Rowena Academy

Inspection of Rowena Academy Gardens Lane, Conisbrough, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN12 3JY _________________________________________________________________

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The head of academy of this school is Claire Cowlishaw. This school is part of Delta Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Paul Tarn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Steve Hodsman. 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They engage well with adults and each other. Pupils listen carefully and show kindness to one another. Warm relationships between staff and pupils create a safe and supportive environment. Parents and carers value this. There is a positive and respectful culture throughout the school. Pupils show respect and understanding to one another. They are polite and well-mannered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils’ academic and personal development. Pupils work hard, try their best and achieve well. A calm and orderly environment is firmly embedded right from the early years. In lessons and discussions, pupil show exceptional focus and are enthusiastic to contribute. They embrace and follow consistent routines. Pupils play harmoniously together outside, socialising calmly and sensibly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have an excellent understanding of the world around them. They discuss fundamental British values confidently. Pupils are proud to care for others by organising events like anti-bullying activities and charity fundraisers. They build strong connections with the local community, including a caring relationship with a nearby care home. Residents join school events and are visited by the choir. Pupils engage enthusiastically with professionals like police officers to learn about careers. They are dedicated to their leadership responsibilities such as being playground leaders and as ‘Rowena Rangers’.

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

The curriculum builds pupil’s learning over time effectively. Well-considered resources and tasks help support pupils to remember important facts and knowledge. For example, in religious education (RE) pupils use their knowledge organisers to help them compare important aspects of Christianity and Islam. Resources for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are adapted effectively to enable them to access the curriculum successfully. Pupils speak confidently about what they know and remember over time. However, in some lessons, the school does not consider the tasks carefully enough. In these lessons, pupils do not get the opportunity to record what they know and remember.

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

Phonics and reading are taught consistently well, with a strong focus on phonics from the early years. Books are matched carefully to pupils' phonics knowledge. This helps pupils read accurately using the sounds that they know. Well-trained adults check regularly how well pupils learn their phonics. Pupils who need extra support access tailored interventions. These are effective and help pupils catch up quickly. The school’s environment promotes pupils’ love of books, including in the outdoor areas. Pupils enjoy reading and listening to the ‘top 30 reads’ in each Year group.

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

In the early years, writing is promoted across the curriculum. Early writing skills begin with mark making and activities to help with pencil control. Children learn to form letters correctly through phonics and during their work with adults. However, in key stage 1, sometimes pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and secure important 26 and 27 November 2024

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foundational skills such as sentence structure and letter formation before writing more complex pieces of writing.

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The early years curriculum is highly ambitious and prepares children exceptionally well for Year 1. It builds on some children’s lower than expected starting points and is tailored around children’s specific learning needs well. In Reception, the curriculum builds on the knowledge children have learned in Nursery by extending their language and vocabulary. In both Nursery and Reception, highly engaging activities stimulate children’s imagination. A ‘careers suitcase’ introduces them to different jobs. Hygiene practices, like daily tooth brushing, are promoted through effective links with the school nurse. Children are happy and cooperate well with each other. They access resources independently and follow the school’s well-established routines consistently.

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Pupils show maturity and responsibility in meeting the school’s exceptionally high expectations for behaviour and conduct. They take an active role in setting their class rules. Pupils show pride when positive behaviour is regularly praised by adults. They are excited to receive rewards including a treat from the ‘brilliant basket’.

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The school works closely with pupils and their families to ensure that there are clear expectations for attendance. This is helping improve pupils’ attendance. The school is continuing this work to make sure that all pupils attend regularly and on time.

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The way the school promotes pupils' character and personal development is exemplary. The personal development offer is designed expertly and builds pupils’ deep understanding of important topics in an age-appropriate way. Pupils engage confidently in debates and discussions about different faiths. They have thoughtful conversations about the importance of respecting difference. Extra-curricular activities are deliberately designed to capture all pupils' interests and needs. For example, lunchtime sports clubs are offered to ensure that pupils with SEND participate fully.

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Leaders, including governors and trustees, know the school's strengths and next steps well. They have structures and systems in place to continue to move the school from strength to strength. Staff have a positive view of the school. They appreciate the support they receive both personally and professionally.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In key stage 1, the curriculum is not implemented sufficiently well to enable pupils to develop the basic skills for writing, including grammar, punctuation and handwriting. This means that pupils are not able to write fluently, neatly and with accuracy. The 26 and 27 November 2024

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school should ensure that pupils build fluency in the basic skills for writing and take pride in the presentation of their work.  In a small number of lessons, the learning tasks and activities do not match the intended curriculum. This means that pupils do not have the opportunity to record their understanding of the curriculum well enough. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently and effectively in all subjects.

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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' 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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 June 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Delta Academies Trust.  The head of academy is new to her role since the previous inspection.  The school has a Nursery for three-and four-year-old children.  The school provides a breakfast club run by the school on site.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the head of academy, the executive principal and the vice principal who is also the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with leaders from the trust including the deputy CEO. They met with the members of the trust board and the chair of the academy advisory board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science and RE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors heard pupils read to a familiar adult.

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 Inspectors met with leaders to sample other subjects in the curriculum including computing and physical education.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their views of the school, their learning, behaviour and safety.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, 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 considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils. They also took into account the views of parents and carers using Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View. These included comments received via the free-text facility. Inspectors also talked to parents in the school playground.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

David Roundtree Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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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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