Rose Street Primary School

Rose Street Primary School Inspection report

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118348 Unique Reference Number Kent Local Authority 302716 Inspection number 12 °13 December 2007 Inspection dates Graeme Bassett 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 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 151 School The governing body Appropriate authority John Bromiley Chair Alan Bayford Headteacher 18 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection Rose Street School address Sheerness ME12 1AW 01795 663012 Telephone number 01795 664933 Fax number

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3-9 Age group 12 °13 December 2007 Inspection dates 302716 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 average sized primary school draws most of its pupils from its immediate neighbourhood. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Almost half of the pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and this is well above average. Over the past year the school has experienced significant changes. The school is now part of the Sheerness West Federation of two primary schools, Rose Street Primary and West Minster Primary. Both schools have the same governing body and come under the leadership of the executive headteacher, with Rose Street Primary school under the direct leadership of the head of school. The new arrangements came into force in September 2006. Because of reorganisation in the local authority, Rose Street Primary school will become a full age range primary school with Years 5 and 6 pupils on roll in 2009. Building work is currently underway to form additional classrooms. Children's

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Description of the school

attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes) is currently very low, especially in their communication, language and literacy skills and in their development of calculating skills in numeracy. The school is working towards a Basic Skills award and have Active Skills Mark and Healthy School status.

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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: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school and there are many positive signs to show that it is steadily improving because of its good leadership and management. Last year there were significant changes of senior staffing which caused disruptions. Following the federation with a neighbouring school and the appointment of the new executive headteacher and the head of school, many new initiatives are bringing about improvements. Some of these developments have not yet had time to show their full impact, but current priorities focus upon fostering pupils' confidence to develop a belief that they can do well. This is proving to be successful. The good pastoral care, guidance and support are the cornerstone of all improvements and the way staff care for all pupils is a strength of the school. Staff say 'each child is valued, respected and wanted'. This is very evident as all pupils are included in all that the school does.

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Grade: 3

Because of the dedication of staff, pupils' personal development and well-being are good. The school is endeavouring to involve more parents in the life of the school and, as a result, most pupils and their families have positive attitudes toward school. Pupils say they enjoy school because teachers make learning fun. They talk enthusiastically about their work and school and, apart from a few pupils who on occasions find it difficult to settle down, most behave well. Even though attendance is satisfactory and most pupils come to school punctually and willingly, a small minority of parents do not do enough to ensure their children attend regularly. Nearly all pupils are aware of how to remain safe, be healthy, and know how to avoid things that could harm them. Teaching is satisfactory overall and is better now than during the last inspection when some lessons were unsatisfactory. Good teaching is to be found in a number of classes, but this is

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Grade: 3

not consistently so across the school. Good teaching and an inspiring environment help children make good progress through the Foundation Stage. Most of the teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good and, because of this, pupils build successfully upon their previous skills, knowledge and understanding. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve well and standards are steadily improving, although they are below average. However, teaching of the older pupils throughout Years 3 and 4 is no better than satisfactory because lessons often lack the rigour and challenge that is noticeable in the younger classes. Recently developed assessment records are accurate, but this data is not used robustly enough to plan tasks that ensure that all pupils do as well as they should. Consequently, progress slows down in Years 3 and 4 and, although achievement is satisfactory, standards remain below average and very few pupils reach higher levels of

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Grade: 3

attainment. Some teachers do not ensure that pupils respond to comments written in their books and progress is often restricted because pupils do not fully understand what they need to do next to improve their work. The curriculum is satisfactory and links made across different subjects make learning purposeful and enjoyable. However, early morning tasks that are chosen by pupils are not structured or challenging enough and often pupils spend too much time repeating activities.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. Children's personal, social and emotional development flourishes in stimulating classrooms and well organised outdoor areas. The well organised routines develop the children's concentration well. The quality of 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007 teaching is good and awakens the children's interest effectively. The records that teachers keep about each child's progress are thorough. They provide accurate assessments that show how well each child is doing and what needs to be done to improve further. Children achieve well. They make good improvements by the end of the Foundation Stage from their very low starting points, although most children do not reach the national goals set for children of their age.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils respond to teachers' marking so that it is clear that they understand how well they are doing and what they need to do next. ■ Make sure that all curriculum time is productive, and that where tasks are chosen independently they are purposeful and challenging enough to promote acquisition of new skills and understanding. ■ Ensure that teachers use the analysis of assessment records robustly in their planning to ensure that every pupil makes good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory, but which have areas of underperformance, will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory overall, but pupils' rates of progress vary across the school. Children make good progress through the Foundation Stage in spite of their weak literacy and numeracy skills on joining the school. Progress is also good across Years 1 and 2 for all pupils, including the large proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Even though standards reached are below average in reading, writing and mathematics, standards have risen and the results of the national tests for end of Year 2 in 2007 were the best for several years. There is no significant difference in the achievement of the boys and girls but very few pupils reach the higher levels of attainment. Currently, most pupils achieve better in writing than in reading because of the strong directive throughout the school to improve phonics and spelling skills. Throughout Year 3 and 4, pupils' progress falters. Achievement is only satisfactory overall

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Grade: 3

because teachers' use of assessment data to plan tasks is not as well organised as in the earlier year groups. Currently, standards are below average in English, mathematics and science.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good and are central to the school's determination to improve the care and support for all pupils. Nearly all pupils cooperate well. They are friendly, polite and helpful. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is good and this is enhanced through opportunities for pupils to sit peacefully in the school's 'sea garden' (an oasis in the heart of the town) to read quietly. Pupils' cultural development is supported well by the arts. Pupils feel safe. There are few bullying and racist incidents and pupils know there is always someone they can talk to if they have problems. The older pupils contribute effectively to the school community through their jobs as monitors, working for the Eco-team and the school council. Whilst pupils have a good understanding of how to live healthily, some are not always able to put this into practice, saying they like chocolate snacks and crisps too much. Nonetheless,

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007 the school successfully raises awareness of healthy food by providing opportunities for all pupils to eat vegetables which they grow in the school's allotment. Pupils' economic well-being and preparation for the next school are sound, but held back by below average standards in literacy and numeracy. Attendance is now satisfactory, but is often spoilt by a minority of pupils who, despite the school's very good efforts to support them, are frequently absent.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with some aspects that are good. Teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) well, especially the interactive whiteboards, to stimulate pupils' interest. Teaching is stronger in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 than it is in Years 3 and 4. Most teachers in the former year groups plan tasks that match effectively the needs of the different ability groups. This ensures that pupils steadily build upon what they have learned before, a relative weakness in the teaching of Years 3 and 4. Across the school, the teaching and learning of new investigating and research skills are not always highlighted enough through the activities planned to improve pupils' knowledge and understanding. Teachers do not check that pupils respond to the written comments in their books and, as a result, they have no indication that pupils understand how well they are doing

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Grade: 3

The curriculum has satisfactory breadth and balance. It is becoming increasingly purposeful and enjoyable for pupils, especially where teachers establish good cross-subject links. The curriculum has a marked impact upon the pupils' personal development and well-being. The school enriches pupils' cultural and spiritual development effectively with visits to the beach and other places of local interest. Recently, pupils in Years 3 and 4 visited Canterbury Cathedral. The windows and the chapel for St Thomas à Becket inspired their writing and artwork. Teachers do not, however, always establish enough structure when pupils follow their own interests at the beginning of each morning. This often leads to the needless repetition of known skills without sufficient development of new skills. Two modern foreign languages, French and German are developing well and this adds to pupils' cultural development. The broad range of

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Grade: 3

extra-curricular activities, such as sewing, art, sports clubs and gymnastics, enhances pupils' personal development well and pupils are eager to take part.

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is a strength of the school. All staff show great care and concern to ensure that pupils' personal development and well-being are good. All reasonable measures are taken to ensure that pupils stay safe. Teachers and teaching assistants have a clear understanding of the needs of different groups of pupils, such as the large number with learning difficulties and disabilities. Use of additional support from other services is developing well for those who need it, including the drive to improve attendance. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007 Tracking records, established only recently, plot each pupil's progress accurately from the termly assessments of standards for reading, writing and mathematics. However, this data is not always analysed and acted upon quickly enough to make sure all pupils do as well as they should.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher of the federation and the head of this school take a very strong role in leading school developments. Since their appointments, they have accomplished many significant changes that are improving the quality of education throughout the school. The school's self-evaluation is reliable and identifies the strengths and weaknesses very accurately. Senior leaders have established a clear agenda to bring about improvements, but know that this will take time to complete. However, many developments, such as the building of pupils' confidence, have already had a good influence upon raising standards and achievement. The governors are knowledgeable and give good support to the school. They carry out their responsibilities well and maintain a prudent watch over the budget in preparation for future developments. Whilst the school's self-evaluation has led to marked improvements, it has largely been conducted by senior leaders. The responsibilities of the team leaders for different

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Grade: 2

year groups are developing steadily, but they are not yet sufficiently involved in checking on the quality of teachers' planning and the extent to which curriculum plans are fully met. Since many of the initiatives have not yet had time to show their full influence, the capacity to make any necessary improvements is currently satisfactory but improving. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 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: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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?

2 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: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 December 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Rose Street Community Primary School, Sheerness ME12 1AW Thank you for helping us when we recently visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and finding out about your school. We found that your school provides you with a satisfactory education and that you do some exciting things. There is a good team spirit in your school and it is a happy place. These are the things that are particularly strong in your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Those who lead and manage your school have clear ideas of how to bring about improvements and, as a result, it is improving well. ■ The teaching is satisfactory overall and in some classes it is good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The links that your teachers make between subjects makes your learning more interesting and meaningful. ■ Most of you are developing good attitudes towards your work and each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know a lot about keeping safe and you understand how to remain healthy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are very polite and your behaviour is generally good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Staff look after you and care for you well. There are still some ways in which your school could be better. We have asked your headteacher and governors to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure you respond to the written comments that your teachers make in your books so that it is clear that you understand how well you are doing and what you need to do to improve ■ ensure the teachers make better use of the time when you choose your independent activities, to make certain that you develop new skills and understanding ■ make better use of the records that are kept about your progress to ensure that every one of you improves your standards of work in reading, writing and mathematics. Once again, thank you for your cooperation. You can help even more by asking your teachers how you can make your work better. Yours sincerely Graeme Bassett Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Rose Street Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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