Rochford Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Rochford Primary and Nursery School 6 Ashingdon Road, Rochford, Essex SS4 1NJ

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2022

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Outcome

Rochford Primary and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Rochford Primary and Nursery behave very well. They are proud of their school and demonstrate the values of ‘inspiring lifelong learning’. Bullying is rare, but if it happens, staff sort it out quickly. Pupils say that they learn to treat others as they would like to be treated themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful. They feel safe and voice their ideas and opinions with confidence. Pupils feel that staff listen to them. Pupils understand how democracy works, for instance by voting for their class representative on the school council. Older pupils act as class ambassadors. They learn to develop independence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. They say that they enjoy their learning, especially reading and mathematics. Pupils respond well to leaders’ high expectations. They show positive attitudes to their work and try hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers have overwhelmingly positive views about the school. A typical comment was, ‘Rochford Primary is a wonderful school that I feel privileged that my child can attend.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have constructed an ambitious new curriculum which aims to broaden pupils’ horizons and experiences. Pupils learn through exciting topics and look forward to educational trips such as visiting a well-known air museum. Curriculum plans for all subjects set out clearly the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. For example, in mathematics, teachers know the exact content they need to teach, and when to teach it.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have planned the curriculum closely. Pupils have opportunities to return to topics to deepen their understanding and practise what they have learned. For example, within geography, pupils learn map skills each year. They build upon and deepen previous learning well. Teachers make regular checks on pupils’ learning, especially in English and 22 and 23 February 2022

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mathematics. However, in a few other subjects, some older pupils do not remember all the key knowledge and facts they should to be able to learn and achieve well.

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The teaching of reading is given a high priority. Children in early years learn phonics from the moment they start school. Teachers use well-established routines to help children learn new sounds, carefully using repetition, rhymes, and movement. Where possible, teachers aim for all pupils to keep up with learning, rather than have to catch up. However, adults effectively provide extra help for any pupils who need it.

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Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong support. Staff work effectively with different specialist services to support pupils and their families. Staff also provide high-quality additional support when required, to help pupils with their work. Consequently, pupils with SEND access the whole school curriculum and achieve well.

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Children in the early years are provided with well-planned opportunities to explore learning in interesting and often practical ways, including rhymes and songs. Children develop secure knowledge across the areas of learning which prepare them well for later learning. Children grow in confidence and develop their independence well from Nursery.

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Leaders promote the well-being of pupils and adults alike. Pupils benefit from a high- quality personal, social, health and economic education curriculum. Pupils are taught to develop healthy relationships, which helps them to maintain strong friendships. The pastoral team work diligently to support pupils, families and staff. This creates an environment where everyone feels valued.

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Leaders and governors know parents very well. They understand the strengths and areas for improvement. Governors and multi-academy trust staff are committed about their roles. They support leaders effectively and challenge them when necessary.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders know the local community well. They understand the challenges that pupils face. As a result, leaders make sure staff receive appropriate training to identify pupils who are at risk of harm. Staff are vigilant and responsive to any concerns they may have about pupils. Leaders act swiftly on these concerns. Leaders work effectively with a range of external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils are kept as safe as possible.

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Safeguarding

Records are well organised and up to date. 22 and 23 February 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is new. Some older pupils do not have the depth of learning they need to learn and achieve well across all subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers use the information they have to help these pupils revisit all essential learning, so more pupils can learn and achieve effectively.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211489 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a nursery on site for three-year-olds.  The school has a before- and after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector looked at curriculum plans and discussed subjects and other activities with staff and pupils.  The inspector met with the headteacher, who is the designated safeguarding leader. The single central record of the checks on staff’s suitability to work with children was scrutinised. 22 and 23 February 2022

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 The inspector met with staff, including early career teachers and experienced teachers, to discuss their workload and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  The inspector visited the Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspector considered 33 responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 33 free-text comments. He also took account of the 15 responses to the online survey for staff. There were no responses to the online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Joseph Figg, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 February 2022

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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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