Rowde Church of England Primary Academy

Rowde Church of England Primary Academy High Street, Rowde, Devizes, SN10 2ND

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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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This is a good school

 The headteacher plays a pivotal role in enhancing teaching and learning in this improving school. She is very well supported by all leaders and the governing body. Leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils.  Governors know how well the school is doing. They challenge leaders to make further improvement.  Very positive values and beliefs underpin pupils’ good behaviour and play a significant part in their learning and progress.  The school keeps pupils safe. Adults ensure that pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe in different situations.  Good teaching ensures that all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve well as they move through the school.  Lessons are well planned and pupils know what they are expected to achieve. Pupils enjoy learning because teachers capture their interest and motivate them to try hard.  The early years provision is effective. Children enjoy

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This is a good school

learning and make good progress within a very caring and purposeful environment. They are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Key skills in literacy and numeracy have a high priority. Pupils practise, consolidate and extend them in their studies across the imaginatively planned curriculum.  Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively during lessons and through a wide range of additional activities.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In the early years, boys do not do as well as girls in speaking, reading and writing. The gap between their achievement and that of girls is wider than that found nationally.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 do not always have enough experience of investigative work and problem solving in mathematics.  Teachers’ marking and feedback do not always help pupils to improve their work in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 16 lessons and parts of lessons and looked at a range of pupils’ work. Eight of these observations were made jointly with the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also listened to pupils read from Years 1, 2 and 6.  Meetings took place with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and groups of pupils. Inspectors also met the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors, and the academy’s independent improvement adviser.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s information on pupils’ progress and records relating to pupils’ behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspection team observed movement around the academy at playtime and at lunch breaks, and attended assemblies. Displays around the academy and in classrooms were scrutinised.  Inspectors took into account the 94 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They looked at

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Information about this inspection

the results of a recent school survey to which 32 parents had responded, and read letters sent to the inspection team. They spoke informally with a number of parents.  The 26 responses to the staff questionnaire were also considered.

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Inspection team

Rob Crompton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is broadly average in size. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. Almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, for whom the academy receives additional funding through the pupil premium, is below average. There are very few such pupils in the current Year 6. The pupil premium provides additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and for children who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average. Children in the early years attend full time in a Reception class.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The academy runs breakfast and after-school clubs, known as the Rascals.  A separately privately owned pre-school occupies the same building. It is subject to a separate inspection.

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Information about this school

 The academy does not use any alternative provision.  Rowde Church of England Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 January 2013. When its predecessor school, Rowde Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the attainment of boys in the early years in speaking, reading and writing, so it more closely matches that of girls.  Improve achievement in mathematics in Key Stage 2 by ensuring:  pupils use their secure numeracy skills to solve problems and investigate relationships, patterns and sequences  teachers’ marking and feedback provide clear guidance to help pupils deepen their understanding and tackle mathematical problems systematically.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is led by an extremely committed headteacher. She has high expectations of all pupils and is highly regarded by all who work alongside her. Since the school became an academy, the headteacher has significantly improved the quality of the school’s work and pupils’ achievements. There is a very purposeful atmosphere where pupils enjoy learning and rise to the challenges offered by consistently effective teaching.  The headteacher is supported well by all senior and middle leaders. They regularly check the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress and provide effective guidance and support for colleagues.  Systems for the management of teachers’ performance focus sharply on how effective the teachers are in improving pupils’ achievement. Leaders gain an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses through keeping a close eye on quality of teaching, the meticulous tracking of pupils’ progress, and by

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The leadership and management are good

consulting parents and pupils.  Leaders produce well-founded plans to improve the school’s work further. For example, they have identified the work still to be done to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding in mathematics.  Teachers make good use of the school’s assessment procedures, which are closely aligned to the recently revised National Curriculum. Teachers and school leaders are quick to spot any underperformance by individuals or groups of pupils and to provide additional support for them.  Pupils increase their knowledge and understanding through carefully planned themes. These make learning meaningful and enjoyable. One remarked, ‘We are always learning something different and unique.’ Pupils spoke animatedly about how their own interests shape teachers’ planning. For example, a local visit fired enthusiasm to find out more about Vikings and led to more in-depth work on this topic.

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The leadership and management are good

 Visits and visitors are an integral part of the curriculum and provide memorable experiences. Pupils talked enthusiastically about a visit to a local centre where they had studied a tapestry. This had inspired pupils across the school to create their own pictures and collages linked to their class topics.  The school successfully promotes kindness, tolerance and understanding. One parent remarked, ‘I chose this school because children are so kind to one another.’ The school’s motto, ‘A bright start for a bright future’ is understood by pupils, staff, parents and governors.  Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Through lessons, assemblies and informal activities, pupils gain a good understanding of the values that underpin modern British society. They learn about democracy through the election of school councillors and of head boy and girl. Staff promote the concept of good relations at all times. Links with schools overseas, including schools in India, Russia and Sweden,

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The leadership and management are good

enhance pupils’ knowledge of the wider world.  The school makes sure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to do well and there is no evidence of discrimination. Appropriate use of additional government funding has successfully helped to close gaps in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.  Effective use is made of the primary school sport funding. Staff have been trained by specialist coaches and this has increased their expertise and confidence in teaching physical education. Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences in physical education and sport, including participation in competitive events.  Safeguarding arrangements are effective and meet requirements. School leaders are skilled in identifying any pupils at risk of harm. They engage with the local safeguarding agencies and respond appropriately, when necessary.  There is a good partnership with parents. The large majority of parents responding to the online survey

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The leadership and management are good

were happy with all aspects of the school. During informal discussions, parents’ remarks included, ‘I love this school.’ ‘My daughter is very happy here.’ ‘The school has improved so much it’s a different place.’ One parent wrote a moving tribute to the support her child received after moving from another school.  A few parents feel that the school does not manage behaviour or deal with bullying effectively. Pupils did not agree and said that any bullying would be quickly spotted and dealt with. They had a clear idea about the difference between occasional squabbles and bullying. Inspectors found that adults were very skilled in managing behaviour and that pupils worked and played together very well.  Although an independent academy, the school has sustained productive links with other local schools. For example, school leaders helped to organise a recent ‘poetry in the park’ event. The school engages an

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The leadership and management are good

independent educational consultant who provides useful objective advice and guidance.  The governance of the school:  The governing body includes members with a wide range of skills and experience, including leadership of a national educational department. Governors are very effective in providing a good balance of support and challenge for school leaders. They receive detailed information about the progress of different groups and have a clear understanding of how well the school compares to local and national schools. They are quick to spot any irregularities and routinely ask probing questions. Governors visit the school regularly to gain first-hand information, and subject leaders attend governors’ meetings to keep them up to date with developments. Governors receive appropriate information about the performance targets set for teachers, and check potential links with salary progression. They seek

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The leadership and management are good

assurance that teachers only receive financial reward if pupils reach their challenging targets.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are friendly and welcome each other warmly as they arrive at school. They are attentive during lessons and keen to contribute their ideas. Pupils cooperate very well when working in pairs or small groups.  Breaktimes are well supervised. The playground is zoned into quiet spaces and areas for more active games. Pupils play harmoniously, with pupils of different ages playing together.  Pupils say behaviour is generally good. Pupils could not recall any incidents where their learning had been disrupted in class, saying that any incidents are minor and quickly dealt with. Year 6 pupils agreed with their classmate who remarked, ‘It isn’t perfect all the time, but it is most of the time.’ This indicates that behaviour is not outstanding.  At lunchtime, pupils demonstrate excellent manners. The dining hall is calm and orderly, with younger pupils being well looked after.

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Behaviour

 Pupils move around the school impeccably, for example in the way they enter the hall for assembly

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils are taught about situations where they may need to keep themselves safe. They are well aware of how to avoid potential hazards when using the internet. Visits from the police and the fire service reinforce their understanding of how to keep safe.  Pupils feel safe. They know that the site is secure and feel they are cared for well. The before- and after- school clubs provide a welcoming safe haven for pupils at the beginning and end of the day.  Attendance is higher than the national average and is improving year on year. There is no difference in the attendance of different groups.  The school works very effectively with outside agencies to support pupils who may face additional challenges. Staff are well trained and understand the procedures to be followed when they have concerns.  Class teachers keep a log of any incidents relating both to safeguarding and behaviour. Although there are

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Safety

few entries, recording these two types of incident together means that it is not easy to spot any trends.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Varied and interesting contexts for learning, carefully planned by teachers, ensure pupils are engaged and motivated. This is evident in pupils’ consistent enthusiasm for learning.  Good teaching is underpinned by the strong relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils understand what is expected of them while they are learning and this contributes significantly to their achievement.  Teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding and move their learning forward. However, this information is not always used to gauge how well pupils have grasped what is being taught or to check that pupils are being challenged at the right level.  The teaching of literacy, reading and mathematics is effective. A systematic approach to teaching phonics (letters and the sounds they make) underpins the good start pupils make in reading and writing. Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to this work. Older pupils benefit from skilled teaching of

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The quality of teaching is good

spelling, grammar and punctuation and this contributes to their good progress in writing.  Basic skills in arithmetic are taught well. Pupils learn key number facts, such as multiplication tables. However they do not always develop deeper mathematical understanding through open-ended investigations, for example exploring the relationships between sequences of square numbers and triangular numbers.  Pupils benefit from useful feedback through marking. Teachers routinely pinpoint what pupils need to do to improve. This is clearly evident in pupils’ written work, where there is a good balance between praise and tips for improvement. Such specific guidance is less evident in mathematics and this means pupils are not routinely challenged to use their secure numeracy skills to develop their knowledge and understanding of other aspects of the subject, such as problem solving.  Much homework is open ended and project based. This successfully encourages pupils to develop their

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The quality of teaching is good

interests. The work pupils produce at home is often of a very high quality, including accounts of independent research, diagrams, photographs and models.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All pupils make good progress as they move through school. Due to improvements in the quality of teaching, pupils’ progress through Years 1 and 2 has significantly improved from a dip last year. From broadly average starting points at the beginning of Year 1, pupils are making good gains in their learning in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 2, their attainment is above average in these three areas.  Pupils continue to progress well through Key Stage 2 and standards over the past five years have been generally above average. School information and work in pupils’ books show that pupils are working to standards that are above expectations in reading, writing, mathematics, and in spelling, punctuation and grammar.  The most able pupils build well on their starting points. This year almost all pupils who reached above average standards in Year 2 did so in Year 6. Typically, the proportion reaching the higher levels is above

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The achievement of pupils is good

average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils have done increasingly well in the Year 1 phonic checks in the last three years. Due to effective teaching through the school, most pupils become fluent readers. Pupils in Year 6 make knowledgeable comments about how wide reading helps them to write imaginatively and structure their sentences well.  Pupils rise to teachers’ high expectations for their written work. By Year 6, over half typically reach the higher levels. Many show a particular flair for engaging the reader. One pupil wrote, for example, ‘Situated at the top of the almighty flight of stairs, there was a star; such a powerful star lighting up the entire kingdom. You could almost taste her power.’  Pupils’ secure number skills are evident in their workbooks. Their calculation skills increase rapidly through the school. However, pupils are not confident in reasoning and making generalisations in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Early identification of pupils who are at risk of falling behind enables the school to make effective provision for pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs. These pupils make good progress because they are well supported in activities which are at the right level.  The school’s detailed assessment information indicates that disadvantaged pupils, around half of whom are disabled or who have special educational needs, make good progress through each year group. The gap at the end of Year 6 between their attainment and that of other pupils in the school and all pupils nationally varies from year to year. In 2014, the disadvantaged pupils were around a term behind other pupils in the school in reading, writing and mathematics, but ahead of all pupils nationally by similar margin.

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The early years provision is good

 Children get off to a good start in the early years and achieve well. As a result of good teaching within a vibrant learning environment, children quickly develop social skills, especially in becoming independent and learning to take turns and share. They make good progress and an above average proportion reach a good level of development by the end of Reception.  Positive relationships between staff, parents and children are strengths of the early years. This helps children to develop confidence and positive attitudes to school and learning. Children behave very well. They work and play happily together, sharing equipment and talking confidently.  Children are kept extremely safe and secure. Staff successfully encourage them to make their own choices through well-established and consistent routines. Staff take full advantage of the indoor and outdoor learning environments to promote learning. Children are consistently enthusiastic. For example, they were

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The early years provision is good

keen to engage an inspector in their role play in ‘Gruffalo’s jungle’ and to show their recipes for ‘Gruffalo’s crumble’.  Basic skills in reading, writing and number are promoted effectively. By the end of Reception most children are able to form letters and write words by themselves. Many are writing sentences independently. In recent years, girls have made better headway than boys in developing their communication and language skills. Due to effective strategies for engaging and motivating boys, the gap has narrowed but remains wider than that found nationally.  Links between home and school are strong. Parents are positively involved with their children’s learning and development, and speak highly of their children’s experiences in school. They appreciate the learning journey booklets that provide a comprehensive and attractive record of their children’s progress.  The leadership and management of the early years are good. Effective leadership has led to marked

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The early years provision is good

improvements to the provision and outcomes for children over the last two years. The teacher and support staff work successfully as a team, sharing a strong commitment to provide the very best for the children. They have worked hard to provide activities that engage boys and promote their language skills. In the light of the success of this strategy, staff are exploring further ways to accelerate their achievement.

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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 139163 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 461797

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 212 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair James Rosenegk Headteacher Lorraine Colquhoun Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01380723991 Fax number 01380 728853 Email address head@rowde.wilts.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 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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