Roydon Primary School

Inspection of Roydon Primary School Manor Road, Roydon, Diss, Norfolk IP22 5QU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 22–23 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for and valued. Staff build strong relationships with pupils, parents, carers and each other. This creates a warm and supportive atmosphere. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong. They behave well and are sensible and polite.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to go to if they are worried about something. Pupils have a clear understanding of what bullying is. They say it does happen occasionally, but staff sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are very positive about the school. They told us that communication has improved. They like the ‘heads up’ emails sent out on Fridays. Many parents appreciate the professional approach of staff during the current building works at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and many told us that mathematics is their favourite subject. They enjoy opportunities to debate issues such as whether Willy Wonka is justified in using Oompah Loompahs as a workforce in his chocolate factory. However, pupils are not always clear about what they are learning and why. For example, some pupils are confused about the difference between geography and history.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not achieve as well as they should, particularly in reading and writing.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders and governors have not acted promptly to address the areas for improvement. They know pupils do not achieve well in some subjects. The progress pupils make by the end of key stage 2 is not good enough, particularly in reading and writing. The local authority is working closely with leaders to develop action plans that address what needs to improve quickly to develop the quality of education and raise standards.

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better?

Leaders have developed curriculum plans for all subjects. These set out what knowledge and skills leaders want pupils to learn in each subject. The plans are recent and, in some subjects, such as geography and writing, they are not yet being used effectively. This is because teachers’ subject knowledge is not secure.

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better?

In subjects where curriculum plans are used effectively, such as physical education (PE) and mathematics, pupils make good progress. Lessons build on what pupils already know. In PE, the school enters teams for many local competitions to ensure that pupils have opportunities to practise their skills. Pupils appreciate the fact that these teams are not just chosen on ability. One pupil stated: ‘We all get a go at being in a school team if we want.’

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better?

Reading has a high priority. Teachers share books with pupils every day. Lessons focus on teaching pupils the skills they need and in the right order. Pupils enjoy 22–23 January 2020

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reading for pleasure and the ‘Roydon Reading Challenge’, which encourages daily reading at home. However, the teaching of phonics has not been strong enough and there has been a decline in standards. Leaders have recently addressed this. All staff have received training in phonics. Lessons are now structured and engaging. This is supporting pupils to improve their phonics knowledge and learn to read quickly.

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There are clear procedures in place to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, these pupils achieve well. The effective special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) monitors the provision for pupils with SEND to ensure that the curriculum is adapted to meet their individual needs.

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Pupils have many opportunities to develop socially and personally. Older pupils plan a business week where they design, make and sell goods such as milkshakes. Pupils become confident and learn to care for others through fundraising for numerous charities and their roles as school councillors. One pupil stated: ‘We’re all part of the community; it’s right that we should do what we can to improve it and support others.’ Recently, the school held its own version of a general election. Pupils formed parties, wrote policies and held hustings. These experiences help pupils understand the principles of democracy and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

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Children are safe and happy in the early years. They quickly develop positive attitudes to learning, follow routines and behave sensibly. Children in the early years have recently moved into new classrooms created by the ongoing building work. There is still more to be done to organise the learning environment for these younger children, so the early years curriculum can be delivered effectively. The outside space needs to be developed so that activities give children opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the necessary checks are carried out on all adults working in the school. Governors check these records carefully to confirm that leaders and staff carry out their duties effectively.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff are suitably trained and take appropriate action if they have concerns about a pupil. Leaders work well with other agencies and professionals to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils how to stay safe in a range of situations. For example, pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe online. 22–23 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education are not accurate. This does not support leaders and governors to identify the right areas for improvement. Leaders need to make sure that the information they gather is used to develop precise improvement plans with the correct priorities so that standards rise quickly, and pupils achieve well, particularly in reading and writing.  Recently, curriculum planning has improved across all subjects. However, leaders have not made sure that teachers’ have the subject knowledge and skills to teach all subjects effectively. Leaders must provide teachers with training so that they are knowledgeable and confident to support pupils to know and remember more across the curriculum.  Leaders must ensure that developing the early years environment remains a priority. In particular, that the activities planned for learning outside are more closely linked to what children have learned in the classroom. Teachers must give

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

children opportunities to practise, apply and deepen their knowledge and skills.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 22–23 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121392 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is currently undergoing major renovation and extension works which will double the pupil capacity of the school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the early years leader, the SENCo and some subject leaders. We also met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority.  We did deep dives in reading, mathematics, physical education (PE), writing and geography. We held meetings with curriculum leaders and teachers; scrutinised 22–23 January 2020

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curriculum plans; visited lessons; spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at pupils’ work. An inspector also listened to pupils read.  We spoke with teachers, support staff and pupils to seek their views about the school.  We took account of a wide range of information, including the school’s website; the school’s own evaluation; improvement plans; monitoring of teaching; and records about pupils’ attendance and behaviour. We reviewed documentation relating to safeguarding.  We spoke with parents and analysed the 68 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the 63 responses to Ofsted’s free-text system. We also analysed the 29 responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Nutbeam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jackie Mullan Ofsted Inspector 22–23 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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.

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