Rockingham Junior and Infant School

Inspection Report Rockingham Junior and Infant School

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106855 Unique Reference Number Rotherham Local Authority 300618 Inspection number 7 °8 March 2007 Inspection dates Jane Hughes Reporting inspector

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

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The inspection of the day care was carried out under Children Act 1989: Part XA (as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000) and, where (funded) nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

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Roughwood Road School address Primary Type of school Wingfield Estate, Rotherham Community School category

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South Yorkshire S61 4HY 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01709 740266 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01709 562819 Fax number 329 Number on roll (school) 22 Number on roll (day care) Mrs Lyn Chadwick Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr G Oxer Headteacher 30 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection 1 January 1900 Date of previous day care inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 300618 7 °8 March 2007 3°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average school which enrols pupils from an area of social disadvantage. A smaller than average proportion of pupils has a heritage other than White British and few pupils speak a language other than English at home. The school is about to apply for Healthy Schools' status. The school benefits from being part of North West Rotherham Excellence in Cities Education Action Zone. Rockingham Children's Centre opened on the site in November 2006. The provision is open each weekday from 08:00 until 18:00, Monday to Friday, 48 weeks a year. There are currently 22 children and babies registered. This daycare provision was inspected as part of a pilot project for Single Inspection Events and was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding elements. Parents say, 'Rockingham has a long history of children enjoying being there and learning well'. The school's own evaluation of its work is largely accurate, although it is modest in its judgements of the quality and standards in the Foundation Stage and pupils' personal development and well-being. Inspectors judge these aspects to be outstanding. The school does well because stable and creative leadership is not complacent and provides clear direction. Nevertheless, senior leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching and learning with enough rigour. As a result, standards in writing and investigational work in mathematics are not high enough. Issues from the last inspection have been tackled effectively. Good leadership and management focus on improvement at all levels, ensure that the school provides good value for money and demonstrate that the school

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Grade: 2

has good capacity for further improvement. Outstanding links with other organisations, sports colleges and North West Rotherham Excellence in Cities Education Action Zone, ensure pupils benefit from external expertise and funding for literacy, sporting and technology programmes. Pupils' achievement is good. Standards are average in English, mathematics and science by Year 6. Children make rapid progress through the Foundation Stage from well below expected starting points, particularly in language and communication. This is because of the consistently excellent teaching, learning and curriculum opportunities these children experience. Pupils make good progress from Year 1 to Year 6 because of the good quality of teaching and learning. Some lessons are outstanding as teachers constantly press pupils to think with greater clarity about what they are studying. Even so, some lessons do not offer enough challenge for all groups of pupils and this

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Grade: 2

slows their progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, or special educational need benefit from good support by skilful teaching assistants. These pupils do as well as others. The good curriculum motivates pupils and staff to squeeze the most from every lesson. Personal, social and health education programmes play a huge part in pupils' outstanding personal development. Adults promote pupils' personal development vigorously so they become increasingly confident members of society. Pupils enjoy school and behave well in lessons and around school. They respond with increasing maturity to adults' high expectations. Adults encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own and others' learning and welfare. Good levels of care, guidance and support include outstanding pastoral care. Pupils flourish and parents comment that their children 'come on in leaps and bounds'. However, the school does not use assessment well enough to ensure that some of the

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Grade: 2

average and higher attaining pupils make consistently good and better progress. The school is sensitive to the needs of families. Increasingly, parents access Family Learning programmes and these enable them to support their children's learning better at home. Adults and some older pupils study for the European Computer Driving Licence. This complements the impressive computer skills pupils develop as a result of first class teacher subject knowledge and innovative practice. Excellent mentoring promotes a 2 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007 love of learning and good attendance by pupils, positive characteristics for their future economic well-being.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use assessment more effectively to ensure some average and higher attaining pupils make consistently good and better progress. • Monitor teaching and learning more rigorously to ensure lessons offer appropriate challenge to all pupils and so raise standards, particularly in writing and investigational work in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Standards are average by Year 6. This represents good achievement for pupils given their starting points and a solid base from which to build for their future success and well-being. Children join the Foundation Stage with skills well below those expected, particularly in language and communication. They make rapid progress through the Foundation Stage because of the outstanding experiences and high quality teaching and support they receive. By Year 1, most are working at the expected levels for their age, with a few reaching beyond these. At Years 2 and 6, 2006 test results show pupils reached broadly average standards in English, mathematics and science. This represents good achievement for all groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Their needs are identified early on and the school provides well targeted individual or group support. Recent assessments show that more pupils are

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Grade: 2

on track to meet their targets in 2007. Although the vast majority of pupils achieve well, some average and more able pupils are not consistently challenged in lessons to achieve at the higher levels. This is particularly the case in relation to their investigative and problem solving skills in mathematics and their descriptive writing skills.

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Grade: 1

Pupils really enjoy school and say, 'teachers are always jolly'. Pupils behave well and are eager to learn. Classrooms buzz with anticipation as pupils appreciate an increasingly practical range of learning activities. They particularly enjoy the many innovative opportunities to use computer technology. Relationships are excellent and create a supportive learning environment. Pupils' attendance is good. Many pupils take advantage of mentoring support. For example, lunchtime drop-in sessions are popular. Pupils show maturity as they seek help from adults or peers. Pupils delight in influencing change in school life and accept a range of responsibilities. Their outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures they are increasingly productive and sensitive citizens. Impressive partner work helps them to value teamwork and to listen to different points of view. These, coupled with excellent computer skills, provide

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Grade: 1

pupils with some outstanding lifelong learning skills. Pupils have first class understanding of safe practices, in part because of the strong links the school 3 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007 establishes with local organisations. Pupils have an increasingly wide knowledge of what contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

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Grade: 2

Children in the Foundation Stage get off to an exceptionally good start because of exciting activities and outstanding teaching. They make rapid progress, particularly in their personal, social and communication skills. Staff and pupils enjoy excellent relationships that help pupils achieve well. A good range of methods promote pupils' thinking, speaking and social skills. When possible, these are based on practical activities relevant to pupils' experiences. As a result, pupils greatly enjoy their learning, sustain concentration and are keen to do their best. This is particularly evident in some lessons which are planned imaginatively and inspire pupils to investigate and explore links between different subjects. For instance, the older pupils, for their Antarctica project, research English and scientific ideas and vocabulary to write a diary as 'a leading scientist' discovering a new species. Expertise among the staff in information and

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Grade: 2

communication technology (ICT), physical education and the teaching of personal and social skills enhances learning well. However, irregular monitoring of teaching and learning does not provide class teachers with enough feedback about how to help raise pupils' attainment. Some teachers do not use information from assessment effectively enough to extend some average and higher attaining pupils' learning sufficiently and this limits their attainment and progress. Teaching assistants give effective support, especially to those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This enables them to make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The revised curriculum is successful in meeting pupils' academic needs and very successful in promoting pupils' personal development, through a very strong personal, social, health and citizenship programme. The school places an appropriate emphasis on developing and extending skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT. Even so, there are limited opportunities for the most able pupils to work independently or, for example, to devise their own investigations. Teachers provide experiences that make learning relevant and bring subjects to life. Pupils clearly enjoy the new curriculum and speak enthusiastically about their learning. A Year 4 pupil commented about the 'water of life' topic, 'I enjoy every lesson now because I know where it all fits together'. The school recognises the need to develop assessment systems to ensure pupils' progress in gaining skills is carefully monitored. Extra-curricular clubs, educational visits and

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Grade: 2

visitors enhance classwork and contribute strongly to pupils' health, fitness, enjoyment and personal development. 4 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Adults take excellent care of pupils' personal needs and skilfully build pupils' self-confidence. Pupils feel confident to ask for help. Staff give exceptional support to help vulnerable pupils and meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Particularly effective mentoring work builds pupils' self-esteem, helps vulnerable pupils to overcome barriers to learning and assists their smooth transition to secondary school. Excellent links with external agencies meet pupils' needs. Procedures for child protection and the safeguarding of pupils are in place. Parents feel welcome in school. When children join the Foundation Stage, parents become willing partners in their children's education and help them to get off to a really good start in learning basic reading, writing and mathematical skills. Academic guidance for pupils is not as well developed. Although pupils know their targets in English and

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Grade: 2

mathematics, they do not all receive sufficient guidance on how to improve to reach their next steps in learning. In some classes, the assessments made of pupils' progress are not consistently used well to challenge some average and higher achieving pupils to attain higher standards.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and deputy headteacher have a clear vision and lead a strongly supportive staff team. All adults, including administrative, caretaking and lunchtime staff, promote a highly caring and inclusive ethos. Staff know pupils, parents and the local community well and have a good understanding of the challenges many families face. Team leaders work well together to ensure that all staff address any significant improvement issues. This ensures maximum impact on outcomes for pupils. Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school's overall performance. Nevertheless, the programme for monitoring teaching and learning by senior and middle managers is neither regular nor rigorous enough to identify less effective aspects of classroom practice and so help to raise the standards pupils reach. Governors support the school's work wholeheartedly and prioritise the well-being of pupils. Their impact on pupils'

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Grade: 2

The provision for daycare is good. This newly established setting is bright, clean and provides a secure environment for the children. They enjoy their time there, grow in confidence and develop their skills well. This is confirmed by parents who are very happy with what is offered. Staff provide a good range of interesting activities indoors which are well planned, taking individual preferences and ages into account. Access to outdoor provision is more variable due to ongoing building work, so the chance for children to develop some of their physical skills, such as climbing, is limited. The staff 5 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007 team is well led and they combine well to provide a cheerful and well ordered environment. Adults and children get on well together, showing kindness and consideration. Children respond well because they are spoken to in such a positive

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Grade: 2

and consistent way. Close attention is paid to promoting children's health and safety and meticulous records are kept of any accidents or incidents. Older children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own well-being and some can explain why hand washing is important. Information provided for parents is comprehensive but is not as easy to access as it should be. Mandatory policies and procedures are in place. Since registration, there have been no complaints about the registered day care that required Ofsted or the school to take action so that the day care continued to meet the National Standards. The school is required to keep a record of complaints about the registered day care made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints about the registered day care other than those made to Ofsted.

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Recommendations or actions to improve the registered day care

• Increase the opportunities to improve physical skills outside. • Make it easier for parents to access information about the daycare and find out how well their children are doing. 6 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007 .

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Recommendations or actions to improve the registered day care

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve?

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The effectiveness of the registered day care

2 The quality and standards of the registered day care 2 How effective is the day care in helping children to be healthy? 2 How effective is the day care in protecting children and helping them to stay safe? 2 How effective is the day care in helping children to achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 How effective is the day care in helping children to make a positive contribution? 2 How effectively is the day care organised? Yes Does the day care meet the needs of the range of children for whom it provides? NA Has the day care improved since the last inspection? No Does the day care require enforcement action? No Does the day care require a notice to improve? 9 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your warm welcome when Mrs Dawson, Mrs Proffitt, Mr Hewlett and I visited your school. You were so helpful and we enjoyed chatting with you about school and looking at your work. You told us that, 'Everyone is always in a good mood', in your school which you say is a friendly, interesting and exciting place. We agree with you and judge your school to be good. This doesn't happen by chance but because your headteacher and all the adults work very well together, with you and your parents so you make the best of your time in school. Your school is outstanding at helping the youngest children to settle in quickly and make really fast progress through the Foundation Stage. We also judge that your personal development is excellent because you have so many opportunities to become mature, responsible and sensitive members of the community. You also know very well how to live safe lives. Your teachers make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

lessons fun, especially with all the practical activities you enjoy. The work you produce using ICT is very impressive - keep up the good work! All the adults take exceptionally good care of you so you feel happy and safe in school. One of the reasons for our visit was to see how your school could improve. We have asked your headteacher and the other adults to help some average and higher attaining children to do even better work by making sure that the way they check how well you learn is very accurate. We have also asked your headteacher to check the quality of lessons more regularly to help you reach higher standards in writing and mathematics. You can all help by continuing to come to school regularly so you don't miss important work, and trying your best every day. Carry on working hard and enjoying school! 10 Inspection Report: Rockingham Junior and Infant School, 7 °8 March 2007

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