Rossington St Michael's CofE Primary School

Inspection of Rossington St Michael’s CofE Primary School Sheepbridge Lane, Old Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN11 0EZ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 21 and 22 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

The diocese has made a commitment that ‘not one child is left behind’. This underpins the quality of education in this school. Leaders have created ‘courageous classrooms’ so that no one is afraid to ask a question or make a mistake.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are whole-heartedly committed to welcoming pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They do all they can to help every pupil feel safe. The most troubled pupils are given extra support to help them remain in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils almost always behave well in lessons. There is hardly any bullying. On the rare occasions that this happens, leaders solve the problem quickly. Pupils feel safe and happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Teachers and teaching assistants are well trained. They know exactly what pupils need to learn in reading and mathematics at each point of the term. Teachers know what pupils should achieve by the end of the year. Leaders’ high expectations are paying off. Pupils achieve well in reading and mathematics in all key stages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are still refining the curriculum plans in a few other subjects to match the high standard set in the reading, mathematics, history and music plans.

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better?

Trustees took swift and decisive action when they sponsored this academy. They appointed an executive headteacher who is a national leader of education. She quickly set about improving all aspects of the school’s work. She succeeded.

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better?

Executive leaders within the multi-academy trust have continued to appoint successful and experienced leaders since then. They frequently recruit staff from other schools within the multi-academy trust. These staff already understand the multi-academy trust’s approach to ensuring a good quality of education. Consequently, new leaders have been able to ‘hit the ground running’.

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better?

Teachers told inspectors that ‘morale has never been higher’. Leaders explain why they are asking staff to complete tasks. Teachers appreciate this. They know that leaders respect their time. Leaders take account of teachers’ workload. They want staff to have a healthy work-life balance.

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better?

The nurturing relationships established by staff in the Reception Year have helped children settle quickly into school. Staff plan activities that help children make progress in lots of areas of learning all at once.

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better?

Children learn phonics right from the start. Teachers show children how to form their letters correctly. Inspectors observed children successfully completing a phonics 21 and 22 September 2021

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treasure hunt outside. Children could remember the sounds they have already learned. Children have fun while they are learning through play.

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Leaders invested in all the resources that staff need to teach the phonics programme well. Pupils have the phonics knowledge they need when they enter Year 1. Teachers move pupils onto the next stage of their learning at a rapid pace. Leaders make sure that all pupils keep up. Pupils can read as well as they should for their age.

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Teachers check frequently that pupils remember what they have learned in reading and mathematics lessons. Leaders use external tests to check that teachers’ assessments are accurate. Teachers in the Reception Year compare their assessment judgements with other early years teachers in the multi-academy trust.

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Teachers have high expectations of pupils with SEND. All pupils with SEND are taught to read alongside their peers. Leaders know that expert phonics lessons are far too important to miss.

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All staff apply the behaviour policy consistently. Staff effectively manage pupils’ behaviour, so it rarely disrupts learning. Staff have received training to help them support pupils with additional social, emotional and mental health needs. All staff have a wide range of skills that develop pupils’ confidence and resilience. One parent said, ‘We have watched our son go from a shy little boy who did not want to attend school to a confident individual who can express himself.’

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a secure understanding of democracy. Pupils can remember what they have learned about different faith traditions. Pupils enjoy taking part in the Archbishop of York’s ‘Young Leaders’ award. Pupils have found lots of ways to make a positive contribution to their community as part of this award scheme.

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In some subjects, for example mathematics, the curriculum is fully implemented. In a few subjects, for example physical education (PE), curriculum plans are not fully developed. The precise knowledge and skills that pupils should learn have not been identified sharply enough. Sometimes, pupils do not revisit an aspect of PE, such as gymnastics, for over a year. Some pupils cannot remember what they learned so long ago.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders understand how to identify, help and manage safeguarding concerns. Leaders have put effective arrangements in place to ensure that all staff are able to access regular safeguarding training. All the necessary recruitment checks are made when staff are appointed. 21 and 22 September 2021

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Medical care plans are in place for pupils who need them. There are suitable controls for administering medicine.

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Leaders are refining the system they use to monitor minor injuries that happen in school to make this information gathering more efficient.

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Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when they are working online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The content of some subjects is not as well chosen and sequenced as most. This is particularly so in PE and design and technology. The plans for these subjects do not support teachers to build pupils’ knowledge sequentially. As a result, pupils do not learn these subjects well enough. Leaders need to ensure that the content of all subject plans is well chosen, carefully sequenced and delivered as intended.  The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear that leaders have already taken action to plan next year’s curriculum and to train staff in how to deliver it. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 21 and 22 September 2021

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Headteacher

Alison Adair (Executive headteacher) Philippa Cousins (Headteacher) Website www.rossingtonstmichaelscofe.org.uk

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Headteacher

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England sponsored academy within the Diocese of Sheffield. The last section 48 inspection took place on 1 December 2015. The next inspection should take place within the prescribed period. Section 48 inspections (or the equivalent inspection of an academy) are usually carried out every three to five years (and usually within two to three years of a new voluntary-aided school or academy/free school opening). Section 48 inspections have been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, and will restart in September 2021. The first inspection will be within eight years of the last, rather than the usual three to five.  Rossington St Michael’s CofE Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 June 2017. When its predecessor school, Rossington St Michael’s CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in September 2016, it was judged to be inadequate.  This school is part of The Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust.

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher was appointed in November 2016.  The headteacher was appointed in April 2017. 21 and 22 September 2021

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Members of the inspection team met the executive headteacher, the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and the early years leader. Inspectors met several subject leaders, including the PE leader.  One inspector held a remote meeting with the chair of the board of trustees, the chair of the local governing body, a foundation governor and the chief executive of the multi-academy trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading and phonics, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ work.  Members of the inspection team also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects, including PE.  One inspector met the SENCo to evaluate the individual education, health and care plans (EHC plans) for pupils with SEND. Inspectors visited lessons with the SENCo to observe several pupils with SEND in different year groups and subjects. Inspectors selected three pupils with SEND who have EHC plans and spoke to their parents by telephone.  Inspectors spoke to a selection of pupils individually. These pupils were selected because they had experienced sanctions under the school’s behaviour policy, including fixed-term exclusion.  One inspector met with senior safeguarding leaders and evaluated safeguarding records.  Inspectors reviewed 45 responses to Ofsted Parent View and 35 staff and 44 pupil responses to our surveys. Inspectors also spoke to parents during the inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered two written responses sent separately to Ofsted providing parents’ views of the school’s provision for remote education.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elaine Watson Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2021

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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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