Rose Hill Primary School in Ipswich judged 'requires improvement' by Ofsted as too many pupils cannot read well by the time they leave

A primary school in Ipswich has been told to improve by Ofsted after it found that too many pupils cannot read well by the time they leave.

Rose Hill Primary School, in Derby Road, was judged 'requires improvement' by the watchdog, which found that leaders have an over-generous view of the quality of education.

Inspectors said that while pupils are safe and happy, and often receive support regarding issues such as bullying, many do not have the opportunity to build on what they know in some areas of the curriculum.

A report based on the findings of the inspection in June, said: "Too many pupils cannot read well by the time they leave Rose Hill.

"These pupils do not have the right support to help them catch up so they are ready for secondary school."

While pupil behaviour, personal development and early years provision were rated 'good' by the watchdog, the quality of education, as well as the leadership and management, were areas for improvement.

The report said: "While leaders focus on all pupils having a love of reading, they have not identified why the reading curriculum is not supporting pupils well enough to learn to read.

"The reading curriculum does not help pupils who struggle to read learn to read fluently.

"Consequently, there are a significant number of pupils in Key Stage 1 who are not able to read well enough to access the rest of the curriculum."

These criticisms apply to both the main school and pupils with special needs, it added.

However, inspectors praised the early learning development for younger pupils, which helps prepare them for later school.

They also praised the behaviour of students and said there were many activities for pupils to engage with.

Students also enjoyed extra responsibilities such as becoming class ambassadors or eco leaders.

School leaders placed emphasis on engaging with parents, which had led to them giving an overwhelmingly positive review of the school.

Ofsted said the school trust had not been rigorous enough with monitoring the quality of education, instead relying on leader's evaluations without checking themselves.

The report said: "As a result, they have not identified or been aware of the weaknesses in the quality of education provision."

It did, however, praise safeguarding in the school, stating it was at the forefront of everybody's minds.

Ofsted said the main areas for improvement were ensuring the curriculum prepares students for later education, supporting students who struggle to read properly, and trustees and governors having systems in place to accurately monitor progress.

The school was approached for comment.