Ropley CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ropley C of E Primary School Church Street, Ropley, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 0DS

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

Ropley C of E Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The whole community of Ropley C of E Primary is proud of their school. The headteacher has developed a positive culture built on the history of bees in the village. The school’s organisation and values link closely with this. Everyone understands the school motto, ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’. It helps pupils to think about their learning, their relationships and the effects of their actions. The school has high expectations, and pupils respond well. They are keen to learn in all subjects. Pupils respond to teachers’ feedback by making improvements. Pupils are very enthusiastic when they talk about their learning, as well as all the extra opportunities they have in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Daily worship is important for the pupils. They all take part in the shared story, song and prayer. They are very clear about how the rules and ethos of their school link with the Christian teachings from their daily worship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils have positive relationships. Pupils said their school is a safe place and they are very clear about how all adults help to keep them safe. The ‘worry boxes’ are important in helping all pupils share things that are on their mind. Bullying rarely happens. If it does, pupils are very clear about when they would ask an adult for help.

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

Pupils enjoy learning because leaders have planned an interesting curriculum which starts well in the early years. Leaders have identified the content they want the children to learn and have planned a curriculum to develop knowledge and skills. Teachers receive training, have strong subject knowledge and use skilful questioning to develop pupils’ thinking. In a mathematics lesson in early years, the children were encouraged to use different ways to show the numbers three and four. Pupils are interested in their learning because teachers make it relevant for them. In mathematics, pupils are achieving highly because they know how to solve problems in different ways. A group of older pupils explained that they had been taught different ways to help them work out problems. They said this information had ‘stuck’ and they could transfer these skills to different problems. In 15 and 16 November 2022

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English and mathematics, teachers check carefully what pupils know and can remember so they can adapt teaching as required. In the wider curriculum, this is not as fully developed. Teachers do not always check pupils’ knowledge and understanding before moving on.

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Leaders are ambitious about developing a love of reading across the school, starting in early years. Although training is provided for staff on how to teach phonics, not all are confident, and leaders do not always check with staff carefully enough. Nevertheless, when younger pupils fall behind, teaching is adapted to ensure they catch up quickly. Leaders regularly check that pupils are keeping up and ensure they get extra help.

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Pupils enjoy stories and reading because teachers read to them daily. Older pupils know there is a wide choice of books in the library and quiet spaces to enjoy reading alone. Pupils enjoy sessions reading to ‘Teazle’ the therapy dog, as they said it makes reading ‘fun’.

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Pupils understand the behaviour rules. They take turns to listen when others are talking. In a history lesson, pupils worked cooperatively to produce images of Stone Age village life. Younger pupils remind each other to share toys at playtime. Pupils have good manners because adults model the behaviour expectations through a culture of positivity. If pupils lose focus, adults skilfully remind them of what they should be doing. Pupils are aware of the dangers of bullying. All pupils can explain their bullying charter and why they take part in special events such as Odd Sock Day. The school has designed a personal, social and health education curriculum that extends beyond the school day. Older pupils have all had first-aid training and can explain why this is important.

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There is a wide range of after-school clubs and activities. The school council plays an important role in decision-making. Its members are determined to make their school a better place by improving recycling and making sure everyone knows how it works.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well because expectations are high and teachers plan activities that enable them to succeed. In a history lesson, older pupils investigated how Stonehenge got there by building a model and discussing it. Leaders identify the support needed for pupils with SEND and review this regularly. This was recognised by parents, who said the school gets to know children well and makes sure support is put in place quickly.

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The headteacher is fully aware of staff workload and takes this into account when planning meetings. Staff feel well supported, as the headteacher has made sure they have time for planning and marking. Governors carry out annual surveys of staff to understand their workload and provide support. They check that pupils get the resources they need.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 November 2022

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The school identifies pupils who need support through a well-managed system that is overseen by the headteacher. All staff are clear about what they have to do if they have concerns about a child.

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The headteacher makes timely referrals to external agencies and children’s services to ensure all pupils who need support receive it. The school works with outside agencies to provide support for families, and this supports strong relationships between parents and school. The headteacher monitors and follows up all cases to ensure help and support are in place.

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The headteacher has designed clear systems to manage safer recruitment, which are monitored carefully by governors each term.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all staff are confident in teaching phonics. The quality of phonics sessions is not consistent and pupils do not learn as securely as they could. Leaders should ensure that they monitor phonics teaching and provide opportunities for regular training and coaching so all staff who teach phonics are confident.  In the foundation curriculum, teachers do not always check whether pupils have remembered what they have been taught. This means that the next teaching does not always build on a firm basis of knowledge. Leaders need to ensure teachers use assessment effectively to check that pupils have retained the skills and knowledge they have been taught so they can target what comes next.

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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 March 2013. 15 and 16 November 2022

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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

27 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school has six classes of mixed-age groups apart from in early years and key stage 1. Since 2021, mathematics and English have been taught in separate year groups.  The headteacher started in post in 2018 and the governing body are all new since 2018. Almost all teaching staff are new since the previous inspection.  The school is a Church of England School and is in the Diocese of Winchester.  The school received its Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in June 2019. These inspections typically take place once every five years.  The school currently uses no 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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, four governors, including the chair, and a representative from the local authority. The inspector had a phone call with a representative of the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, listened to pupils read and looked at some samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school during lessons, in collective worship, at lunchtime and at breaktimes. The inspector also met with groups of pupils to hear their views.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector spoke with staff and pupils. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to review their knowledge, records and actions, and also reviewed information about the safer recruitment of staff.

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 The inspector considered the views of those parents, pupils and staff who completed Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Charlotte Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 November 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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