Bramley Grange Primary School

Inspection of Bramley Grange Primary School Howard Road, Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S66 2SY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Despite recent changes to leadership and many important improvements, the pupils at Bramley Grange do not learn consistently well across all subjects. There are some gaps in their curriculum experience. Leaders have ambitions for every pupil to achieve their best. Pupils appreciate this and recognise the recent improvements in their school. Many parents echo this, saying that the school environment is better and that their children’s happiness has improved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils state that bullying does not happen. Anti-bullying ambassadors feel that they are no longer needed, as bullying is so rare. Pupils say that, if bullying were to happen, they know that adults would provide support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and courteous. They enjoy coming to school and say that school is a safe place to be. Pupils report that behaviour has improved recently and that it is always of a high standard. Pupils interact well with each other and with adults. At playtimes, adults initiate games and encourage pupils to take part.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a range of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. This includes a number of after-school clubs. Pupils have participated in community events such as carol singing at the local library, litter picking and fundraising.

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better?

Leaders have responded positively and with urgency to the recommendations from the previous inspection report. Support from the White Woods Primary Academy Trust has been instrumental in this. Leaders have prioritised the most important things and have plans to continue improvement at pace.

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better?

Leaders are committed to developing a curriculum that reflects their ambitions. However, curriculum developments in some subjects are still in their infancy, and a curriculum for computing is not currently being taught. In some subjects, it is not clear how what children learn in the early years links with what they will learn in key stage 1 and beyond.

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better?

Newly introduced curriculum plans show leaders have clear intentions to build a well-sequenced curriculum, where the important knowledge pupils need to learn has been identified. Recent changes to the mathematics curriculum are already having impact. Teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence have improved. In lessons, teachers are using strategies to help pupils remember important knowledge by regularly revisiting previous learning. Pupils are attentive and eager to learn. Teachers also make regular checks that pupils are gaining and remembering important knowledge. These strategies are helping pupils to remember recent learning. However, pupils are less secure in learning that took place longer ago. 10 and 11 May 2023

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There is the same level of ambition for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as is there is for all pupils. Staff show a strong commitment to the inclusion of all pupils. Plans for pupils with SEND outline the smaller steps of progress these pupils should make. Leaders provide teachers with the guidance that they need to best support pupils with SEND. Additional needs are identified early, and appropriate adaptations are made to the curriculum where necessary. There is specialist provision for a small number of pupils with hearing impairment. These pupils are fully integrated into the life of the school.

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Staff show a clear commitment to helping pupils learn to read. The school’s chosen scheme for the teaching of phonics is delivered consistently. Staff are well trained and expert in the teaching of phonics. Daily phonics sessions are well structured and delivered consistently. Teachers make regular checks to see if pupils are slipping behind and quickly intervene to help them to keep up. Pupils say that they enjoy reading and reading lessons. They know that, if they struggle, they will be supported to get better.

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There is a vibrant environment in the early years that reflects the children’s current learning. There are many opportunities for children to learn early mathematical concepts, such as comparing and ordering. Topics engage the children’s interests, and they learn important knowledge. For example, children successfully identified the head, thorax and abdomen of an insect. Relationships in early years are warm and positive. However, although the early years curriculum is purposeful, it is unclear how this curriculum links with learning further up school.

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Leaders are passionate about pupils’ personal development. They are focused on ensuring that pupils are respectful, tolerant and resilient. They prepare pupils to contribute positively to society. In personal, social and health education lessons, pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and healthy relationships. Pupils show respect for others. They say that everyone is treated equally. One pupil said, ‘There isn’t any bias’. They feel listened to and can share their opinions with staff.

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Staff, pupils and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership of the school. Staff say that they are proud to work as part of the team and that they are supported well. There have been some recent changes to governance. Governors share the ambitions of school leaders. They are committed to the continued improvement and understand their role in helping to achieve this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school and learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology. They know to seek adult support if they have a worry or concern.

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Safeguarding

Timely and relevant training ensures that staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil. Safeguarding records show that concerns are recorded 10 and 11 May 2023

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appropriately. Leaders engage with external agencies when support is needed for vulnerable pupils and families. They also ensure that all appropriate checks are carried out on adults to make sure that they are safe to work in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils are not receiving a sufficiently broad curriculum. For example, pupils do not currently study computing. Leaders need to ensure that pupils follow a suitably broad and ambitious curriculum so that they are better prepared for secondary school.  Leaders have not carefully planned for how the curriculum in early years links to the learning that pupils undertake in key stage 1 and beyond. This means that opportunities to build on prior learning are not fully explored. Leaders should ensure that there are clear links between the early years curriculum and the rest of school.  The implementation of the curriculum is at a very early stage in many subjects. Pupils are not always able to recall and apply knowledge and vocabulary from previous topics well enough. Leaders need to embed the curriculum securely and check that pupils are learning what is intended.

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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. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10278793 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.bramleygrangeprimaryschool.org.u k Date of previous inspection 18 and 19 October 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Bramley Grange Primary School is part of The Grange Trust. It is the only school currently in this multi-academy trust. The school joined the trust on 1 October 2014.  The school is working closely with the White Woods Primary Academy Trust.  The headteacher was seconded from the White Woods Primary Academy Trust in January 2023.  The deputy headteacher was seconded from the White Woods Primary Academy Trust in April 2023.  The school provides a local authority specialist resourced provision for a small number of pupils with hearing impairment.  The school operates breakfast and after-school clubs.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 10 and 11 May 2023

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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

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with curriculum leaders, spoke to pupils and teachers, visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors heard pupils read.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, subject leaders and other members of staff. They also met with representatives from the trust and those responsible for governance.  The inspectors talked to staff about their role in keeping pupils safe. They also talked to staff about workload and about the amount and quality of training and support they receive from leaders.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at breaktimes and at

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Information about this inspection

lunchtimes. The inspectors gathered pupils’ views from both formal and informal discussions.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers during the inspection. They considered the responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. The responses to the staff and pupil questionnaires were also considered.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Smit Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 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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