Roman Hill Primary School

Roman Hill Primary School has improved markedly since its previous inadequate inspection and no longer requires special measures. Inspectors found a positive, calm culture, good behaviour and personal development, good leadership and management, and good early years provision. The school is part of Kingfisher Schools Trust, whose targeted support during a challenging period is recognised, and staff report that leaders manage workload and wellbeing well. Safeguarding is effective. However, the quality of education requires improvement. Pupils' work and outcomes are not consistently strong, especially for older pupils in national assessments. Assessment is not applied consistently across subjects, so misconceptions and errors are sometimes missed and repeated. Lesson activities are not always well planned or matched to pupils' needs; some pupils finish quickly while others struggle, so work does not consistently reflect their ability. Strengths include effective early reading and support for the weakest readers, typically effective SEND provision with exceptionally strong provision in Puddleducks, good behaviour and attendance work, and a well-designed personal development and early years curriculum. The main improvement priorities are to make assessment consistent across all subjects and ensure lesson activities are coherently planned so all pupils achieve well.

Strengths

• Effective early reading programme and strong support for the weakest readers
• Well-trained staff deliver the reading programme and books match pupils' ability
• Typically effective SEND identification and support
• Exceptionally strong provision for pupils with the highest SEND needs in Puddleducks
• Pupils behave well in a calm, orderly school
• Pupils are polite, confident and enthusiastic about learning
• Effective action is taken against bullying where it occurs
• Strong attendance support, including pupil attendance ambassadors
• Well-designed early years curriculum and activities
• Detailed PSHE programme and strong pupils' knowledge of online safety
• Wide range of activities, visits and clubs
• Substantial positive leadership changes since the previous inspection
• Trust provides appropriate and targeted support
• Staff report a positive working environment with workload and wellbeing considered
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement
• Assessment is not applied consistently across subjects
• Pupils' misconceptions and errors are not always identified, so mistakes can be repeated
• Work is not always coherently or sufficiently well planned
• Lesson activities do not consistently match pupils' needs, with some finishing quickly and others struggling
• Pupils' work does not consistently reflect their ability
• Outcomes for older pupils in national assessments are not yet strong

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Roman Hill Primary School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.3% of pupils at Roman Hill Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Roman Hill Primary School had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 25.1% of pupils at Roman Hill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Roman Hill Primary School received £8,569 and spent £8,136 for each of its 421 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £86,000 (-£204 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Kingfisher Schools Trust, income was £7,914 and spending £8,139 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Lowestoft · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Roman Hill Primary School is part of Kingfisher Schools Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Sir John Leman High School Beccles
• Southtown Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Northgate Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Alde Valley Academy Leiston
• Snape Primary School Saxmundham
• Stowmarket High School Stowmarket

What is Roman Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Roman Hill Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Roman Hill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Roman Hill Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Roman Hill Primary School have?

Roman Hill Primary School has 375 pupils on roll.

What age range does Roman Hill Primary School cover?

Roman Hill Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Roman Hill Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Roman Hill Primary School?

Roman Hill Primary School is at Avondale Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2NX.