Mattersey Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Mattersey Primary School Thorpe Road, Mattersey, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN10 5ED

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are polite and respectful. They enjoy learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know the pupils and their families well. They provide appropriate learning activities in both of the mixed-age classes. Parents are positive about the school, a typical comment being: ‘Staff all go above and beyond for anything you need and support your children any way they can.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. The ‘Mattersey Matters’ values of respect, independence, confidence, kindness, resilience, honesty, teamwork, perseverance, curiosity and enthusiasm reflect this. Pupils understand these values and recognise their importance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is good. Pupils who need help following the school rules are supported well. Pupils say they feel safe. Bullying is rare, and staff sort it out quickly when it happens. Pupils know who to speak to if they have a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, leaders have not considered well enough the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate enthusiastically in a range of enrichment activities offered, such as trips to museums and the theatre, residential visits and science and sports activities with other schools. They value being a member of the school leadership team. A common view held by pupils was, ‘I think the school is perfect.’

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

Leaders have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, staff have sequenced pupils’ learning in a logical order. In geography, leaders have considered what 17 January 2023

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pupils need to know and when. In religious education, the subject content and the sequence of learning is clear. However, in some subjects, leaders have not thought carefully enough about exactly what pupils should learn. In mathematics, the knowledge that pupils are expected to know lacks clarity. In art and design, details of what pupils need to learn and how are not clear. In these cases, pupils’ learning is not as precise as it should be.

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Senior leaders have reviewed the curriculum. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths. They know what still needs to improve. They are working on some subjects that are not as well developed as others.

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Leaders have recently introduced a new approach to the teaching of early reading and phonics. Staff are appropriately trained and use a consistent approach that starts in the early years. However, reading books are not always well matched to the sounds pupils are learning. They are either too difficult or too easy for pupils to read.

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Teachers encourage pupils to read frequently, both at home and at school. Confident, experienced readers enjoy reading. Leaders are beginning to broaden the range of reading books and texts available. However, for some pupils, the choice is not sufficiently ambitious. In some lessons, the texts chosen for teaching comprehension are too easy. Some pupils are not developing the knowledge and skills they need to become effective and enthusiastic readers.

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Teachers have sound subject knowledge. They explain tasks clearly and make use of appropriate resources. Checks of pupils’ learning are not over-burdensome. Teachers use information from these checks to confirm what pupils remember and what pupils might need teaching again.

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Staff are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and provide appropriate support. Most of these pupils’ needs are being met. The advice of external organisations, including the Elizabethan Academy Family of Schools SENCo network, is sought when required.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They readily answer teachers’ questions and take an active role in well-planned activities. Pupils are often taught in small groups. This gives staff chance to intervene and promptly address any misconceptions. Low-level disruption is rare. This includes the behaviour of children in the early years.

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The school’s work to support pupils’ wider development is strong. Pupils undertake a variety of off-site visits, including to museums and places of interest. They learn about faiths and cultures beyond their own experiences. They take an active role in their local community and raise money for international, national and local charities. Pupils are learning about democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. They are being prepared well for their next steps.

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The headteacher leads the school well, fulfilling a variety of different roles. The governing body has an appropriate mix of skills and experience. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities. They work effectively to support leaders and hold them to account. 17 January 2023

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Leaders are considerate of staff’s well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that safeguarding is given the highest priority at the school. Staff receive appropriate training. They understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know what to do should a concern arise. Leaders carry out regular and detailed checks to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say they feel safe. They learn about county lines criminal exploitation and how to stay safe in a range of situations, including online. Pupils know they can talk to any adult in school if they have a worry or concern.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not thought carefully enough about the curriculum. They have not identified the precise subject knowledge they want pupils to learn or in what order. Teachers are not always sure what they need to teach or how best to deliver the content. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum in each subject is planned thoroughly and that teachers implement these well-thought-out curriculums consistently well.  Pupils’ reading books do not always match their knowledge of phonics. This slows down pupils becoming confident, fluent readers. Leaders need to ensure that reading books match phonic knowledge to ensure the accuracy of pupils’ reading.  Pupils do not always have access to appropriate texts. Some of the texts chosen are not ambitious enough for pupils. This slows down pupils’ progress in developing their reading comprehension strategies. Leaders need to ensure that teachers carefully and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

consistently plan for developing pupils’ wider reading skills.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017. 17 January 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 17 January 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the role in September 2021. She teaches one of the two classes every morning.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provisions.  Since the previous inspection, the school has joined a formal collaboration with two other schools.

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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 held various meetings with the headteacher and other staff. The lead inspector met with two members of the governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in three subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and 17 January 2023

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looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum documentation and spoke with leaders about some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils from key stage 1 and Year 6 read.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector checked the single central record. Inspectors checked staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding records were scrutinised.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Spoors Ofsted Inspector 17 January 2023

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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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