The Rosary Catholic Primary School

Inspection of The Rosary Catholic Primary School Beeches Green, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 4AB

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The co-headteachers of this school are Rosy Savory and Paul Batchelor. This school is part of Little Way Catholic Educational Trust, which means other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Charlotte Blanch, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Pyne. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

When pupils arrive at The Rosary Catholic Primary School, they receive a warm welcome. The school’s values help to shape their character. For example, pupils show ‘love’ by being kind to others and ‘respect’ by accepting differences. Pupils greet visitors with a smile and use good manners. This makes for a happy and friendly school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff form trusting and nurturing relationships with pupils. This gives pupils the confidence to speak up and seek help if they have any worries. Pupils know that adults look out for everyone and act quickly if they report bullying or discriminatory behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school and trust have raised expectations. This shows in the improved curriculum and pupils’ higher attendance. Staff expect pupils to work hard and behave well, and they do. Pupils strive to earn a gold footstep for following the school rules. When reminders are needed, adults help pupils make positive choices and learn from their mistakes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school widens pupils’ cultural knowledge through trips to jazz festivals and museums. Learning in the outdoors, judo and dance clubs promote physical activity. Older pupils are passionate advocates for the school. They proudly take on leadership responsibilities as chaplaincy team members and well-being ambassadors.

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better?

The school has worked with energy and determination to remedy the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. Expert staff from the trust have been brought in to guide and develop leaders and teachers. This has been instrumental in securing sustainable school improvements. Staff value the opportunities to work as a team when designing the curriculum.

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better?

Reading is actively promoted across the school through reading challenges and ‘the masked reader’ storytelling. Carefully chosen books broaden pupils’ vocabulary and language well. For example, pupils in Year 6 maturely discuss the impact of authors’ language on the reader. Pupils leave the school as competent readers.

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better?

From Reception Year onwards, early reading is equally effective. The school has invested in a comprehensive training and coaching programme for staff. This gives them the confidence to teach phonics with expertise. Staff use assessment sharply to spot pupils not keeping up with the programme’s pace. They make it an absolute priority to give these pupils the extra time they need to practise reading. As a result, most pupils have mastered the basics of reading by the end of key stage 1.

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better?

Across different subjects, the school’s curriculum sets out what pupils need to learn and when right from early years. It identifies the precise ‘sticky knowledge’ and 8 and 9 May 2024

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shows how concepts link to what pupils have previously studied. For example, pupils in Year 5 spoke knowledgeably about the impact of humans on coral reefs and oceans. This builds on their learning about rivers in Year 4. Similarly, children in Reception Year develop a good grasp of different ways to make numbers up to 10 in readiness for doubling in Year 1. However, in a few of the more recently developed subjects, pupils’ recall of knowledge over time is less secure. This prevents them from deepening their understanding of important concepts.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They present information clearly and in a logical order. Pupils are keen to talk about what they have learned. However, the recording of some pupils’ written work contains basic punctuation errors and lacks pride. This is not routinely picked up by staff.

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The school checks how well pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn the curriculum. Staff understand how to break down any barriers to learning so pupils can achieve well across the curriculum. For example, staff use pre-teaching sessions to help pupils who speak English as an additional language take part in lessons and experience success.

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The school fosters pupils’ personal development well. Behaviour routines are firmly established as soon as children start in the early years. Pupils play their part in promoting equality. Older pupils have plentiful opportunities to engage in discussion about important issues such as gender stereotypes and healthy relationships. This helps them make educated choices about how to treat others.

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Although governors are new to their role, they understand the school’s priorities. They know how pupils and families have benefited from the school’s intelligent support to secure better attendance. However, governors have not had the time to measure the impact of the school’s work in all areas.

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Most parents would recommend the school to others. Many commented on the suitable blend of high academic expectations and effective pastoral care for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some of the more recently developed subjects, pupils are unable to draw on what they know and remember over time. This prevents them from deepening their understanding of important concepts. The school should continue to embed the curriculum and develop further strategies to ensure that pupils successfully retain knowledge in their long-term memory.  The recording of some pupils’ written work contains basic punctuation errors and 8 and 9 May 2024

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lacks pride. Teachers do not consistently pick up on this. As a result, some pupils repeat the same mistakes. The school should ensure that the writing routines across the curriculum are clearly established so that teachers address errors promptly and pupils present their work with pride.  Most of the local governing committee are new to the school. Therefore, they have not had the time to measure the impact of the school’s work in all areas. The trust needs to continue to develop the role of the governors so they can hold leaders to account fully for the strategic oversight of the school’s work.

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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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Headteacher Rosy Savory (Co-Headteacher) Paul Batchelor (Interim Co-Headteacher) Website www.rosaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school converted from a single-academy trust to join a multi-academy trust in January 2024. It is part of The Little Way Catholic Educational Trust, a multi- academy trust of six primary schools in Gloucestershire.  At the time of the inspection, a co-headteacher was on maternity leave. An interim co-headteacher took up post in January 2024.  Most of the local governing committee are new to the role.  The school is part of the Diocese of Clifton. It received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in January 2024, where it was judged to be good.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school offers a free breakfast club for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education 8 and 9 May 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the co-headteachers, the trust’s school improvement partner, staff, members of the local governing committee and the chief executive officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography 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 met with curriculum leaders and looked more widely at pupils’ work in personal, social and health education, history, writing and science.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector met with 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 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. They spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day. They considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Evans Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 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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