Rossington Tornedale Infant School

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

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Mrs Lisa Almunshi Headteacher Rossington Tornedale Infant School Gattison Lane Rossington Doncaster South Yorkshire DN11 0NQ

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Short inspection of Rossington Tornedale Infant School

Following my visit to the school on 7 February 2018, 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 Rossington Tornedale Infant School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. There have been many changes in the last three years, including your appointment and that of the deputy headteacher. Nearly three quarters of the teaching staff, and all of the governing body are new to post.

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Short inspection of Rossington Tornedale Infant School

Throughout this period of change, you and your senior management team have led successfully from the front. You have created a culture where everyone feels valued and enjoys being part of the school community. You have developed all the staff so that they each have a significant role to play within the school. You have applied effective succession planning exemplified by the strengths of the deputy headteacher during the inspection. You have established an outward-looking school, with staff eager to learn from the best practice and reflective in how to adopt and adapt approaches to best meet the needs of the pupils. Staff and parents and carers consider that the school is extremely well led and well managed.

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Short inspection of Rossington Tornedale Infant School

Your incisive analysis of pupil progress information has enabled staff to identify areas for further development and improve teaching. You have ensured that everyone is working together in challenging pupils across all year groups. The early years foundation stage is a real strength and demonstrates well how challenge can be created across the curriculum. This has a positive impact on achievement and progress which are showing improvement year on year. This pattern has been maintained this year, with pupils doing slightly better than at this time last year. . The majority of pupils participate in and enjoy learning and they behave well. On those few occasions where this is not the case, staff swiftly intervene successfully and pupils soon follow instructions and come back to their learning.

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Short inspection of Rossington Tornedale Infant School

The school has a strong safeguarding ethos. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You maintain good-quality records and documentation. If a vulnerable pupil is absent, then you make sure that someone has seen that child before the end of the day. You make sure that staff always record any unexpected behaviour exhibited by pupils, and that other professionals who may be working with them are made aware of this, so that these children are protected. Pupils and their parents are supported effectively to understand and keep themselves safe from abuse. For example, pupils spoken to during the inspection demonstrated a high level of understanding of how to keep themselves safe when online.

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Inspection findings

 Planning is monitored effectively to ensure that there is a clear learning outcome for every session and activity. Leaders and managers undertake a variety of observations, learning walks, work scrutiny and data analysis to ensure that any areas for improvement are identified and addressed. Pupil progress meetings identify those pupils not making sufficient or expected progress and attainment, and effective interventions are put in place to support them to improve.  Where pupils are questioned effectively, and they receive good-quality feedback, from teachers, they engage with their learning, and begin to challenge themselves. I observed pupils engrossed in learning about fractions in one mathematics lesson, being given more complex work to drive their learning forward. In the early years, staff respond well to the children’s interests. Staff are highly skilled at phrasing their questions to make the children think more deeply.

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Inspection findings

For example, a teacher, when questioning one child about the habits of an owl, was able to achieve deeper thinking by asking ‘Why do you think owls sleep during the day?’ When making stick men, the children were questioned about why they had chosen certain materials. As a result, children learned to think critically and give a valid reason for their choice.  Middle leaders of English, mathematics and science fulfil their roles well. They model best practice and enable staff to learn well from each other. They monitor planning and delivery of their subjects and analyse data robustly to identify any weaknesses. For instance, the leader of English identified a gap in an aspect of pupils’ phonic knowledge. This led to the successful review of the teaching of phonics, resulting in the better use of staff strengths in leading different ability groups. Grouping pupils for phonics, and constantly reviewing their knowledge

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Inspection findings

and understanding, has also particularly supported the progress of less able pupils. The successful implementation of a revised approach in the teaching of mathematics across all year groups has led to a deeper understanding of the subject by teachers and pupils. This has also led to girls and boys beginning to . achieve as well as each other.  However, you are aware that this in-depth analysis and support has still to be implemented with leaders of other subjects. You recognise that this has an impact on the lower level of challenge that the pupils experience in these areas and have detailed plans in place to enhance these roles. There is a good range of activities across the year to widen pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain, and pupils are taught in some depth about other cultures. Although writing is taught effectively, the learning is not consistently applied across all subject areas,

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Inspection findings

as demonstrated in the difference between topic books and English books we looked at during the inspection.  The highly effective governing body discharges its duties well. There has been a complete change since the last inspection. Governors have commissioned an external consultant to undertake an independent review of governance and have undertaken a skills audit to identify any areas where they may wish to add to their strengths. They know the school well through meetings, learning walks and analysis of data, along with the high-quality reports you prepare for them for every meeting. Governors challenge you and other senior members of staff effectively with a focus on improving outcomes for pupils, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. They have assured themselves that the pupil premium spend is well spent.  Parents are very positive about the involvement they have in their children’s

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Inspection findings

learning. Those I spoke with during the inspection say that the school communicates well with them. They are unfailing in their confidence that should there be any concerns, then staff will deal with these swiftly and effectively. They can see how well their child is doing through secure information technology- based systems and know they can always contact the teacher. They are happy to approach staff for advice and information about how to support their children’s learning at home. They are assured that their children are safe and appreciate the support that they and their children receive about safeguarding.

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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

 the role of middle leaders of all subjects is strengthened so that attainment in all areas is at least as high as in mathematics and English  the same high expectations for achievement are evident across all curriculum areas, as well as in mathematics and English, so that pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills are further improved.

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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 Doncaster. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

The focus of the inspection was to check whether the good standards identified at the previous inspection had been maintained and to find out how well children were progressing. I held a variety of meetings with you and your staff. We observed learning jointly in seven lessons. I considered a range of evidence, including the school improvement plan and leaders’ self-evaluation. I also reviewed other documentation, such as minutes of governors’ meetings and visits, and records of pupils’ absence.

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Information about the inspection

I met with members of the governing body and spoke with the school standards and effectiveness partner. I held a discussion with a group of pupils. I considered the 12 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and spoke with four parents. I also took account of the 19 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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