Romsey Primary School & Nursery

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher was quick to identify the weaknesses in the school. His high expectations about the quality of teaching have resulted in consistently good teaching across the school. As a result, progress is improving rapidly since the last inspection.  The headteacher is well supported by senior leaders, staff, parents and governors.  Pupils are making good progress from their starting points, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. These positive attitudes contribute well to their improving achievement.  Pupils’ achievement at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics has risen since the previous inspection. Pupils achieve in line with national figures.  Children in Nursery and Reception have many carefully planned learning opportunities that prepare them well for Key Stage 1.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Expectation of behaviour

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

is high and pupils respect each other and adults in the school. Pupils say they feel safe and are well cared for.  The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of experiences to support their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Strong links exist between the school and parents, who are very positive about the staff and the education their children receive.  The governing body plays an important role in supporting and challenging the school’s work. They are very aware of the strengths of the school as well as areas for improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is too much variability in the quality of marking and how it guides pupils to improve their work.  Work for the most able pupils is not always challenging enough. Therefore, they do not all reach the higher levels of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2.  Pupils’ work is sometimes rushed and not always presented well.  Attendance figures are below average but improving rapidly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 12 lessons, taught by eight teachers; five were jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors observed small groups of pupils taught by teaching assistants.  The inspectors observed two assemblies.  Inspectors heard pupils from Years 2 and 6 reading and also held meetings with two groups of pupils, including the school council. Inspectors were also shown around the school by a group of pupils. Discussions took place with five governors, including the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a representative from the local authority, and senior and middle leaders. The inspectors also had informal discussions with parents at the start and end of the school day.  The inspection team looked at a range of documents, including the school’s data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documents and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding of children. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s arrangements for spending, including the additional sports funding and pupil premium funding.  Inspectors took account of the 36 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), correspondence from six parents and responses to the staff questionnaire from 18 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Jones, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is average. This is additional government funding known as the pupil premium to support these pupils.  The school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Early years provision comprises a part-time nursery for three-year-olds and a one-form-entry Reception class for four-year-olds, who attend full time.  The school is part of the Romsey Area Pyramid Group, a group of local schools working and supporting

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Information about this school

each other to help raise standards.  The headteacher took up his post in January 2013.  The school provides a breakfast club that is managed by the governing body. The school also provides a number of after-school clubs which include drama, art, street dance and a computer club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and raise achievement by ensuring that:  there is consistency in the quality of marking so that it helps pupils to improve their work  there are well-planned opportunities for the most able pupils so that they attain the highest levels of which they are capable  all staff ensure that pupils take care in the presentation of their work.  Improve attendance rates further, so that they are closer to the national average for primary schools by continuing to work with parents to emphasize the importance of their child’s regular attendance for learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher quickly identified the areas of weakness. He is addressing these and, as result, teaching and the progress pupils are making are improving rapidly. He has developed a highly effective leadership team who work together to support and encourage all members of staff to constantly improve and provide a good learning experience for all pupils.  The school development plans focus on the key priorities to maintain and further develop the improvements made. These are well known by staff and shared with governors, who are fully committed to supporting the improvements made.  Senior leaders and middle leaders carry out their duties thoroughly. They have implemented good procedures for checking pupils’ progress. These enable both senior and middle leaders to assess how all pupils are doing and to identify areas of weakness. Regular checks are made on the quality of teaching and learning through observations, discussions with pupils and teachers and through pupils’ work in

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The leadership and management are good

books.  Teachers are held to account for the progress of the pupils in their classes. Arrangements to check performance are fully in place and linked to salary progression.  Assessment is used effectively at the start of each week to place pupils in groups for English and mathematics. This approach is used to identify weaknesses and to check on the support for individuals. The school is working with Romsey Area Pyramid Group to support the accuracy of their assessments of the pupils’ work.  The approach to the curriculum through topics is thoroughly enjoyed by pupils and promotes pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics well. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in visits and use the local area well, as for example, in Year 3. Pupils have recently visited Stonehenge, and Year 5 visited King John’s house in Romsey as part of their work on the Tudors.  The school strongly promotes British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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The leadership and management are good

throughout all aspects of the school, including special event days. For example, pupils have the chance to study different countries as part of languages day and to see how life in these countries contrasts with life in Britain. In an assembly on democracy, pupils learned about Martin Luther King and how people are all the same, regardless of race or belief.  The school has a very positive relationship with parents. Parents are very happy with the way the school is changing and the improvements since the arrival of the headteacher. They say that ‘the headteacher has an open-door policy and any issues or concerns are able to be dealt with instantly’.  The additional primary school sports funding is used effectively. The funding has been used to develop the skills of class teachers with support from visiting coaches and to buy additional equipment. There are also opportunities for pupils to participate in local events and to engage with other pupils within the locality.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding is used to provide a range of support for eligible pupils. The funding has been used to provide extra staff, access to trips and a nurture group. Pupils’ progress has improved as a result of the support.  There are good links with the local primary and secondary school that include opportunities in both English and mathematics such as the ‘Young Writers’ Challenge’ and the ‘Romsey Mathematics Challenge’. This supports pupils to work with other children from neighbouring schools as well as supporting pupils as they move on to the next stage of their school career.  The local authority has provided effective support after the last inspection and has helped bring about the positive changes in the school. However, with confidence in the quality of leadership and the rapid improvement in the pupils’ progress, the support from the local authority has been reduced.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements. Staff and governors

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The leadership and management are good

receive up-to-date training and are clear about the procedures.  Equal opportunities are embedded in every aspect of school life, with all pupils having access to anything the school has to offer, including a good-quality curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They make a strong contribution to the quality of education the school provides. Governors are kept well informed about the school’s work through reports from school leaders. They also visit the school regularly, spending time talking to pupils as well as meeting with staff. The expertise of governors is used effectively to hold the school to account. This includes both safeguarding and finance. They manage the school’s finances well, including the expenditure of the pupil premium and additional sports funding. They have a good understanding of the school’s performance data and are aware of the school’s priorities to continue to improve. Governors regularly attend training provided by the local authority and the school to make sure they are up to date with changes such as the new curriculum as

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The leadership and management are good

well as specific training for new governors. Governors set challenging targets for the headteacher and understand the link between teachers’ pay and their performance.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Their positive attitudes to learning contribute well to their improving achievement.  There is a very calm atmosphere about the school. Pupils move around the school quietly, including arriving at and leaving assembly. They behave well in the dining hall and in the playground. Pupils show respect to each other and adults.  Pupils are very proud and enjoy coming to school. A group of pupils took an inspector on a tour of the school and spoke about the learning opportunities through visits and experiences that enhance their enjoyment and understanding. These experiences include language day, Roald Dahl day and the Food, Glorious Food project.  Pupils like to take on extra responsibilities in Year 6. These responsibilities include playground buddies who look after the younger pupils and arrange activities at lunchtime. The school council are proud of their achievements that include reviewing the provision of the playground equipment. They regularly

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Behaviour

support the headteacher when presenting certificates in the celebration assembly at the end of each week.  Pupils with behavioural needs are given good levels of additional support. Adults manage any incidents well and effectively; this is helped by the supportive and calm, inclusive environment in the school.  Behaviour is not outstanding as very occasionally a few pupils can become disengaged from their learning and not achieve their full potential.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils feel safe in the school and know who they would talk to if they had any concerns, with the confidence that any incidents will be dealt with quickly. Parents support this view.  Pupils show a good understanding of different forms of bullying and are clear about the impact of their actions on others. Consequently, incidents of bullying are rare, and school records confirm this. Pupils spoke about the work they had done during anti-bullying week. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of safety, including when using the internet.  The school has worked hard to improve the attendance of pupils. There have been significant improvements as a result of the headteacher’s regular meetings and home visits with parents of pupils whose attendance has fallen below the national average. However, although attendance is improving, it is

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Safety

still below the national average.  There have been no permanent exclusions for the last three years.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good and underpins the rise in standards and the rapid progress pupils are making. Teachers’ knowledge of individual pupils assists their planning to ensure pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is good or better.  Pupils benefit from teachers’ good subject knowledge. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson on probability, the teacher used questioning effectively to assess pupils’ understanding and provide further guidance on the next steps in their learning.  The relationships between the pupils and adults are good. Teachers and teaching assistants use a range of resources, work well together, and make a strong contribution to the pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils make good progress, including those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs.  Teachers provide a stimulating learning environment and the pupils use the resources to support their

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The quality of teaching is good

learning well. Work displayed in the classrooms and corridors is of a high quality and pupils are very proud of their achievements.  Pupils enjoy the challenges and experiences they have working with other schools, as in the poetry-writing experience, and would welcome some further challenges, especially the more able pupils.  Pupils experience best-practice marking, and feedback to pupils is regular. The comments teachers make are helpful and pupils are aware of the next steps in their learning. However, this is not consistently applied across the school and at times pupils do not know how to correct misunderstandings or improve their work.

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is good

 Progress is now good throughout the school. This is because the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection.  Senior and middle leaders regularly check on pupils’ progress and revise the support for those who need it. External moderation in 2014 confirmed the accuracy of the school’s internal assessments.  The achievement of pupils in Year 2 is good in reading and writing. There was a dip in mathematics, last year. However, the school has addressed the gap with additional intensive support. This support was observed during the inspection and there was evidence of an improvement in pupils’ confidence and understanding of mathematical concepts.  The achievement of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 has continued to improve in 2014, in reading, writing, mathematics and in the grammar, spelling and punctuation assessment.  For the first time, a number of pupils achieved the highest levels in mathematics. This shows that the

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is good

more able pupils generally make good progress as teachers ensure in most classes that work is matched to their ability. There are a few classes, however, where this is not consistently applied.  The achievement of Year 1 pupils in the national screening check for reading has improved rapidly from 2013 and now it is broadly average. Pupils develop an enjoyment for reading from an early age and talk with confidence about favourite authors and how reading also helps to develop their writing.  There is evidence in pupils’ books that the improvement in progress is continuing in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils are proud of their achievements, however, the quality of their presentation in some classes is untidy. This is because at times pupils rush their work and standards are not consistently applied.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are extremely well supported. They receive

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is good

skilled and targeted support both in class and small groups and this ensures they make good progress that is either in line with or faster than their peers’.  Parents are kept well informed of their children’s progress and appreciate the opportunity to look at their children’s books. During the inspection, parents in years 1 and 2 visited classrooms at the start of the day to look at their children’s work. One parent commented, ‘I was staggered by the amount that had been taught, learnt and comprehended by my daughter.’  The school’s strong commitment to equality of opportunity can be seen in the attainment of pupils who are eligible for the additional funding. This has improved, ensuring they make similar progress to other pupils. The attainment of pupils at the end of Year 6 is in line with that of their peers nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.

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is good

 The leadership and management of Nursery and Reception are good.  Before children start in Reception, home visits and visits to other settings are made to ensure that staff know the children and their parents well. The early assessments are used to plan activities in relation to children’s differing abilities.  Children start in early years with a range of different skills and, as a result of the early assessment, children quickly settle into the routines and make good progress. They make good progress, particularly in personal, social and communication and are well prepared to start Key Stage 1.  Children behave well towards one another and staff. Safeguarding is effective and there are procedures in place to ensure children know how to keep themselves safe.  Teachers and teaching assistants work together to create a highly effective team to provide children with a range of learning experiences. They regularly observe and assess children’s knowledge and

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is good

understanding and use this information to plan their next steps. The progress children make is well documented in individual ‘learning journeys’.  The opportunities for learning are varied and effective. Good use is made of both indoor and outdoor areas. A group of children were, for example, building a spaceship using large wooden blocks. They were very proud of their achievement and were eager to talk to inspectors about the functions of the spaceship.  In a phonics session, children were very attentive and enjoyed learning new sounds. Their understanding of the letters and sounds was observed later when a group of children independently initiated some writing while playing outside based on Owl Babies by Martin Waddell.  Parents say that staff are very approachable and they are very happy with the care and support their children receive.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 134945 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 449048

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 188 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Hodgson Headteacher Jason Anderson Date of previous school inspection 27–28 November 2012 Telephone number 01794 512362 Fax number 01794 513048 Email address www.romseyprimary.co.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 and 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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