and most exceed the expected goals across all areas of learning at the end of Reception.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ attainment is above average by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Reading standards remain high, reflecting the evident enjoyment that pupils have in reading different types of literature. Although the progress of pupils from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 in 2011 was below expectations, this was linked to turbulence in staffing. However, pupils’ overall attainment at the end of Year 6 was above average. From the evidence of pupils’ work in their books and the school’s tracking data, pupils across the school are now making good progress in English and mathematics, and many make rapid progress. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational needs, also make good progress. Teaching assistants play a valuable role in supporting their needs.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils typically are engaged by and actively involved in their own learning. They sustain their concentration over extended periods of time, especially when the work matches their abilities and includes an element of challenge. For example, pupils in Year 2 developed good mathematical language when solving word problems by cooperating in pairs and groups, and demonstrating resilience when challenged by more difficult problems. When they worked on using ‘connectives’ in compound sentences, again they were able to assess their partner’s work to help improve their own understanding. In lessons where progress was satisfactory, pupils spent too long listening to the teacher and were not given sufficient opportunities to apply their learning. Parents and carers have an accurate view that the school is helping their children’s communication, reading, writing and mathematical skills and that their Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 6 of 12

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

children are achieving well. Evidence collected during the inspection was in line with this view.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is good. Almost all parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire agree that their child is taught well. In the best lessons, teachers model good practice and use targeted questioning to stretch all groups of pupils. Pupils in Year 6 demonstrate confidence in calculation skills and estimating as a result of effective and probing questioning. Targeted problem-solving activities challenged all groups of pupils within the class. Pupils applied their learning in different contexts and were able to learn independently. As a result, all pupils made rapid progress.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils in Year 3 developed progressively more depth of understanding of coordinates through paired work involving problem-solving games. Timely interventions by the teacher kept the pupils engaged and focused. Effective deployment of teaching assistants ensured that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs were well supported so they could participate fully in the activities.

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Quality of teaching

Where teaching was relatively weaker, but still satisfactory, there were infrequent opportunities for pupils to develop independence in their learning. This often resulted from too much time spent listening to the teacher or work that was directed by the teacher and allowed too few opportunities for creativity.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching, which is underpinned by a varied and imaginative curriculum, contributes effectively to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Marking is detailed and the best examples provide clear guidance on how to improve. This is not consistent across mathematics and English or year groups. Opportunities for pupils to respond to the guidance, improve their understanding and therefore demonstrate progress are too infrequent.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour is typically good. Relationships between pupils and adults are strong. Pupils cooperate well in lessons and show positive attitudes towards their learning. Attendance is average and is showing signs of improvement this year. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and demonstrate this in their eagerness to learn in lessons; as one said, ‘I can always be myself.’

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities around the school. For example, older pupils act as ‘smile makers’ during break times to help resolve problems for younger pupils. This helps to ensure that incidents of bullying are kept to a minimum. Pupils are confident that the school will act quickly to resolve problems, such as name- calling. Pupils have a good understanding of different sorts of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and are well prepared by the school, for example when using the internet. Parents and carers support this view, reflected in this comment: ‘The older ones really take care of the younger ones and the children seem happy and secure Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 7 of 12

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Other pupils act as young governors, and meet regularly with the governing body to provide ideas for future development. A group of pupils set up a ‘save the forest’ campaign which contributed to preventing a local forest area being redeveloped. Junior road safety officers are able to offer their support for safe behaviour on country roads. The behaviour systems in the school encourage positive behaviour linked to different animals, and pupils aspire to these qualities. Many examples of ‘ready rabbits’ and ‘resilient tortoises’ were seen.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that the school keeps them safe and this view was supported by the overwhelming majority of parents and carers who completed the questionnaire. This view of one is reflected in the many positive comments made: ‘Rowledge is a happy school with high importance placed on emotional and social well-being.’

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Leadership and management

The headteacher is well respected and many parents and carers and staff speak positively about his inspirational leadership. He has managed change successfully, in particular the considerable number of staff changes since the previous inspection. A concerted focus on the teaching of mathematics has ensured that pupils now make similar progress to that made in English. Partnerships with parents and carers are strong. An overwhelming majority of the parents and carers who responded to the survey fully support the school’s ambitions. Partnerships with specialists ensure that the school meets the needs of all pupils, including those whose circumstances make them vulnerable.

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Leadership and management

The school makes effective use of external agencies to provide challenge and support for training and school improvement. Consequently, self-evaluation is accurate, and systems for monitoring and analysing data on pupils’ progress are robust. These have enabled the school to consolidate its past achievements. Performance management is informed by the careful tracking of pupils’ progress, and provides the basis for well-targeted professional development. Staff morale is high. Teachers and teaching assistants engage in supportive conversations and consequently make full use of shared expertise to aid improvements in teaching.

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Leadership and management

Governors are experienced and well informed and use their expertise and knowledge of the school to provide a balance of support and challenge. For example, revised priorities have enabled the school to refocus its resources on the school’s core purpose, and successfully tackle areas of relative weakness. As a result, the school demonstrates a strong capacity for sustained improvement.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum, enhanced by a wide range of clubs and outdoor learning opportunities, provides stimulation and challenge, and as a result, makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Rowledge is an inclusive and harmonious school where all the pupils thrive. Governors ensure that statutory requirements with regard to safeguarding are met. The school is Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 8 of 12

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Leadership and management

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

committed to challenging prejudice and discrimination, and promoting equality of opportunity, and ensures that no group of pupils is left behind. Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 9 of 12

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 10 of 12

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning. Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 11 of 12

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

Thank you for your warm welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed being told about all the good things going on at your school and how much you like going there. We enjoyed listening to some of you read, and the fact that you enjoy reading so much. We were impressed by how much you like taking on extra responsibilities, and how the older pupils look after the young ones. I was pleased to hear of your successful campaign to save your local forest from being cut down.

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

We would like to tell you what we found about your school. It is a good school. Staff look after you well, and they have developed strong relationships with your parents and carers. You behave well and enjoy taking part in lessons. Most of you are now making good progress, and you achieve well and reach standards that are above those of pupils in most other schools. We liked the way you aspire to be like the animals, and we saw lots of examples of responsible dogs, ready rabbits and resilient tortoises, but perhaps not enough reflective owls!

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

Your headteacher and the staff are keen to make the school even better. We have asked your leaders and teachers to help you make even faster progress by doing the following things.

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

 Encourage you to take a more active part in making choices about your learning.  Give you more guidance about how you can improve your work and more opportunities to show that you have understood this guidance.  Make more of the teaching exciting and stimulating.

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

I hope you will play your part by continuing to work hard and do your best to make your school even better.

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

Brian Netto Lead inspector Inspection report: Rowledge Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 1–2 May 2012 12 of 12

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School, Farnham GU10 4BW

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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