ROSENDALE PRIMARY
Nursery, Reception and In-Year Admissions
September 2025 entry
“This is a truly joyful place where pupils thrive”
Ofsted, 2024
“The school’s offer for personal development is excellent”
“The school keeps up with educational research to deliver excellent provision”
Ofsted, 2024
Welcome
I have been Headteacher at Rosendale since 2013 and I have worked in the school since 2003. During that time, I have seen Rosendale grow into the outstanding school that it is now, with a long track record of great academic results and a formidable reputation for valuing sport, languages and the arts as well.
All that we do here at Rosendale is based on the evidence of what works in schools. That means that sometimes we do things differently to other schools, for example our children work in mixed attainment teams using structures to support their language and learning and it means that we are constantly seeking to improve and we are not afraid to change.
Rosendale is an inclusive school with a wealth of expertise in providing the best possible education for all pupils including all those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We do this by removing barriers to learning and providing the bespoke support that our pupils need.
We place a great deal of value on our relationships with parents and the local community. Rosendale is very proud to be a part of the Dunraven Educational Trust.
Kate Atkins, Head Teacher Rosendale Primary School
We are delighted to have Rosendale Primary as part of our family of schools. The school’s aim is ‘Pursuit of Excellence’ and it has already done much of which it can be very proud.
As a parent, you want to be confident that your child will be known at school as well as you know them at home. Rosendale is a nurturing and friendly school which means that your child will be seen as the person they are rather than simply as one member of a class.
Remarkable things are happening at Rosendale. We look forward to sharing them with you.
David Boyle, CEO Dunraven Educational Trust
Aims and Ethos
Rosendale School is restless in its pursuit of excellence. We are a school where everyone is welcomed, efforts are valued, ambition is nurtured and where the potential of every child is realised.
We celebrate our diversity and have high and equal expectations of all pupils, regardless of social, cultural, linguistic or ethnic background. We are committed to ensuring that all members of the Rosendale community are valued.
The staff, children and governors worked together to find five words to describe Rosendale. These five words have become the foundation of our school values.
• Welcome. The children wanted to show that Rosendale is known for making sure everyone in its community feels included. We welcome everyone with a smile every morning.
• Cooperate. Represents our commitment to mixed attainment cooperative learning. Much of our success comes from working together as a team, supporting and learning from each other.
• Challenge. We expect everyone - children, staff and families - to strive to be the best they can be. It also represents the huge number of opportunities that we provide for children to explore the wider curriculum, try something new and learn about themselves.
• Excite. The children wanted to show how great it was to be a pupil at Rosendale and the staff wanted to recognise how much they enjoy working here. Rosendale is a school that wants to give everyone opportunities.
• Understand. To show how important Rosendale’s community is to the identity and ethos of the school. We appreciate the diverse local community in which the school sits, as well as recognising what it means to be part of a thriving capital city, and to make sure we give the children all the skills they will need to be part of a developing global community.
“Rosendale has always been welcoming, friendly and inclusive.”
Parent
Curriculum
We want to nurture in our children a strong sense of connection with themselves, with their community, with nature and with the wider world.
We want to help children discover their passions by giving them a wide range of skills and knowledge. We want the children to understand their responsibilities as global citizens but also to have the choices and freedoms that will enable them to flourish as individuals. Our curriculum will be planned with purpose and taught with passion so that children learn more, know more and remember more.
“There are many in the school that do so much for
our children
-
the
After School Club staff, admin and management staff and TeachsportI want to extend my thanks to all of them”
Parent
Rosendale’s curriculum provides all our children with a broad and balanced education. We want to nurture in our children a strong sense of connection with their community, with nature and with the wider world. Our curriculum will help children discover their passions by giving them a wide range of skills and knowledge.
Reading is at the heart of all that we do. Our classrooms and our school library are full of books chosen by staff, families and children that capture the imagination. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success and we want to see all our children develop a life-long habit of reading for pleasure.
Our curriculum also encourages our children to see themselves as scientists, artists, musicians, computer programmers, historians and geographers. Children at Rosendale recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. They are inspired to be curious about planet Earth and its people. They think critically and know how art and design reflect and shape our history and define how we think about the world. They learn musical notation and learn to play wind, percussion and string instruments. They use information technology not only to learn how to program but also to enhance their learning across the curriculum.
Through the curriculum our children will understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. Research evidence has shown that taking part in PE and sport not only keeps children physically and mentally healthy, it can support the development of social skills, social behaviours, self-esteem, positive attitudes to school and even academic and cognitive development. In partnership with Teachsport, children at Rosendale develop knowledge, skills and tactical awareness in a range of sports including cricket, hockey, tennis and football and participate in fitness, dance and swimming.
All About Us
Rosendale has a long history of engaging with research to make sure that we are offering the best possible teaching and learning opportunities.
Our Theory of Pedagogy
Rosendale uses mixed attainment teaching and structures throughout the school day to promote oracy and peer to peer coaching. The approach we use is Kagan Cooperative Learning and we are now the only Kagan Model School in the UK supporting other schools across the country to implement this practice.
“The biggest difference between the Kagan approach and teaching using traditional methods is the ability to engage every student.”
- Dr Spencer Kagan
“The welcome that pupils receive at the school is palpable”
Ofsted, 2024
Rosendale has experience as a research school and now works in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation to promote evidence-informed practice in the classroom. Teachers and leaders in the school work locally, nationally and internationally with a range of organisations to promote the use of evidence in schools and to develop effective implementation strategies. In the last two years, Rosendale has examined Rosenshine’s Principles of Learning, developing a cycle of learning that informs our planning and ensures that all our pupils can meet the learning outcomes of every lesson.
Extra Curricular and Extended Childcare
We run a Breakfast Club which is open to all children who attend the school from 7.45am. Children are offered hot and cold breakfast items and cold drinks. We also provide an After School Club until 6pm where children are provided with tea. Children can take part in a range of fun indoor and outdoor activities to encourage their physical, creative, cultural and imaginative development.
School Lunches
All children are now entitled to receive free school meals. Our nutritious school meals are made onsite by Harrisons Catering using fresh, natural ingredients. Special dietary requirements are catered for.
Our Daily Routine
The school day starts at 9am and finishes at 3.30pm. The school gates open at 8.50am and close at 9.05am, and reopen at 3.25pm and close at 3.35pm.
Outdoor Learning
Rosendale is fortunate in having an extensive Nature Garden with a greenhouse, growing beds, a pond and an apple orchard. Children enjoy a course of workshops run by staff members and external providers. We grow our own herbs and vegetables from which we have made our own jams and chutneys. Our early years and year 1 classes have an outdoor classroom and our playgrounds are spacious with climbing frames, planters and space to play.
School Library
Rosendale has a long history of promoting a love of reading and reading for pleasure. Our library used to be housed in a double decker London bus which won the SLA Library Design Award just months before it was opened by Sir Michael Morpurgo. When the bus came to the end of its life, we moved the library into a new space. Award winning author David Baddiel opened the new library in 2022. All children have access to our fantastic library which is open after school every Wednesday and Friday. Parents can visit with their children to read together and borrow books to take home.
Working with Families
The school strives to have good communication with all parents and carers as we recognise the important role families play in supporting their children to learn.
We communicate with families using a number of channels including:
• SeeSaw, an online remote learning platform allowing parents to view children’s work and messages from the teachers.
• Class blogs where families can see what the children have been learning about.
• Sending a regular newsletter to parents.
• Sharing information via our website and Twitter (X) account.
• Workshops for our early year’s parents and carers to show them how we teach phonics and maths.
• Inviting families to class assemblies.
• Holding termly parents evenings.
• Annual written pupil reports.
• We operate a class contact system, usually one or two parent volunteers, who liaise with teachers and organise class social events.
Friends of Rosendale
All parents, carers and guardians of children at Rosendale, along with teaching staff are automatically members of The Friends of Rosendale. The Friends strengthen links between the school and local community, organising social and fundraising events and raising funds for specific items. The Friends also arrange coffee mornings, and second hand uniform sales every half term.
“I love working at Rosendale where the grass is truly the greenest it could be”
Member of Staff
“Relationships are built on high levels of trust and mutual respect”
Ofsted, 2024
Positive Behaviour
Rosendale takes an evidence informed approach to all that it does, including how we work with children and families to promote positive relationships and good behaviour. ‘Improving Behaviour in Schools’ is a guidance report produced by the Education Endowment Foundation and we have used it to inform our policy and our practice.
We know and understand our pupils and their influences and use this knowledge to create strong teacher-pupil relationships. We teach learning behaviours which are behaviours that are necessary in order for children to learn effectively in the classroom such as paying attention to the teacher or persevering with a difficult task.
We have organised classrooms and clear expectations with a clear system of rewards and consequences. Our children understand the green or red choices they make and love to be awarded ‘whole class green choices’ or individual house points.
Sometimes pupils need more intensive support with their behaviour. A tailored approach to support an individual’s behaviour complements the school’s behaviour policy without lowering expectations of any pupil’s behaviour. And consistency is key. While classroom-level strategies have a big impact on pupil behaviour, consistency and coherence are paramount at a whole-school level. Everyone in the school knows our behaviour expectations and we work together to make sure that our school is a safe, happy environment for all.
“My
child comes home with a big smile on his face - thank you for making learning so much fun”
Personal Development
While children are at Rosendale we nurture and support their personal development alongside their development of knowledge and skills. We provide all pupils with an exciting and challenging curriculum which celebrates the diverse community we are part of, and helps children develop a deep understanding of the world in which we live and of others views.
In Religious Education lessons (RE) children develop a knowledge of and respect for different people’s faiths and values. During Relationships and Health Education lessons (RHE) children learn about topics such as families, friendships and wellbeing. Our English curriculum ensures diverse representations through the selection of high quality texts.
Beyond the curriculum the children have a rich, wide range of experiences that develop their talents and interests. Planned trips, visits, events and experiences enrich and develop the children’s cultural capital for example our Around the World in 80 minutes event celebrating the diverse nature of our school. In addition to our after school club activities we also have chess, writing and art competitions, drama productions and musical performances.
Inclusion and SEND
Rosendale Primary School is an inclusive school that welcomes and values every child. All children are fully included in all aspects of school life and all staff are responsible for the successful teaching of children in our school community.
Part of the school’s strategic planning for improvement is to develop policies and practice that include all learners. This does not mean that we will treat all learners in the same way but that we will respond to learners in ways which take account of their varied life experiences and needs.
We recognise that many pupils, at some time in their schooling, will experience barriers to their learning and will benefit from supported intervention. For some, this will be specific and short term, and for others their needs may be life-long and require more intensive support.
We work in partnership with speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, autism advisory service and the community paediatric service to make sure that programmes to support children are well researched and evidence informed and that our staff are well trained and supported.
“From our very first interaction with Rosendale, the contact with all staff - including and especially the office team - has never been anything other than supportive and informed”
Parent
“Lessons are well designed so that all pupils can access subject content with confidence. Adaptations for pupils with SEND are highly effective”
Ofsted, 2024
“Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary”
Ofsted, 2024
Admissions for September 2025 entry
The deadline to submit Reception applications is Wednesday 15 January 2025. Applications are made using the Common Application Form for your home Local Authority.
Families are encouraged to submit Nursery applications by Friday 28 February 2025. Application is via our website. In-Year admissions are accepted all year round. Application forms are available on our website or from the school office.
See the Admissions Policy on our school website www.rosendale.cc. for details.
Head Teacher
Ms K Atkins
Deputy Head Teachers
Ms J Boothroyd
Ms E Gee
Chair of Governors
Ms S Salako
CEO
Mr D Boyle CBE
ROSENDALE PRIMARY
Rosendale Primary School
Rosendale Road, West Dulwich London, SE21 8LR
admissions@rosendale.cc 0208 670 4962
www.rosendale.cc
Follow us on Twitter (X) @RosendaleSchool
