Swain House Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Swain House Primary School Radcliffe Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 1JL

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Outcome

Swain House Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and friendly school. Leaders have a deep commitment to serving their pupils, families and community. Relationships between staff and pupils and among pupils are extremely positive. Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe at school. They describe their school as caring, fantastic and fun. Pupils learn well and benefit from an ambitious curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These high expectations are met. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around school and at playtimes is excellent. They are respectful, polite and welcoming. In lessons, pupils are attentive, and they work hard. Leaders are determined to improve pupils’ attendance, but there is still more work to do to ensure that all pupils attend in accordance with leaders’ expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are included in all parts of school life. This helps them all to feel valued members of the school community. The school has a resourced provision for deaf children and young people. These pupils are integrated fully into the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders promote pupils’ wider development in a variety of ways. They ensure that there are opportunities for pupils to engage in extra-curricular clubs and sports. These include a lunchtime club in which pupils can learn British Sign Language. Pupils in key stage 2 attend a residential visit every year. Pupils are very positive about these visits, talking excitedly about the experiences they have enjoyed.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that begins in the provision for two-year olds and runs to Year 6. They have identified the important knowledge that they want 7 and 8 March 2023

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pupils to learn. Leaders have carefully considered curriculum content to make it relevant to pupils. Several topics relate directly to Bradford. These include topics that focus closely on local history.

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There is a very clear rationale for what is taught in mathematics and how it is taught. In the early years, the mathematics curriculum prepares children well for their learning further up school. There are well-resourced mathematics areas in the early years and opportunities for pupils to engage in mathematics activities in carefully planned provision. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain subject content clearly and check pupils’ understanding in lessons. Children in the early years receive an excellent education. They make good progress because of the strong curriculum. They are highly engaged and independent in their learning. Adults are very effective in supporting them.

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All pupils with SEND are supported extremely well. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum and have the same high level of ambition for what they can achieve. The resourced provision for deaf children and young people is a strength of the school. These pupils report that they feel a part of the ‘Swain House family’.

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Leaders have prioritised reading. Books are celebrated. Staff use high-quality texts to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Leaders have chosen and implemented a new phonic programme in the last 12 months. The programme is used consistently by staff who are well trained in its delivery. When pupils struggle or fall behind with their reading, teachers quickly identify them and support them to keep up.

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The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) helps pupils learn about a healthy lifestyle. They learn about changes to the body in age-appropriate ways. Pupils learn about differences between people, and they are respectful and tolerant. School councillors enjoy their leadership roles and can talk about the democratic process that helped them to be elected to their roles. They also appreciate the impact their roles have. There is a range of additional jobs that pupils can carry out in school. However, some of these roles are less well defined, and a number of pupils spoken to had not yet carried out any work associated with their job.

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Leaders are mindful of the well-being and workload of their staff. Members of staff appreciate how well leaders look after them. Leaders prioritise professional development to ensure that staff are well trained and knowledgeable.

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Members of the governing body have a strong and diverse set of skills. They have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They check the impact of school policies and improvement actions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff receive regular training and updates on safeguarding issues. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of 7 and 8 March 2023

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situations, including when using technology. Staff know the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm and act promptly to report any concerns that they have about pupils’ safety and well-being. Leaders make appropriate checks on the suitability of those appointed to work with children. Leaders have systems in place to record and track safeguarding concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are not attending school regularly enough. As a result, they miss too much learning and do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders and staff should continue to work with pupils and their families to reinforce attendance expectations and to make sure that pupils attend school regularly so that they can achieve their full potential.  Some pupils who have been given leadership roles or school jobs have not had an opportunity to fulfil those roles. This means that pupils are not developing the confidence and independence associated with these roles. Leaders should ensure that where pupils are recruited to jobs or leadership roles this leads to meaningful associated activity.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2011.

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10211251 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a larger-than-average primary school.  The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, subject leaders and other members of staff. The inspector also met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector visited classes in the selected subjects and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. The inspector spoke to groups of pupils, as well as teachers and leaders for the subjects. The inspector listened to groups of pupils read.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and at other times, such as playtime or in the dining room. The inspector discussed behaviour with leaders, staff, pupils and parents. Records of behaviour, attendance and exclusions were scrutinised.  The arrangements for safeguarding were checked. This included checking the single central record in the school. Discussions were held with leaders about safeguarding systems and processes.  The inspector took account of the views of pupils through formal and informal

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discussions. Parents’ views were considered through the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and comments made in the free-text responses. The inspector also spoke with parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 March 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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