Rosherville Church of England Academy

Inspection of Rosherville Church of England Academy London Road, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9JQ

p.1

Inspection dates: 27 and 28 September 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 27 and 28 September 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Rosherville Church of England Academy is a friendly place where everyone cares about each other. The school’s values of ‘compassion, trust, courage, wisdom, fellowship and thankfulness’ are commendably modelled by all members of the school community. Everyone is treated fairly and with respect. Relationships between staff and pupils are polite and courteous.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy. They know that adults will help if they have any concerns. Bullying is rare. Parents describe Rosherville as ‘a small school with big aspirations where everyone goes above and beyond for our children’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations. Pupils behave well around the school and in classrooms. They work hard and are eager to do their best. They enjoy their learning, especially the many books and authors that are introduced to them by their teachers. They have lots of opportunities to try out different things. For example, they can take part in a wide range of sporting competitions, raise money for local charities, learn how to sew or play chess.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Senior leaders and the Aletheia Academies Trust (AAT) have brought about significant improvements to the school. However, they recognise that early years and some aspects of the school’s curriculum need further strengthening.

p.2

better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to do well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have carefully considered the curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6 and the order in which learning should happen. This means that learning builds progressively on what pupils know.

p.2

better?

Leaders are focusing their efforts on identifying more precisely the knowledge they want pupils to learn in a number of subjects. However, in early years they have not considered precisely enough what they want children to learn and how this learning aligns with the whole school’s curriculum. In addition, across the early years environment, activities set up for children do not always have a clear learning focus. These activities do not positively develop children’s curiosity or their interest in the world around them. Not all staff are well trained so they can help children develop and extend their learning. Consequently, children in the early years are not learning as well as they should.

p.2

better?

Leaders make sure that reading is a top priority. They have introduced a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. Staff have been trained well so they can support pupils to get off to the best possible start in learning to read. Leaders put in appropriate support for any pupils who need help to catch up. They have carefully considered the books that pupils read and are determined that pupils develop an 27 and 28 September 2022

p.2

3

interest in reading more widely as they move up the school. Consequently, pupils learn to read quickly and fluently.

p.3

3

Although leaders have brought about much improvement to the quality of education, they are not always clear about the impact of their work. This is because they do not check carefully enough that all pupils learn and achieve as well as they should in all subjects.

p.3

3

There is an inclusive ethos in the school. Leaders and staff understand and meet the needs of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Many parents say their children are ‘thriving’ and that Rosherville is ‘more like a family than just a school’.

p.3

3

The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers in lessons. Pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by off-task behaviour.

p.3

3

Leaders show great vision and passion in their work to develop pupils as well- rounded individuals. Pupils have a strong understanding of each other’s differences and say everyone is treated fairly. They learn about world religions, including Christianity. They visit museums and places of worship, and they go to the theatre. The ‘50 things to do before we leave Rosherville’ lie at the core of what the school offers. Notably, last year pupils achieved all of these by the end of Year 6.

p.3

3

Staff feel well supported and there is a strong sense of camaraderie. They appreciate leaders’ attention to their well-being and workload. They value the professional development they receive and are keen to develop and improve their practice.

p.3

3

The trust and governors show admirable moral imperative. They work collegiately to consistently improve and enhance the quality of education for all pupils. Without question, the support provided by the trust has been and continues to be pivotal to the school’s continued improvement.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is a culture of care and vigilance in this school. Staff know pupils and their families well and are alert to external risks. Pupils feel safe and know there is always an adult who can support them. All staff and parents feel that pupils are kept safe.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well because they are well trained. They know how to report any concerns they may have. Leaders work closely with external agencies to access support for pupils and their families.

p.3

Safeguarding

Recruitment checks on adults who work or visit the school are robust and records well maintained. 27 and 28 September 2022

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not adequately considered the school’s curriculum in early years. This means that planned activities set for children do not always have a clear learning focus or successfully develop children’s curiosity and interests. Adults need further support so they can more effectively develop and extend children’s learning.  Leaders’ work to develop the school’s curriculum is firmly underway. Leaders have carefully considered the sequence of learning in subjects from Year 1 to Year 6 so that pupils’ learning builds on what they have learned before. However, leaders have not precisely identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn from early years to Year 6 in some subjects. Leaders should continue to further refine the knowledge they want pupils to learn in subjects such as art, geography and history.  Leaders have implemented many strategies to bring about improvement. However, they are not always clear about the impact of the improvements they have made.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders should ensure that they monitor all aspects of the school’s work, including in early years, more effectively, to ensure they have an accurate and informed understanding of the impact of the improvements they are making.

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.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 27 and 28 September 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10241591 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Headteacher Justine Roddan (Head of School)

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 Rosherville Church of England Academy opened on 1 September 2018, replacing a predecessor school on the same site that was part of the Rochester Diocesan Academy Trust. When the predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement. The school is now part of the AAT.  This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There is one class in each year group, with mixed classes of year groups in Years 3, 4 and 5.  A section 48 inspection to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Rosherville Church of England Academy as a Christian school took place in May 2017.  The large proportion of pupils are from a range of minority ethnic groups. Just under half of pupils speak English as an additional language.  A high proportion of pupils are in receipt of free school meals.  The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club operating on the site.

p.5

Information about this school

This provision is managed by the school.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 27 and 28 September 2022

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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.  Inspectors met with the head of school, acting deputy headteacher and members of the leadership team. The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the AAT and two of the trust’s school improvement advisers.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the AAT as well as members of the local governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in science, music and modern foreign

p.6

Information about this inspection

languages.  As part of the inspection of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central record and the systems in place for recruitment.  In order to gather the views of the parents, inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and free-text comments. An inspector spoke to some parents at the start of the first day of the inspection.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey and considered staff’s views during the inspection.  Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils throughout the inspection in order to gather their views of the school.

p.6

Inspection team

Frances Nation, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Kirstine Boon Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 September 2022

p.6

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7