Wales Primary School

Wales Primary School School Road, Wales, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S26 5QG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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

 Since the previous inspection, leaders have brought about improvements in the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics and raised attainment at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2.  The headteacher leads the school well and she has created a strong, united team. All leaders, including middle leaders and governors, have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They work effectively together to continue to make improvements.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are excellent. They are extremely polite, exceptionally well behaved and very keen to learn. Pupils love school and feel very safe.  Good teaching enables pupils to achieve well. Valuable support is provided for those who are disabled or have special educational needs. The needs of the most-able pupils are also well catered for so they reach high standards.  Additional funding is used effectively to close the gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and others in the school.  All pupils make good progress from their starting points. In 2014, standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 were well above the national average.  Children make good progress in the early years because teaching is good and it is well managed. Children quickly settle into school routines and learn to behave well and respect each other from the outset.  Parents are highly supportive of the school. They are invited into school regularly and are strongly encouraged to be involved in their children’s education.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very effectively and enhances the school’s welcoming and orderly environment. All pupils have a high level of respect and appreciation for others.  Governors are very knowledgeable. They provide high levels of challenge and support to senior leaders in order to make sure that teaching and achievement are consistently good.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to enable higher numbers of pupils to make rapid progress.  Boys do not always achieve as well as the girls in the early years.  Teachers do not routinely check on the progress of pupils in Key Stage 1 in the phonics groups or adjust activities to make sure that teaching matches the needs of all pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. They saw 14 part-lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with groups of pupils, members of the leadership team, the headteacher, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 76 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school.  Responses to the inspection questionnaire from 29 staff were received and their views taken into account.  The inspection team listened to pupils read, talked to them about their learning and reviewed the work in their books.  The inspectors reviewed a number of documents, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports following lesson observations,

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Information about this inspection

and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  A nursery and playgroup operate on the school site, but these are not managed by the governing body and are, therefore, inspected separately.  Since September 2014, the early years provision comprises two Reception classes. All children in these classes attend full time. All other year groups have only one class at present.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. Very few pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language.  Approximately 11% of pupils in the school have special educational needs. This is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided for pupils previously known to be eligible for free school meals or those in local authority care, is below average at 17%.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The headteacher is a local leader of education and supports other schools locally.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching so that more is outstanding and thereby accelerate pupils’ progress, by making sure that:  teachers in the early years plan activities which engage boys to enable them to close the gaps in attainment with the girls in all areas  teachers in Key Stage 1 use the information available about pupils’ progress in using letters and sounds (phonics) to adjust the ability groups that pupils work in regularly and routinely so that teaching meets their needs more effectively  best practice is shared widely across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and focused leadership. She is ably supported by her governing body and leadership team. Staff morale is high. Together, leaders and staff have successfully created a culture of outstanding behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.  Good achievement and teaching have been maintained and developed further since the previous inspection. High quality training and support are provided to help teachers develop their practice even further. Support is also available for teachers new to the school or profession to acquire the expertise needed quickly.  Senior and middle leaders have a clear understanding of strengths and areas which need further improvement. They draw on their in-depth knowledge to generate tightly-focused action plans to drive identified areas forward rapidly. For example, the focus on raising standards in mathematics resulted in higher levels of challenge being set for all pupils and additional teaching provided for the most able. As a

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The leadership and management are good

result, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in mathematics in 2014 was well above average.  Senior leaders carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching and carefully analyse information about pupils’ progress. Through regular observations, senior leaders provide feedback to teachers and follow up any improvement areas. They carefully analyse information about the progress made by all groups of pupils in different subjects and different year groups. This is regularly shared with governors. The impact of all of this is that support is quickly provided for pupils or staff to ensure high standards are maintained.  An effective system for managing the performance of teaching staff is in place. Challenging annual targets are set for teachers as part of the school’s drive for continuous improvement. These are linked to whole- school priorities and staff pay. Pay awards are given only to those who demonstrate that pupils make at

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The leadership and management are good

least good progress.  Leaders strongly promote equality of opportunity for all pupils and as a result, have taken steps to make sure that all groups, including disadvantaged pupils, make as much progress as other pupils in the school. The pupil premium is used to good effect to provide a good range of focussed support for disadvantaged pupils. Regular checks are made on how well these pupils are achieving. The school’s own information shows that the in-school gaps in attainment are diminishing for current year groups.  The sport premium has been used well to train teachers and improve the quality of teaching in physical education. As a result, staff are more confident in their teaching and pupils’ core skills, such as balance, agility, throwing and catching, have all improved. Additional equipment has also been purchased to extend the range of sporting experiences for pupils, for example, indoor athletics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has adjusted and reviewed its planning in order to deliver the new curriculum. It has developed and begun to implement its approach to assessment. Leaders track and measure the progress of pupils in different subjects. The curriculum is carefully planned to meet the pupils’ interests. After-school clubs, visits and visitors contribute to pupils’ enjoyment of school and provide them with memorable experiences.  Leaders strongly promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils who spoke to inspectors said discrimination of any kind was not tolerated and that the school fosters good relations with all. Pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong, appreciate and respect those from different backgrounds and with different beliefs, and understand the principles of democracy. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and have an initial understanding of British values.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides light touch support as they rightly have confidence in the leadership of the school. They also utilise the skills of the headteacher as a local leader of education to support other schools with their school improvement.  Arrangements for safeguarding pupils and staff are effective and meet all statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  Good governance contributes significantly to school improvement. Governors have a broad range of skills and expertise which they put to good use to challenge school leaders strongly, but equally give optimum support. They are not complacent and are determined to raise standards even further.  Governors receive regular and comprehensive reports from senior staff on how well the school is performing compared to other schools. They are familiar with published data and school information about the progress made by all groups of pupils. They know how the pupil premium and sport funding

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The leadership and management are good

are used and the impact this funding is having on the learning of eligible pupils.  Challenging targets are set for the headteacher by governors. They are kept fully informed about teachers’ performance. As result, they have a clear understanding on the quality of teaching. They check that pay increases for teachers and leaders are awarded only where there is evidence that pupils are making good progress.  Governors attend regular training to keep their skills and expertise up to date. All statutory duties are fulfilled, including that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements and that finances are managed well.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They display a considerable desire to learn and apply themselves fully to all tasks set. They work enthusiastically in all lessons and regularly gauge their own learning. This contributes to their good progress. Very high levels of respect are shown to adults and other pupils. Pupils move seamlessly and very sensibly between the different buildings of the school for various lessons. Even when there was heavy snow during the inspection, pupils’ conduct was exemplary, both indoors and when changing buildings in blizzard conditions.  The views of parents, staff and pupils are very positive. Parents have great confidence in the care that the school provides and pupils agree that they feel happy and safe in school. Behaviour is consistently exemplary in lessons and at break times as a result of effective support and supervision. Routines and impeccable manners are established from the outset in the early years.

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Behaviour

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs put in a concerted effort into completing the work set. Support is always on hand to help them if they get stuck. Very high levels of concentration and considerable resilience are also evident in the early years where children become absorbed in the variety of activities on offer.  Pupils know and follow the behaviour policy and are clear about the sanctions and rewards in place. They particularly like the rewards chart which leads to highly-sought-after badges – especially those for being ‘learning legends.’ Records checked show that there are very few serious incidents, but when they occur, they are dealt with swiftly and effectively.  Pupils greatly enjoy the opportunities they are given to take responsibility and contribute their views, for example, as members of the school council, leading the ‘gold brick’ assembly or pairing with younger

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Behaviour

readers. They carry out these roles with maturity and confidence.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Arrangements are thorough and comprehensive. Checks are carried out on all adults to make sure they can work with children. Robust systems and policies to keep children safe are in place. Staff are also trained to make sure they are very clear about their responsibilities in protecting children. Safety is paramount in this school.  Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe as a result of being taught about potential dangers. They regularly use technology and have an excellent understanding of internet safety as they have been taught this well.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, including verbal, physical and racist bullying. Those spoken to were adamant that bullying does not happen in their school. When low-level incidents occur, they are confident that if reported, these are dealt with quickly by adults.

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Safety

 Attendance is average and has been over the last three years. There are only a few pupils who are persistently absent, but leaders are taking effective action to address this and, as a result, the numbers are reducing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good throughout the school and there is an increasing proportion which is outstanding. This is not shared widely enough across the school. Teaching has improved as a result of effective staff training and development and the excellent links with other local schools. There is a high degree of consistency in the quality of teaching that results in all groups of pupils making good progress and achieving well over time.  Teachers make learning exciting and interesting. Pupils are given plentiful opportunities to practise skills of literacy and numeracy in other subjects using a wide range of resources. Pupils also regularly discuss their work with partners and are given opportunities to explain how they reach their answers.  Reading, writing and mathematics are all taught well and lead to good achievement for pupils. Most teachers use information to plan work at the right level and set pupils individual targets. Shared reading has

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The quality of teaching is good

recently been a focus within the school’s learning community and this has helped accelerate rates of progress. However, ability groups for phonics in Year 2 have not been reviewed since September. Consequently the work set does not always meet the needs of different pupils, as some have moved on at a faster pace than others in their group.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and use effective questioning skills to check on or probe pupils’ understanding. Relationships are good in all classes. It is clear that pupils like and respect their teachers and in turn, this is reciprocated. These positive relationships have a beneficial impact on pupils’ motivation and learning.  Effective and well-managed support is in place for those who have special educational needs. Teaching assistants and additional teaching staff work on an individual or small-group basis both inside and outside lessons. The needs of the most able are also catered for well. Challenging activities are planned which make

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils think for themselves and booster classes are delivered to help pupils reach the higher levels in national tests.  Teachers create a very positive climate for learning. Vibrant displays throughout the school celebrate the best examples of pupils’ work and show the wide range of subjects taught. Displays in classrooms also provide helpful prompts to aid pupils during lessons. All rooms are kept neat and tidy so that pupils can work efficiently and effectively.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and helpful comments are added by teachers to show pupils how to improve their work further. Pupils themselves also comment on their own and the work of others. They are very skilled at posing further questions or making helpful suggestions.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading is taught effectively and children quickly learn their early letters and sounds. As a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the levels required in the Year 1 national check is at least average and sometimes above average. Reading has recently been an area of focus across the school, with incentives offered to pupils to encourage them to read regularly. More pupils now read for pleasure and information provided by the school shows that all classes are on track to reach standards which are above average by the end of Year 6.  Pupils make good progress across the school and in 2014 reached standards that were significantly above the national average at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Progress is consistently good in reading, writing and mathematics and the school’s own information shows that this is accelerating. For example, pupils who left the school at the end of Year 6 in 2014 made outstanding progress in writing and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics as a result of excellent teaching and successful leadership in these areas.  Disadvantaged pupils make as much progress as their classmates do and on occasion, their progress rates are more rapid. The pupil premium is used to provide additional adult support to work with individuals or groups of pupils to boost their literacy and numeracy skills. As a result, gaps in their attainment are closing. In 2014, pupils who left Year 6 were approximately two terms behind others in their class in reading and writing, but less than half a term behind their classmates in mathematics. These same pupils were two terms behind non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, in 2014, in reading, one term behind in writing, but almost two terms ahead in mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs also make good progress. Additional adults provide extra support both inside and outside the classroom to make sure these pupils achieve as well as

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The achievement of pupils is good

others in the school.  The most-able pupils make good progress across the school, especially in writing and mathematics. The number of pupils reaching the higher levels is well above average at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading and mathematics and well above average at the end of Key Stage 2 in mathematics. This is because leaders and teachers have raised the levels of challenge presented.

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The early years provision is good

 The school’s own records show that the proportion of children joining the Reception class with limited literacy and numeracy skills has increased in recent years. Children’s overall skills and knowledge are now below those typical for their age when they start at the school. Although all children make good progress, girls achieve at a much higher level than boys in all areas of learning. By the time they enter Year 1, the large majority of girls are working at a good level of development and are, therefore, well prepared for Year 1, whereas only a minority of boys reach the Early Learning Goals.  Effective induction arrangements and very good communication with parents ensures that children receive a very warm welcome when they start school. Parents are strongly encouraged to read with their children at the start of each day in the classroom. As a result, children settle happily in the very safe and secure

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The early years provision is good

environment and parents are fully involved in supporting their children from the outset.  Teaching is good and children learn well both indoors and outdoors, as lessons are made interesting and exciting. For example, some children investigated how to make ice melt using salt, sand or warm water, while others searched for pictures of arctic animals hidden around the classroom. They then wrote their answers down, thus developing their early writing skills in a fun way. However, teachers do not always check on how many boys have participated in the activities set, especially those which they choose for themselves and which promote their early basic skills.  All adults have high expectations of children’s behaviour from the outset. As a result, children behave exceptionally well and develop highly positive attitudes to learning. They play happily together, share resources and quickly make friends with their classmates. Whether they are learning indoors or outdoors,

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The early years provision is good

adults ensure that children are safe through the systems in place. Children’s emotional health, safety and well-being are all catered for effectively owing to the high quality nurturing and support in place.  The early years setting is well managed. There is an acting leader in post at present, but she has a clear vision for further improvement. Records of children’s achievements are shared with parents through their individual learning journals and include photographic evidence and examples of children’s own work. Teachers track children’s progress and carry out regular observations to make sure that planning builds on children’s interests and abilities.

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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 106883 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 449728

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 222 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Johnson Headteacher Diane O'Leary Date of previous school inspection 24 June 2010 Telephone number 01909 770236 Fax number 01909 515267 Email address wales.primary@rotherham.gov.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 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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