Roding Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Roding Primary School Hewett Road, Dagenham, Essex RM8 2XS

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Outcome

Roding Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Although split across two sites, the school is a friendly, close-knit and welcoming community. Relationships between staff and pupils are built on mutual respect. Pupils try to live out the school’s values of being responsible, respectful, resilient, optimistic, caring and creative.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn happily in the calm and vibrant environment. They behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. Pupils feel happy and safe. They know who to turn to for support if they have any worries. Staff listen to pupils and help them to overcome difficulties. Leaders deal swiftly and well with any rare incidents of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils, including children in the early years and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard to try to meet leaders’ and staff’s high aspirations. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the many opportunities that leaders provide for them to contribute to school life. They diligently carry out their roles as digital leaders, playground squad members and school council representatives. At lunchtime, older pupils help out with and take good care of their younger friends. Pupils enjoy taking part in the many sporting and cultural activities that staff organise for them, such as sports competitions, outings to museums and visits to local places of worship.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum that interests and engages all pupils. They have made sure that the curriculum is organised well and ambitious. Teachers are clear about the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils must learn. This is because leaders have set out with precision the most important knowledge that needs to be taught in each subject. Leaders have also organised the curriculum logically, paying close attention to how pupils will build on what they already know. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Teachers have thought carefully about how to deliver the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils. Staff have strong subject knowledge and teach the curriculum confidently. Well- planned activities inspire and motivate pupils and help them to understand and remember subject content. Pupils are highly focused on their learning. This means that lessons flow without interruption.

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Teachers check whether pupils have learned what they need to know. They use this information to adapt their teaching, for example to give pupils extra practice in things that they are finding hard. However, occasionally, teaching does not focus fully on helping pupils to recall prior knowledge accurately. Consequently, from time to time, some pupils struggle to remember aspects of learning. This makes it harder for them to make links between new knowledge and previous learning.

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Leaders make reading a top priority. They ensure that staff are trained well to teach pupils to read. Staff systematically build pupils’ knowledge of letters and the sounds that they make. They make sure that pupils practise their reading using books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. Pupils who find reading difficult receive extra support to help them keep up. As a result, pupils read with increasing fluency as they progress through the school. Older pupils are supported well if they need additional help with their reading. Teachers instil a love of reading by bringing books to life when reading aloud.

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The well-planned curriculum provides children in early years with a strong start. The curriculum excites children and ensures that they develop the knowledge and skills they will need for later years. For example, in mathematics, children are supported to be confident in recognising numbers and counting accurately. Children’s achievements are recognised and celebrated. Well-selected activities and resources help children to deepen their interests and understanding. Leaders and staff make sure that children are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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Leaders have ensured that there are effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders are responsive to pupils’ needs. Staff work effectively with external organisations to secure additional support in a timely manner. Teachers adapt how they deliver the curriculum for pupils with SEND effectively. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well and follow the same curriculum as their classmates.

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Pupils celebrate diversity and inclusion by learning about how everyone should be valued. They mark different religious festivals as part of leaders’ work to help them understand the views and beliefs of other faiths. Staff ensure that pupils are taught about what it is to be a good citizen. Pupils talk clearly about equality. They learn about respect and the importance of treating everyone fairly. Leaders make sure that these messages are delivered in a way that pupils can relate to and connect to their everyday experiences, both in and out of school.

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Governors bring a wide range of skills and expertise and high levels of commitment to their role. They challenge and support leaders in equal measure. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Staff feel valued by leaders. They appreciate that governors and leaders do all that they can to make their workload manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They have established a culture where staff report any concerns about a pupil, no matter how small. Leaders have provided staff with appropriate, up-to-date training. Staff know how to spot signs that may indicate harm or neglect. They report any concerns promptly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding work effectively with other professionals to ensure that pupils and families receive the help that they need. Leaders and governors ensure that all the required pre-employment checks for adults working at the school are carried out.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe, both in and out of school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While leaders have set clear expectations for what knowledge pupils need to know, there are instances when teaching does not fully support pupils to recall this knowledge securely and accurately. This reduces how well pupils are able to remember knowledge in the long term and make connections between subject content. Leaders need to continue to work on strengthening the implementation of the curriculum so that pupils are consistently well supported to remember knowledge securely and in depth.

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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 February 2012. 17 and 18 May 2023

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,146

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Jacqueline Dunmow and Adam Robbins (Co-headteachers) Website www.roding.bardaglea.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  There has been a change of leadership since the previous inspection. The co- headteachers have been in post since September 2020.  The school provides an additional resourced provision for up to 16 pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school offers a breakfast club.  Leaders do 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 During the inspection, inspectors met with the co-headteachers and other leaders and staff. They met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. An inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, religious education and French. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, and spoke to teachers and pupils about their learning. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work. The curriculum in other subjects was considered during the inspection. An inspector also visited the additional resourced provision.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to talk about their work, their behaviour and their experiences of school. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and to Ofsted’s

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questionnaires for staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors viewed the school’s website and policies, met with the designated safeguarding lead, spoke with pupils, staff and governors, and checked relevant safeguarding documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Chris Birtles, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ogugua Okolo-Angus Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 2023

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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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