Rowdown Primary School

Inspection of Rowdown Primary School Calley Down Crescent, New Addington, Croydon, Surrey CR0 0EG

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

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The headteacher of this school is Liane Tylee. This school is part of Fairchildes Academy Community 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), Jo Hussey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by RoseAnne Ellis. 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school, where staff work closely with families to support pupils’ education. Pupils appreciate the care they receive from staff. This helps pupils to settle in quickly and feel comfortable at school, including those who arrive part way through their primary school education. Staff work as a team to further strengthen the school’s work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Residential visits broaden pupils’ experience, including a recent visit to Finland where Year 5 and 6 pupils learned about life in Helsinki. Excursions to museums and galleries extend pupils’ learning. The extensive clubs are popular, and pupils enjoy learning to play steel pans and football. Pupils learn about teamwork, taking responsibility and the importance of community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave sensibly. They learn to recognise their feelings and make good choices about their behaviour. Pupils use strategies from their personal ‘toolkits’ to help them feel calm and ready to learn. Pupils are encouraged to be kind and respectful. Children in the Nursery look after the school’s chickens and in Year 6, pupils lead lunchtime activities for their peers and are extremely caring in their support for younger children in the playground.

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

The school has designed a broad, ambitious curriculum, which captures pupils’ interest and motivates them. For instance, in history pupils explore a range of artefacts that help them to understand how historians interpret the past. Curriculum content is well sequenced and helps pupils build on their prior learning securely. Pupils achieve well. In the early years, and when pupils join the school part way through their primary education, staff identify pupils’ starting points. The school ensures that they have the support they need to increase their knowledge and understanding. The school has sharpened how pupils are helped to recall what they have learned previously across the curriculum. For example, in mathematics, pupils routinely revise number facts to help them make accurate calculations and solve problems. Leaders have taken effective steps to address challenges that resulted in lower published outcomes at the end of Year 6 in

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

2024 compared with Year 6 pupils’ achievement in the past and current pupils’ achievement.

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

The school ensures that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified precisely and considered carefully. Within the school’s Enhanced Learning Provision, the curriculum is ambitious and tailored to meet the needs of pupils who attend. Across the school, staff adapt resources and approaches to support pupils with SEND to achieve typically well.

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

The school provides focused support to develop teachers’ expertise. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They design work which focuses on what pupils need to know. Teachers emphasise the important subject vocabulary pupils should know and understand. However, in some instances when pupils are not encouraged to use this key vocabulary routinely, they struggle to remember it as securely. The school checks how 25 and 26 March 2025

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well pupils learn the curriculum and addresses any gaps in their learning. However, on occasion checks on pupils’ understanding lack precision and, as a result, misconceptions are not identified and addressed as effectively.

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The school makes reading a priority. Teachers share carefully chosen texts with pupils. Pupils regularly read aloud to practise fluency and expression. Children in the early years are familiar with stories that inspire their play. Older pupils read demanding texts and discuss important themes. Children at the early stages of learning to read are taught phonics effectively. They use their phonics knowledge well to read unfamiliar words. Pupils receive effective support to catch up, where needed. Over time, pupils become fluent readers.

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The school has introduced some new ways to help pupils understand the behaviour expected. The school is a calm and settled place to be, where pupils’ learning typically proceeds uninterrupted. Pupils’ attendance has improved in recent years. The school takes swift and effective action to support any pupils whose attendance is low.

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Pupils are taught about different characteristics people may have and why some are protected by laws. Pupils are encouraged to understand fundamental British values, such as individual liberty and tolerance of others’ beliefs and religions. Pupils are helped to have a confident grasp of how to stay healthy and safe, including in relationships and when online.

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Governors and trustees know the school’s strengths and are ambitious for it to develop further. They check robustly on the quality of education and care that pupils receive. Leaders have forged strong relationships with staff, pupils and families. Leaders support staff well-being thoughtfully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, checks on pupils understanding do not assess precisely whether pupils have secured the important knowledge they need to know. As a result, pupils sometimes have misunderstandings in their knowledge, which make it difficult to grasp more complex ideas later in the curriculum. The school should ensure that checks on pupils’ understanding are thorough so that any misconceptions are identified and addressed effectively.  In some instances, when pupils are not encouraged to use key subject vocabulary when talking and writing about their work, their recall of subject-specific terms is hindered. The school should ensure that pupils understand key vocabulary firmly and that they have opportunities to use it routinely, both orally and in writing. 25 and 26 March 2025

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Fairchildes Academy Community Trust.  Since the last inspection, there have been changes to the school’s leadership team, including a new headteacher who took up their post in January 2024. In recent times, there have been some changes to teaching and support staff within the school.  Many pupils join and leave the school part way through their primary education than is typically the case.  The school has a specially resourced provision for up to 14 pupils aged 4 to 11, who have a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.  The school does not make use of any 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 25 and 26 March 2025

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(quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024SEND will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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 has 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 meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, behaviour and attendance, pupils’ personal development and the early years.  Inspectors met with representatives from the board of trustees, local governing body, the trust and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.  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.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lucy Bruce Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 2025

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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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