Bramley Sunnyside Junior School

Bramley Sunnyside Junior School Flanderwell Lane, Rotherham, S66 3QW

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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. The standards they reach in reading, writing and mathematics are rising. This is the case for all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Teachers engage pupils with activities that they enjoy and this means pupils concentrate well in lessons. Teachers question pupils well and use these opportunities to check how well pupils are doing and to keep pupils focused on their learning.  Pupils’ conduct is good. This is the case in lessons and around school. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, seen by their engagement in lessons. The welfare and personal development of pupils are good. Both parents and pupils are happy that pupils are safe and feel well cared for at school.  Attendance is well above the average, showing how much pupils enjoy school. The links that school makes with parents are very strong and

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This is a good school

parents have a very positive view of school.  Leaders have worked effectively to make the improvements identified at the last inspection. Consequently, teaching and pupils’ outcomes have improved and are now good.  Governors have a clear understanding of what the school’s challenges have been and what improvements the school continues to make. They also pay close attention to the protocols in place to keep pupils safe, to how teaching is monitored and to the impact teaching is having on pupils’ progress. They challenge leaders robustly and have helped the headteacher and her team make the necessary improvements since the last inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a small number of classes, the work that leaders have done to improve teaching has not had rapid enough impact and this means some teaching requires further improvement.  At times, opportunities are missed to ensure that mathematics is regularly reinforced in the broader curriculum areas.  Some teachers’ checks on pupils’ work do not fully address pupils’ needs and subsequent teaching activities do not meet pupils’ needs closely or give pupils the chance to improve their work independently.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching and the outcomes of all groups of pupils, especially the most able, by: ensuring that teachers regularly check what pupils do and do not understand in their learning so that they can provide tasks which always meet the pupils’ needs closely ensuring that pupils are given the time to respond to the advice teachers give them and that they understand how to reflect upon and improve their own work with increasing independence.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should use the monitoring and evaluation processes rigorously to improve teaching further, by: identifying accurately where improvements in teaching are needed and what training is required for individual teachers to address their areas for development carrying out reviews of teaching to ensure that actions are having a positive impact on outcomes for pupils and that pupils understand the importance of correcting and improving their own work ensuring that in the broad curriculum, there are regular opportunities for pupils to reinforce their key skills, especially their mathematics skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders have worked well in collaboration with governors to effectively improve areas which were identified at the last inspection as needing further development. The quality of teaching has been the main focus for improvement and this has been improved thanks to regular and accurate checks of teachers, support where necessary through training, and regular checks of the impact on pupils’ progress. As a consequence of improved teaching, pupils’ outcomes have improved.  Different groups of pupils make good progress and the standards they reach are now in line with the expected standard and some pupils exceed this standard. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This demonstrates that pupils from different backgrounds have an equal opportunity to achieve well.  Appraisal ensures that teachers are held to account for the impact of their work on the progress of pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

The system ensures that there are challenging targets for staff which fit in with their areas of responsibility and which also allows them to get specific training to meet the targets. The system also forms part of the monitoring of teaching and this provides accurate information for leaders to ensure training needs are clear and well catered for. Appraisal has, therefore, worked effectively to improve teaching and outcomes.  Leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in the rest of school is effective. Pupils’ needs are well understood and these are communicated to class teachers and other adults. In turn, teachers and their teaching assistants liaise well to ensure that these pupils’ barriers are overcome and the gaps in their learning are focused on. Furthermore, teaching assistants are well trained to work with these pupils. This means that these pupils make good progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The curriculum is broad and balanced and includes opportunities for pupils to learn away from the classroom. These events support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils go on residential trips and have visitors who come into school. The real life experiences ensure that learning is made more practical for the pupils and helps them to make good progress. The curriculum also provides pupils with the chance to reinforce their reading and writing regularly. This is not done as regularly with mathematics where there are missed opportunities to reinforce pupils’ learning.  The work done to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is seen by their good behaviour and the core British values are also apparent in this. For example, pupils work well together and there are strong relationships fostered between all groups of pupils. Discrimination of any nature is not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

tolerated. Parents feel that this is a particular strength of the school, along with the care of their children by adults.  The engagement of parents by the school is a particular strength and parents are very positive about the impact that the school has on their children in terms of their welfare, personal development, behaviour and academic progress.  The additional primary school sport funding is used to good effect. Pupils enjoy sport lessons and extra- curricular clubs for sport are well attended. This has led to a much higher participation in different types of sports and in competitions. The school has been particularly successful in developing table tennis where some pupils now compete at a national level.  The local authority has supported leaders well on the journey to becoming a good school, offering them bespoke support, as necessary, and celebrating the improvements and strengths seen in the school. As a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

result, the leaders in school now work to support other schools in the authority.  The governance of the school Since the last inspection, governors have worked with leaders to make sure that they have a full understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to improve. They have challenged leaders and this means that there have been high expectations of all. This has helped to support the headteacher in improving teaching and outcomes. Governors have a good understanding of the appraisal system and check the evidence provided to ensure that pay progression is provided appropriately. The robust and rigorous system for appraising staff has helped to improve standards in the classroom and pupils’ outcomes. Governors are regularly in school and well known to pupils and parents. This helps them gauge the views of different groups of pupils and parents and understand what stakeholders need and want to further

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

improve the already strong links between the school, the pupils and their parents.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school works closely with different agencies outside the school, including the local authority, to make sure that safeguarding is effective. Policies are in place and are clearly communicated to staff, as well as parents via the school website. These policies are followed where necessary. In addition, pastoral staff in school work with leaders and teachers to ensure that safeguarding of pupils is effective. This means pupils are well supported and safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils’ work in books and teachers’ assessment information all demonstrate good outcomes. Teaching allows pupils to develop skills rapidly and make good progress over time. This has increased the standards pupils reach by the end of Year 6. The school’s own monitoring of teaching identifies accurately the strengths in teaching and where more could be done.  Most teachers check pupils’ work regularly, which helps them to plan activities effectively and to give pupils advice on how to improve their work. Where this is the case, pupils’ needs are met closely which means pupils move on well in their learning. It also means pupils are well engaged because they need to work hard to meet the teachers’ challenging expectations. Occasionally, the checks teachers make of pupils’ understanding in books is not always used well to inform planning. Where this is the case, teachers do not give pupils regular chances to improve or to reflect on how they could do better. This mainly affects the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

most able pupils, who, at times, need more opportunities to move the learning on very rapidly.  Questioning of pupils in lessons is a real strength in the school. Teachers and other adults skilfully question to support learning; they use it to draw out pupils’ misconceptions which means these are identified and addressed quickly. Equally, they reshape questioning to take the abilities of different groups into consideration, so that all pupils can access the learning. In the best teaching, questioning also challenges individuals so that learners are also developing their oral communication skills and become more skilled in articulating themselves fully and with confidence.  Teaching assistants are well trained and work closely with teachers so that they know the pupils well and provide strong support. Teaching assistants are proficient in challenging pupils to become increasingly independent which helps those who are underachieving or who have specific needs to move their learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

on well.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in class due to the good communication in school of their needs and the strong support from teaching and teaching assistants to overcome their barriers to learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel safe. Parents are also very pleased with the way their children are cared for. They say that adults in school care for the pupils and know them well. Pupils understand potentially dangerous situations, for example when using the internet, and know what to do if they are concerned about something or someone when using the internet.  Pupils’ attendance is well above average for different groups of pupils. This demonstrates that pupils like coming to school and enjoy their learning.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying and prejudiced-based bullying. Pupils and parents report that bullying is rare and dealt with quickly and effectively if it does occur. This view is confirmed by the school’s own records of incidents.  Pupils are proud of their school. They are very positive about the different opportunities they have to go on

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Personal development and welfare

visits and to have visitors into school. They also report that they enjoy their learning. They like the varied activities in and out of lessons. This enthusiasm has resulted in pupils making better progress over time.  Pupils take pride in their own appearance and, mostly, pupils present their work well in books. This is seen in the way they respond to teachers’ instructions about how to present their work and to the feedback that teachers give to pupils. However, in some classes, pupils’ response to feedback is not as apparent. Occasionally, teachers do not always challenge pupils whose presentation does not meet the school’s expectations and, at times, this also means that the pupils do not respond to teachers’ feedback and advice. The classrooms and other areas around the school are tidy and well organised.  Pupils know how to keep themselves fit and healthy, thanks to the work done in sport and during other

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Personal development and welfare

lessons. They enjoy school dinners and report that these are varied, tasty and healthy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ conduct is good and at times, in Year 6 especially, it is outstanding. In Year 6, pupils’ use of teachers’ feedback and the expectations of how they present their work are exemplary. In other year groups, these aspects of pupils’ behaviour are largely good, although there are a minority of pupils whose work in books does not demonstrate that their attitudes to learning are as positive as is normally seen in the school.  Pupils enjoy positive relationships with adults and this helps to keep them engaged in lessons, along with activities which meet their needs closely. As a result, the large majority of pupils are keen to learn and enjoy lessons. Where a very small proportion of teaching is not good, conduct is not always as positive.  School has a calm and purposeful environment with pupils behaving well at both social times and in lessons. Lessons are rarely disrupted because of poor behaviour. Routines are well understood so little adult

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Behaviour

intervention is required to remind pupils of the expectations.  While there have been a small number of more serious behaviour issues, these have been dealt with positively by the school so that the issues are no longer apparent.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make good progress from their starting points in Year 3. This means that they reach the appropriate standards for their age in reading, writing and mathematics and a proportion exceed this standard. This represents a strong improvement since the school was last inspected.  Different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress and this means they are also well prepared for their next stage of learning. This is because the needs of different groups of pupils are checked regularly, as is the progress they make. Where there is underachievement, it is identified quickly and pupils are given support which helps them to progress more rapidly.  The most able pupils often make good progress although at times, this progress is not as rapid as with other ability groups because work does not always challenge them enough. These pupils reach the required

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Outcomes for pupils are good

standard in reading, writing and mathematics but in Years 3 to 5 they do not always exceed the expected standards, as they are capable of doing.  Reading is taught well and reinforced well throughout different aspects of the curriculum, meaning pupils have lots of opportunities to read widely and often. Writing skills are also well reinforced in different subject areas. Mathematics skills are not as well practised and there are missed opportunities to reinforce these skills and to ensure pupils regularly get the chance to use and apply the skills they learn in mathematics lessons. For example, in science there are too few opportunities for pupils to investigate using mathematics skills.

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School details

Unique reference number 106861 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 10012024

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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 Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 342 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lynda Blakesley Headteacher Helen Headleand Telephone number 01709 542231 Website www.bsjs.co.uk Email address bramley-sunnyside.junior@rotherham.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 17–18 June 2014

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average sized junior school.  The majority of pupils are White British.  A lower than average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  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 looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  Children enter the school in Year 3 on a full-time basis.  The school is organised with three classes per year group.  The school is a local authority school.  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.

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Information about this school

 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 breaktime. They also met formally with groups of pupils from Year 3 to Year 5.  The inspectors heard pupils read from Year 3 and Year 5.  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 Ofsted 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 Helen Hussey Ofsted Inspector Paul Plumridge 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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