Carlton Primary Academy

Carlton Primary Academy Fish Dam Lane, Carlton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S71 3HF

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The recently appointed headteacher has started to take the necessary action to improve the school. However, new systems and processes have not been in place long enough to bring about consistent improvement.  Leaders have acted to strengthen the quality of pupils’ reading and the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, there is much more to do to improve these areas further.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable. Over time, poor teaching has led to poor outcomes for pupils. There are encouraging signs of improvement to the quality of teaching, but there are still inconsistencies.  Pupils’ awareness of fundamental British values is variable as a result of gaps in their knowledge over time. Leaders have acted quickly to fill these gaps but for some pupils they remain.  The behaviour of pupils is not consistently good. At times, some pupils disrupt the flow of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

lessons by being too noisy. Occasionally, a small number of older pupils do not behave well at breaktime and lunchtime.  Over time, pupils’ progress has been variable. Outcomes for pupils improved in 2017/18 but the progress of pupils currently in the school, including those who are disadvantaged, remains inconsistent across subjects and year groups.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The recently appointed headteacher has taken a grip of the school and, supported by governors and the trust, is turning it in the right direction.  Morale among staff and pupils is high. Staff have ‘bought-into’ the headteacher’s and governors’ vision for the school. They believe it is improving quickly, particularly with regard to the behaviour of pupils.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are strengths of the school. Pupils are proud of their school and they want to do well.  Provision in the early years is good. Children are well taught and well prepared for commencing key stage 1.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership, by: – fully embedding recently introduced systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress – ensuring that the recently introduced approach to improving pupils’ reading is consistently followed by all staff – ensuring that the imminent strategy for supporting pupils with SEND is introduced at the earliest opportunity and without delay – further establishing the programme for teaching pupils about fundamental British values.  Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good, by: – ensuring that teachers make effective use of pupils’ information so that tasks are set at the right level of challenge – further developing teachers’ questioning skills so that pupils are challenged more deeply in their thinking – ensuring that teachers consistently spot when pupils have misunderstood or have gaps in their knowledge and take the necessary steps to address

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

misunderstandings and gaps when they occur.  Eradicate the few instances of poor behaviour by the small minority of pupils.  Improving pupils’ progress and attainment in both key stages, including pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The headteacher, supported by governors and the trust, has set about improving the school. He has an accurate and unvarnished understanding of its performance. In the short amount of time since the headteacher’s appointment, the school has started its journey of improvement. However, it is early days. While the signs of an upwards trajectory are clear, there is much more to be done to improve the consistency of teaching, behaviour and pupils’ outcomes. This is because, over time, the trust has presided over a period of declining standards. More recently appointed trust leaders have started to take the necessary action to pull the school out of its decline.  The headteacher has been successful in establishing an ambitious spirit among staff and pupils. Staff morale is high. All the staff who spoke with inspectors are positive about the changes taking place in the school. They feel encouraged and valued by the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

training they have received through continuous professional development, such as the work to improve pupils’ reading and spelling.  The new leaders have begun the task of introducing systems and processes to improve the school. For instance, leaders have a clear picture of the quality of teaching currently in the school as a result of a new monitoring process. Pupils’ progress is carefully checked at different points in the year and the standard of their work compared with that of pupils across the trust. These new systems now need time to be fully embedded.  Leaders have acted to improve the standard of pupils’ reading. They have introduced a system for the teaching of reading, including a consistent approach to teaching phonics in the early years and key stage 1. Pupils across the school have access to a wide range of books in the school library. While the reading curriculum has started to improve pupils’ reading skills, it has had a limited effect to date because it has been so

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

recently introduced.  The extent to which pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain is variable. The headteacher has made it a priority to address gaps in pupils’ awareness of fundamental British values such as tolerance, respect and democracy. As a result, some pupils can talk with confidence about such matters. Others, however, are less certain. While a coherent plan is in place to further develop pupils’ knowledge of fundamental British values, it is a work in progress.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils who spoke with inspectors have a good awareness of a wide range of faiths and cultures, such as Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Judaism. In the wider curriculum, teachers use the ‘Barnsley to Brazil’ programme of learning, for example, to generate interesting discussions with pupils about a variety of moral, social and cultural topics.  Leaders use additional funding for the pupil premium judiciously to support vulnerable

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils. The appointment of the parent support worker has had a marked effect in establishing stronger relationships with families most in need of additional support. Leaders have used the sport premium funding well and more pupils engage in sporting activities and competitions. With the support of physical education specialists, teachers are now more confident and proficient in the delivery of physical education. All pupils across the school have engaged in some form of competitive sporting event during the current academic year.  The leadership of SEND is in a period of transition, with the special educational needs coordinator having only recently joined the school in May 2019. The progress of pupils with SEND is monitored and there are effective links with appropriate external agencies. However, due to the transitional nature of arrangements for special educational needs leadership, leaders do not have a clear picture of the effectiveness

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

of work over time in supporting pupils with SEND.  The curriculum is broad and balanced, with a range of opportunities across different subjects. However, the depth of pupils’ knowledge in subjects other than English and mathematics is sometimes quite shallow. Leaders are currently reviewing the curriculum, with a new one due for introduction in September 2019. Leaders have an aspirational vision for what the new curriculum will contain and how the different topic areas will be linked together. The extra-curricular opportunities available to pupils are largely sport-based, with pupils able to access a range of activities after school.

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Governance of the school

 Governors share the headteacher’s determination to improve the school. They have a clarity in their understanding of the school’s performance over time. As such, they know its weaknesses as well as its strengths.  Governors have taken the training opportunities available to them to become increasingly skilled in understanding school performance information. Consequently, they have a developed awareness of school priorities. Their self-evaluation of the school’s performance is a realistic one. As a result of governors’ clarity of understanding, they hold leaders to account effectively for how well things are going.  There is a strong understanding among governors of their responsibilities regarding safeguarding. A safeguarding link governor works closely with the school’s safeguarding leaders to scrutinise and quality assure their practice. This contributes importantly to the overriding safeguarding culture which permeates the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders, supported by governors, have established strong safeguarding systems. Leaders maintain an ongoing culture of vigilance in relation to safeguarding matters. They follow appropriate steps when determining whether to make referrals to external agencies such as the local authority’s children’s services. They continue to monitor and support all pupils who are subject to such referrals.  Staff are trained in appropriate and necessary safeguarding matters. All staff receive annual safeguarding training, delivered by the local authority. They also complete refresher modules online. Leaders have ensured that staff are familiar with the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty to counter the risks of radicalisation and extremism.  Leaders’ systems for vetting the suitability of staff to work in school meet legal requirements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 There is a legacy of ineffective teaching over time. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable across years and subjects. Leaders have taken swift action to bring about improved and improving teaching, but inconsistencies remain.  Often, teachers make effective use of questions to check pupils’ understanding before moving on the next phase of learning. At times, however, teachers’ questions are superficial and do not probe pupils’ understanding beyond their ability to retrieve basic information. At its strongest teachers’ use of questions pushes pupils’ understanding further by requiring them, for example, to hypothesise and to wonder. When given such opportunities, pupils’ responses can be confident and articulate.  All teachers and teaching support staff are enthusiastic in their approach. However, the quality and effectiveness of teachers’ planning fluctuates across the school. As a result,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

although everyone wants pupils to do well, the tasks set by teachers are often not pitched at the right level. The most able pupils, for instance, are often given work which does not stretch them as much as it should. New strategies are in place to address this, but are not fully embedded.  Sometimes, pupils’ understanding of important knowledge is not very secure, or is inaccurate. The extent to which teachers spot that this is the case, and address it, is uneven across both key stages. Consequently, pupils make mistakes which are not picked up and so the errors and misconceptions persist in their work.  Due to the ineffective teaching over time, gaps in pupils’ knowledge have emerged and grown. This means that pupils do not acquire the necessary foundation stones of knowledge at the right time or stage of learning. As a result of this variability in the quality of teaching, pupils sometimes struggle to grasp new ideas and concepts

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

because of their, sometimes, incomplete understanding.  Some of the teaching in school is strong and enables pupils to acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding securely. This is evident in both key stages, including in English and mathematics. At these times, teachers make effective use of pupils’ progress information to set tasks which are sufficiently challenging for pupils from different starting points.  There is some effective practice in the support in lessons for pupils with SEND. Although the leadership of SEND is very new to the school, pupils receive appropriate help in line with their support plans.  From the start of Year 1, pupils continue to be taught how to read using the phonics scheme which they followed in Reception. Teachers and teaching assistants are following leaders’ chosen scheme with consistency across all groups. In the early years and key stage 1, the continuity of phonics teaching is leading to pupils’ improved

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The very large majority of pupils who spoke to inspectors are self-confident and proud of their school. Typically, pupils can talk about what they are learning and what they need to do to make their work better. Pupils are eager to do well and to achieve as highly as they can.  Leaders have ensured that the very large majority of pupils have a strong understanding of how to be safe and healthy. Pupils can describe, for instance, the risks of being online and of social media. They have been taught about stranger danger as well as specific dangers in the local area, such as swimming in the dyke.  Pupils are supported in their physical and emotional well-being in several ways. Pupils spoke enthusiastically, for instance, about the wide range of sporting activities available to them after school. A team of staff, including learning mentors and family

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Personal development and welfare

liaison workers, are on hand to support and help pupils should they need to talk to an adult in school.  Pupils told inspectors that they do not think that bullying is a problem in school. They have a strong understanding of the differences between occasional falling-out and disagreements, and the persistent, targeted nature of bullying. The overwhelming majority of pupils who communicated with inspectors said that if bullying occurred, they would be confident in the school’s ability to sort it out. A very few parents are less certain that the school deals with bullying effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  There is no doubt that the standard of pupils’ behaviour is improving and has done so since the arrival of the current headteacher. Pupils and staff are unanimous in their opinion that behaviour is getting better using ‘The Carlton Code’. However, while it is an improving picture, pockets of poorer behaviour persist.  Typically, pupils behave well in class. At times, however, the standard of behaviour is not conducive to strong learning taking place. Although seen only rarely by inspectors, pupils said that it is not unusual for lessons to be disrupted and for teachers to have to shout. A few parents do not think that pupils’ behaviour is consistently good.  Pupils told inspectors that, occasionally, the conduct of a small number of older pupils at social times is not very pleasant, with occasional name-calling, threats and pushing taking place. While pupils told inspectors that they generally feel safe in school, a few

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Behaviour

pupils are unsettled and unhappy with the behaviour of this small minority.  Although pupils’ behaviour is not consistently good, leaders have taken effective action to improve it. The rate of fixed-term exclusions, for example, has fallen substantially compared with the same point of time in 2017/18. Similarly, the number of ‘internal’ behaviour incidents has fallen by a large margin compared with this time last year.  Rates of pupils’ attendance have improved since the arrival of the headteacher. Currently, the rate of pupils’ attendance is better than the same time last year and is on track to be in line with the national average. The rate of persistent absence is also reducing compared with the same time last year and is on track to be better than the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 in 2017/18 was in line with the national averages for reading, writing and mathematics. This was an improvement on previous years, when pupils’ progress was well below the national averages at the end of key stage 2.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 in 2017/18 was below the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics at both the expected standard and at greater depth. In the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 pupils’ attainment was below the national average.  Disadvantaged pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 in 2017/18 in each of reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average when compared like- for-like with disadvantaged pupils nationally.  Pupils currently in the school do not make consistently good progress over a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Often, this is because of gaps in pupils’

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

knowledge as a consequence of ineffective teaching over time. Such gaps mean that pupils are not able to make strong progress because important knowledge, skills and understanding are missing.  While gaps in pupils’ attainment and progress between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally have narrowed over time, wide gaps remain. This is especially the case in mathematics.  Pupils’ progress is limited at times by the setting of tasks which are not pitched at the right level. Teachers often set work which is too easy for the most able pupils. This is the case in English, mathematics and subjects in the wider curriculum.  Pupils’ progress is also limited by misconceptions in their understanding. At times, pupils misunderstand important points in their learning. However, such misunderstandings are not consistently spotted and corrected at an earlier stage, so pupils’ misconceptions persist in their work. As a result, their progress is not as strong

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

as it could be.  Leaders have taken steps to improve the quality of the teaching of reading. A scheme for teaching phonics in a systematic way has been introduced. Pupils are encouraged to read widely as a result of leaders’ introduction of a reading scheme. Although pupils’ reading progress is beginning to improve, it is inconsistent across the school. In part, this is because the reading strategy is recently introduced. Consequently, there is some variability in the extent to which teachers and teaching assistants apply the school’s expectation that all pupils are heard reading every week.  Although progress overall is variable, there are times when pupils make strong progress from their starting points. This is as a result of teachers’ effective use of pupil information in their planning. Evidence of pupils making strong gains in their learning was seen in English and mathematics in both key stages.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have ensured that the early years setting provides a breadth of opportunities for children’s development in the full range of early learning goal areas. As a result, children make good progress and they are well prepared for starting key stage 1.  Leaders have set up effective systems for checking on how the children are doing. This assists them in providing extra help for children when it is required. An online platform enables careful monitoring of progress, which parents access, and which is used to evaluate the standard of children’s learning. Consequently, leaders have an accurate picture of children’s progress.  Children are taught to read using the school’s chosen phonics scheme. The teaching of phonics is effective in teaching the children how to recognise the different sounds of English and how to join them together to form words. Teachers introduce more- challenging sound patterns with skill, so that the children are able to read some

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Early years provision Good

irregular words as well as simple ones.  Teachers are effective in helping children to make links between the sounds of English and how words are spelled. Consequently, children make strong progress over time in their writing. For instance, children’s writing books show clear progression from mark- making at the start of the year, to writing simple sentences later.  In mathematics, children are provided with opportunities to count and multiply in simple sums. Teachers and teaching assistants work with the children to good effect, helping them to learn number names and to count in sequence.  There are ample opportunities for children to play and express themselves through mixed media art, building objects and drawing. These opportunities provide children with chances to talk collaboratively with their peers and begin to learn the essential rules of social interaction.  Children’s personal development, behaviour and welfare is good. Leaders’ expectations

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Early years provision Good

of how the children should behave are well established. As a result, the children are considerate towards one another. When in pairs and groups, they behave thoughtfully. They move around the early years provision quietly, calmly and sensibly, showing a respect for the needs of the other children.  Although the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is typically below the national average, from their starting points they make good progress. In literacy and mathematics, the children progress well as the result of skilled teaching and leaders’ effective checks on how the children are doing. There is similarly strong progress in children’s physical, personal, creative and communicative development.  Leaders are about to commence a major redevelopment of the outdoor provision area. Currently, some of the teaching in this environment is not as strong as found in the indoor area. Although staff talk to the children about what they are doing, the

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Early years provision Good

opportunities to use appropriate subject vocabulary are not as well exploited as they could be. For instance, the language of weight, volume and capacity is not used when children are playing at the water station.  The safeguarding arrangements are effective and mirror those in the main school. The specific welfare requirements are met.

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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

Date of previous inspection 15–16 April 2015

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy on 1 December 2012. It is part of the Pioneer Academies Co-operative Trust. The trust delegates some authority to a local governing body.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2018, as was the assistant headteacher. A phase leader/reading leader was appointed in January 2019. A deputy headteacher/special educational needs coordinator joined the school in May 2019. During 2018/19, three teachers left the school. Three new teachers will join the school in September 2019.  The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is in the top 20% of schools nationally. The proportion of pupils with SEND who receive support is in the lowest 20% of schools nationally.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited a range of lessons across subjects and years, sometimes accompanied by the school’s senior leaders. During these visits, inspectors talked to pupils and looked at work in their books.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work across several subjects, with different year groups and pupil abilities represented.  Meetings were held with the headteacher. An inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust and a group of governors.  Inspectors met with senior leaders with responsibility for: the early years foundation stage; attendance; behaviour; provision for SEND; the quality of teaching, learning and assessment; pupils’ personal development and welfare; the pupil premium and sports premium funding; the curriculum; literacy and reading; pupils’ progress information; and safeguarding.  Meetings were held with four groups of pupils, drawn from across year groups. Inspectors also spoke informally with pupils at breaktime and lunchtime.

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Information about this inspection

 Meetings were held with several members of staff, including: middle leaders, teaching assistants, teachers at different career points, and support staff.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, on corridors, in social spaces such as the dining room, the field, and at the start of the day when pupils were arriving at school.  A wide range of documentation was examined. This included: leaders’ self-evaluation and plans; minutes of governors’ meetings; attendance, behaviour and exclusion information; records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching; records of contact with parents in the early years foundation stage; logs and analysis of incidents of bullying; accident logs and pupils’ progress information. Leaders’ processes for vetting adults’ suitability to work in school were checked, along with safeguarding files.  Inspectors considered the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents,

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Information about this inspection

Parent View, together with 34 free-text parental comments. Sixty-six responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for pupils were considered, as were 25 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire. An inspector spoke with parents at drop-off time at the start of the day.

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Inspection team

Steve Shaw, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Marsh 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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