Summerfields Primary Academy

Inspection of Summerfields Primary Academy Haigh Croft Summer Lane, Royston, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S71 4SF

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Early years provision Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 29–30 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has been through a period of staffing changes. Leaders have made some improvements, including in the early years and pupils’ outcomes in key stage 1. Parents and carers welcome the improvements. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in key stage 2, especially in mathematics. The quality of education pupils receive is not good enough. Some pupils do not behave as well as they should in class and during social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Summerfields is a welcoming school where pupils enjoy learning. They attend regularly. Pupils value the care and support they receive from staff. Staff and pupils get along. This creates a warm and friendly environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe. They know exactly what bullying is. Pupils say there are very few incidents and when they occur, they are sorted out quickly. Most pupils behave and play well together. However, sometimes pupils are too boisterous on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide curriculum on offer. There are many clubs for pupils to join in. These include dance, choir, dodgeball and archery. Pupils take part in events such as visits to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, a residential trip to London, ‘Young Voices’ and community sporting competitions.

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better?

The newly appointed headteacher is determined and ambitious for the school. The trust, governors and staff support her vision. However, trust leaders have been slow to address pupils’ weak outcomes in key stage 2. Newly appointed trust leaders are beginning to make a difference. They are doing the right things to make the school better. The governors of the school are benefiting from the support of the trust. They are holding school leaders to account more effectively.

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better?

Leaders ensure that pupils study all the subjects in the national curriculum. They have planned what knowledge they want pupils to gain in a sequenced order. In mathematics, teachers follow the recently introduced well-sequenced curriculum. They revisit the key knowledge they want pupils to remember. Pupils revise, practise and apply their skills. The teaching of mathematics is improving, although teaching assistants are not as effective as they might be. Pupils are remembering more in mathematics.

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better?

In science, teachers ensure that pupils build on the skills they have already learned such as recording and observing. Pupils do not have regular opportunities to revisit and reinforce what they have previously learned. Some teachers do not check what pupils have understood effectively enough. Pupils do not develop secure knowledge in science. 29–30 January 2020

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Leaders have revised the curriculum in most subjects. However, they have not ensured that teachers consistently follow the plans well enough. Many subject leaders are very new to role. They have not had the chance to review teaching in their subjects yet.

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Teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work on the same tasks as others. Pupils with SEND get the right support to help them achieve well.

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Leaders have prioritised reading. Phonics is well taught. Staff who teach phonics are skilled in this area. Most children in the early years develop secure phonics knowledge. Pupils use phonics well to read new words. They read with confidence and fluency. Pupils who are not confident readers receive support. This helps them to catch up quickly. In key stage 2, some pupils do not make progress as they should in reading. Leaders know the steps needed to continue improvements in reading. They have recently introduced new plans.

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Children in the early years settle well because staff are caring. They are provided with many activities to help their development. Staff have high expectations. Children behave well. They listen carefully and follow instructions. Adult-led learning helps children develop their communication skills. Children socialise well. They learn to take turns, such as when looking after the class stick insect.

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Most pupils behave well. However, the behaviour of some pupils needs further improvement. Occasionally, pupils’ behaviour disrupts lessons. These interruptions to learning often go unchallenged by staff.

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Pupils’ personal, social and emotional development is a strength of the school. The curriculum helps pupils understand the importance of tolerance and fairness. Teachers encourage pupils to debate issues that broaden their thinking. Pupils develop respect for other cultures and faiths. They understand that people hold different views and the importance of respecting different beliefs.

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Governors and leaders care about staff workload and well-being. Staff feel supported by leaders. They feel valued and part of a team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The trust oversees the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Leaders and governors make sure that safeguarding is a high priority. The right checks are completed on staff before they start to work at the school. Staff know that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They are knowledgeable about keeping pupils safe. Leaders and staff are vigilant. 29–30 January 2020

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Leaders responsible for safeguarding know pupils and their families well. They are tenacious when concerned about a pupil’s welfare. They secure timely and effective help from outside agencies when required.

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Pupils are taught and know how to keep themselves safe in different ways, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in the implementation of the mathematics curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should in mathematics. Leaders should continue to implement the well-sequenced curriculum. They should ensure that teaching assistants receive training so they can provide effective support. Leaders should make sure all pupils achieve as well as they should in mathematics at the end of key stage 2, including the most able.  There is less clarity about the reading curriculum in key stage 2 than in other subjects. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in reading. Leaders have already started to strengthen the teaching of reading in key stage 2 by extending further pupils’ vocabulary and improving the use of inference and comprehension skills. Leaders should build on this work so that pupils achieve as well as they should in reading.  Recently appointed curriculum leaders bring strengths to the school, but they

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

have not yet had time to have an impact in their subjects. The quality of education is not yet good. Senior leaders should ensure that curriculum leaders have the time they need to check their plans are being implemented effectively.  Pupils’ behaviour can be boisterous at playtimes and some pupils disrupt lessons. This prevents others from learning. Leaders should take action to eliminate the boisterous behaviour of some pupils in the playground and ensure that pupils’ behaviour does not disrupt learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 29–30 January 2020

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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. 29–30 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110621 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed in January 2018.  Since the last inspection, there have been several staff changes.  The school is part of the Pioneers Academies Community Trust.  Most pupils are from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders and other members of staff. We spoke to the chief executive officer of the trust. We spoke to three members of the local governing board, including the chair. 29–30 January 2020

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 We observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at breakfast club, playtimes and lunchtimes. We gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussions.  We scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding documents. We also evaluated information relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  We gathered the views of parents at the start of the school day. We also took account of the views of 27 parents who submitted free-text responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  We carried out a range of activities to check the arrangements for safeguarding pupils. We looked at the school’s policies relating to safeguarding, met the designated safeguarding leader and considered records of the vetting checks the school makes on its staff. We asked many pupils for their opinions about safety,

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behaviour and bullying. We considered parents’ responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey.  We met with staff involved with the provision for pupils with SEND and those who provide support with pupils’ personal development.  We undertook deep dives into mathematics, reading, science and art. This involved a meeting with subject leaders, visits to a sample of lessons in these subjects and listening to pupils read. The deep dives also included scrutiny of pupils’ books, consideration of art work on display and other kinds of work produced by pupils who were part of the classes we visited. In addition, we had discussions with teachers and a group of pupils from the lessons observed.

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Inspection team

Jean Watt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cathy Morgan Ofsted Inspector 29–30 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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