Rowhill School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

Pupils are welcomed into school each day by staff and the school’s therapy dogs. This supports a settled start to the day. In classrooms, pupils are generally engaged in their learning. During social times and around the school, some pupils do not behave well enough due to inconsistencies in the approach to managing behaviour. However, most pupils enjoy coming to school and say they feel safe. If any bullying or discrimination occurs, pupils trust that staff will listen and deal with it effectively. Pupils are valued, and their wide-ranging needs are generally understood at this school. Pupils develop positive relationships with the committed staff. They know staff will support them. The pastoral and wellbeing provision is a strength of the school. Effective partnerships with parents and carers support pupils. This helps most pupils, many of whom have had a negative experience of school, to re-engage with education. Attendance at the school is improving for most pupils. Many pupils benefit from strategies that address their individual barriers to achievement. Where this is the case, and where the curriculum is taught most effectively, pupils make progress from their starting points. This enables most pupils to access the broad range of qualifications that are available. However, across the school, the quality of the curriculum and teaching is inconsistent. This results in some pupils not progressing as well as they could. A well-considered and appropriate programme of personal development extends across the curriculum. In addition, all pupils have access to wider enrichment opportunities. These prepare pupils for life after school. For example, pupils take on responsibilities as peer mentors or members of the school council. The most vulnerable pupils, who need extra support, benefit from the bespoke programmes they receive in the school’s on-site alternative curriculum provision. This helps these pupils to overcome the multiple barriers to learning they face.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that high expectations for behaviour are understood by all staff and that these expectations are consistently applied across the school.
• Leaders should ensure that effective teaching is embedded across the school so that all pupils progress well across the curriculum.
• Leaders and governors should develop a robust understanding of their roles and responsibilities, ensuring that precise and appropriate actions drive swift improvements across all areas of the school's work.
• Leaders should rigorously monitor the progress of all pupils and analyse data to ensure their strategies make a sustained difference to pupils' opportunities and experiences.

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