Rosebank Primary School

Rosebank Primary School Inspection report

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107891 Unique Reference Number Leeds Local Authority 287943 Inspection number 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates Ronald Cohen Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 220 School

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The local authority Appropriate authority Mrs V Forster Headteacher 4 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Burley Road School address Leeds West Yorkshire LS3 1JP

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0113 2433497 Telephone number 0113 2427587 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates 287943 Inspection number .

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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

This slightly smaller than average primary school, with a nursery, serves a multi-ethnic inner-city community in Leeds. It is in an area where many families experience considerable social and economic disadvantage. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than in most primary schools. Three quarters of the school's pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the vast majority speaks English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils at an early stage of learning English is much higher than in the great majority of schools. About 40% of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the usual. Attainment on entry to the school is well below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features, which provides good value for money. The headteacher and deputy headteacher bring out the best in the staff and focus them sharply on meeting the wide variation in pupils' learning and personal needs. The recently extended leadership team is rigorous in its work, linking developments closely to their impact on the pupils' achievement. This is seen in the good progress pupils make and in the rising standards. Staff and governors have an accurate view of the school's qualities, and this is used well to identify priorities for action. This places the school in a good position from which to make further improvement. There is a very positive climate for learning throughout the school. The pupils' behaviour and enthusiasm make it a happy place in which they can thrive and develop. Good achievement starts in the Foundation Stage. The well structured activities, both indoors and outside, provide

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Grade: 2

children with good opportunities to enjoy their learning. Children settle quickly, and make good strides in their personal, social and emotional skills. Teachers give the youngest children a very good start in the development of spoken and written English. This is built on well in the rest of the school so that pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress. Standards and test results are below average at the end of Year 2, but about average at the end of Year 6. This represents good progress for most pupils from their low starting points on entry, although standards in mathematics remain below average. Learning needs are met well through a good curriculum and teaching which is predominantly good. There is, however, some variation in the quality of learning. This is because pupils are not always encouraged to express their own thoughts, and opportunities to develop and extend pupils' ability to work

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Grade: 2

independently are missed. The investment in skilled and very effective support staff and bilingual assistants is a major factor in the pupils' progress and enjoyment of school. These staff make an outstanding contribution to lessons, to withdrawal groups of targeted pupils and to lunchtime and other activities. This, along with the excellent links established with external agencies and the use of the support they provide, makes a strong contribution to the pupils' good progress. The school is particularly successful in engaging parents and making them aware of the contribution they can make to their children's achievement. This is another important factor in pupils' progress. Parents are very pleased with the outstanding care, support and guidance for their children. Pupils feel safe, secure and very confident that there is always an adult to turn to if they are worried about anything. The pupils' personal development and well-being

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Grade: 2

is good. They thoroughly enjoy all aspects of their learning and make a major contribution to school life.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in mathematics, and provide more opportunities for real-life problem solving in mathematics. ■ Provide more opportunities for pupils to practice their speaking skills

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop as independent learners. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make good progress throughout the school. Throughout the Foundation Stage pupils make good progress, although most do not attain the expected goals for their age in most of the areas of learning by the end of the Reception year. Good progress continues in Years 1 and 2. Despite this, standards are below average, especially in mathematics at the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, standards are close to average but are generally better in science and English than in mathematics. The school has taken action concerning mathematics, and the unvalidated results for 2007 indicate slight improvement. Limited opportunities for real-life problem solving, results in some pupils making slower progress. The school's data show that pupils who have had all of their education in the school generally achieve higher standards than more recent arrivals.

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Grade: 2

Pupils behave well and generally enjoy what their school offers them. Attendance is satisfactory and most pupils arrive in good time for the early morning 'wake up and shake up' routine outside. Pupils are especially enthusiastic about art, sport and extra-curricular activities and love the many different educational visits and visitors to school which enliven their learning. The pupils, from many different ethnic heritages, get on extremely well together and newcomers quickly make friends. The school has achieved the prestigious Stephen Lawrence award in recognition of its exemplary work in racial harmony. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and underpins the 'Rosebank Way', a code of moral values and behaviour that pupils follow in school. They know that their views matter and weekly class council and school council meetings give them a chance to have a say in matters that concern

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Grade: 2

them. As a result, lots of different playground and sports equipment, including an artificial sports pitch, have transformed breaktimes and lunchtimes. Pupils have an outstanding awareness of health and related issues. Year 6 raised money for a forthcoming school trip by designing, making and selling healthy pizzas and smoothies; which also gave them an insight into business enterprise. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives, but their reliance on adults in school and lack of confidence in their speaking skills hamper their levels of independence.

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Grade: 2

There are considerable strengths in the way that teachers manage behaviour and accommodate new arrivals in their classes, ensuring that they settle to work and achieve well. Careful assessments of pupils' needs ensure that those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or those who arrive with little or no English receive outstanding support to help them learn effectively. Where teaching is most effective, teachers' confident explanations make clear to pupils each small step of learning and so they quickly understand, for example, how to spot mathematical patterns or how to write a logical list. Where teaching is less effective, pupils are given too long to do tasks and so they lose concentration and become restless. Opportunities for pupils to practise their speaking skills are missed and this restricts pupils' capacity to work effectively when discussing work with their classmates. While most pupils are clear as to what

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007 they are supposed to be learning at the start of lessons, they sometimes end without involving pupils in assessing their own learning or checking what they have understood. Marking encourages and usually suggests what pupils need to do to improve their work. The school has already planned the next step to link marking with setting individual targets.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is relevant to the pupils' needs and interests. It promotes their academic progress well and is particularly effective in its support for their personal development. Programmes are rigorously planned to support the achievement of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pupils at an early stage of learning English are also catered for well. Physical education plays a key role in school life. Pupils' achievement benefits from a very wide range of high quality enrichment activities. Educational visits and a good range of clubs make an outstanding contribution to pupils' personal and social development. Activities in music and the performing arts have a strong impact on the pupils' personal development. Cultural diversity is celebrated well, and supports the school's outstanding racial harmony. Programmes to extend the small number of gifted and talented pupils are strengthening but are not as effective as

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Grade: 2

those to support other learning needs. This is an area the school plans to develop further, in order to bring their opportunities for success into line with the excellent opportunities afforded to the remainder of the school. This relative weakness prevents curriculum from being outstanding.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding provision for pupils' welfare underpins the work of the school. Child protection and health and safety procedures are in line with the government's latest guidelines. Pupils new to the school are quickly integrated because of the school's excellent systems to help new learners settle in, behave well and treat each other in the 'Rosebank Way'. A learning mentor and family learning parent support adviser give extremely effective additional support and guidance to pupils and their families. This is why parents have extremely positive views, saying: 'The school has a lot of opportunities for both children and parents.' The school is continuously refining its system to further involve pupils in setting their own targets. Academic guidelines are good and give a clear overview of pupils' progress from year to year as well as more detailed information about achievement in literacy and numeracy each half term. This means that any

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Grade: 1

underachievement is quickly spotted and pupils given the extra help they need.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good in very challenging circumstances. The headteacher, ably supported by a very effective deputy headteacher, gives good guidance and encouragement to staff. With the recent important appointment of middle managers to the leadership team she has established an enthusiastic team which has both vision and drive. The team members have clear roles and fulfil their responsibilities well. Management responsibilities are effectively shared across the school and the impact of everyone's work is reflected in the excellent care and personal development of pupils and the good academic progress they make. Through regular monitoring and self-evaluation, areas for improvement and strategies for action are 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007 clearly identified and are appropriately linked to improving pupils' learning opportunities and achievement. This has led to good progress and rising standards. Funding is used well to meet

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Grade: 2

the main priority of having a high ratio of skilled adults working with the pupils. Effective support and guidance are given to help teachers improve their performance. Teachers and support staff work effectively as a team. Their work is valued and consequently, their morale is high. Governors have a good understanding of the school and its work, and are able to act as a 'critical friend' to help it move forward. Improvement since the last inspection has been good, and the school is very well placed to build on its strengths in the future. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Rosebank Primary School, Leeds, LS3 1JP Thank you for being so polite and friendly to us when we recently visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and our conversations with you helped us get a really good picture of your school. I am writing to let you know what we found out. We found that Rosebank Primary School is a good school, and some things in the school, like the way the teachers and other adults look after you, are outstanding. You told us that you feel school is a very friendly place to be, and that you enjoy coming to school. We can see this in the ways in which you very cheerfully take part in the activities which the school puts on for you. We were very pleased that many of you, especially the older children, do so much to help around the school. We were also impressed with the excellent way that everyone gets on with each other. We also found some things that the school could develop which would help you make even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better progress. So we have asked your headteacher and the other teachers to make sure that you get more chances to use your skills in as many subjects as possible, and in as many different ways as possible, but particularly in mathematics. We have asked them to encourage you to talk more with your 'talking partners' in class (but of course not when teacher is talking!) and afterwards, to tell the other pupils in the class what you have been talking about and what you think about the subject your teacher asked you to discuss. We have also asked your teachers to give you more opportunities to find things out for yourselves. We are sure that the new computers, which you will have in school at the beginning of next term, will be of real benefit here. This means that you can expect lessons which are more exciting and make you think more, talk more and write more. With the teachers' help, we believe you will find the work really interesting

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and that you will benefit in the end. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosebank Primary School, 10 °11 July 2007

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