Rosherville Church of England Academy

Rosherville Church of England Academy London Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent DA11 9JQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the school opened in November 2014, turbulence in staffing at all levels has hampered improvement. As a result, outcomes for pupils and the quality of teaching are not consistently good.  Not all teachers have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. This limits pupils’ achievement, particularly in reading and writing.  Leaders do not always correctly identify pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, the support for these pupils is not well matched to their needs and they do not make the progress that they should.  Senior and subject leaders do not focus sharply enough on the impact on pupils’ progress and outcomes when monitoring the quality of teaching.  Leaders do not identify strategies to improve outcomes for particular groups of pupils.  Governors do not have an accurate view of how good teaching or outcomes for pupils are. As a result, they do not hold leaders to account

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

robustly, in particular for the use of the pupil premium and sports premium funding.  Strategies to improve attendance are not a high enough priority for leaders. As a result, pupils’ attendance is below that seen nationally and shows no real sign of improvement.  Pupils’ writing in subjects other than English is not of a sufficiently high standard. This is because pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their key literacy skills.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children in the early years make strong progress. Teachers support them well to secure the skills they need to start Year 1.  The school’s values of fellowship, trust, thankfulness, courage, wisdom and compassion are part and parcel of the school day and prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Teaching assistants provide focused support that contributes positively to pupils’ learning.  Pupils behave well. They are well mannered and courteous and show respect to others both inside and outside of the classroom.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve learning, by: – making sure that tasks strengthen pupils’ basic skills, particularly those who are the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities – ironing out any inconsistencies in teaching across year groups, particularly in reading and writing.  Strengthen leadership and management, by: – ensuring that governors hold senior leaders more rigorously to account and evaluate more precisely the difference additional funding makes to improving pupils’ outcomes – implementing plans to refine the identification process for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and evaluating more precisely the impact of provision on pupils’ outcomes.  Work with parents and other agencies to make sure that pupils attend school regularly. An external review of the use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders and governors are overly generous in their assessment of the quality of education provided by the school. As a result, they have not addressed the school’s key weaknesses effectively.  Leaders correctly identify the necessary priorities for the school in their development plan. They carry out actions in a timely manner but place too much emphasis on the completion of processes. Plans lack precision and it is unclear exactly how success will be measured and how governors will check the impact of actions on improving pupils’ outcomes.  Senior and middle leaders gather a range of information about pupils’ achievement and progress. However, they are not using this information to analyse the progress of different groups of pupils, particularly those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, they do not implement appropriate strategies to support these pupils to catch up.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ identification and assessment of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not effective. Consequently, some of these pupils struggle to access the curriculum and fully engage in their learning. Leaders’ use of special educational needs funding also requires improvement.  Middle leaders carry out monitoring activities to assess the quality of teaching in their subjects and deliver training to all staff. They identify any pupils falling behind and implement strategies to support them. However, middle leaders do not routinely evaluate the impact of these strategies by checking if pupils’ achievement improves, particularly for those pupils who are the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Performance management strategies are in place for all staff. Individuals’ targets focus on the key school priorities and staff regularly review their progress towards achieving

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

these. However, the success criteria used to measure impact does not link sharply enough with improving pupils’ outcomes. As a result, there is little evidence to show how these strategies improve the overall quality of teaching and learning across the school.  The new head of school has accurately identified where the quality of teaching and learning is not yet good and is putting the right improvement steps in place. Staff value the continuing professional development that they receive. They feel supported by leaders and appreciate the opportunities they are given to improve their teaching.  Leaders have established an engaging topic-based curriculum. Exciting and stimulating topics on superheroes, walking with dinosaurs and life under the sea help pupils to create links between subjects and develop their enthusiasm for learning.  The school’s values of fellowship, trust, thankfulness, courage, wisdom and compassion

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

permeate the life of the school and contribute to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are willing to participate in activities and cooperate well with each other. They reflect on their own behaviour and display empathy for others.  Pupils show respect and acknowledgement for the differences between various faiths and openly discuss these with each other. They understand how democracy applies within and beyond the school and value the opportunity to have their voices heard through the school’s council.  The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and after-school sessions to support pupils’ learning and wider experience of school life. For instance, the school holds a regular British values debate club to promote pupils’ communication and presenting skills while enabling them to reflect on what it means to be British.  Leaders draw on a range of effective support from external agencies and other local

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

schools. Recent work with an external trust has provided additional capacity to leaders. Although in its infancy, this support has already helped to produce carefully targeted plans to improve pupils’ outcomes and the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. It is too soon to see the impact of this partnership work.  Communication with parents is effective. Discussions with parents in the playground showed that most are very satisfied with the school and with the way in which any concerns are dealt with.

p.4

Governance of the school

 The trust replaced the local governing body with a ‘raising achievement board’. This group of governors are committed to the school and its ethos. Minutes of meetings demonstrate that they are providing an element of challenge to school leaders but not yet having sufficient impact on accelerating progress for particular groups of pupils. This is because they are too ready to accept the information they receive from leaders.  Governors do not ensure that the pupil premium and sports premium funding is used well. They are unable to measure its impact and evaluate the effectiveness of any additional support put in place for particular groups of pupils. As a result, they fail to hold to leaders to account for this spending.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The designated safeguarding lead works effectively with other professionals and external agencies to protect vulnerable pupils. Leaders are persistent in following up on concerns if not satisfied with the response that they get.  The school’s current safeguarding policy, although not yet published, is thorough. It sets out staff responsibilities clearly, together with the necessary steps to take in different situations. The single central register details all of the necessary checks on the suitability of adults to work with children.  Comprehensive training for staff means that they are aware of their responsibilities to keep children safe and protect them from harm. Leaders share any safeguarding updates regularly and this is a high priority at staff and governor meetings. As a result, staff are aware of the actions to take should they have any concerns about a pupil’s

p.4

Safeguarding

safety.  Helpfully, leaders have provided a number of online safety workshops for parents as well as regular safeguarding updates in weekly newsletters.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations of pupils across different subjects are variable. In some subjects, for example in mathematics, teachers set challenging work and expect high standards of presentation. In other subjects, expectations are not consistently high and pupils’ progress is not as strong.  During phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) lessons, most pupils are able to recall their sounds and apply these to their reading and spellings. However, some pupils simply recall words from memory, rather than using their phonic skills to decode them. This prevents them from acquiring the necessary skills and using these more widely.  Teachers’ expectations for the most able pupils in reading and writing activities are too low. In some year groups, pupils complete the main learning activities in a matter of minutes and express that they find the work too easy. This slows the pace of their learning. In reading, some pupils do not access challenging texts that extend their

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

vocabulary. This is preventing them from reaching a greater depth in reading and writing.  There is some effective teaching across the school. In Years 2 and 6, teachers challenge pupils to think deeply and pupils make very good progress in all areas as a result. However, the quality of teaching is inconsistent between classes and progress is considerably slower in other year groups.  Questioning from teachers and teaching assistants helps to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This is particularly evident in Year 6 science activities, where the teacher’s questioning probed pupils’ thinking about complex scientific concepts, such as the process of evolution.  Homework builds on pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding. Parents are positive about the amount and type of homework that their children receive, as are the pupils.  In most lessons, teachers motivate pupils well. They encourage them to take risks in

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

their learning and as a result, pupils are willing to fail in order to learn.  Teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics is strong across the school. Support to teachers from the deputy headteacher and subject leader has had an impact on the outcomes pupils achieve in this area. As a result, pupils are developing their mastery of this subject and applying their skills successfully to a wide range of problem-solving activities. Outcomes in mathematics are strong as a result.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are happy at school and feel safe. On the rare occasion that they have a concern, they know to tell a teacher and are confident that this will resolve the situation.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, particularly online. They are able to explain the importance of using privacy settings on social media and of not sharing personal information on the internet.  Pupils happily adopt the values of the school. During discussions on the playground, they speak about the importance of showing compassion and are able to articulate this in a mature manner. Leaders embed school values throughout the curriculum and staff and pupils refer to them regularly.  Pupils contribute to weekly-themed assemblies, centred on one of the school’s key values. They also have the opportunity to contribute positively, such as presenting an

p.5

Personal development and welfare

election speech to their peers and voting in the school council ballot.  Parents are complimentary about the impact that the school has had on their children’s personal development and well-being. One parent commented that their child’s confidence had ‘sky rocketed’ since joining the school, and another that their child would ‘come to school at weekends if they could’.  Breaktimes and lunchtimes are purposeful because outdoor areas are well resourced with playground games and equipment. Pupils also have a number of clubs and activities that they can attend and they play well together. Older pupils take pride in supporting younger pupils if they are unhappy or hurt and younger pupils respond positively to this, looking up to the older pupils as role models.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Attendance remains below the national average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is too low and persistent absence rates for these pupils are too high. Leaders have identified this as a school priority but strategies to improve attendance are limited and have not had sufficient impact.  Behaviour in lessons is mostly calm and highly focused. At times, pupils are enthusiastic and excited about their learning, particularly in mathematics lessons.  Pupils quickly respond to teachers’ instructions and listen well. Pupils’ views of behaviour across the school are highly positive and school records show that incidents of poor behaviour are rare.  There are a number of systems in place to encourage positive behaviour including golden awards, Christian ethos awards and house points. Pupils value these systems

p.6

Behaviour

and strive to achieve these rewards.  Pupils are polite and well mannered; they hold doors open for visitors and speak to each other and adults respectfully.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress as they move through the school. The achievement of different groups of pupils and across different subjects varies.  In 2017, at the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils made good progress, particularly in writing and mathematics. However, this masks their previous underachievement and variable standards in the rest of the school, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Too few of the most able pupils are working at greater depth in their work in most year groups in reading and writing. This is not the case in Years 2 and 6, where focused teaching has led to rapid progress for pupils in these groups.  Pupils’ learning in subjects other than mathematics is sometimes limited. The quality of pupils’ work across the wider curriculum does not reflect their true capabilities when considered alongside work in mathematics. Pupils do not use their acquired phonic or

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

literacy skills when completing work in other subjects.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not currently receive the support that they need to make good progress in reading and writing and expectations of their capabilities are too low. Current leaders are alert to the fact that progress and achievement for these pupils need to improve.  Pupils express a love of reading and read regularly and often, both at home and at school. Some pupils read with fluency and confidence, using their phonic skills to decode any unknown words. Lower-ability pupils engage well with the texts that they read. They try hard to use punctuation and read with expression but do not always use their skills well to sound out unfamiliar words.  The progress of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who speak English as an additional language is improving, particularly in writing and mathematics. In some year groups,

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

the gap between these groups of pupils and other pupils nationally is closing quickly.

p.7

Early years provision Good

 Good teaching helps children to secure the skills to form recognisable letters and numbers. The consistent and systematic approach to teaching phonics is effective and work in children’s books shows that they make strong progress in writing over time, with many able to write sentences by the time they leave Reception.  Staff plan indoor and outdoor activities well and encourage children to be inquisitive learners. Children explore both the indoor and outdoor environment confidently and activities involving a wide variety of resources hold their attention. For example, children retained concentration when hunting for insects on the treasure trail and using air blocks to build bridges from one place to another.  Children communicate well. They can explain what they are doing to teachers, visitors and other children and are happy to do this. They listen intently to adults and demonstrate their understanding, for example by correctly identifying what happens

p.7

Early years provision Good

next in a nursery rhyme.  Leaders assess children regularly from the start and identify next steps to ensure that children make good progress. Parents contribute to the assessments leaders make about their children and are encouraged to support their children’s development at home. Leaders facilitate this through establishing strong links between home and school before the children start their Reception Year.  The proportion of children well prepared for Year 1, who reach a good level of development, is in line with national figures. By the end of Reception, differences between groups of children have diminished almost completely.  Sometimes the vocabulary used by staff to provide support in lessons is not always accurate and leads to children becoming confused. Opportunities for children to improve their physical development are also not as frequent as other aspects of the curriculum.

p.7

School details

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

p.9

School details

School category Academy converter sponsor-led

p.9

School details

Email address office@rosherville.kent.sch.uk

p.9

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.9

Information about this school

 Rosherville Church of England Academy opened on 1 November 2014, replacing a predecessor school on the same site that was subject to special measures. The school is part of the Rochester Diocesan Academy Trust and sponsored by the Rochester Diocesan Board of Education.  The school has been affected by considerable and repeated changes of staff at teacher, leadership and governor levels. The head of school started in September 2017. She is the third person to lead the school since it opened as an academy.  This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There is one class in each year group, with mixed classes of year groups in Years 3, 4 and 5.  The large majority of pupils are from a range of minority ethnic groups. Almost half of pupils speak English as an additional language but are at an advanced stage of acquisition. The largest single group of pupils is Asian or Asian British.

p.9

Information about this school

 At almost a third of pupils, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above that seen nationally.  A higher-than-average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities supported by the school, or a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of specified information about special educational needs and disabilities on its website. The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about physical education and sport premium funding and pupil premium funding.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector visited all classes during the inspection to observe teaching and learning, many more than once. All of these visits were carried out jointly with the head of school.  When visiting classrooms, the lead inspector observed parts of the lessons that were taking place, but focused particularly on gathering evidence about what teaching and learning is typically like over time. This included scrutinising the work in pupils’ books and on display, talking with them about their learning and hearing them read.  Inspectors also took the school’s assessments of pupils’ progress into account and considered leaders’ and external visitors’ evaluations about the quality of teaching over time.  The lead inspector met formally and informally with a wide range of people to gather further evidence. This included pupils, parents, staff, school leaders, governors and representatives of the trust.  The lead inspector reviewed a wide range of the school’s documentation and records,

p.11

Information about this inspection

including particular scrutiny of those relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of responses to the Ofsted online surveys of pupils and staff views and those carried out by school leaders. There were nine responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. Views from parents, staff and pupils were also gathered informally and formally throughout the inspection and considered alongside this evidence.

p.11

Inspection team

Emma Sanderson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

p.12

Inspection team

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.

p.12

Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

p.12

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.12

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspection team

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

p.12