Birdwell Primary School

Inspection of Birdwell Primary School Sheffield Road, Birdwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 5XB

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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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 Requires improvement 13 and 14 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They enjoy lessons and have excellent relationships with teachers and other adults. Pupils are curious and confident. Many pupils wanted to tell inspectors about their school. Pupils were excited to be performing in the nativity production when inspectors visited.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a determination among leadership that all pupils at this school study the broad and ambitious curriculum they have designed. Behaviour in lessons, around school and at social times is very good. Pupils enjoy the praise they receive from adults when they follow school routines or try hard in lessons. Pupils respect each other and understand how to keep themselves safe online and in the real world. Bullying is rare here. All pupils that inspectors spoke with were confident that adults would deal with bullying if it happened.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils act as play leaders and help younger children at play times. Pupils who make up the school council enjoy the responsibility that they have. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoyed being able to attend extra-curricular activities such as coding club, Lego club and various sports clubs.

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better?

Leaders’ recent focus on the curriculum means that there is an ambitious curriculum in place. Subject leaders have given clear consideration to the sequence of the curriculum. For example, in design and technology, children in Reception work on developing their ability to cut and stick. In older years, pupils have developed the ability to make intricate objects using electrical circuits. In mathematics, leaders ensure that pupils use mathematical knowledge to solve problems.

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better?

In lessons, teachers follow a clear structure which ensures that pupils have a chance to revisit previous learning. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned. However, in some lessons, the key knowledge that pupils must learn is not made clear enough. Consequently, there is too much information for pupils to take in.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced a new reading programme. Staff have been trained in this. As a result, phonics lessons are consistently delivered and pupils apply the phonics knowledge they have learned when they encounter unfamiliar words. Leaders ensure that adults who support pupils with their reading meet with leaders for reading. This helps to develop and improve delivery of this programme.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. There have been recent improvements in the systems to identify pupils with SEND and to ensure that teachers are able to help pupils with SEND in lessons. Leaders are aware that they need to build on this work.

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better?

Pupils’ behaviour is a particular strength at this school. This is because all adults model the behaviour they want to see in pupils. The atmosphere in lessons is calm. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Pupils are respectful when speaking to adults and take pride in being part of Birdwell Primary School. In the early years, for example, pupils are excited to ‘zoom to the moon’ when they behave well.

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The personal, social, health and education (PSHE) curriculum is clearly planned to ensure that pupils learn about, for example, healthy relationships. Assemblies add to this work. Pupils are very mature in the ways that they relate to each other. They talk with pride about the need to respect all people. Pupils care about each other and help each other. This means that the school has a caring and warm atmosphere. Pupils are not worried about bullying and feel safe when they come to school. They know they can speak to adults and that they will help them if they have any worries. The coding club is helping some pupils to aspire to future careers in the gaming industry.

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Governors have a good understanding of the school. They have ensured there is expertise in important areas in order to better challenge and support the work of leaders. For example, a recent governor appointment brings expertise in SEND. Overall, staff feel well supported to bring about the changes that leaders want to see in the curriculum. Parents recognise that their children are happy to attend the school. However, some parents feel that communication from school is not always timely and effective.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding updates in the form of weekly briefings. These weekly briefings ensure that they are aware of local risks to pupils. Staff know how to pass on concerns about pupils.

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Safeguarding

Leaders for safeguarding keep meticulous records. Checks on adults who work with pupils are thorough. Actions to get the help that children need are timely and external agencies are involved as necessary. Regular meetings take place to ensure that there is a clear understanding of actions needed to help pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online. Assemblies and PSHE lessons are flexible so that leaders can make children aware of different risks as they become relevant.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, pupils are overloaded with information in some of their lessons. This means that they cannot always recall the most important information. Leaders should ensure that the clearly defined end points in curriculum planning are well understood by teachers and used as the basis for lesson planning. 13 and 14 December 2022

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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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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10255729 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a new headteacher and chair of governors have been appointed. There have been several other appointments to the governing body.  The school is planned to close in Spring 2023 and join the Hoyland Common Academies Trust as an academy.  The school does not use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, representatives from the local authority and members of the governing body, including the chair of 13 and 14 December 2022

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governors and two vice-chairs. Inspectors also met with leaders responsible for behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, religious education and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 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 wider curriculum plans in history, geography and science.  Inspectors spoke with the leader for the early years and spent some time visiting the early years classroom.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke with leaders for safeguarding and scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors met with leaders for PSHE and looked at records of attendance at clubs and extra-curricular activities.

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 Inspectors visited the school’s nativity production.  Inspectors spoke with support staff.  Inspectors spoke with pupils in formal and informal settings, including single-sex groups of pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynne Selkirk Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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