Roe Farm Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time in this welcoming school. They get along well with each other.

Pupils are polite and respectful. They say that they feel safe in school. Pupils are confident that if they need support, staff will help them.

The school's motto, 'together we can make a difference', is lived out across school. Pupils work together and support each other. Pupils enjoy celebrating success linked to the school's values.

Leaders ensure that pupils' personal development is a priority. Pupils benefit from the nurture provision and being part of the weekly group to develop mental health awareness.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.
<...br/>Pupils behave well. They remind one another of the expectations when moving around school and do so sensibly. Pupils say that bullying very rarely happens.

They say that when it does occur, staff deal with it quickly.

Pupils achieve well in some subjects, for example in writing, geography and physical education (PE). However, this is not the case in all subjects.

At times learning is not planned to ensure that pupils know more and remember more of what they are learning. Pupils in Year 6 do not experience the full breadth of the curriculum. This affects their enjoyment of learning.

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

Leaders and governors have been slow to ensure that the curriculum is well planned. Leaders have prioritised some subjects, for example writing and geography. However, in other subjects, such as reading and mathematics, leaders have not thought enough about what they want pupils to know and remember.

Subject leaders do not check closely how well the curriculum is being taught. Assessment systems are in the early stages of implementation and have not been embedded.

Leaders have not ensured that all teachers consistently implement the planned early reading curriculum.

When teachers implement the planned phonics scheme well, pupils learn their phonics quickly. Teachers check pupils' knowledge and most pupils read books that are matched to their needs. However, some pupils do not benefit from consistent teaching of phonics.

These pupils fall behind and do not get off to a good start with their reading.

Leaders do not check that all pupils are appropriately challenged in mathematics. Teachers follow a planned curriculum, but this is not sufficiently ambitious for all pupils.

In most year groups, teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils have learned before. However, in Year 6 lessons are focused on gaps in prior learning in preparation for formal assessments. Teachers teach mathematical concepts, but there is insufficient depth to the learning.

Pupils do not build on their knowledge and skills well enough.Leaders have ensured that PE is planned and taught well. The subject leaders and PE specialists share their expertise and support other staff.

Pupils develop knowledge and skills systematically in most areas. However, pupils in key stage 2 are not taught dance. Leaders have plans to improve this aspect of the provision.

Pupils work hard in lessons and listen well to the teacher. They are respectful of staff and their classmates. Pupils say that teachers deal with disruptive behaviour.

Some pupils do not attend school regularly. For some pupils, attendance at school is too low.

Pupils enjoy the variety of after-school clubs on offer.

Leaders encourage all pupils to attend. Pupils enjoy trips, for example to Warwick Castle and Cadbury World. Pupils learn about different religions.

However, leaders have not ensured that pupils receive enough breadth and depth in their personal development learning. Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be.

Staff are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff provide extra support when it is needed. Pupils with SEND have access to the full curriculum.

Children are happy and confident in the Nursery and the Reception classes.

Routines are quickly established to support children. They benefit from a well-resourced provision, which supports children to develop their independence. Children develop their writing skills well.

However, the early years curriculum is not carefully planned. For example, mathematical learning is not thought through carefully to enable children to know more and remember more. Staff work closely with families before children start school.

This helps staff to get to know the children well.

Leaders are considerate of staff workload. Staff appreciate the support they receive.

They enjoy working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils know that they can talk to staff if they have any concerns or worries.

Staff are well trained and share concerns with leaders. Leaders work effectively with external agencies. They make sure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

Pupils learn how to stay safe. They know how to use the internet safely and how to stay safe within their community.

Leaders make the right checks on staff before they start to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In some subjects the curriculum is not well planned. Pupils do not experience an ambitious curriculum that systematically builds their knowledge and skills as they move through the school. As a result, older pupils have gaps in their learning and have to catch up.

Leaders need to continue to develop the curriculum and ensure that it matches the breadth and ambition of the national curriculum, particularly for pupils in Year 6. . Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve in core subjects such as reading and mathematics.

As a result, pupils do not achieve their best. Leaders should ensure that more aspirational curriculum plans are developed and implemented to enable pupils to know more and remember more over time and achieve what they should. .

Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum for phonics and early reading is well planned and implemented. Pupils' reading skills are not as strong as they should be. Leaders must ensure that the teaching of reading meets the needs of pupils to give them reading skills to develop a love of reading and access to the whole curriculum.

. Leaders have not developed the curriculum to enable pupils to deepen their understanding of different cultures and life in modern Britain. Leaders need to ensure that pupils have greater opportunities to widen and deepen their learning.