Summer Lane Primary

Summer Lane Primary School Summer Lane, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 2BB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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.  Pupils achieve well from their different starting points to reach standards of attainment that are now above average.  Approximately half the pupils work at a higher than expected level for their age in English and mathematics.  Pupils are fond of reading. They read and write well. Mathematics is a notable strength in which the most-able pupils excel.  Teaching is consistently good or better. Lessons are fun, interesting and challenging.  Teaching assistants give expert help to pupils who are supported through pupil premium funding.  Pupils behave well. They are good at working together and learning from each other.  Pupils clearly feel safe. They clearly thoroughly enjoy school for they describe it as ‘Joyful, everyone is friends.’  The leadership of teaching is very good and has significantly improved teaching quality since the last inspection.  The school is well led and managed by an

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enthusiastic and knowledgeable leadership team who sets high standards but knows how to make school a happy place for everyone.  Governors play a full part in helping the school to improve at a rapid rate.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always give pupils time to respond to developmental points when they mark their work. This means that pupils tend to repeat mistakes.  The outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage does not have enough practical activities to get children working things out for themselves or to develop good early writing skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 18 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 11 teachers and teaching assistants and sampled all the phonics lessons (lessons when pupils learn how letters and sounds link together) in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.  The inspectors held meetings with staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and one governor, a representative from the local authority and three groups of pupils from Years 3 to 6.  The inspection took into account the 23 responses in the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspectors also talked to some parents informally when they came to read and have breakfast with their children before school started and also after school.

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Inspection team

Lesley Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Smith Additional Inspector Jonathan Woodyatt Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are White British. A small minority come from minority ethnic groups, the largest being Polish and Portuguese. A few are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives additional funding through the pupil premium is above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The headteacher and two assistant headteachers started in January 2012 after a short period of acting leadership.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that teachers give pupils time to respond to developmental points in marking so that pupils learn from their mistakes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:  including more practical activities to develop children’s writing skills  giving children more opportunities to learn through investigation, discovery and solving problems to get them thinking and finding out for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils, including those new to learning English, achieve well from individual starting points that are generally below expected levels. An increasing proportion each year reaches or exceeds a good stage of development by the end of the Reception Year. The trend in the school’s results in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 is upwards.  Most-able pupils do well. Each year, an increasing proportion reaches higher than expected levels in English and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because teachers match work closely to their needs. Most reach expected levels in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Pupils who are supported through the pupil premium achieve as well as others in school because every day they have extra support both before and during lessons. A significant proportion attains above expected levels by the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2012 national tests, the attainment of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals was approximately two points ahead of similar groups nationally in English and mathematics. Their attainment equalled that of other pupils in this school.  The school clearly promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination successfully.  Nursery and Reception children make rapid progress in their personal and social development and in their communication, early reading and mathematical skills. This is because adults take every opportunity to promote children’s learning in these areas.  Children’s achievement in early writing skills is less strong. Outside, some of the activities they undertake do not extend their learning through solving problems, making discoveries or incorporating writing into a wide range of play situations.  Attainment by the end of Key Stage 1 is broadly average and improving steadily each year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Attainment in reading and mathematics is higher than in writing where pupils have some catching up to do. Results in the Year 1 phonics screening check are above average.  By the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is now above average. Almost all pupils reach expected levels and over half exceed them.  Pupils read with great interest. They skim read competently and scan texts for information in a range of subjects. Pupils from Year 2 upwards talk enthusiastically about favourite authors. They are keen buyers of bargain books from the school’s bookshop.  Pupils write well by the end of Year 6. They use a wide vocabulary and punctuate effectively. They revel in words such as ‘tranquil’ or ‘translucent’ and suggest improvements to each other’s writing such as ‘try using brackets’.  Attainment in mathematics is a notable strength. Two-thirds of pupils exceed expected levels. In the 2013 national tests at the end of Year 6, 9%, including pupils supported through the pupil

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The achievement of pupils is good

premium, achieved the level expected of 14-year-olds.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good and has outstanding elements in several classes.  Teachers use teaching assistants very effectively to support pupils in their class who are eligible for support through the pupil premium. Each day, pupils go over previous work or preview something they might struggle with. Their learning accelerates as a result.  Most-able pupils often start on tasks sooner than other groups because teachers recognise that they do not need as much initial teaching. This enables them to reach higher levels of attainment because they are encouraged to work at a faster pace.  Lessons are usually fun and challenging. Pupils say, ‘Teachers are really helpful, they always come round and check your work.’  Teachers prepare thoroughly to ensure that pupils spend the maximum amount of lesson time working independently. Work in books is prefaced by printed instructions and criteria which pupils check and then evaluate whether they have done the tasks successfully. This teaches

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils to be self-critical.  Their response to teachers’ meticulous marking is less effective because teachers do not give pupils any time to respond to their comments. This means that pupils tend to repeat mistakes because they do not learn from previous errors.  Pupils are expected to apply new skills and to learn from each other. For example, in a mathematics lesson, after a quick focus on why pupils had chosen particular calculation methods, the teaching moved pupils on to create their own problems for others to solve.  Teachers expect pupils to set their work out neatly and accurately. As a result, pupils have good handwriting and set out mathematical calculations clearly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are full of enthusiasm. They are keen to learn and proud of their achievements. They are also realistic about what they need to do to improve further. Their good behaviour in lessons enables them to make consistently good progress.  Pupils learn to be self-reliant. They explained, ‘We try to work as a team. Other people on our team help and if we’re stuck then we ask the teacher.’  The school council represents pupils’ views well. It is currently helping to design an outdoor classroom for everyone.  Pupils are very keen on sport, especially tag rugby. They enjoy competing against other schools and talk animatedly about learning ‘how to pass and throw the ball.’ Regular physical education lessons as well as extra-curricular clubs make a good contribution to pupils’ physical and mental well-being.  Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying, racism or unkind name-calling in their school. The

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

school’s records confirm their positive views. They say, ‘Everyone counts and everyone’s got something special in them.’  Pupils have a good knowledge of different types of bullying, including e-safety. They explained, ‘We do a lot about this in assemblies, it makes you think.’ They are confident that adults in school would help them if they were worried about anything.  Attendance is below average but improving each year. While most pupils attend well, the school has to work closely with a small number of families to improve attendance. The school can demonstrate the improvement in pupils’ achievement as a result of its efforts.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of teaching is very effective. Senior leaders devised a model of teaching to suit the specific needs of pupils in this school and then coached and mentored staff. They check teaching quality frequently. The result is consistent teaching methods, good practice in every class and considerable improvement since the last inspection.  Performance management is used well to underpin this process. Regular meetings to discuss individual pupils’ progress mean that teachers are fully accountable for their pupils’ achievements.  These factors contribute to staff’s strong sense of teamwork. They are keen to improve their practice further because they can see that most pupils are making better than expected progress as a result.  The timetable has been organised to maximise the opportunities for staff to work together and for senior leaders to check teaching quality efficiently. Fortnightly checks on pupils’ work in

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The leadership and management are good

books are instrumental in raising teachers’ expectations of handwriting and highlighting some shortcomings in marking.  The school is beginning to support other schools informally while it firms up its own systems and practices to check their effectiveness over time.  The curriculum is very well thought out to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness as well as their academic achievement. A regular event is a challenge day when staff and pupils have no idea what the day holds in store for them until they open the envelope that gives them their instructions! Such days require all age groups and staff to work together as equals. This explains why pupils say, ‘It’s a fun school and a bit crazy.’  The school uses the sports premium to facilitate access to competitions, specialist teachers, updating equipment and resources and to further staff’s professional development.  The local authority gave intensive support to the school immediately after the last inspection but

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The leadership and management are good

reduced this to light touch because the school improved rapidly.  Safeguarding meets statutory requirements and systems ensure that pupils and staff are safe.  The governance of the school:  Governors make a strong contribution to school improvement. They know how well pupils, including those supported through the pupil premium funding, are progressing. They have worked closely with a collaboration of schools to ensure their own practice is very effective. They have good systems and procedures to check how well the school is doing, including the management of staff and how well teaching is led. They set high standards to ensure that the school improves at a rapid rate ‘on its journey to being outstanding’.

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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 131459 Local authority Barnsley Inspection number 425850

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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 296 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Collins Headteacher Rob Smith Date of previous school inspection 4 October 2011 Telephone number 01226 205363 Fax number 01226 294404 Email address summerlane.primary@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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