Rossendale School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 December 2024

Pupils at Rossendale School arrive enthusiastic and prepared to learn. Staff greet them in a friendly way. They know pupils as individuals. Staff treat pupils with sensitivity and care. This is a compassionate place to learn. Staff understand pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Parents and carers value this. Pupils are challenged to be their best. The school is ambitious for them. In many ways, the curriculum ensures that pupils fulfil these ambitions. Typically, pupils achieve well after a disruptive previous educational experience. Pupils learn in classrooms which are calm and orderly. They learn how to behave well, supported by high-quality pastoral support which staff provide. From time to time, when pupils find it hard to control their behaviour, staff respond thoughtfully to help them to regulate their feelings. Overall, pupils show tolerance and respect for each other's needs and differences. The school ensures that pupils learn beyond the academic curriculum. There is a vast range of experiences for them, which are intentionally planned. This prepares pupils very well for adulthood and life beyond the school. For example, pupils help in their local area as part of completing their Duke of Edinburgh Award, developing their life skills.

What the school should improve

• The school's systems for checking and evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum lack rigour. As a result, it does not have a robust understanding of what works well and what needs to be improved. The school should ensure that it monitors carefully the effectiveness of the different subject curriculums, making amendments and refinements when required.
• At times, the school does not analyse in sufficient depth the information available about pupils' behaviour and attendance. This limits the effectiveness of its approach in this aspect of its work. The school should ensure that it analyses, evaluates and acts on its findings to improve pupils' attendance and behaviour further.
• Some parents do not feel that the school communicates as effectively as it could with them about their child's learning. This reduces these parents' ability to understand about their child's learning and how to support them. The school should ensure that it reviews how it communicates with parents to give them a greater understanding of the curriculum and their child's learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)