Bramley Sunnyside Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Bramley Sunnyside Junior School Flanderwell Lane, Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S66 3QW

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Outcome

Bramley Sunnyside Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. This is reflected in above-average attendance rates. Most pupils work hard. At best they are deeply engaged in their learning. A small number of pupils occasionally disrupt lessons. Staff know what to do. They manage any rare instances of poor behaviour well, so disruption is minimised.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They learn how to stay safe. Pupils trust staff to help them if they are worried. Bullying is not common. When it does happen, adults deal with it quickly so it stops. Although the use of insulting language is not widespread, it does take place. Not all pupils report it. Adults address this effectively when they are aware of it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum. The art and design curriculum is particularly well developed. Pupils’ high-quality artwork adorns the corridors. Pupils also achieve well in mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to join in with the motivating extra activities they request. Activities such as street dance, mindfulness, floristry, sewing and performing arts broaden and deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills. Staff work hard to fully involve all pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The large majority of parents and carers who completed Ofsted’s Parent View survey praised the school highly.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils achieve well in mathematics. Each lesson builds little by little on the previous lesson. Teachers check that pupils have understood before moving them on to the next piece of learning. Carefully chosen activities help pupils to understand mathematical ideas. Pupils have lots of practice, which helps them to calculate quickly. Most pupils can recall their times tables. 21–22 January 2020

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A carefully thought out art and design curriculum helps pupils to learn step by step. Staff are skilful. They help pupils to analyse how artists create artistic effects with different materials. Teachers give pupils opportunities to create art using the knowledge and skills they have learned. Pupils achieve well. Some artwork is of a very high standard.

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In history and geography, leaders have planned a sequence of topics. These interest and appeal to pupils. However, the curriculum planning sometimes does not help teachers to provide work that is challenging. The most important ideas in history and geography are not linked together well enough from Year 3 to Year 6. As a result, pupils do not build up the most valuable knowledge in their long-term memories over time.

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Most pupils in the school are making good progress in reading. A suitable curriculum is in place to help lower-ability pupils to catch up. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ developing phonics knowledge. However, not all staff have the expertise needed to help pupils catch up quickly. As a result, while the majority of lower-ability pupils entering Year 3 catch up in learning phonics, some do not.

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Leaders have put in place a variety of routines, activities and events to help pupils develop a love of reading. Pupils enjoy teachers reading to them every day from well- chosen books. Pupils have a wide range of good-quality books to choose from. Many develop good reading habits. Teachers make sure that any pupils falling behind get extra practice in reading aloud in school. For example, some pupils attend the ‘reading hub’ to read to volunteers. This extra support helps pupils manage well in whole-class reading lessons.

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Leaders make sure that teachers plan well for pupils with SEND. Almost all of these pupils learn alongside their peers in class. Adults adapt the curriculum well. This helps pupils with SEND to develop the same knowledge as other pupils.

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Leaders plan well for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. A well-planned programme encourages respect for diversity.

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Pupils behave well. They like how the new behaviour policy rewards good behaviour and learning habits. All adults apply the rules consistently. A small number of pupils struggle to conform. Adults manage the needs of these pupils increasingly well. Exclusions are a last resort and not excessive in number.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Well-trained adults report concerns to the right people. They report information about domestic violence and any concerning changes in pupils’ behaviour. Leaders keep detailed records. They promptly report serious concerns to the local authority. Safer recruitment procedures are tight.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about diversity. For example, pupils learn about lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) matters. Each year, Year 3 pupils visit a synagogue. Adults teach 21–22 January 2020

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pupils to respect others. Nevertheless, pupils said that they hear the use of derogatory language, including racist terms, in school. Pupils too often do not report this. Those who feel upset know how to get help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not catch up quickly in phonics. A suitable programme is in place and books are well matched to pupils’ developing knowledge. However, not all staff involved in intervention programmes have sufficient expertise to help pupils catch up rapidly. Leaders should ensure that staff are trained to be highly skilled so that all pupils attempt unknown words successfully and learn to read fluently and accurately by the end of Year 3.  Although leaders have planned a full programme of learning for geography and history, the content does not consistently challenge pupils. Furthermore, the most important ideas in history and geography are not linked together well enough from Year 3 to Year 6. As a result, pupils do not build up the most valuable knowledge in their long-term memories. Leaders should review the content and its sequence and emphases in these subjects to ensure that pupils learn, incrementally, the knowledge and concepts that

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

will be most valuable to their future learning. Leaders should check other subjects carefully to ensure that coherent planning is consistent across the curriculum.  Some pupils are exposed to derogatory language and name-calling. Too often, they do not report this to adults. Leaders must ensure that pupils always report incidents of offensive and prejudicial language so it can be robustly addressed.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 21–22 January 2020

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 21–22 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121864 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Rachel Elizabeth Yates

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School details

Headteacher Laura Robson (acting headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6–7 July 2016

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been temporarily seconded to the local authority school improvement service. An acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher are currently in post.

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Information about this inspection

 I met, throughout the inspection, with the headteacher, the acting headteacher and the acting deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator.  I held a discussion with several members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. I met with a representative of the local authority.  I did deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, reading and art. I met with each subject leader, with whom I visited lessons and scrutinised pupils’ work. I held discussions with pupils from the classes visited and met with teachers of the lessons seen. I listened to pupils as they read aloud to members of staff.  I met several other subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans for geography, history and science, and looked at a sample of pupils’ work in these subjects.  With the school business manager, I examined the record of checks on the suitability of adults and the safer recruitment process. I met with the designated safeguarding

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leader and examined a sample of child protection records. I asked pupils about whether they feel safe and what they are taught about how to stay safe. I asked several staff members about their safeguarding duties. I scrutinised the child protection policy.  I studied a selection of documents, including the school self-evaluation document, school improvement plan and minutes of governing body meetings.  I observed pupils at social times and spoke with many pupils about what it is like to be a pupil in the school.  I took account of the 61 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, and 32 written responses from parents and carers. I also considered 33 responses from staff to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Phil Riozzi, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21–22 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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