Catcliffe Primary School

Inspection of Catcliffe Primary School Rotherham Road, Catcliffe, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S60 5SW

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. Leaders’ expectations for how pupils should behave are exceedingly high. There is a clear reward system that motivates pupils. Older pupils help younger pupils record and add up their ‘CAT tokens’. Pupils love the opportunity to exchange these for toys or stationery at the school’s reward shop, ‘Brainsbury’s’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage pupils to learn respect for others and to be kind. The ‘tribe system’ enables this kindness and respectfulness to be seen across all year groups. New pupils immediately join a tribe, where they are made to feel welcome. Pupils know what racism is and what forms bullying may take. They say unequivocally that this type of behaviour is not tolerated in their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school where staff work together successfully to make sure that pupils are safe and happy. Parents and carers who either spoke to inspectors or completed the Ofsted questionnaire responded positively. Parents noted that they ‘cannot praise the school highly enough’ and that ‘all staff are welcoming, warm and vibrant’. Many praised the approachability of school leaders and how they have ‘transformed the school’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have developed a carefully thought-out curriculum which gives pupils the knowledge that they need for the next stage of their education. Pupils are eager and enjoy learning.

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better?

Learning to read confidently and to love reading are important aspirations in this school. Leaders make sure that pupils are exposed to lots of different types of texts. The importance of books in the curriculum is clear. Each half term, pupils study a fiction, a non-fiction and a poetry text. Teachers receive regular training to help them to teach phonics well. Two libraries and a wealth of available reading books give pupils many opportunities to read texts that really interest them. Teachers give pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) extra support if they struggle with the complexities of learning to read.

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better?

The whole curriculum is arranged around half-termly projects. Leaders ensure that pupils’ knowledge builds on previous learning. Pupils read literary texts as part of their topics to gain wider insights into the topics they study.

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better?

Leaders consider the mathematics curriculum carefully. Pupils say that they love mathematics. Pupils confidently use their arithmetic knowledge to help them to complete more complicated calculations. Pupils with SEND are given the support they need, such as the use of concrete resources, to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Teachers carefully check to make sure that pupils remember what they have been taught. Pupils take an active part in this, identifying what they need more 11 and 12 January 2023

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work on. Because of this well-established system, teachers know what action they must take to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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In the early years, teaching staff interact well with children. Staff develop children’s mathematical knowledge, wider vocabulary and social skills. This helps children to be ready for the next stage of their education.

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Leaders evaluate the school’s curriculum frequently and take steps to strengthen it when needed. Leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ writing and communication and language knowledge, particularly for younger pupils. This is to some extent a result of COVID-19. Teachers have introduced new strategies, such as a focus on vocabulary, to support the development of pupils’ spoken communication and language skills. This is beginning to have an impact on pupil’s achievement. However, staff do not give younger children sufficient opportunities to practise making marks for their emerging writing. Staff do not support children to write and form letters carefully enough. This hinders pupils’ achievement in writing.

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Teachers and leaders ensure that a broad curriculum gives pupils experiences that will help them in future learning and employment. They give pupils extensive opportunities to explore different interests. Pupils attend overnight outdoor centres as well as learning in their own forest school. Other clubs take place on a daily basis.

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Pupils speak of their aspirations for the future, such as becoming teachers, builders, plumbers, doctors and scientists. They know that they have to work hard and gain knowledge and understanding in subjects to meet their goals. Pupils also know the importance of British values. Pupils speak of how they love school, not only because they love to learn, but because they feel safe and happy in school. They told inspectors that everybody is kind to each other and that older pupils help younger pupils.

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In this small school, teachers have many different areas of responsibility. They work as a strong team to share responsibilities. Staff feel valued by senior leaders. Teachers value the support of the trust. For example, subject leaders from different schools in the trust meet regularly to share ideas and ensure that the curriculum is the best it can be. A trust partner takes an active part in school improvement. Members of the trust know the school well and work well with the headteacher to provide challenge and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Support from the trust ensures that all recruitment checks on the suitability of staff are completed and recorded appropriately. Leaders use face-to-face and online training to ensure that staff understand important safeguarding messages. The designated safeguarding lead works well with other agencies and families to protect 11 and 12 January 2023

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pupils. Pupils regularly learn how to be safe in different situations, including when online and when they are near water.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teaching staff do not have the expertise to develop pupils’ emerging writing skills. Consequently, children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 do not progress in writing as well as they should do. Leaders should ensure that teaching staff receive the training needed to better support children’s writing.

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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. 11 and 12 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255735 Type of school Primary

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 April 2019

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant change since the last inspection. It temporarily became a two-form entry school while a new school was being built. Since the opening of the new school, numbers have significantly fallen. This has also resulted in some changes to staffing.  The school does not use any 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, the other senior leader and the trust partner.  The lead inspector spoke to the chair of the trustees and the chief executive officer of the trust via a video call. 11 and 12 January 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, where possible visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to parents face to face and via the telephone. They also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Responses from the Ofsted staff survey were also reviewed.  Inspectors spoke to leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding. They considered a range of documentation connected to safeguarding, including checks and records on recruitment.

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Inspection team

Jo Sharpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ruth Beckett Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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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