Roughwood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Roughwood Primary School Roughwood Road, Kimberworth Park, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S61 3HL

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 February 2022

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Outcome

Roughwood Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff in the school have high expectations of pupils. There is no lowering the bar of what any of them can achieve. In classrooms, pupils are focused on their work. They are keen to do well and show off what they know and can do through work in their books or by answering teachers’ questions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The work that leaders do to provide for pupils’ wider development is exceptional. Pupils have multiple opportunities to be leaders in the school, from stair monitors to the ‘Willow Tree Warriors’ who check on online safety. Leaders make sure that pupils have access to extra sports and music sessions, and the equipment required for them. Pupils are mature and polite. Through their learning in personal, social, health and economic education they build up a thorough understanding of important concepts such as respect or consent. Pupils know about the importance of treating others with empathy and understanding. They are taught about LGBT issues and other faiths and beliefs; this helps them show respect to all members of the school community, as well as their wider community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel comfortable in school because they know who to go to if they have any worries. They know that fallouts can happen but have confidence in staff to stop incidents becoming bigger problems. For example, bullying is dealt with quickly and appropriately by staff, so it is stopped swiftly.

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

Leaders have improved key aspects of the school’s work since it became an academy. They have designed an ambitious curriculum and trained staff in how to teach it. As the executive headteacher said, ‘If we do it, we do it well.’

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

Leaders have planned out the important knowledge that pupils need to remember in each subject. Teachers revise concepts that pupils have been taught in the past. Pupils gain a stronger understanding in each subject by building on the knowledge that they already have. Pupils are also taught how to use this knowledge to be successful. For example, in 16 and 17 February 2022

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art and design pupils accumulate different artistic techniques such as creating tone and shade. They know when they should use each one to create their desired impact.

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Teachers choose work that they know pupils are ready for. Teachers give pupils clear explanations and model what to do effectively. Pupils are then successful in much of what they do and are confident to talk about it. Teachers check pupils’ understanding in lessons and give them instant feedback. This means that pupils have an accurate understanding of what they have been taught before moving on.

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Leaders have recently brought in a new phonics curriculum. Staff have welcomed the training and guidance to help introduce this new curriculum and it is already helping more children learn to read well. Staff support individual pupils with quick catch-up sessions when they need them. Pupils read books with sounds in that they have practised in their classroom or catch-up sessions.

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Leaders have identified the basic skills and knowledge that children in the early years need more help with. As in the rest of school, teachers make sure that they help children develop their vocabulary and encourage them to speak in accurate sentences of increasing length. Teachers select suitable activities to help children make progress across different areas of learning. However, the curriculum for children in the two-year-old and three- and four-year-old Nurseries is not as precisely planned as it could be. Some of what is done in each Nursery does not clearly build on what children have done before.

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Teachers support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Expectations of these pupils are high. Pupils with SEND are included in learning alongside their classmates. When these pupils need extra help then teachers make sure they get the support that they need, like guidance from a teaching assistant.

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Leaders have created a strong ‘restorative practice’ approach through school. This means that pupils who have done something wrong are taught about how to improve their behaviour. Incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with and acted upon by staff. The support that staff give to those who misbehave means that they are less likely to do it again and these incidents are happening less.

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Leaders have trained staff well. They support new teachers to gain the skills that they need to teach all subjects to the high standard expected. Trust leaders have helped subject leaders in the school develop their subject expertise. Staff feel well supported by school leaders and appreciate actions taken to reduce their workload, like the ‘live marking’ system in mathematics.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ work to keep children safe is exemplary. All staff know what to do if they are worried about a child. Staff are knowledgeable about the community and know the families well. They pick up on when things are not right or someone may need extra help. 16 and 17 February 2022

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Leaders seek guidance and support from other agencies if they need it. In this way, concerns are dealt with quickly and decisively.

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Leaders record and act upon incidents such as racism, homophobia or the use of inappropriate language. Leaders provide support for victims and education for perpetrators. Poor language is not tolerated, so everyone in school is clear of the importance of treating others with respect. Pupils know not to say or do anything that makes others feel unsafe or uncomfortable. If they do, they know staff will deal with it. Pupils talk with appreciation for the many trusted adults that they have in school that help them and make them feel safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for children in the early years in the two Nurseries is not as precise as in other parts of school. Children sometimes do not build on knowledge and skills that they have been taught in the past. In some areas of learning, pupils are not as ready for Reception as they could be. Leaders should plan out the curriculum in the two- and three- and four-year-old Nurseries with as much precision as in the rest of school.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Roughwood Primary School, to be good in January 2015.

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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 . 16 and 17 February 2022

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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. 16 and 17 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212316 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Jane Fearnley (Executive Headteacher) Nathan Williams (Head of School) Website www.roughwoodprimary.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Roughwood Primary School converted to become an academy school in November 2017. When its predecessor school, also called Roughwood Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Willow Tree Academy Trust.  The head of school started at the school in September 2018. A deputy headteacher and two assistant headteachers also took up their roles at the same time.  The school now has provision for two-year-olds on site.  No pupils in the school currently attend alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school. 16 and 17 February 2022

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 The inspector spoke to the executive headteacher, head of school, deputy headteacher and some governors and trustees about actions taken since the last inspection.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about behaviour and their wider opportunities in the school.  The inspector spoke to leaders about what they do to keep pupils safe. He checked how leaders record concerns and checked on the training that staff have had.  The inspector visited the provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds and looked at children’s development in writing and communication.  The inspector spoke to four parents outside and evaluated the eight responses to

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Ofsted’s parent survey. He also evaluated the responses that staff and pupils made to Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Matthew Knox, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 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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