Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School

Inspection of Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School Halifax Road, Thurgoland, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S35 7AL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect any changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. School 6 and 7 July 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where everyone wants to ‘be their best self’. Staff encourage pupils to ‘give it a go’ and ‘be resilient’. This helps them to try new things and means that pupils are happy and confident. They feel safe because they know their teachers care about them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic in lessons. They want to do well. The relationships between adults and children are incredibly respectful. As one pupil told inspectors, ‘This is a kind school.’ Inspectors agree. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils follow well- established routines, for example when moving into groups for phonics lessons. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils know teachers will help them if they report bullying concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to aim high. Pupils strive to meet these expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that all pupils have a rich range of experiences. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 were excited about a trip to the seaside when inspectors visited. All pupils take part in a competitive sporting event. Clubs, ranging from gardening to cartoon drawing, provide a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. Careful thought has been given to mapping out the important knowledge that pupils need as they move through the school. In design and technology, for example, there are clear steps to help pupils develop their knowledge of different types of sewing stitches. In a small number of subjects, the knowledge pupils need is not yet mapped out in as much detail.

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better?

Pupils with SEND successfully access the curriculum because teachers make good use of the information they receive. For example, inspectors saw effective adaptations to the groupings for reading and in the use of tools in a design and technology lesson.

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better?

Pupils can recall with clarity what they have learned, for example about different faiths and religions such as Hinduism and Sikhism. Pupils recall what they have learned about the Mayan culture and are confident when talking about other historical events. This is because teachers make careful checks on what pupils have learned through questioning and through recall tasks at the beginning of lessons.

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better?

There are clear links between early years and key stage 1 so that children in Reception are well prepared for moving into Year 1. Leaders work with local nurseries to ensure that there is continuity for pupils when they move from nursery to Reception. School 6 and 7 July 2022

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The reading programme is a strength of the school. Leaders have a sophisticated and well-organised structure to ensure that all pupils receive phonics teaching to help them learn to read quickly. Pupils enjoy reading and use their phonics knowledge confidently. They are well supported by adults who are expert in delivering the school phonics programme. This is because leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate training and support. Pupils receive focused intervention to help them catch up if they fall behind.

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Pupils are polite and respectful. They speak confidently to adults. The school values are well embedded and understood by all. This helps to ensure that everyone in the school shares a common purpose. Pupils are proud to be given positions of responsibility, such as peer mediator or librarian. These responsibilities help them to develop a sense of community which adds to the warm and welcoming nature of the school. Pupils are enthused by the praise they receive from adults. As a result, they want to do well.

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Leaders ensure that pupils gain rich experiences to prepare them for when they leave Thurgoland Church of England Primary School. For example, leaders want pupils to socialise confidently. To help achieve this, leaders invite parents and carers of children in Reception to the school to look at work, talk to teachers and buy buns made by the children. Year 6 pupils were enjoying rehearsals for an end-of-year play when inspectors visited. Conversations with inspectors showed that pupils embody the school values in their local community, for example by helping to clear snow after bad weather. They care about the people and places where they live.

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Leaders of the school share a common purpose. This is because school leaders, governors and the local authority know the school well. They receive external reports and information to ensure that their own views of the school are accurate. They use this information to develop clear plans which are well understood by all staff. Staff are proud to work at the school. Governors listen to the views of staff. Leaders take the welfare and development of staff seriously. This ensures that there is an expert and confident staff body supporting the education of children at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a clear system for reporting concerns. They ensure that staff receive regular updates about safeguarding so that it is always prominent. Staff at all levels know the signs that may mean a child is at risk. Local risks are well understood. Leaders adapt the curriculum to ensure that pupils understand these risks. For example, the school has several reservoirs nearby so leaders ensure that pupils have a good awareness of water safety.

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Safeguarding

The systems for checking staff who work at the school are thorough. Leaders responsible for these checks keep meticulous records. School 6 and 7 July 2022

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Leaders work closely with other agencies to ensure pupils get the help they need. They keep clear records of actions taken so that all stakeholders can be easily informed about children at risk.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the knowledge that pupils need at each stage of their education is not clearly mapped out. This means that it is not clear to teachers what knowledge pupils should have to prepare them for the next stages of education. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have clearly mapped sequences of learning setting out the important knowledge that children need.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 .

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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. School 6 and 7 July 2022

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School details

Chair of governing body Neville Shiggins

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 April 2008

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been considerable changes in leadership at the school. The headteacher took up post in September 2021. The chair of governors has been in post for just over a year. There is a new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). The current assistant headteacher will become the deputy headteacher in September 2022.  The school uses no alternative provision.  Thurgoland Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School is a Church of England school. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2018. The next inspection should take place within the prescribed period. Section 48 inspections are usually carried out every three to five years. Section 48 inspections were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted in September 2021. The first inspection will be within eight years of the last, rather than the usual three to five years. School 6 and 7 July 2022

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors spoke with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke to leaders for the early years and visited the early years provision.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, history, mathematics and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans in art and design, science and French.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to leaders with responsibility for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and looked at PSHE curriculum plans. Inspectors also visited some after-school clubs and spoke to leaders about the organisation of clubs and trips.  Inspectors spoke to leaders with responsibility for behaviour and scrutinised records of behaviour and attendance.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record and safeguarding records. They also spoke to leaders for safeguarding and spoke to pupils and staff.  Inspectors spoke to the SENCo and looked at the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors spoke to pupils both formally and informally, including single-sex groups of pupils.  Inspectors observed breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors also spoke to support staff.  Inspectors took account of the views of staff and parents through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View, and spoke to some parents as they picked up and

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Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Dughall McCormick Her Majesty’s Inspector School 6 and 7 July 2022

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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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