Setting

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

p.1

Mr Scott Mason Headteacher Rosslyn Park Primary and Nursery School Amesbury Circus Aspley Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG8 6DD

p.1

School

Following my visit with Caroline Evans, Ofsted Inspector, to your school on 5 February 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

p.1

School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, and the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils at the school.

p.1

Evidence

Inspectors scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. They also examined minutes of governors’ meetings. Inspectors held meetings with you, the deputy headteacher, the attendance officer, the leaders with responsibility for behaviour and children looked after, and the school’s two safeguarding officers. Inspectors spoke with a group of nine staff formally and several other staff informally around school, including at lunchtime. Inspectors spoke with the two governors, including the chair, and three representatives of Transform Trust (the trust), including the chief executive officer. Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they brought their children to school. Inspectors visited most classrooms while lessons were underway. They spoke informally with pupils in lessons and around school. They also spoke more formally with two groups of pupils. Inspectors observed pupils during

p.1

Evidence

playtime, lunchtime and assembly. They also observed the arrangements for dismissing pupils at the end of the school day.

p.2

Evidence

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

p.2

Context

Rosslyn Park is a large primary and nursery school on the outskirts of Nottingham. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is above average. While the majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds, approximately four in 10 are from minority ethnic backgrounds. More than six in 10 pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school is part of Transform Trust, which is a multi-academy trust comprising 16 primary schools from across the East Midlands.

p.2

Context

Leaders ensure that all the necessary vetting checks take place before a member of staff or a volunteer starts working at the school. The single central record contains all the information it should. Staff at all levels receive up-to-date training in child protection. They speak knowledgeably about the potential signs of abuse to look for and how to raise a concern about a pupil’s welfare. Safeguarding is a standing agenda item at the weekly briefing meetings to keep this important issue at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Senior leaders with responsibility for safeguarding work closely with a ‘safeguarding team’ of eight staff who meet weekly to discuss any concerns that have recently arisen or are ongoing. Leaders have recently sharpened their approach to these meetings, ensuring that minutes are recorded and referred to when the team next meets so that they can be certain that any agreed actions have been carried out.

p.2

Context

Leaders are reflective in their approach to school improvement, including in improving their safeguarding procedures and practices. A survey of staff resulted in the safeguarding officers providing additional training so that staff understand the procedures that take place following the reporting of a concern. Leaders have recently implemented improvements to the day-to-day procedures by which they keep checks on pupils’ welfare. They have increased the number of hours that the safeguarding officers work in school. Records of safeguarding are detailed and securely kept. The safeguarding team are prepared to be tenacious when they make referrals concerning a pupil’s welfare to ensure the required support is in place.

p.2

Context

Pupils’ rates of attendance are just below the national average. The school’s attendance officer checks daily which pupils are not in school. Attempts are made to contact families if pupils are absent and the school has not been informed of a reason. The attendance officer makes home visits, where they are necessary, to check that pupils are safe.

p.2

Context

During our visits to classrooms, inspectors noted that teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and pupils typically respond well. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in lessons and around school. Pupils show respect by following instructions from adults quickly. During recreation times, pupils play together sensibly using the space and equipment that is provided for them. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. Inspectors observed staff talking quietly with pupils who needed some extra support, and lunchtime staff gently supporting pupils to fasten their coats on a cold day. Pupils are typically polite and courteous when they speak with adults, including visitors to school.

p.3

Context

There are some pupils in school who need help to modify their own behaviour. Where this is the case, pupils receive appropriate support to help them do so. Individual plans are put in place for some pupils. Staff follow the school’s behaviour policy and pupils say that sometimes having time to sit quietly aside from their peers, to work with a member of staff individually or to reflect on their behaviour, can really help them. They told inspectors that the support they receive helps them to stay calm. Pupils, parents and staff have access to a comprehensive range of counselling and support services provided through the school. Pupils told inspectors that they appreciate having an adult to talk to.

p.3

Context

Pupils with whom inspectors spoke agreed that behaviour is generally good across the school. Pupils spoke knowledgably about how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when they use the internet. The inspection took place on Safer Internet Day. This provided the theme for the school assembly and several pupils said they had learned aspects of internet safety in class. Despite almost four in 10 pupils being from minority ethnic groups, pupils who inspectors spoke with did not reliably demonstrate a clear understanding of faiths and cultures that may be different from their own. Leaders deal with alleged incidents of racist name-calling. They have early plans in place to enlist support from a charity to improve staff and pupils’ knowledge and understanding of a range of faiths.

p.3

Context

Records show that leaders note incidents of unacceptable behaviour, including racist incidents, and evaluate the work they do to support pupils. Several parents and pupils stated that bullying does sometimes happen at Rosslyn Park. Almost without exception, they agreed that staff deal with alleged incidents successfully. However, it is unclear whether parents’ and pupils’ views of what constitutes bullying and the school’s definition of the difference between bullying and unacceptable behaviour is fully understood. This means that parents and pupils are sometimes referring to incidents as bullying that leaders might consider to be unacceptable behaviour. Leaders do not evaluate alleged incidents of bullying as closely as they evaluate other aspects of their work.

p.3

Context

Those responsible for governance, including representatives from the local governing body and from the trust, understand their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. They provide both support and challenge to school leaders to ensure that arrangements for safeguarding at the school are fit for purpose. Governors have access to useful training. They undertake safeguarding audits and receive termly reports about the work of the school that include information relating to safeguarding, attendance and inclusion. Trust leaders provide regular updates through their ‘designated safeguarding leaders’ day’ so that leaders in school have up-to-date information and can share good practice across the trust.

p.3

External support

Leaders enlist the support of a range of external agencies to help improve their safeguarding practices and to promote pupils’ welfare and good behaviour. Representatives from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children visit the school to talk to pupils about aspects of personal safety. The local police community support officer comes into school to talk with groups of pupils or individuals where this might help them understand the consequences of different types of behaviour.

p.4

External support

The safeguarding officers call upon support from a variety of services to help pupils and families, for example the school nurse, educational psychology service, behaviour support team and counselling services.

p.4

External support

Leaders are currently in consultation with a charity to be able to provide breakfast for pupils and another charity which will be able to support staff and pupils’ understanding of cultures that might be different from their own.

p.4

Priorities for further improvement

 Improve pupils’, parents’ and staff’s understanding of the difference between unacceptable behaviour and bullying, thus enabling leaders to evaluate their records of alleged incidents of bullying more closely.  Improve pupils’ understanding of religions and cultures that may be different from their own, so they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

p.4

Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Nottingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.4