Roundwood Primary School

Inspection of Roundwood Primary School Roundwood Park, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 3AD

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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 Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 15 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020 the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 5 and 6 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in Year 6 have the chance to become ‘big friendly giants’. This reflects the friendly, supportive nature of the school. Older pupils want to support younger pupils and make sure they are happy. Pupils are kind, considerate and respect their friends and adults. Pupils use kind words; they make sure no one is lonely or left out when playing outdoors. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying is rare. If bullying does occur, they know that an adult will quickly sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn strategies to manage their own behaviour. Staff have high expectations that pupils will be polite, well-mannered and work hard. Pupils behave well. They work in a calm, positive atmosphere and are learning how to be increasingly independent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the high expectations that teachers have for them. They like the challenging work teachers set them and enjoy learning new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents feel that the school provides very positive experiences for their children. They feel that leaders have high expectations for behaviour and the quality of education.

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better?

Leaders have clearly set out what they expect pupils to learn. Recently, the diversity of pupils coming to the school has changed. Leaders know this and have skilfully adapted the curriculum, maintaining the highest expectations for all pupils. Pupils learn about things that excite and motivate them. They can talk articulately about things they have learned. They are excited to share knowledge and debate ideas with their friends.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised areas of the curriculum that they feel will support pupils most effectively. This has been particularly important since all pupils returned to school in September. Leaders have checked carefully where there are gaps in pupils’ learning. To make sure pupils do not fall behind, leaders have reordered and revisited parts of the curriculum. This is helping pupils catch up with the important knowledge they may have missed because of the pandemic, particularly in English and mathematics.

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better?

The curriculum is adapted well to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with staff to ensure that pupils with SEND have the support they need to be successful in school. All pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education. 5 and 6 October 2021

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Leaders make sure that all pupils have access to a high-quality reading curriculum. From the early years, pupils receive precise, accurate teaching. Pupils quickly gain the knowledge they need to become confident, fluent readers. Leaders carry out regular checks to ensure that pupils are on track with their reading. They ensure that any pupil who may be at risk of falling behind receives the support they need to catch up quickly. Teachers carefully match books to the knowledge pupils have. Pupils are guided by teachers to read books that help develop their love of reading.

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Subject leaders know what they want the pupils to learn. They have plans in place to help pupils develop suitable knowledge in most subjects. However, in some subjects, further staff training is required to make sure that the curriculum is fully connected from early years foundation stage (EYFS) to Year 6. At present, what pupils achieve across the curriculum, in different subjects, is variable.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils can talk about how school helps prepare them for a changing world. Pupils understand that others may come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences. Pupils know about healthy relationships. Leaders have skilfully adapted the relationships and sex education curriculum. This means that pupils are taught the right things at the right time, appropriate to their age. Pupils learn how to stay healthy. Pupils learn strategies to help them manage their own emotions and behaviour.

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Governors have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They ensure that, through their work, leaders make a positive difference to the quality of education pupils receive. There have been many recent changes to the governing body. Effective induction and training have enabled new governors to understand school priorities quickly. Governors assure themselves that systems to safeguard pupils and staff are robust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put in place clear, robust systems to ensure that they do everything they can to keep pupils safe. Records are well maintained, comprehensive and monitored by a range of leaders for quality assurance. The designated safeguarding leaders work diligently to track and monitor all potential concerns. Leaders work effectively with other agencies to ensure that children and families get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff receive regular training. This keeps their knowledge up to date. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the school’s procedures for reporting concerns. Staff are alert to any signs of concern. The curriculum helps pupils learn what they need to do to help keep themselves safe, including when online. 5 and 6 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans in some subjects are not fully embedded from EYFS to Year 6. This means that teachers are not always clear about what to plan, based on what pupils have learned before. Pupils do not develop the rich knowledge that will deepen and secure their understanding in these subjects. Leaders need to make sure that subject-specific training helps staff to plan to a consistently high level across the curriculum.

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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. 5 and 6 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199306 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.roundwoodprimary.herts.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 October 2006, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since April 2020.  The chair of the governing body was appointed in the autumn term 2021.  The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language has recently increased.

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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 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, physical education and geography. The inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum and met with teachers from the lessons visited. The inspectors looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils.  The inspectors listened to a range of pupils read from different year groups. 5 and 6 October 2021

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 The inspectors met with the SENCo and members of the local governing body and spoke to an independent educational consultant who works with the school.  The inspectors looked at the single central record and spoke to leaders, teachers, governors, and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspectors considered the 123 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including free-text responses. The inspectors also considered the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire and 189 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

David Milligan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham Her Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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