Rosebank School

Inspection of a good school: Rosebank School Townfield Lane, Barnton, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 4QP

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2022

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Outcome

Rosebank School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Rosebank School. They arrive in the morning smiling and they are pleased to see the members of staff who greet them. Pupils are happy in school and they feel safe there. Staff cater well for the individual needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of both pupils’ behaviour and what pupils can achieve. They want pupils to do their very best. Pupils are well known to staff, and staff know how to help pupils learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop the skills that they require for adult life. They start learning these important life skills from their first day in the Reception class. Pupils continue learning these important steps towards independence throughout their time in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in lots of activities that help them to understand the world around them. They enjoy learning in the outdoor space around the school and in the adapted classrooms.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is usually calm. Behaviour is skilfully managed by adults. Any incidents that could be perceived as bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers think highly of the school. They value the work done by staff to help their children settle into the school quickly. Pupils and parents appreciate the efforts of teachers to support the whole family. Pupils said that staff go the extra mile to help them.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum which is well organised and suitably ambitious. It meets the additional learning needs of most pupils. The curriculum is structured to build on what pupils know already and helps them to learn new things. Added to this, leaders 11 and 12 October 2022

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have thought carefully about how the curriculum supports pupils to learn about independence, community participation and how to manage their emotions. The speech and language therapy team accurately assesses each pupils’ communication skills. The team gives advice to teachers that helps them to design learning effectively and aids pupils’ communication skills. Pupils usually achieve well from their starting points.

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Pupils generally focus on the work that teachers have set for them. Sometimes pupils can become distracted. However, adults in classrooms quickly redirect them back to their work. Pupils can explain what they are learning in lessons. They said that they particularly enjoy activities which are practical. The work that teachers set for pupils supports them to learn the ambitious curriculum well. That said, occasionally in one or two subjects, the work set for pupils does not deepen their learning sufficiently well.

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Teachers use assessment strategies well to understand what pupils know. Staff in the Reception class are well informed about children’s needs when they start the school. This helps staff to understand what children know and can do already. Children in the Reception class settle in well. For example, they have quickly learned the routines of the school in a few weeks.

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There is a well-organised curriculum for reading. This helps pupils to develop the skills that they need to become fluent readers. Pupils, including children in the Reception class, learn to recognise different sounds. They enjoy listening to stories. As pupils get older, they learn to recognise letter sounds and develop their reading fluency. Some pupils can read a wide vocabulary of words but do not always understand what the words mean. Teachers skilfully focus on helping pupils to understand the meaning of the words they can read. For instance, teachers ask pupils questions or use other activities to help pupils develop their understanding of vocabulary.

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Pupils’ progress in reading is regularly assessed by staff. Those pupils who are not able to develop their reading skills learn about different symbols. This means that they can communicate their needs and wishes appropriately.

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During lessons, there is usually a calm atmosphere. Occasionally, a small number of pupils become agitated or distressed because they are confused or frustrated. Adults skilfully help pupils at these times so that lessons are rarely disrupted. Staff are well informed about pupils’ needs. Staff are equipped well to identify any additional SEND and provide timely and appropriate support. This helps to ensure that adults can support pupils consistently well.

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There is an extensive range of activities which help to develop pupils’ understanding of the wider world. Each class has an educational visit once a week. Pupils learn about their local community and various venues across the region. Pupils visit the local swimming pool and library. They learn important self-help skills in order to become as independent as possible.

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Governors know the school well and understand their responsibilities to ensure a high- quality education for pupils. Governors and leaders keep a close eye on staff workload. 11 and 12 October 2022

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Members of staff say that their workload is managed well by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There are effective processes for identifying pupils who may need help or are at risk from harm. All members of staff know what to look for to protect pupils and know how to report their concerns. Leaders take necessary actions in a timely manner so that pupils and their families can access the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe and how to look after their own emotional well-being.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, the work that teachers give to pupils in a small number of subjects does not reflect the ambition of the school’s curriculum. This means that, from time to time, some pupils do not acquire the depth of knowledge that they could. Leaders should ensure that teachers are well supported to design learning that enables pupils to achieve all that they should in these 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2017.

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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. 11 and 12 October 2022

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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. 11 and 12 October 2022

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Inspection number 10226107 Type of school Special

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Acting chair of governing body Stewart Chidlow

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Rosebank School is a special school for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  All the pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan.  Pupils come to school from across the local authority and other neighbouring local authorities.  The speech and language therapy team is based in the school for the equivalent of five days a week.  The school does not use any 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. These included discussions with leaders, teachers and teaching assistants, visiting lessons, including lessons in the early years class, 11 and 12 October 2022

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reviewing a range of documents, reviewing pupils’ work and talking to pupils.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke with parents, governors, members of staff, the speech and language therapy team, early careers teachers, members of the school’s business team and the family support worker.  The lead inspector spoke with the local authority representative on the telephone.  Inspectors checked on the school’s safeguarding arrangements. This included examining the record of employment checks on school staff and reviewing recruitment processes.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. The responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff questionnaires were also considered by inspectors.

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Inspection team

Martin Hanbury, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sheldon Logue Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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