Swallownest Primary School

Inspection of Swallownest Primary School Rotherham Road, Swallownest, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S26 4UR

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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 22 and 23 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Swallownest Primary School is a warm and welcoming school. Leaders do all they can to help pupils be successful. The vast majority of parents and carers speak highly of the school. Summing up the feelings of many, one parent said, ’This school is amazing, the teachers ensure that my child is safe and has access to everything he needs.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They welcome visitors and are keen to talk about how much they enjoy learning and playing with their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils. Staff and pupils celebrate the school’s ‘golden’ rules. Pupils know and understand these rules. They strive to stay on the Golden Door, which represents those who behave well. As a result, pupils do their best in lessons and behave well during social times. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their work and each other. Pupils know about different types of bullying and why it is wrong. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils know who to talk to if bullying does happen. They are clear that adults would sort it. Pupils say they are happy and feel safe.

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better?

Leaders understand clearly that learning to read and reading well are vital for the success of all pupils. Staff have been well trained. As a result, they have the knowledge and skills to teach phonics effectively. The teaching of phonics begins at the very beginning of the early years. Pupils use their phonic knowledge well to read and spell unfamiliar words. Pupils quickly build their confidence with reading, as books are well matched to the sounds they know. Those pupils who take longer to secure their phonic knowledge have tailored support to help them keep up. This means they also develop their skills and love of reading. Pupils enjoy reading a range of carefully chosen texts in lessons. The visits to the local library are popular and excite pupils. These visits encourage the love of reading that leaders are keen for all pupils to have. At playtime and lunchtime, pupils enjoy accessing the reading

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better?

shed in the playground. It is a calm place where pupils can read books.

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better?

Leaders have developed a strong curriculum which helps teachers build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. As a result, as pupils progress through school they know and remember more. Staff keep vocabulary and language at the centre of all that they do. As a result, pupils understand and use complex subject vocabulary. For example, in geography, pupils can explain in detail the features of an oxbow lake and how a confluence is formed. In computing, pupils know and confidently explain computational thinking.

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better?

Senior leaders have supported subject leaders to develop effective ways to check pupils’ learning in each subject. This enables teachers to check pupils’ understanding and helps identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teachers do this well in most subjects. 22 and 23 March 2023

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However, in some subjects, such as geography and computing, checks are not as effective because the checks on learning for a small number of pupils are not timely enough. Where this is the case, pupils’ learning does not always quickly build on what they already know.

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Children in the early years are quick to settle into school. They work and play together happily. They enjoy the calm, well-resourced provision. Children work together well. They successfully cooperated to make a pirate ship’s deck in construction. Children are confident, curious and happy. Teachers plan a range of activities that children enjoy. Staff provide effective support so that children engage in learning, both in and out of the classroom. For example, staff made repeating patterns outdoors to embed children’s mathematical thinking.

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Leaders quickly identify the individual support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) need. This ensures that staff understand accurately the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff make sure appropriate adaptations are in place to address any potential barriers to learning. Pupils with SEND work through the same curriculum as their peers, with adjustments where needed. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Leaders consider pupils’ personal development to be as important as their academic achievement. They have put in place a broad range of opportunities to bring this about, including curriculum days, visitors, visits and theatre performances. The personal, social, health and education curriculum helps pupils to become confident, resilient and independent learners. The curriculum teaches pupils about how to keep healthy and form positive relationships. Pupils learn the importance of respecting others, irrespective of their beliefs and differences. Pupils enjoy making a positive contribution to the life of the school as eco-counsellors, playground leaders and reading ambassadors.

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Governors offer effective support and challenge to leaders and staff in equal measure. They work with the headteacher to support staff well-being and workload. Staff feel valued and supported by the headteacher and the governing body.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a strength in the school. Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They have established effective systems to keep pupils safe. Staff experience regular training, including regular checks on their understanding of safeguarding.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the signs that they need to be alert for and know how to report any safeguarding concerns they may have. The school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils are regularly checked by the governing body. 22 and 23 March 2023

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Pupils understand about the dangers when they are using the internet. They have experienced regular online safety training and know how to report any issues or concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Currently, teachers’ assessment in some foundation subjects such as geography and computing is not as effective as it could be. Some pupils’ needs are not always identified swiftly enough. Leaders should ensure that the school’s assessment policy is well understood and applied swiftly and effectively by all teachers in all subjects.

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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. 22 and 23 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255746 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 23 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.

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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 is 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors also met with governors and spoke with a representative from the local authority and a local trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and computing. For each deep dive, the 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. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects. 22 and 23 March 2023

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 The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  The inspectors considered the responses to pupil, parent and staff surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and considered safeguarding documents and records. These included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.

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Inspection team

Gerry Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Bentley Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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