Shawlands Primary School

Shawlands Primary School Shaw Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 6JL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The executive headteacher and head of school have created an effective and dynamic leadership team. Leaders at all levels confidently contribute towards improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The strong governing body has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve still further. They are passionate advocates of this improving school and hold leaders robustly to account for the standards reached.  The new curriculum interests and engages pupils, who say, ‘we now enjoy our lessons and coming to school’.  As a result of effective training and support, teachers have addressed the inadequacies identified at the last inspection. Teaching is now good overall and support staff are used effectively to support pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is now good. They have developed positive attitudes to their work and encourage one another to try hard in their lessons. They have a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

good awareness of how to stay safe when, for example, using the internet.  Attendance is improving and the proportion of pupils that are persistently absent is falling quickly.  Pupils’ achievement is good and continues to improve each term. The majority of pupils now make good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, standards by the end of Year 6 improved significantly in 2014.  Children in the early years benefit from a good start to their school life. They are helped to settle quickly and develop positive attitudes to learning. The proportion of children who are well prepared to start Year 1 improves each year.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teachers’ marking has improved, but some staff are not always thoroughly checking pupils’ corrections. This means some pupils continue to make the same mistakes.  Occasionally, all pupils are given the same mathematics work to complete. This means some pupils find the work too tricky while for others it is too easy. On these occasions, teachers or teaching assistants do not always step in quickly enough to change the activities.  The attainment of all groups of pupils remains below the national average in the Year 1 check on the sounds that letters make (phonics).

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors conducted a number of inspection activities jointly with the executive headteacher and head of school, including observing learning in class and looking through work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their views on behaviour and how the school keeps them safe. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at work in their books.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, school staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed behaviour at lunchtime, break times, around school and during assembly.  Inspectors consider the 19 responses to Ofsted’s online survey (Parent View) and also took account of the school’s own recent survey of parents’ views. Inspectors spoke with a number of parents during the two days of the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own

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Information about this inspection

information on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring, records of behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding and child protection.  Inspectors also took account of the 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jim Alexander, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This is an average sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children who are looked after by the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is below average but rising.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Since the time of the last inspection, there have been a significant number of changes. An executive headteacher (from Gawber Primary School) has been appointed together with a new head of school.

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Information about this school

Three new assistant headteachers have also been appointed. A new Chair of the Governing Body, safeguarding officer and three new governors have been appointed. Four new teachers have taken up post, as well as a new special educational needs coordinator.  A new early years unit and two additional classrooms have been built to accommodate the growing number of pupils who attend the school.  Children in the Nursery attend part time, the children in Reception attend full time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching, by:  checking that when pupils correct their work their answers are always right, in order to ensure pupils learn from their mistakes  always providing work that is not too easy or too hard and stepping in more quickly to adjust tasks if they are not helping pupils make the best progress possible, particularly in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further raise pupils’ achievement by increasing the proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in phonics (the sounds made by letters) the end of Year 1.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher and head of school are rigorous in their drive to improve the school. Clear expectations are set for developing the quality of teaching, raising pupils’ achievement and establishing robust safeguarding procedures.  Teaching and support staff who were employed at the time of the last inspection, have flourished professionally as a result of well-planned training and support. Where necessary, leaders have taken decisive action to effectively address underperformance. The appointment of new staff has also made a significant contribution to the quality of leadership and teaching.  The three assistant headteachers are experienced, enthusiastic and highly ambitious. They are each providing sharply focused leadership of a key stage, together with strong leadership in English and mathematics. Together with senior leaders, they observe teaching and scrutinise pupils’ work to build a

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The leadership and management are good

good understanding of the school’s work. They then provide carefully tailored support and challenge for the individual teachers within their teams.  Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This enables them to plan effectively for the future.  A key strength of leaders’ work is the quality and regularity of the assessment of pupils’ learning and use of this information to track pupils’ progress. This helps leaders to step in quickly if individuals are slipping behind.  The partnership with Gawber Primary School has been instrumental in the rapid and sustained improvements seen at Shawlands Primary. School staff speak very positively about the support and challenge they have received. Leaders are committed to maintain this positive partnership as Shawlands continues on its journey of improvement.  Effective middle leadership is typified by the special educational needs coordinator, who has conducted a

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The leadership and management are good

full review of provision and reassessed all pupils to ensure they receive the help which will best support their physical, educational or emotional needs. This is one example of leaders’ commitment to provide equality of opportunity and to overcome discrimination. The school has made a good start implementing the requirements of the new code of practice.  The curriculum has been reviewed and there are now many improvements. For example, pupils have good opportunities to develop their writing skills across many subjects. Pupils explain that this new way of learning is ‘very exciting’. Leaders are now turning their attention to the way in which phonics is taught (the sounds that letters make) to ensure recent improvements can be maintained.  Leaders have ensured their vision for fairness and respect are now becoming firmly embedded. This is helping pupils develop a good understanding of life in modern British, democratic society.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders use additional funds effectively. For example, the pupil premium funding is helping disadvantaged pupils make good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics and gaps in their knowledge and understanding are closing quickly.  The school has a rich sporting heritage and staff, pupils and parents are proud of the many successes achieved. Leaders, however, are not complacent and are effectively using the sports funding to further extend the opportunities to improve the quality of physical education lessons within the school day.  The local authority provides good support and have also brokered the effective support from Gawber Primary School. Staff speak very highly of the challenge and encouragement they receive from local authority colleagues. The local authority now shares the school’s good practice in the early years with other schools within the authority.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school is robust and comprehensive. Governors bring their professional expertise to challenge and hold leaders effectively to account through the scrutiny of data and regular visits to school. Governors are well informed by senior leaders and also individual governors monitor specific areas, such as the use of the pupil premium funds or arrangements for safeguarding and then discuss their findings at full governors meetings.  Governors have an accurate view of teaching and effectively supported leaders through a number of difficult decisions since the time of the last inspection. Governors have a good understanding of performance management and have used this information to support senior leaders to reward good teaching and tackle previous weaknesses. Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements and regular visits from the named safeguarding governor ensures that best practice is followed.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils develop positive attitudes to their learning. This enables lessons to move along without interruption. Pupils work hard on the tasks they are set and encourage one another to try their best.  Pupils are becoming increasingly independent and are now less reliant on adult support. They work well in small groups or on their own and are not easily distracted. Pupils take pride in their work and the quality of display around the school is good. Pupils keep their classrooms neat and tidy and are very smartly dressed in their school uniform.  Pupils have a good awareness of the different forms of bullying. They explain, however, that bullying is rare and staff help them resolve any differences. Pupils are courteous and friendly to staff and visitors and there is a good working atmosphere within school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils are helped to develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They say, ‘we can always speak to one of our teachers, we know they listen and want to look after us’.  Pupils’ attendance is improving and now in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who were persistently absent was too high, but this figure has been falling week on week and is now below the national average. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, staff now follow up any absence robustly. Secondly, pupils are much more keen to come to school because, ‘it is now much more exciting’.  Procedures for checking staff are not barred from working with children are appropriate and meet the latest requirements.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved and is now good overall. Teachers have benefitted from working in partnership with staff from Gawber Primary School as well as with local authority colleagues.  Positive relationships have been developed with pupils along with appropriate expectations of what should be achieved in lessons.  The quality of marking has also improved and is now good in the majority of classes. Work is always marked and points for development or correction are identified. Pupils are quick to respond. However, on occasions, not all staff check to see if the corrections are right and some simple errors are not always addressed quickly.  The role and deployment of teaching assistants has improved considerably. These staff now provide effective support and challenge and know what should be achieved in a given time.  Generally, pupils are given work that matches their individual ability. This helps them to make good

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The quality of teaching is good

progress in their lessons and increasingly so over time. On occasions, however, all pupils are asked to complete the same work in mathematics, regardless of their ability. This means that some pupils find the work too easy while others find it too hard.  Teachers are developing effective skills at keeping a watchful eye on how pupils are learning during lessons. The majority of teachers now step in quickly to adjust tasks so pupils make good progress in the time available. However, this ongoing adjustment of tasks during lessons is not yet consistently developed in all classes.  The teaching of writing has improved and across the school, pupils are now making good progress. They are developing a good understanding of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Teachers are providing many opportunities for pupils to practice these skills across a wide range of other subjects.  The teaching of reading is also improving and pupils enjoy the focus on a ‘class author’, Allan Ahlberg in

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The quality of teaching is good

Year 2 for example. The teaching of the sounds made by each letter, to younger pupils, is also improving and better progress currently being made. However, too few are reaching the expected standard by the end of Year 1.  The teaching of mathematics is generally good in regard to pupils having a good understanding of their basic number skills. For example, pupils in Year 6 were observed using what they know of their times table to quickly solve number problems. Teachers are now developing more ways of extending how and when pupils use and develop their mathematical skills across a wider range of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Staff and pupils have worked tirelessly to accelerate pupils’ progress and fill gaps in their knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils’ achievement has improved significantly and is now good.  The proportion of pupils reading at the expected standard by the end of Year 1 is improving, but is not at the national average. Standards by the end of Year 2 are also improving and are now broadly average in mathematics and English, although currently remain higher in reading than writing.  Standards reached by the end of Year 6 improved significantly in 2014 and were above average in reading and mathematics and in line with average in writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Teachers are now helping pupils to make good progress in lessons and this is helping them to catch up quickly with work previously missed earlier in their school life.  By the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of pupils who make expected progress is now above average in

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing and mathematics and is particularly high in reading. However, the proportion of pupils who make better than expected progress of those pupils who left Year 6 in 2014 was lower than the national average. School predictions show these proportions will improve further by the end of 2015 due to the good progress currently being made by pupils in Key Stage 2. Successful efforts are being made by staff to make sure pupils catch up quickly.  The school’s work to challenge the most able pupils is paying off. Most are now making good progress and for some pupils in upper Key Stage 2 progress is outstanding.  Disadvantaged pupils are also benefiting from effective support and they too are now also making good progress. This is helping to close gaps that exist within school and with all pupils nationally. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils left school eight months behind others in school in their reading, but similar to other

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils nationally. In writing, disadvantaged pupils left school seven months behind others in school and five months behind all pupils nationally. In mathematics, disadvantaged pupils left 11 months behind others in school, but only two months behind all pupils nationally.  An increasing proportion of pupils are joining the school who have English as an additional language. These pupils are being helped to make the same good progress as others in their class.  Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are provided for effectively. They are also making good progress overall, although more strongly in reading and writing than in mathematics.

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The early years provision is good

 The majority of children start the early years with skills below these typically expected for their age. Approximately a quarter of children start school with skills that are significantly below those of others because of some developmental delay, particularly in speaking and listening and also in number work.  Regardless of their starting point, children are helped to settle quickly, develop positive attitudes to school life and soon make good progress. As a result, the majority are well prepared to start Year 1.  Provision in the early years has been transformed by the new building. Additionally a recently appointed leader has brought vision and experience to the team and has ensured that leadership and management is good. Teachers and adults now operate as an effective team and provide memorable experiences for the children.  Teaching is good and children’s learning is continually assessed and staff use questions well to consolidate

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The early years provision is good

children’s understanding and extend their thinking well.  Staff have developed the inside of the classrooms for children to move freely to find well-designed activities that interest them. Children’s behaviour is good and in both the Nursery and Reception classes and children respond quickly to instructions and are eager to please. Staff are now developing the outdoor provision to match the quality found inside.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 106564 Local authority Barnsley Inspection number 453787

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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 290 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kath Kelly Headteacher Julie Brown (Executive headteacher), Lee McClure (Head of school) Date of previous school inspection 16 July 2013 Telephone number 01226 287177 Fax number 01226 296365 Email address l.mcclure1@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 and 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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