Romsey Primary School & Nursery

Inspection of Romsey Primary School & Nursery Mercer Way, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 7PH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 6 and 7 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Romsey Primary School & Nursery. This shows in their very high attendance. Staff aim for pupils ‘to be incredible’ in all they do. Pupils appreciate how the school celebrates their achievements. A highlight for many is the chance to be named ‘incredible of the week’. This inspires pupils to work hard in lessons and try their best. Older pupils leave school ready for the demands of secondary education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

More recently, pupils’ behaviour has improved, including for the growing number of pupils with complex needs. Pupils respond well to the structures and routines in place, such as the ‘ready, respectful and safe’ rules. This starts in the early years. Children play cooperatively in the large outdoor space. Bullying is not a concern for pupils. Staff swiftly sort out any issues so that pupils feel safe and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans purposeful experiences beyond the academic to complement pupils’ learning. These include visits from expert speakers, clubs, trips and music concerts. Pupils learn to be advocates for themselves and others. For example, ambassadors take pride in helping younger pupils read and organising sports events. These and other roles teach pupils to be responsible and develop leadership skills.

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better?

Much has changed since the previous inspection. The number of pupils attending the school has increased. More pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has been through a period of turbulence in staffing. Consequently, some aspects of the curriculum are more developed than others. Where the school has prioritised its efforts, it has been rewarded. This is particularly evident in physical education (PE), reading, writing and mathematics.

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better?

Reading is one of the highest priorities. Staff use carefully chosen books and extracts to inspire pupils to read. Pupils share in this enthusiasm. In lessons, they eagerly discuss authors’ use of language. The well-stocked library, book swaps and readathon challenges help encourage a love of reading.

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better?

The school has strengthened its approach to early reading following a dip in the 2023 phonics outcomes. Pupils are now doing better than previously. Staff prioritise children’s communication and language skills when they join the Nursery. Children learn rhymes to build their knowledge of letters and sounds. In the main, staff teach and assess the phonics programme effectively. They carefully match the books pupils read to the sounds they know. Staff give well-targeted help to any pupil who struggles to read. Even so, a few staff do not always use the agreed strategies during reading practice. This slows down some pupils’ reading fluency.

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better?

The wider curriculum is developing well. All subjects specify what pupils should learn and when. In established subjects, staff connect new learning to what pupils already 6 and 7 March 2024

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know. For example, in PE, pupils remember how to use skills, such as passing and pivoting, in different games. However, the school has not clearly set out the essential knowledge pupils should revisit and remember in a few subjects. As a result, pupils do not deepen their understanding or make meaningful connections with what they already know.

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A recent focus on teaching strategies that will help pupils to learn is paying off. For example, teachers use images and resources to help pupils with SEND make sense of mathematics concepts. The school is currently working to bring about greater consistency in how staff use the agreed teaching methods.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND. It has improved systems to identify pupils’ needs. For the most part, staff provide pupils with the help they need to experience success. A minority of pupils present with more challenging behaviour. Staff manage this well. They ensure that disruption to learning is minimal. A few staff would value further support to help deal with challenging behaviour.

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Pupils gain from opportunities to support their personal development. They learn how to stay safe online and where to seek help if they need it. Pupils play their part in promoting equality. They are not afraid to speak up against racism or gender stereotypes, making the school a welcome place for everyone.

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Governors understand the school’s priorities. They meet with pupils and subject leaders to dig deep into strengths and areas for improvement. Governors provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. Most staff are proud to work at the school. They value the changes made to reduce their workload.

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Most parents are positive about the school and would recommend it to others. Many commented on the friendly atmosphere and strong community feel.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not been clear enough about the most important knowledge pupils should revisit and remember. Staff do not have enough guidance about the precise content to emphasise in the longer term. Consequently, pupils do not deepen their knowledge or make meaningful connections with what they already know. The school needs to make the most important concepts and knowledge they want pupils to remember more explicit and then check that pupils have retained this knowledge over time. 6 and 7 March 2024

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 A few staff do not consistently implement the agreed teaching strategies in some subjects. This does not help pupils practise the knowledge they need and slows progress. The school should continue to develop staff’s pedagogical knowledge to maximise pupils’ learning across all subjects.

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 6 and 7 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Katherine Fitzherbert-Green

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The SEND coordinator took up post in September 2023.  The school has an on-site nursery which caters for three-year-old children. It is managed by the school.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the 6 and 7 March 2024

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SEND coordinator and other staff. The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body and held a telephone call with the local authority school improvement adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography, PE and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the school, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked more widely at pupils’ work in design technology, personal, social and health education, science and writing.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors met the designated safeguarding lead, checked the single central record of adults working in the school, took account of the views of staff and pupils and considered the extent to

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which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktime and lunchtime. An inspector met with school leaders to discuss and scrutinise how they respond to behaviour incidents. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors spoke with parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Greco Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 March 2024

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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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