Rokeby Park Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 3 Feb 2006

Inspection Report Rokeby Park Primary School

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117813 Unique Reference Number Kingston-upon-Hull LEA 280158 Inspection number 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Helen Kavanagh Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Gershwin Avenue School address Primary Type of school Anlaby Park Road North Community School category Hull, HU4 7NJ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01482 508915 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01482 508915 Fax number 164 Number on roll Mrs Margaret Tate Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Marie Fox Headteacher 1 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280158 2 February 2006 - 3 to 11 3 February 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Rokeby Park is a small primary school with a nursery situated in an inner city area of Hull. The housing surrounding the school is predominantly provided by the local authority, but a significant proportion of the children attend from outside the immediate vicinity. The school roll has declined in recent years. Attainment on entry to the nursery is below average. The number of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. The school has had no deputy headteacher for over four terms owing to ill health and a senior teacher has also been absent for prolonged periods. In Hull all pupils are entitled free school meals.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rokeby Park Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which gives good value for money. These judgements match the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness. Parents say that they are happy with the quality of education and care that the school provides for their children. The school is well led and managed. Pupils achieve well. The provision in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) is good and the children make good progress from their below expected standards when they join the Nursery. Standards are close to average by the end of Reception. Pupils continue to make good progress and standards are above average by the time pupils leave the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similar progress to their classmates. Pupils’ personal development is good. They enjoy coming to school because they like their teachers; they feel safe and secure, and know their opinions are valued. Attendance is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

The teaching is good overall but in information technology it is less effective than in other subjects. Accurate assessment of the pupils’ progress enables the teachers to set work for most pupils, which match their individual attainment well. The curriculum meets statutory requirements though connections between subjects are not yet used to best effect. Lessons are monitored thoroughly and weaknesses in teaching are quickly identified and put right. The school has made a good improvement since the last inspection. In particular, standards have risen substantially, especially in Year 6, and continue to rise. This shows that the school has the capacity to make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

Raise standards in information and communication technology by: • improving the teaching through further training for teachers; • ensuring that children have enough time to practise their skills.

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Grade: 2

The pupils achieve well. They make good overall progress throughout the school and achieve the challenging targets set for them. On entry to the Nursery, the children’s attainment is below average for their age. By the end of Reception, standards are close to average. Standards are average by the end of Year 2. Standards rise to above average by the end of Year 6. In 2005, the school’s results in the Year 6 national tests were above average in English, mathematics and science. All of the children did well, particularly the boys. Pupils make particularly good progress in Years 5 and 6. Standards in Year 6 have risen since the last inspection and are continuing to rise. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similar progress to their classmates. Pupils identified as gifted or talented achieve well. 2 Inspection Report: Rokeby Park Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good overall. Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to school and attendance is average. The atmosphere in the school strongly reflects the pupils’ enjoyment of learning and their concern for others. A well developed ‘Buddy’ system operates with older pupils taking good care of younger ones. Pupils’ effective development of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy help to prepare them well for the next stage of education and for the wider world; computing skills, however, are less well developed. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are very well developed socially and learn from an early age the difference between right and wrong and how thoughtless actions may hurt others. Pupils have frequent experiences of drama, opera, musical and other creative activities, which greatly increase the contribution the arts make to their cultural development. Some pupils take part in

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Grade: 2

public performances, such as the ‘Singing Days’ at Hull City Hall. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and understand clearly the importance of healthy living. The school received an award from the local authority for its success in health promotion. Pupils generously raise funds for national charity events, for example, Children in Need, and invite local pensioners to come to school for coffee and entertainment.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. It underpins the pupils’ learning effectively and enables them to make good progress. Throughout the school, lessons are interesting and motivate the pupils to work hard. The good relationships between staff and pupils are a great strength of the teaching and ensure that pupils’ behaviour is managed very effectively. The teachers assess pupils’ progress accurately, identify weaknesses and set personal targets for them, which are clear, demanding and helpful in raising standards. The teachers mark pupils work consistently well throughout the school. Consequently, pupils understand how to improve their work. Pupils with learning difficulties receive good support from teaching assistants. Pupils’ use of computers to help them learn is inconsistent. In the best information technology lessons, pupils make good progress and improve their skills effectively. In some classes, however, insufficient time is given for pupils to practise their skills and

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Grade: 2

to learn new ones, and some of the teachers are in need of further training in this aspect of the curriculum. 3 Inspection Report: Rokeby Park Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum, enhanced by the teaching of French in Years 5 and 6. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The planning for literacy and numeracy is good although there are shortcomings in the provision for information and communication technology. Teachers implement a well-structured programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE). Pupils benefit from a broad range of additional activities, visitors and visits. They talked with great enthusiasm about a recent visit to France to help their study of World War 2 and to practise their French. Pupils’ participation in these activities has a positive effect on their attitudes to learning, helping to develop their good social skills and a healthy outlook on life.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are cared for well and parents and other carers support this view. Health and safety procedures are in place and risk assessments are carried out rigorously. Child protection procedures are also effective. The staff ensure that pupils know that they can approach any teacher with their personal concerns. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe and healthy through an effective PSHE programme. Pupils are supervised well in the playground and around school generally. Parents have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress during the year and receive a detailed report at the end of it. They report that the staff are friendly, approachable and helpful.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has built an effective and potentially excellent staff team, despite the long term absence of two senior teachers. The headteacher is an outstanding role model for all the staff but particularly those new to the role of subject co-ordinator. The headteacher’s monitoring and evaluation of teaching and its performance are accurate and helpful to its development. The teaching staff know their pupils well and monitor their progress effectively. As a result of these positive aspects of the school’s self-evaluation, the headteacher has a very clear picture of the quality of teaching and how effectively the pupils learn. She assists her staff to reflect critically on what they can do to improve learning and develop more effective teaching. The school has improved well since the previous inspection, especially in raising standards. The school’s current plans for improvement focus clearly

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Grade: 2

on what needs to be done in improving the teaching of ICT. The accuracy of its self-evaluation clearly demonstrates that the school has a good capacity to improve. Governors fulfil their responsibilities well and their commitment to the school is excellent. They are very active in the life of the school and have a good understanding of how it performs. Parents report that the school seeks their views and takes account 4 Inspection Report: Rokeby Park Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 of their suggestions and concerns. One parent described the school as ‘a very special place’. 5 Inspection Report: Rokeby Park Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Rokeby Park Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Mrs Marie Fox Rokeby Park Primary School Gershwin Avenue Anlaby Park Road North Hull HU4 7NJ 4 February 2006 Dear Children Mrs Taylor and I really enjoyed our visit to Rokeby Park. Thank you for making us welcome and telling us so much about your school. We agree with you that it is a good school. Some of the good things about the school are as follows: all the adults care a lot for you and make sure you do well in your lessons the teachers make sure your lessons are interesting and fun. They encourage you to work hard so that you reach good standards by the time you leave your behaviour is good and you look after each other well you know about staying safe, keeping fit and eating the right foods to make you healthy your teachers arrange lots of trips and invite visitors into school to help make learning more

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

interesting and fun. To make sure everyone can learn even more, I have asked Mrs Fox to: make sure your teachers know how to teach you about computers and give you enough time to practise your computer skills. Yours sincerely Helen Kavanagh Lead inspector

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