Rowan House School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 February 2024

Leaders and all staff have created a special place. Pupils are looked after, safe and valued. The school is warm and welcoming. Relationships between pupils and adults are positive. Pupils who have not attended other schools for a considerable time come to school almost every day. They say that school is 'awesome!'. Staff are aspirational. They want pupils to do well. The curriculum is ambitious with a high focus on developing basic skills in writing, reading and mathematics. These subjects are carefully planned and taught well. This means that pupils make gains in their learning over time. In a few areas of the curriculum that are not as well established, pupils do not learn and remember as much as they could. Pupils generally behave well, though, on occasion, low-level disruption does affect learning. Pupils say that school helps them to make friends. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils say there is always someone to talk to if they feel worried or upset. Alongside taught lessons, pupils gain valuable experiences outside of the classroom that support their social development. The curriculum is enriched with educational trips and visits to the local community. These opportunities help to prepare pupils for their next steps.

What the school should improve

• A few areas of the curriculum are not as well established as others. This means that pupils do not learn a broad range of important content. The school needs to make sure that pupils are able to study in sufficient depth across the curriculum so that they learn and remember more over time.
• On occasion the behaviour of pupils affects the learning of others. This means that some pupils are not able to learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that there are strategies in place to make sure that if pupils are experiencing difficulties, other pupils are still able to learn.

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