Rose Hill Primary School, located in Oxford, was inspected on 11 and 12 October 2022. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, along with several key areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This was the first inspection under the Education Act 2005 since the school became an academy in September 2018.
The school is characterized by a caring environment where pupils feel welcomed by their teachers, fostering positive relationships. Pupils engage well with each other during playtime, particularly enjoying the climbing equipment. The new headteacher is working to raise expectations among staff and students, but improvements in learning are still in the early stages. Consequently, many pupils do not achieve their full potential across the curriculum.
Behaviour among pupils is inconsistent, with instances of disruption during lessons. Staff management of behaviour lacks consistency, and not all teachers maintain the same high expectations for classroom conduct. Although pupils express that they feel safe and have trusted adults to approach with concerns, there is a lack of understanding about bullying among younger pupils, and some older students do not recognize the importance of reporting such incidents. When issues arise, staff respond promptly.
The curriculum at Rose Hill Primary is not yet well-structured or sequenced, leading to unclear expectations regarding the knowledge and skills pupils should acquire. In the early years, there is insufficient focus on developing communication and language skills, and vocabulary development is not emphasized throughout the school. While some subjects align with termly themes, this approach prioritizes activities over essential knowledge.
Assessment practices are underdeveloped, with inconsistent checks on pupil understanding across lessons. However, leaders are prioritizing reading and have introduced a new reading scheme that is positively impacting pupils' confidence and fluency in reading. Despite this, not all staff are adequately trained to implement the scheme effectively, although a support program for staff development is planned.
Most pupils with special educational needs and disabilities learn alongside their peers, but the curriculum is not always adapted to meet their needs. Recent initiatives, such as the introduction of one-page profiles, aim to provide staff with essential information to support these pupils better. While behaviour in lessons can be calm, it is often disrupted by distractions, and staff do not consistently address low-level disruptions.
Pastoral care is a strength of the school, with dedicated staff supporting attendance and safeguarding. However, leaders have not been sufficiently ambitious in improving attendance rates, which remain high. Punctuality has improved, but further work is needed in this area.
Leaders have not focused enough on the broader development of pupils, particularly in personal, social, and health education. While pupils learn about democracy and cultural awareness, opportunities for extracurricular activities have not fully resumed since the pandemic. The River Learning Trust has plans to support the school's improvement, and governance has recently been strengthened.
The safeguarding arrangements are effective, with a strong culture of safety embedded within the school. Staff are trained to identify and report concerns, and the safeguarding team collaborates with the pastoral team to provide necessary support for pupils.
To improve, the school must develop a well-planned and sequenced curriculum, establish clear assessment and feedback practices, and enhance behaviour management systems. Leaders need to take decisive action to address attendance issues and ensure that extracurricular opportunities are available for pupils. Overall, while there are positive aspects to the school, significant work is required to ensure that all pupils receive a high-quality education.
