Rosehill School

Inspection of Rosehill School St Matthias Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG3 2FE

p.1

Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

p.1

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 25 and 26 February 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils of all ages thrive and are happy at Rosehill School. The expert teaching and care that they receive enable pupils to feel safe and fulfil the school’s high expectations for them to succeed.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Positive, nurturing relationships are at the heart of the school. There is a tangible culture of respect, in which everyone is valued equally. Pupils are resilient, enthusiastic learners. They show admirable commitment to learning and are rightly proud of their school. The school’s calm, purposeful atmosphere supports pupils’ academic and personal development exceptionally well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s outstanding support for pupils’ behaviour is a strength of its provision. Due to their highly complex needs, pupils can sometimes struggle to control their emotions. Staff understand each pupil, and their individual needs, extremely well. Their skilled support enables pupils to develop as increasingly independent individuals.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Rosehill is an outward-looking school. There is a vast range of opportunities provided for pupils to develop their understanding of the wider world, for example, by accessing community and city-wide activities, running the school’s on-site café or through their active roles as school ambassadors. Pupils have a strong voice at Rosehill. They are very well prepared for their next steps beyond the school.

p.2

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

The school’s curriculum is well established. It has been carefully designed to ensure that all pupils access an ambitious curriculum that is highly personalised to their bespoke needs and interests. Pupils’ personal targets, and those from their education, health and care (EHC) plans, are central to the curriculum. Pupils’ progression through the curriculum is carefully mapped out across the three pathways: ‘discovery’, ‘explorers’ and ‘investigators’. As a result, pupils develop consistently secure knowledge and skills during their time at the school.

p.2

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

Pupils learn in small class groups that enable them to receive highly effective teaching and support. Staff teams work seamlessly to adapt their teaching to each pupil’s needs. They constantly check pupils’ understanding in lessons to ensure that pupils make the best possible progress. Pupils’ books, folders and practical work are testament to their positive achievements across a range of subjects.

p.2

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

The school has an unwavering focus on preparation for adulthood. This begins with the younger pupils and builds over time. Older students in the upper school receive formal careers education. They access study programmes and accreditations that match their interests and equip them very well for future success.

p.2

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

The school continues to prioritise reading and communication for all pupils. Since the last inspection, the school has revised and strengthened its approach to teaching early reading. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme with skill and confidence. Pupils 25 and 26 February 2025

p.2

3

develop secure phonics knowledge, which they apply in their reading, writing and communication. Staff quickly identify and support any pupil who may need extra help with reading. Pupils develop well as fluent, confident readers, signers and communicators.

p.3

3

Pupils respond exceptionally well to the school’s high expectations for behaviour. They follow familiar routines confidently and treat others with respect. The school’s consistent approach helps pupils to identify and understand how they are feeling. This supports pupils to control the high levels of anxiety that they sometimes experience, due to their complex autism needs. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are impressive. This is reflected in their consistently high rates of attendance. The school works effectively with families and external services to support any pupils who do not attend as regularly as they should.

p.3

3

The school promotes pupils’ wider personal development extremely well. There is a strong ambition for all pupils to realise their potential as well-rounded young citizens, regardless of their additional needs. This is an inclusive school where differences are respected and celebrated. Pupils make a strong, meaningful contribution to the life of the school. For example, they hold a range of leadership roles and serve as school council members. Older pupils support the younger ones during ‘helping hands’ week. This enables pupils to develop qualities of empathy and responsibility. A wide range of enrichment activities is provided to nurture pupils’ physical and mental health and well-being. The school provides an array of cultural opportunities within and beyond the school, such as music and drama performances and engagement with city-wide projects.

p.3

3

Leadership of the school is highly effective at all levels. This includes the support and challenge provided by the governing body. There is a strong commitment to staff training and development. Staff speak warmly of the support they receive for their workload and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 25 and 26 February 2025

p.3

4

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). 25 and 26 February 2025

p.4

form

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

form

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Rosehill School is a community special school. All pupils have a diagnosis of autism and are supported by an EHC plan.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  Although the school is registered to have early years children, at the time of the inspection, there were no children on roll in this phase. As such, there is no separate judgement for early years. 25 and 26 February 2025

p.5

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the headteacher and other senior and curriculum leaders. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these areas of the school’s curriculum: early reading and communication; mathematics; and the combined area of learning for science, design and technology and computing. 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 also discussed the curriculum and visited lessons in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 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.

p.6

Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Matthew Rooney Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7