Rougham Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Rougham Church of England Primary School Church Road, Rougham, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 9JJ

p.1

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 5 and 6 April 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Rougham Church of England Primary School are happy and lively. They speak positively about attending school and their relationships with staff. However, in lessons, pupils are not supported to learn as well as they should. This is particularly problematic for pupils who find reading hard, and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. This includes some clubs where older pupils support younger pupils, such as a spelling club. All pupils learn to play instruments. Many pupils are gifted musicians.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish opportunities to take on responsibilities. These responsibilities help pupils to be community minded. For example, the eco councillors made apple feeders to sustain the many birds in the school’s rural setting.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils echo staff’s sentiments that the school community is like a family. For example, pupils look after each other and are knowledgeable about different types of bullying. Pupils say that bullying happens rarely. Pupils feel confident and safe at school because of their supportive relationships with each other and staff.

p.2

better?

There are clear curriculum plans in place for Years 1 to 6. These set out what knowledge must be taught and in what order. However, some teachers deviate from these plans. Some teachers lack the knowledge to teach these plans well. Sometimes, teachers provide unclear explanations or select tasks that do not help pupils to learn and recall important knowledge.

p.2

better?

Where the curriculum is more effectively implemented, for example in mathematics, leaders monitor carefully and use their evaluation to give feedback and training to staff. Teachers plan appropriate activities. These activities help pupils to learn and remember important content. As a result, pupils have a sound recall of key mathematical knowledge. They apply their knowledge in more-complex ways.

p.2

better?

However, leaders’ monitoring of how well the curriculum is being taught is underdeveloped in some subject areas. Some leaders are not quick to identify and address issues where staff require further training and support. Therefore, leaders do not know precisely if the curriculum is ensuring that pupils are challenged or supported to achieve their best.

p.2

better?

Leaders have chosen and trained staff in a reading programme that includes a clear teaching sequence. However, sometimes teachers plan additional activities that do not enhance pupils’ phonic knowledge well. On these occasions, teachers do not quickly spot where some pupils are struggling with new learning. These pupils are also some of the ones who receive books they find hard to read. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.2

3

Leaders’ plans for children’s learning in the early years do not lay out the exact vocabulary and knowledge children need to know. Staff arrange activities, but are not ensuring that these activities help children to develop the precise knowledge and skills they need. As a result, some children can lose concentration. Relationships between staff and children are caring and positive. Staff work well to involve parents in school life. For example, surprise readers visit to share their favourite storybooks and parents join the weekly welly walk to explore the local area.

p.3

3

There is high-quality social and emotional support for pupils with SEND. Pupils receive good support when they need it and this builds their confidence and well- being. Leaders are adept at seeking appropriate external support for pupils’ social and emotional health, when needed. Pupils do not get as well-thought-through support in their classroom learning. Staff and leaders do not know enough about how well pupils are faring in the curriculum. Staff training in supporting the learning of pupils with SEND is not yet well developed.

p.3

3

Pupils behave well, demonstrating the ‘5R’ values: resilience, resourcefulness, relationships, reflectiveness and remembering. They play cooperatively and happily at break and lunchtimes. Staff and pupils use a ‘traffic light system’ to help classrooms be conducive to learning. Pupils understand this system, and say it makes them want to try their best. They value the rewards they receive, such as the certificates to celebrate success.

p.3

3

Most pupils attend school regularly. Leaders oversee attendance effectively, liaising with parents as needed to share the importance of their children coming to school.

p.3

3

Leaders prepare pupils for life in modern Britain well. Pupils learn age-appropriate content about healthy lifestyles and relationships. Pupils learn about different faiths. Pupils talk maturely and respectfully about differences among cultures, faiths and people.

p.3

3

The trust, governors, staff and parents speak of the school being at the heart of the community. Governors visit school regularly to check on procedures. They do this particularly well with safeguarding. Leaders find the challenge and support from trustees and governors helpful.

p.3

3

Parents speak positively of the supportive relationships they and their children build with staff. Staff feel well supported by leaders. Staff say leaders’ open-door approach means they can raise any questions or concerns. Staff say they feel proud to work at the school. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Pupils know how to report concerns using the ‘worry monster’ or the ‘worry box’ in their classroom. They say they can also speak to any member of staff if they have a problem. Leaders disseminate regular training. This training ensures staff speak confidently about how they identify and report pupils at risk of harm. Leaders’ record-keeping is rigorous. Any concerns are dealt with appropriately by leaders.

p.4

Safeguarding

Trustees and governors assure themselves that training and systems are working well, through regular visits to school.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The early reading programme is not being implemented consistently well. Teachers arrange some activities that do not best support all pupils to learn to read. Some pupils receive books containing sounds they do not know. Leaders must provide staff with further training, support and the resources they need to ensure consistency in the systematic approach to early reading for all pupils.  The early years curriculum lacks sufficient detail. Staff do not know what exact vocabulary and concepts need to be taught. This means planned activities lack challenge and are not suitably matched to some children’s needs to prepare them for Year 1. Leaders must set out clear curriculum plans and train staff to implement these well to ensure all children are ready for key stage 1 and beyond.  Leadership monitoring lacks rigour in some areas of the school’s work. Some leaders are not routinely identifying where there are staff training needs or how

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

well pupils are faring in some areas of the curriculum. This means not all pupils are achieving their best, including those with SEND. Leaders need to establish precise and effective monitoring systems that identify how well pupils are faring and where there are staff training needs. Leaders need to ensure staff are suitably skilled so all pupils may achieve their best. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.4

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.

p.5

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.5

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 .

p.5

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.5

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 April 2022

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10227585 Type of school Primary

p.6

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Information about this school

 The school joined The Tilian Partnership in December 2017. The Tilian Partnership is a multi-academy trust which contains eight primary schools. These schools all have the same religious character: Church of England.  The school is part of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich.  The religious character of the school was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act (2005) in May 2017 and was judged to be good.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 April 2022

p.6

7

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, early years leader and special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, five governors and a representative from the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and geography.  For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and teaching assistants, spoke to some pupils about their learning, listened to a sample of pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The team inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector held meetings with the designated safeguarding lead and other staff and reviewed documentation, including the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks.

p.7

7

 The lead inspector reviewed a range of school documentation and policies, including records of governors’ meetings and reports from external advisers.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views by speaking to groups of pupils and speaking to pupils at breaktime, lunchtime and in lessons.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views via the 101 responses and 65 free-text responses submitted to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as speaking to some of them at the start of the school day.  Inspectors gathered staff members’ views by speaking to many of them during the inspection.

p.7

Inspection team

Daniel Short, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Karen Stanton Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 April 2022

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8