Rosebank Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Miss Alice Smith Headteacher Rosebank Primary School Burley Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS3 1JP

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 13 September 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in February 2013.

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You are resolute in promoting high standards and raising aspirations. You and your leaders are determined that every pupil should achieve highly, no matter what the barriers to success may be. You have ignited a passion for learning in pupils, who share your high aspirations to do their best in all that they do. Pupils said that they ‘love’ coming to school. You have established an inclusive school where pupils demonstrate mature attitudes. You have created a happy and harmonious environment where pupils accept difference as a positive feature of the school. As a result, behaviour is exemplary. Pupils who are new to the school and country are warmly welcomed. Many more pupils than normally seen join and leave during the school year. For this reason, not all pupils get the full benefit of what the school has to offer. Nevertheless, pupils who join the school at

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

different times of the year are well catered for and, overall, make good progress in a happy environment.

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

You have provided diligent leadership since your appointment as headteacher in September 2016. Together with your leaders, you have been relentless in creating a positive learning culture. You have enhanced wider leadership by giving staff full ownership of the subjects that they lead and the outcomes pupils achieve. As a result, outcomes are improving in mathematics at the end of key stage 2. The gains made in mathematics are not yet matched in reading and writing at the highest standard. However, pupils become adept at using expected grammar and punctuation skills by the end of key stage 2. You acknowledge that more work is needed to ensure that pupils, particularly middle-ability pupils, achieve more highly in reading and writing.

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

Since the last inspection, you have focused rightly on improving the quality of teaching and learning. You have made adjustments to the school’s assessment system so that pupils are well challenged. Teachers are now crystal clear about the expectations pupils should reach in each year group. You have developed an assessment system that enables you and other leaders to keep a close eye on the progress of each pupil. You and your leaders make frequent and accurate checks on the quality of pupils’ learning and progress.

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

Governors are keen, committed and fulfil their role as critical friend well. They visit regularly and learn first hand about the quality of education in the school. They have used a recent skills audit to channel their skills with renewed energy and purpose and as a result, they hold leaders to account more effectively. Governors have not been afraid to challenge leaders about the proportion of pupils who achieve the highest standards by the end of each key stage.

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

You and your leadership team ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Policies reflect the latest government guidelines and help keep pupils safe in school. You alert staff to any changes through regular meetings and training events. Staff receive appropriate training to protect pupils from harm, including radicalisation, through the ‘Prevent’ duty. You work closely with other professionals to ensure that families receive the support they need.

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Short inspection of Rosebank Primary School

Governors make sure that all checks for the recruitment of suitable staff to work with children are in place. Pupils say that they feel safe and parents and carers agree. They are confident that issues of poor behaviour are dealt with fairly and firmly. Pupils say that bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly should it occur. The curriculum provides plentiful opportunities for pupils to learn how to be safe. Junior leaders are highly motivated to help teach their peers how to be safe online.

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Inspection findings

 Children join the early years with knowledge and skills that are much lower than those typical for their age, especially in communication and language. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development has been below that seen nationally. However, inspection evidence indicates that children, particularly those who are new to English, are making better progress during their time in Nursery. Nevertheless, you agree that there is room for greater progress by providing more opportunities to develop children’s key skills in communication and language.  You have accurately identified that in 2016, pupils’ attainment dipped in phonics at the end of Years 1 and 2. You and your leaders have subsequently changed the approach in the teaching of phonics and reading. As a result, the proportion of Year 1 and Year 2 pupils achieving the required standard improved considerably in 2017. Current pupils benefit from higher expectations from

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Inspection findings

adults. They have a more solid grounding in reading when tackling unfamiliar words now.  You identified at the start of 2017 that teachers’ expectations needed to be raised so that more pupils, particularly lower ability and disadvantaged pupils, hit the ground running when they join key stage 2. Evidence in books from last year showed stronger progress from the start of 2017. The change in expectations did not impact fully in the overall attainment at the end of the summer term. However, the current work of pupils shows that progress in writing and mathematics is developing at a faster pace than standards seen at the same time last year. You agree that the higher expectations need to be embedded firmly so that greater proportions of pupils make more rapid progress.  A scrutiny of pupils’ books during the inspection shows that the work of the oldest pupils is of particularly high quality. Work is beautifully presented through

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Inspection findings

neat presentation and controlled handwriting. The most able, including those who are disadvantaged, use a wide range of vocabulary to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Current assessment information shows that the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is often above that of their peers in school and in line with that of other pupils nationally. Leaders acknowledge that middle-ability pupils need to be further challenged in their writing to use a broader range of vocabulary.  Teachers help pupils to acquire a love of reading and have access to more challenging and ambitious books. Pupils’ horizons have been broadened through the curriculum when learning about the works of William Shakespeare, including ‘Macbeth’. This has inspired pupils to read more ambitious books. Even so, it is evident from listening to pupils read and looking at assessment information that pupils need continued support to achieve more highly in reading by the end of

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Inspection findings

key stage 2.  The curriculum provides ample opportunities for pupils to acquire skills and develop their understanding as world citizens. Pupils have achieved highly in dance, being local champions for the past three years. Pupils’ learning is well developed in geography. For example, regular lessons and assemblies help pupils to sensibly reflect and learn about current world events.  Attendance has been stubbornly below the national average since the previous inspection. You are working hard to improve attendance. The school’s information shows that overall attendance is improving. Leaders and governors have adopted a firmer approach to improving attendance through regular communication with parents. Pastoral leaders help to support families in reinforcing the importance of regular attendance.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 children in early years are given opportunities to practise and develop their language skills  greater opportunities are provided for pupils to develop reading and writing skills across key stage 1, so they are well prepared to meet the demands of key stage

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Next steps for the school

 leaders’ and teachers’ actions continue to increase the proportion of pupils, particularly middle-ability pupils, that achieve and exceed expectations by the end of key stage 2 in reading and writing  attendance improves and levels of persistent absence decrease so that pupils benefit from school more fully.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leeds. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I met with you, and the subject leaders for mathematics, phonics and English. I also met with four members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. You accompanied me on visits to classrooms to observe teaching and learning. I was able to look at pupils’ work across a range of subjects with you. I also spoke with pupils to find out what it is like to be a pupil at the school. I listened to pupils read from Year 2 and Year 6. I examined a range documents, including the school’s own self-evaluation, assessment information, child protection records, minutes of governing body meetings, attendance records and information about safeguarding. Information posted on the school website was also taken into account. I also took account of online responses to surveys, including the views of 12 parents who responded to Parent View.

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Information about the inspection

I was particularly looking at what leaders have done to raise the quality of teaching across the school. I also looked at the actions the school is taking to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they should, particularly those who are disadvantaged and new to English. I also looked at the effectiveness of leaders’ work to improve attendance.

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