Roydon Primary School

Roydon Primary School Manor Road, Roydon, Diss, IP22 5QU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Standards in writing are below average and too few pupils are reaching the higher levels of attainment.  Teaching is not consistently good. It is not as strong in Years 1 to 4 as it is in other year groups.  Pupils are not always sufficiently challenged, especially the more able.  The quality of planning varies and does not always take full account of the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes.  Marking does not give pupils enough information about how to improve their work in mathematics.  Pupils do not always have sufficiently challenging writing targets, and are not clear how well they are meeting them.  The presentation of pupils’ finished work varies, especially in Years 1 and 2.  Leaders do not have a clear enough idea about how different groups of pupils are doing and are unable, consequently, to help them make rapid progress.  Checks made by leaders on the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of the

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

curriculum are not rigorous or systematic enough to make teaching consistently good.  Governors have not held leaders properly to account for the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 Provision is good in Reception and children achieve well.  Progress speeds up in Years 5 and 6 because teaching is more consistently good.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in class and around school and they feel safe.  Pupils make very good use of new technology to find things out for themselves.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons or parts of lessons, some of which were joint observations with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  The inspection team heard pupils read, attended two assemblies and, together with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, looked closely at examples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including development plans, policies, self-evaluation reports, monitoring files, safeguarding and curriculum materials, evidence of the school’s partnership work and information for families.  Meetings were held with pupils chosen at random. Discussions were held with the headteacher, members of staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team took account of the 46 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and spoke with parents and carers outside school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors considered 27 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Nick Butt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Lawley Additional Inspector June Cannie Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils with a parent in the armed services) is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  All pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher took up her permanent appointment in September 2011.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure all teaching matches the quality of the very best practice in the school by:  challenging all pupils, including the more able in all year-groups  making planning of a consistently high quality in all mixed-age classes so that all pupils make rapid progress  making sure marking consistently tells pupils how to improve their work, especially in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in writing by:  giving pupils challenging targets for improving their writing and closely checking their progress towards meeting them  improving the way pupils’ finished work is presented, so that they take a pride in it, especially in Years 1 and 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels by making sure:  leaders have an overview of data to monitor the progress of groups of pupils  leaders check teaching and learning and the effectiveness of the curriculum in a more rigorous and systematic manner  governors do more to ensure they have detailed information on the school’s effectiveness and hold leaders more rigorously to account for the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2012 standards were below average in reading and writing by the end of Year 2. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 mean not all pupils make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress is too uneven across the school. Children join with skills that vary from year to year but which are mainly as expected for their age. However, while children get off to a good start in Reception, and continue to progress well in some of the classes with Year 1 pupils, this good rate of progress slows elsewhere in Years 1 to 4 and only picks up again consistently in Years 5 and 6.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards in reading are broadly average. Early reading skills are taught well so that an above- average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in the Year 1 reading check last year. Current Year 1 pupils are on course to do as well this year. As they progress through the school, pupils become more confident in reading and use their phonic skills to tackle new words. They read widely and enjoy a range of books.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards in mathematics are higher than they are in writing. The use of ability sets in mathematics has made it easier for teachers to plan work that is pitched at the right level for pupils. However, pupils are not always given challenging enough targets in writing and are not always clear how well they are meeting them.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2012 pupils with special educational needs did not do as well as their peers nationally at Key Stages 1 and 2. The school has responded to this by restructuring the role of the special educational needs coordinator, and focusing more of the support in the classroom, rather than taking pupils out. Teachers are being held more accountable for the progress of this group of pupils, and early signs are that this is having a positive impact.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The gap in attainment between pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium and others in the school in the 2012 Year 6 tests was greater than the national picture last year. Pupils were over four terms behind their classmates in English and almost three terms behind in mathematics. The school has used this additional funding to provide extra classroom support in reading, writing and mathematics and to subsidise some enrichment activities for eligible pupils this year. As a result progress has accelerated and the gap is closing.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good. Planning is not always precise enough to meet the needs of different pupils in the mixed-age year groups and does not take enough account of pupils’ prior attainment. There is sometimes a lack of challenge for more-able pupils. The pace of lessons varies, and sometimes introductions go on for too long, not leaving enough time for pupils to complete their independent tasks.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 While there is some good and outstanding teaching there is not enough of it. Pupils’ books show that they make good progress over time in Years 5 and 6 because teachers have high expectations of what they can achieve. This is not the case in all classes, with expectations being more uneven in Key Stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils of the same age have different experiences depending on their class. This includes the amount of work that is expected of them, the level of challenge, and how work is presented.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are examples of good marking with clear next steps, especially in writing. This is not always the case in mathematics, where pupils are not always clear about how to improve their work. The school has drawn together the strings of existing good practice in a revised marking policy but it is too early to see its full impact.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Where the teaching is good or better teachers make their expectations clear, focus on what pupils will learn, and conduct lessons at a brisk pace. For example, older pupils solved problems around ratio and proportion linked to a topic they were studying about planning a party, as they worked out the quantities of ingredients for making ‘smoothies’.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Children in the Reception classes are taught well and have a wide range of interesting activities to stimulate them. Phonics (the sounds that letters make) are taught systematically to give children a good foundation of skills for reading. Their progress is recorded well in attractive and informative ‘learning journeys’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils treat each other with courtesy and respect. They behave well in class and around the school, for example in assemblies and over lunch. They socialise well together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that bullying is not a problem. They are confident that any issues will be dealt with promptly by staff. They know about different types of bullying, such as cyber bullying, and know what to do to combat them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 They say they feel safe in school, a view supported by parents. They have a good understanding of keeping safe, for example around fire and water. They also know about keeping safe when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Year 6 pupils take their responsibilities seriously, for example as ‘digital leaders’, sharing their expertise in modern technology with pupils from other schools.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 At times, pupils can become passive when work is not set at the right level for them or is not challenging enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is broadly average and fewer pupils are persistently absent than is the case nationally.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leaders do not check on teaching and learning and the effectiveness of the curriculum regularly enough and are not sufficiently rigorous in their judgements when they do. This sometimes leads to an over-generous view of how well the school is doing.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 While the new tracking system is helping leaders and teachers to see how individual pupils are doing, it does not given them a clear enough overview of how groups of pupils are progressing so that they can measure the impact of approaches to improve teaching and achievement.  Meetings have been recently introduced with teachers to consider the progress of pupils, but it is too soon to see their impact. While targets are set for teachers to improve their practice, the school does not currently hold interim professional meetings with them to see how well they are progressing towards meeting their targets.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and receives good support from the deputy headteacher. They have been successful in developing the pastoral care of pupils and promoting the views of pupils.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Teaching programmes are rich and varied, with plenty of visits, visitors and clubs. Pupils receive a good range of experiences in sport, the arts and music. Topics are relevant and designed to appeal. For example, pupils have been finding out about local hero Nelson and discussing whether ‘Diss’ should have a by-pass. Pupils make very good use of new technology for research. These activities contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school makes good use of its extensive grounds. Pupils keep hens, grow vegetables and enjoy the new sensory herb garden.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Parents who responded to Parent View were generally positive about the school, although some feel the leadership and management could be better. Parents are supportive of the school’s work, and many volunteer to help.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The local authority accepts it did not give the headteacher the support she needed when first appointed, and that it has not challenged the school sufficiently since then. It has, however, provided helpful advice concerning finances.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 While the school is committed to equality of opportunity and makes sure that discrimination is not tolerated, pupils of the same age do not have the same high quality educational experiences because of inconsistencies in teaching between classes.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive of the school but have not had the information they need to be in a strong position to challenge it about inconsistencies in the quality of teaching or pupils’ achievement. They are not as clear about where the strengths and weaknesses of teaching lie as they should be and do not know enough about pupils’ performance. Governors make sure that statutory requirements are met, particularly those relating to safeguarding. They are not well informed about the management of teachers’ performance, although they understand about how the school rewards good teaching and tackles underperformance. They know how the pupil premium is spent, but are not so clear about its impact for eligible pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 120848 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 412445

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 271 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nigel Huddlestone Headteacher Sarah Bradford Date of previous school inspection 26–27 May 2010 Telephone number 01379 642628 Fax number 01379 642628 Email address office@roydon.norfolk.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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

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School details

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 and 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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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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