Scawthorpe Castle Hills Primary School

Scawthorpe Castle Hills Primary School Jossey Lane, Scawthorpe, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 9ED

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school. Not enough teaching is good or better and as a result, some pupils do not make as much progress as they should.  Although many pupils make expected progress too many do not. Too few pupils make good progress.  Pupils’ attainment overall is below average in English and mathematics.  The school’s curriculum is newly organised and is not taught consistently across the school.  The school’s views of its performance are not fully accurate. Inspectors found that some areas judged by the school to be good are requiring improvement.  Although members of the governing body challenge the school well and know most of its strengths and weaknesses, they rely too much on the headteacher for information.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils enjoy school and say that they feel safe while they are there.  Children get a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are taught well. This allows them to make good progress in their learning.  Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour is good.  The subject leaders for English and mathematics monitor their subjects well. They know the strengths in their subjects and where improvements need to be made.  Since the previous inspection the school has worked hard to improve attendance and this is now average.  The school enjoys good support from parents.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 10 teachers teaching in 17 lessons. One lesson was a joint observation with the headteacher.  They observed pupils in lessons, at play, as they moved around the school and in assemblies.  Discussions were held with the staff, members of the governing body, pupils and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors heard pupils read from Years 1, 2 and 6. They analysed in detail the written work of pupils in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6.  Inspectors took account of the 12 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), and also the results of the school’s most recent parental questionnaire.  Inspectors considered the findings of the previous inspection report.

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Inspection team

John Foster, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sally Hicks Additional Inspector Susan Twaits Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an averaged-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. A small proportion of pupils are from a range of other minority ethnic backgrounds. Almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those children who are looked after by the local authority and those of serving forces personnel.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards that set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by:  making sure that teachers’ planning is focused more closely on what pupils are to learn  setting work that stretches pupils of all abilities so that they make the best possible progress  giving pupils more opportunities to investigate for themselves rather than teachers spending too long on explanations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in English and mathematics further by:  raising staff’s expectations about what pupils are capable of achieving  using the results of robust assessment to set tasks that are at the right level to make pupils think  involving all staff in checking that work set for pupils is successful in bringing about improvements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by:  developing the role of the governing body through governors being more directly involved in checking how well the school is doing and in planning for its future  making sure that the school’s views of how well it is doing are accurate, based on secure evidence  consolidating the newly developed curriculum through involving pupils more fully in what and how they are to be taught so that their learning activities engage and excite them.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children start in the Nursery class with skills and knowledge that are well below those typically expected for their age. They are taught well and as a result make good progress in their learning. They are given a wide range of activities inside the classroom which are well planned to help them to develop their skills. The outdoor learning area is not as good as the indoors in helping children to learn and improve.  Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, most pupils make broadly expected progress. The inconsistent teaching they receive, however, means that some make less, and only a few make good, progress. Pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics, by the end of Year 6, is below that to be found nationally. The work set for pupils, and particularly the more able, is often too easy for them to make the best progress possible.  Although nationally published data indicate that girls do better than boys, the school’s records

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and inspectors findings indicate that there is little difference in the performance of boys and girls.  The school’s systems for checking on pupils’ progress do not always give a clear enough picture of where pupils are and what they need to learn in order to improve. As a result, the planning for the next stage of pupils’ learning is not always accurate enough for developing their skills.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well and do just as well as other groups of pupils.  Pupils enjoy reading. They use their knowledge of letters and sounds well to work out words they are unsure about. They are enthusiastic about their reading books and as one pupil said, ‘I chose it because it looked to be fun.’ They told inspectors they read regularly in school and at home.  Pupils’ writing skills are developing soundly. By the end of Year 6, most write in a range of styles

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

though the quality of work varies widely. They write across a range of subjects to help them to improve their writing skills.  By the end of Year 6 pupils’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics are such that they are satisfactorily prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is variable across the school. At its best, the good teaching helps pupils to learn well and to make good progress. Too much teaching observed was not good enough so that pupils did not make as much progress as they should.  In the best lessons teachers plan well for pupils’ learning needs. They make sure that each pupil is set work that is at the right level for them to make the best progress. In these lessons pupils are keen to learn because their teachers make learning fun. In a Year 1/2 English lesson, for example, the teacher encouraged a group of less-able pupils to use adjectives to describe a picture of the ‘Three Wise Men’. They were keen to learn and joined in enthusiastically.  Where teaching is not as good, teachers’ planning is aimed at what is to be taught rather than what pupils need to learn. In these lessons pupils’ needs are not always met, they lose concentration and learning slows. This is particularly the case with some of the more able pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good overall and particularly good in the Nursery class. Teachers plan tasks that give children many opportunities to investigate their surroundings and to learn together. The teachers have high expectations in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this is reflected in the positive ways children respond to their teachers.  The quality of teaching for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is variable, similar to that found for other groups of pupils. This means they make similar rates of progress to the other groups.  One of the strengths of the teaching is the way in which teaching assistants are used to support pupils’ learning. In most lessons the teaching assistants know exactly what they have to do to support pupils’ learning. They make sure that they give pupils, and particularly those with special educational needs, all the help possible. Relationships between staff and pupils are good overall

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and pupils know that they can ask for help with their work from any adult in the classroom.  The quality of teachers’ marking is inconsistent across the school. Where it is at its best, pupils are given clear information about what they are doing well and how they can improve their work. In some classes, this does not happen well enough and pupils are unclear about how to get better.  Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well in lessons. Pupils are given many opportunities to work together through joint tasks or through discussion in pairs and groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school because if there is a problem it is dealt with by the staff quickly and effectively. Parents agree that the school keeps their children safe.  Pupils know what constitutes bullying and how they should behave if they experience bullying in school. School records and pupils’ comments show that, although rare, there are a few instances of bullying at the school. Pupils say that when this does occur it is always sorted out quickly.  As they move about the school, most pupils are considerate to others and help one another in their school life. Over time behaviour has improved with fewer instances of poor behaviour recorded. Pupils support this view.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not always positive. For example, in some classes pupils do not always behave as well as they could and this slows down their learning and that of the other pupils in the class. This is frequently linked to the quality of teaching and pupils’ interest in what

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

they are learning.  Since the previous inspection, the school has developed good systems for checking on attendance and as a result, attendance has improved year by year so that it is now average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection the school has made sound progress in addressing the issues identified at that time. Attendance has improved and subject leaders are checking more closely what is happening in their subjects.  The school’s views about how well it is doing are not fully accurate. In checking its performance the school has over-estimated its impact on some aspects. For example, the school judges teaching to be good while inspectors found that it requires improvement. The quality of teaching has improved overall, but there is still not enough good teaching to move learning on at a fast pace. When observing lessons, senior leaders concentrate on the quality of teaching rather than on the quality of pupils’ learning. This is reflected in teachers’ planning where not enough emphasis is given to what pupils are to learn.  The subject leaders for English and mathematics work well together to check on how well their

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The leadership and management requires improvement

subjects are progressing. They work alongside the headteacher to undertake lesson observations and lead staff meetings to help other teachers to improve.  The curriculum is newly developed and has had limited time to raise standards. It is used to develop learning across a range of topics decided by individual teachers for their classes. Pupils are not involved in deciding which topics are to be used for their lessons, although in some classes they have a say in which aspects of the topics most interest them. This lack of involvement diminishes their interest. The range of learning opportunities for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. A good balance of adult-led and free play activities allow the children to make good progress.  The school’s arrangements for checking on the performance of staff are undertaken regularly. The results are used to provide appropriate professional development for the staff and for the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

governing body to make decisions about pay progression.  The arrangements for safeguarding are thorough and meet all current requirements.  The local authority recognises the school as needing support and has provided regular visits to support and check on its improvement.  The governance of the school:  Governance requires improvement. Members of the governing body recognise many of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and they support the headteacher and staff in their work. While the governing body holds the school to account, members of the governing body rely too much on the headteacher for information about how well the school is doing and what needs to be done to improve it further. Members of the governing body are not involved well enough at the earliest stages in checking on the school’s work or in drawing up plans for its future. Members of the governing body have a good understanding of the school’s finances.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

The funding for pupil premium is used well to support this group of pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 106693 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 405048

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 256 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cheryl Pinder Headteacher Alan Smith Date of previous school inspection 28 September 2010 Telephone number 01302 780246 Fax number 01302 783830 Email address head@castle.doncaster.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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