Rowlands Gill Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 June 2023

Leaders have worked hard to bring about sustainable improvements since the school was judged to require improvement. They have created a welcoming, calm and inclusive school where expectations are high for all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They achieve well. Many parents recognise the improvements that have been made and appreciate the good quality of education that pupils receive. Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes. They play cooperatively together, for example, during football games where boys and girls happily play alongside each other. Bullying is not a problem in the school. While pupils say that there can sometimes be name-calling and arguments, they are clear that adults quickly sort out these issues. Pupils know that there are trusted adults in school who they can go to if they are worried. There is a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. After-school clubs such as karate, art and coding club are often oversubscribed. Pupils can choose to take on responsibilities such as being a school councillor or a recycling champion. They can also get involved with the local community through initiatives such as the digital voice project where some older pupils are supporting local, elderly residents with learning how to use technology.

What the school should improve

• Subject leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. However, sometimes the tasks that teachers give pupils in lessons do not enable them to learn this knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers make appropriate pedagogical choices about the activities that pupils complete in lessons so that they develop detailed knowledge and skills.
• Teachers' expectations in terms of pupils' application of basic skills are not consistently high, particularly in the foundation subjects. For example, instances of incorrect letter formation in key stage 1 are often not addressed. Similarly in key stage 2, pupils sometimes omit basic punctuation or do not apply taught spelling rules and adults do not correct this. Leaders should ensure that teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils across all subjects.

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