Carrfield Primary Academy

Carrfield Primary Academy Highgate Lane, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S63 8AL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The Principal and Deputy Principal provide clear and purposeful leadership which results in good teaching and achievement. The governing body is effective and led well.  They receive good support from the academy chain. Consequently, this academy has got off to a strong start.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress in English and mathematics throughout the school.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are keen to learn and inquisitive. They are well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils with special educational needs, supported at school action and school action plus, achieve well because of the carefully targeted support they receive.  The overall quality of teaching is good. It is sometimes outstanding. Teachers plan lessons well and ask good questions to secure pupils' understanding.  Skilled and enthusiastic teaching assistants make a good contribution to the quality of teaching and learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils are well-behaved and take their responsibilities seriously. They are polite and respect their teachers and other adults.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally teachers provide too much unnecessary information and guidance, which slows the rate of pupils' progress.  Teachers do not always ensure that pupils act on guidance they receive through marking and feedback.  In a few lessons opportunities are missed for pupils to use and apply their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons including three joint observations with the Principal and Deputy Principal. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, a representative of the academy chain, and members of staff including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities. The inspector also heard pupils read from Key Stages 1 and 2.  Inspectors took account of 10 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the outcomes from the school’s consultations with parents. Inspectors spoke to seven pupils who requested to speak to the inspection team.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including data on pupils’ current progress, the school development plan, performance management documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Bernard Dorgan Additional Inspector Diane Buckle Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is similar in size to the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from White British families.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding allocated to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority and the children of forces families.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also average.  Carrfield Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1st September 2012. When its predecessor school, Dearne Carrfield Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be satisfactory.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the already good teaching to outstanding by:  ensuring teachers do not slow the rate of learning by giving unnecessary instruction  regularly involving pupils in addressing the issues raised through marking and feedback  taking advantage of all opportunities for pupils to use and apply their literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils' progress is good throughout the school. Pupils of all abilities have built well on the levels of attainment they started school with. Their progress reflects the good quality of teaching they receive. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are at least average in Year 6.  Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills which are generally below those typical for their age. They progress well through carefully structured and exciting activities. Early reading, writing and number skills are rapidly established and children develop a curiosity about the world around them.  Pupils eligible for free school meals supported by the pupil premium make good progress. They are working at standards which are similar to other pupils in response to well-planned sessions to boost reading and writing skills and encourage their enjoyment of learning.  Those supported at school action and school action plus who have special educational needs

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The achievement of pupils is good

make good progress from their starting points. In particular, they generally acquire effective reading and writing skills which enable them to tackle a wide range of subjects and succeed well.  All pupils enjoy reading and talk confidently about the authors and styles of books they prefer. They apply their knowledge of letters and sounds well to work out unfamiliar words. They read often for a wide range of reasons in response to enjoyable challenges such as 'Reading Miles'.  Progress in writing is good. Pupils present their work well with careful handwriting and generally accurate spelling. The content of their work is increasingly mature and exciting, particularly when pupils' writing is linked to their other studies such as historical biographies or to books the class is studying. Very occasionally their progress is limited by worksheets which provide too much support and constrain pupils' productivity.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The pupils achieve well in mathematics. Pupils have good recall of number facts and calculation strategies in response to fast-paced questions. They generally solve mathematical problems well, especially when presented in real-life situations such as enterprise projects where pupils plan and manage charitable and other profit-making activities.  Pupils make good use of information and communication technology (ICT). For example, they make very good use of e-readers to improve their reading skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy their lessons. Teachers make good use of attractive resources, drama, games and ICT to motivate pupils and generate a strong interest in learning. For instance, pupils in Year 1 are inspired to write emotional reports in response to well-chosen clips of the child catcher in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and their own subsequent role play with props.  Lessons are well planned. Teachers use regular and accurate measures of pupils’ progress to set challenging work for pupils of different abilities.  Teachers manage pupils' behaviour well and create a friendly atmosphere of hard work and eagerness to succeed. As a result, pupils of all abilities persist with their work and present it well.  Teachers’ knowledge of the subjects they teach is good and their expectations are high. They generally encourage pupils to think for themselves and use their learning skills.  Occasionally teachers provide unnecessary instruction which slows the pace of learning, either

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The quality of teaching is good

by giving too much information before pupils start work or using too complex worksheets. For example, sometimes teachers continue to show a series of prepared PowerPoint slides even though it is clear that most pupils understand the points being taught and are ready to begin their individual work.  Teachers and teaching assistants ask very good open questions to gauge pupils’ understanding and assess their progress. They ensure all groups of learners respond and model good examples for pupils to follow.  Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. Skilled teaching assistants provide sensitive and targeted support when needed whilst encouraging pupils to work as much as possible on their own.  Teachers mark work effectively overall and provide good feedback in English, mathematics and other subjects. However, they do not always ensure pupils follow up on the guidance given and correct errors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers strongly promote pupils’ understanding of letters and sounds through work which is closely matched to pupils' ability, regardless of age. They guide pupils well to read with expression and understand the deeper meanings of the text.  Numeracy is well taught through fast-paced and imaginative activities to help pupils retain number and calculation facts.  Overall, teachers make interesting links between subjects to make learning relevant. However, occasionally, opportunities are missed for pupils to reinforce and apply their literacy and numeracy skills in all their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils treat each other with respect and consideration. They work and play well together and take good care of each other, especially in the playground. They understand and follow the school's motto of 'Best Work, Best Manners and Best Behaviour’.  Pupils behave well in classrooms and around school. Relationships between pupils and adults are good. When work is not challenging enough, pupils lose concentration and, very occasionally, do not manage their own behaviour well enough. This limits their progress  Pupils take their responsibilities seriously. They contribute well to the effectiveness of school rules and the positive ethos through their roles on the school council and Eco-council. There are very few incidents of poor behaviour and these are well managed by teachers and support staff. There have been no exclusions.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of how to stay safe through anti-bullying projects

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and experiences on residential and other visits. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying and feel that very little goes on. They have a particularly good understanding of the potential dangers of the internet through their work on the safe use of computers. The school is rigorous in tackling any discrimination and in promoting diversity and equal opportunities for pupils to succeed.  Pupils respond well to the strong moral and social guidance they receive. They develop positive attitudes to life and learning through the teaching of common values and adults' high expectations. Pupils are introduced to ethical issues through their learning in different subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Principal provides a clear vision for school improvement which is shared by staff, the governing body and parents alike. He is ably supported by the Deputy Principal, the senior leadership team and subject leaders, who are enthusiastic and committed to the school's success.  The school receives good support from the academy chain. This has ensured the successful creation of the new school and the good will of all involved. There is good support to management and governance through regular, professional consultations and good-quality training which is further strengthening the quality of leadership.  Systems to help teachers and leaders to be even better at their jobs are challenging and applied rigorously. The Principal and his deputy provide good role models and are skilled in observing teaching and setting targets for teachers to aspire to. As a result, the school is largely aware of the relative weaknesses in the quality of teaching and is increasingly well placed to address

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The leadership and management are good

them. However, actions have not yet ensured that enough teaching has moved from good to outstanding.  Staff are held accountable for the progress their pupils make and are subject to fulfilling stringent criteria to achieve the next salary level. Several staff undertake extended professional training to reinforce their leadership skills.  Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through different subjects and the many opportunities for pupils to participate in extra-curricular sporting and creative activities.  The school works closely with parents and keeps them well informed through regular newsletters and reports. As a result, parents hold positive views of the school.  Policies for safeguarding pupils meet legal requirements and are supported by good policies and record keeping.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and informed through detailed reports from the Principal and

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The leadership and management are good

the governors’ increasingly useful checks on the school’s work. The governing body makes good use of training opportunities. Governors check the quality of teaching by asking probing questions about data which show how much progress is made by different groups of pupils. They make sure that decisions about how to use the funds available are in the best interest of the pupils. For example, they closely scrutinise the progress made by those in receipt of pupil premium funding and track its impact. They appropriately decide whether teachers and staff should be rewarded with salary increases and review targets for the Principal.

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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 138702 Local authority Barnsley Inspection number 409485

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 272 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Cross Principal Steve Poxton Date of previous school inspection 8 February 2011 Telephone number 01709 893121 Fax number 01709 888167 Email address s.poxton@barnsley.org 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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