Rosary Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Rosary Catholic Primary School 238 Haverstock Hill, Hampstead, London NW3 2AE

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2022

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Outcome

Rosary Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and caring school. School staff praise and encourage pupils routinely when interacting with them. Many parents and carers appreciated the kindness and compassion leaders show towards their children. Pupils are happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders listen to pupils and value their opinions. They create different ways for pupils to share their ideas about the school. Leaders and pupils work together to make agreed changes. Recently, for example, school council representatives requested a well-being room for pupils to use to support each other. Leaders and pupils worked together to design and create a new shared space for this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave sensibly. They are taught to recognise different types of bullying. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying appropriately so that issues do not escalate. Pupils trust that the adults will help them and are confident to speak to school staff if they are worried. They know that leaders will sort out any problems that may arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Leaders work hard to ensure that all pupils learn the curriculum well and achieve highly. Leaders continually refine the curriculum. They know which areas need more work and have plans to improve them.

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

The approach to teaching phonics is embedded securely. Teachers and teaching assistants in all year groups receive phonics training. Phonics is taught every day. Teachers recap previous phonics knowledge and check that all pupils keep up. Pupils who struggle receive extra teaching. Pupils read books closely matched to the sounds they know. Leaders work with parents so that they know how to support their children’s learning at home. Pupils who are at the beginning stages of learning to read quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to read fluently. 28 and 29 September 2022

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Leaders devised a high-quality curriculum that meets the ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders consider the most important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember from the early years to Year 6. They sequence this knowledge effectively most of the time. Leaders check that teachers teach subject content clearly. They provide training and work closely with teachers who teach subjects beyond their area of expertise.

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Leaders and teachers check that pupils remember important information before they move on. This typically helps pupils to build on what they have learned before so that they know and remember more content. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 6 were able to round large numbers confidently. They were able to do this because they had secured knowledge of place value in younger years. On a few occasions, leaders have not sequenced some knowledge as equally well. As a result, teaching does not make this knowledge as clear or connect it to what pupils learned before. Leaders have identified this and have plans to address it.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective help and support. Leaders, teachers and parents work together to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders seek advice and support from a range of external professionals, such as therapists and psychologists. These experts provide training for teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, teachers adapt the curriculum appropriately so that pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers.

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Leaders provide wider curriculum opportunities that support pupils’ broader development. Leaders invite visitors to speak to pupils about careers and provide them with important information about keeping themselves safe. This includes visits from representatives from the fire service and police. Leaders provide information on online safety for parents. They also teach pupils how to block and report any concerns that may arise when online. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to think about their feelings and consider how to manage their feelings. Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs that leaders organise, including football, choir and dance.

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Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them and consistently strive meet these standards. Pupils are enthusiastic about learning. They are engaged and attentive in class, so that the curriculum is taught uninterrupted.

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Members of the governing body receive training to carry out their roles. They work with leaders to make appropriate decisions about the school. The governing body cares about the school’s staff. It works with leaders to check on the well-being of staff. Teachers appreciate recent steps taken by leaders to ensure that they can manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors know their responsibilities to safeguard pupils’ welfare. Leaders and school staff receive regular safeguarding training. They know the signs that may indicate that a pupil needs help. Leaders follow up concerns appropriately. They seek 28 and 29 September 2022

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advice from safeguarding partners where necessary. Leaders act on any advice given in order to ensure that pupils and their families receive suitable help and support. Leaders carry out compulsory pre-employment checks in line with their statutory responsibilities.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not sequenced all important subject content equally well. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or struggle to connect prior learning to new knowledge in a few subjects. Leaders must implement their plans to make sure subject knowledge is sequenced well across all subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.

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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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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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211364 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Roman Catholic school under the Archdiocese of Westminster.  The last section 48 inspection took place in 2017. The next inspection should take place during the next school year.  The current headteacher took up the post in September 2019.  The school does not make use of 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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteachers and representatives of the governing body. The inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 28 and 29 September 2022

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector spoke with leaders, school staff and pupils about safeguarding. The inspector examined records and documentation about checks made on staff before they start working at the school.  The inspector analysed responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils, staff and parents.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 September 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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