Hillsborough House

Brinsworth Howarth Primary School Brinsworth, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S60 5JR

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress from their starting points. This means that a high proportion of pupils reach the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. A higher than average proportion exceed these standards in mathematics.  Pupils from different groups, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make equally good progress.  Teachers question pupils well, which keeps them engaged. This also challenges them and supports their speaking skills.  Pupils’ conduct is good and they have positive attitudes to learning. The welfare and personal development of pupils are good. Pupils are safe and feel well cared for at school.  Attendance is improving and is now in line with the national average, thanks to the good relationships the school has with parents and carers.  Leaders have worked effectively to ensure that teaching and outcomes have improved since the

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This is a good school

last inspection.  Governors have worked well with leaders to bring about the necessary changes identified at the last inspection. They challenge leaders well.  The early years provision is strong, with children making good progress from their starting points. The large majority reach a good level of development across all learning areas by the end of Reception.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not give pupils enough opportunity to use and apply their new skills in a variety of ways, which can slow learning.  Leaders do not use behaviour records to analyse information sharply to detect patterns and trends, meaning they do not tackle some issues quickly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching and outcomes improve, especially of the most able pupils, by making sure that: – teachers give pupils the chance to extend and deepen their understanding and reinforce the key skills – there is appropriate challenge, so that pupils can reach the highest possible standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  Develop the systems for recording the quality of provision, especially for monitoring behaviour, so that: – teachers identify trends and patterns and respond to issues swiftly.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders, including governors, have worked collaboratively to make necessary improvements since the last inspection. This means they have worked effectively to improve teaching. This has led to better outcomes for different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Effective appraisal ensures that teachers have clear targets, which are focused on the progress of different groups of pupils in their classes and any responsibility they hold in school. The accurate checks on teaching and the impact they have on pupils’ outcomes mean that leaders hold teachers to account well.  Leadership of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Leaders and teachers understand the different needs of pupils, which means they can offer them individual support. Often, these pupils work with teaching assistants, who understand their areas for development

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and work well to support their progress.  Pupil premium funding is spent effectively. Leaders, including governors, carefully review how money is spent and the impact this has on the outcomes and well-being of pupils in receipt of the funding. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make good progress in their learning, including in their reading, writing and mathematics. In addition, they benefit from a range of extra-curricular activities, which support their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as well as their understanding of modern British values.  The additional primary school sport funding is used effectively. Pupils participate in a range of sports and compete at a local level. There has been an increase in participation at after-school clubs. Pupils report that they enjoy the activities, including learning about how to keep fit and healthy. However, pupils feel that some of the apparatus available could be used more regularly. A plan for this has already been

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

drawn up to start from September.  While behaviour is improving, leaders do not analyse records of incidents in sufficient depth to identify patterns and to act swiftly to tackle any relevant issues.  The curriculum is broad and balanced, which gives pupils regular chances to reinforce reading, writing and mathematics skills. This has contributed to their better progress. In addition, pupils to go on trips to develop their understanding and learning of topics studied at school. Residential visits support pupils’ ability to work in teams and overcome challenges. These events promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In addition, pupils understand modern British values through electing members of the school council democratically. Their understanding is also reflected in their good behaviour and conduct and the respectful way in which they treat one another.  The engagement of parents has improved significantly since the last inspection. Parents feel confident

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

that they are well informed and that their children are well cared for and safe. In particular, parents of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities feel very well supported by the school. They say that leaders give them helpful advice to support their children.  The local authority has supported leaders well in helping them make accurate and regular checks on teaching, which has enhanced the quality of teaching and the outcomes of pupils.  The governance of the school – Governors have a clear view of the school’s progress since the last inspection, which they have supported. They also know the school’s continued areas for development and challenge leaders so that they have an accurate understanding of progress towards tackling them. Governors also come into school regularly, which helps them to understand where the school has improved and why pupils are now making better progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

– Governors understand how the appraisal system works to reward good teaching and challenge underperformance. The system is robust and has contributed to improvements in the classroom and pupils’ outcomes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school works closely with external agencies so that the safeguarding of all groups of pupils is effective. Staff receive regular training from leaders and from external agencies as well. Policies are communicated to parents via the school website. Protocols are followed where necessary and this helps to keep pupils in school safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils’ work in books, and teachers’ assessment information all show good outcomes. Teaching has improved since the school’s last inspection and this has ensured that pupils now develop skills rapidly and make good progress over time. In turn, the standards pupils reach in reading, writing and mathematics have improved.  Teachers question pupils well and push them to give full answers. Equally, the questioning of pupils means that teachers can determine how much pupils understand and where misconceptions are apparent. They use this information well to plan activities which help pupils to move on rapidly.  At times, teachers do not give pupils the chance to extend and deepen their understanding and reinforce their key skills. This slows their progress.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) for younger pupils is good. There is a good system to ensure that pupils are able to access the learning and develop their skills rapidly. Where

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

pupils are not achieving well, this is identified quickly through the assessment system and the extra support they are given ensures that they make better progress.  Teaching assistants are well trained and know how to get the best out of pupils. They often work with pupils with specific needs or with pupils who need extra support on a short-term basis to overcome misconceptions. The work of teaching assistants is effective because they also know when to push pupils to work more independently so that they do not come to rely on them.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in class, due to good support from teachers and teaching assistants. In addition, parents of these pupils are also given support on how to help their child at home.  The most able pupils are not always as well challenged in learning as other groups of pupils. This means they do not always make equally rapid progress as their peers. In mathematics this is not the case, but in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

other areas of the curriculum, the most able pupils are not consistently making rapid progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel safe and understand why they feel safe. They are well cared for and appreciate that adults in school know them well. Parents also feel positive about their children’s safety.  Pupils receive information about how to keep themselves safe on the internet, and the school also provides relevant training for parents. This means both parents and pupils know what to do if they have any concerns when going online and how to avoid potentially dangerous situations.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying and prejudiced-based bullying. They know the difference between falling out with a peer and being bullied. Thanks to a concerted effort by leaders, parents also understand this. Pupils and parents report that bullying is rare and dealt with quickly and effectively if it does occur. The records in school reflect that this is the case.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils are proud of their school. They believe their school is special because of its friendly and kind environment and because everyone cares about each other. Year 6 pupils, while excited to go to secondary school, also report that they will miss their younger peers and the staff in the school. Different groups of pupils say that they enjoy their learning and the range of clubs and visits on offer.  Pupils take pride in their own appearance and their work in books. Pupils respond to instructions around school. The classrooms and other areas around the school are tidy and well organised.  Pupils know how to keep themselves fit and healthy, which is due to their physical education lessons, as well as the work they do at other times in the curriculum such as during science. They enjoy school dinners and report that these are varied and healthy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Adults are good role models to the pupils in the way that they show respect. This means there is a calm and friendly atmosphere and pupils feel confident in their learning and at social times.  Due to high levels of motivation, pupils have benefited from the improvements made in teaching and have engaged well with the generally heightened expectations of adults.  Lessons are rarely disrupted because of poor behaviour. Pupils understand the expectations of adults and the routines in place, so that they move between areas of the school and between activities well, without wasting time and with little adult intervention.  Since the last inspection, the number of more serious behaviour issues has reduced. This is because the support for pupils who have difficulty managing their behaviour has been effective. These pupils are now

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Behaviour

able to be fully part of school life without causing significant concerns. Again, parents are very positive about the work of the school in ensuring behaviour is good.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average for different groups of pupils, and this represents an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils enjoy coming to school and their learning.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 From their starting points, pupils make good progress and reach the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This means that they are well prepared for their next stage of learning and also demonstrates an improvement in outcomes since the last inspection.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress and are also well prepared for their next stage of learning. This is because their needs are understood and regularly checked to ensure that the activities in learning match their needs closely. If concerns around any pupil’s progress are identified through these regular checks, there is extra support provided to ensure that pupils catch up quickly. As a result, gaps in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and others in school and nationally are closing rapidly.  Outcomes for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are good. This is because their needs are understood well by leaders and teachers, who also work positively with parents

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Outcomes for pupils are good

to support these pupils’ needs.  Some of the most able pupils also make good progress. However, there are some in this group whose progress is slowed because work is not challenging enough. This is apparent where pupils do not have the opportunity to deepen their learning. These pupils are capable of moving beyond expected standards. However, some of them are not doing so.  Younger pupils make good progress in developing their understanding of phonics. This means that a higher than average proportion of pupils reach the expected standard in the phonics check at the end of Year 1. Where some pupils need extra reinforcement as they move up the school, this is also done well to ensure that pupils can read fluently.  Reading is taught well and pupils have regular opportunities to read for pleasure and across the different aspects of the curriculum. Parents are encouraged to read with their children and records of parents’

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Outcomes for pupils are good

comments and questions are communicated through a reading record. This helps all parties understand the importance and joy of reading, and has improved pupils’ outcomes in reading.  Mathematics skills have improved the most strongly in the school. This has been helped by the regular reinforcement of these skills in different parts of the curriculum, such as in science and geography. In these subjects, pupils regularly use their mathematics skills to record and analyse data and to investigate their findings. As well as ensuring that mathematics skills are developed quickly, this has also helped pupils to enjoy their mathematics learning more and see its relevance in everyday life.

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Early years provision is good

 Overall, children start school in Nursery or Reception with skills and knowledge generally typical for their age. This can vary for different cohorts of children. Where children arrive below the typical standard, it is mostly their communication, speech and language skills which are less developed.  From these starting points, a higher than average proportion of children leave Reception with a good level of development. Some children exceed the good level of development. However, some of the children who arrive with above expected levels of development do not make as rapid progress as their peers. This is because they are not as well challenged as other groups of children. In recent years, the proportion of children leaving the Reception Year with a good level of development has increased well. This is the case for most groups of children, including boys and girls, disadvantaged children and children with special

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Early years provision is good

educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are well prepared for key stage 1.  The teaching of children is effective, thanks to a well-organised setting and a variety of activities which allow children to access a vibrant curriculum. These activities offer children the chance to develop important skills, such as learning to take turns, share, listen to one another and be confident in offering their own ideas and thoughts. In turn, activities give children regular opportunities to talk, read, write and do number work.  The innovative way in which the setting is organised ensures that key skills are practised in a variety of ways. For example, in Nursery, the youngest children practise their letter formation and recognition of the sounds letters make by writing in glitter trays. Children also regularly read with adults to see the letters and sounds in context and to enhance children’s passion for reading. At times, activities to develop the

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Early years provision is good

most able children are not as challenging as they need to be to ensure that these children make rapid progress.  The outdoor and indoor provision are equally strong and children have the chance to choose where they want to play and learn at various times in the day. This means that children enjoy their learning and are well engaged.  Thanks to strong and regularly reinforced routines, which children understand and value, their conduct is good. They listen well to adults and can follow instructions.  Strong leadership means that assessment is accurate. Observations of children’s development are done on a daily basis and by a variety of adults. These build up a clear picture of children’s achievements and enable staff to plan the next steps in their learning.  Leaders have also engaged parents well, who are happy with the provision and who believe the early years work hard to ensure their child is happy and settled. Parents feel well informed about how their

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Early years provision is good

child is developing at school and how to support them at home. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities also feel this.  The school’s leaders know that the early years provision is a strength in the school and have worked effectively to support the training and development of all adults in the setting. This has led to a strong impact on children’s development.

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School details

Unique reference number 106981 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 10011949

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School details

This inspection 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 223 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Mel Stubbs Headteacher Maxine Crawford Telephone number 01709 828613 Website www.howarth.rotherham.sch.uk Email address admin@howarth.rotherham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8–9 April 2014

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are White British.  A lower than average proportion of pupils is disadvantaged. These pupils are supported through the pupil premium funding, which is additional government funding provided to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are children looked after.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  Children enter the school in Nursery on a part-time basis and move into Reception on a full-time basis.  The school is organised as one class per year group.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed a range of lessons.  The inspectors observed and spoke with pupils during lessons and at break time. They also met formally with groups of pupils from Year 1 to Year 6.  The inspectors heard pupils read from Year 2 and Year 6.  The inspectors also observed an assembly.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders. Meetings also took place with members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ work and a range of documents, including the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, performance management procedures, and pupils’ attendance data. Inspectors also looked at information about pupils’ progress and attainment.  Inspectors considered 68 parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke with parents as they brought their children to school during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Fiona McNally, Lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Donald Parker Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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