Ladywood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ladywood Primary School Nancy Road, Grimethorpe, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S72 7JX

p.1

Outcome

Ladywood Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘confidence, resilience, enthusiasm, respect, curiosity and articulate’ help pupils at Ladywood Primary School to grow. Pupils are polite and friendly, and they engage well in conversation. They welcome visitors to their school. Leaders and staff provide a happy and caring environment for learning.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils understand the importance of aspiration through the school motto, ‘If we dream it, we can do it!’ One pupil said, ‘If you work hard, your dreams will be accomplished.’ Pupils learn in a supportive and nurturing environment. Pupils are encouraged to express their feelings. Adults help pupils with any worries or concerns they have.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a thorough understanding of people’s differences, other faiths and fundamental British values. They are aware that everyone should be treated equally and fairly. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and when they are out and about in their local community.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of extra-curricular activities for pupils to develop their interests and talents. The clubs on offer include art, rugby and reading. These activities are accessible to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.1

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils well, including those with SEND. Leaders have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have carefully ordered the content for individual subjects. Pupils use their existing knowledge well when they are learning something new. 4 and 5 October 2023

p.1

2

Leaders check what pupils know and remember in phonics and mathematics. They use this information well to plan pupils’ next steps. However, the checks that the school makes on pupils’ learning in some other subjects are not as effective. The school does not know how well pupils are achieving in these subjects. Leaders are currently developing more efficient ways of checking what pupils have learned.

p.2

2

The school’s programme for phonics is effective. As pupils learn more sounds, they read with increasing confidence. Pupils have daily phonics lessons and read books that closely match their stage of reading. Teachers regularly identify the next steps that are needed to ensure that their pupils develop the reading skills they need. Pupils who need extra support have additional daily sessions to practise their phonics skills. However, some older pupils who no longer access the phonic programme have gaps in their existing reading knowledge. These pupils do not receive the support they need to catch up quickly. This small group of older pupils do not become confident readers as quickly as they should.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND receive effective support. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils who need extra help. Staff regularly check that the provision made for these pupils meets their needs and links well to targets in their individual support plans. Parents and carers are kept well informed and appreciate the support that they receive.

p.2

2

Children in the early years settle well. There is a well-organised and stimulating learning environment. Children follow the routines consistently. Staff interact regularly with children to develop their language, communication and early mathematical skills. Children learn sensibly both when working independently and with an adult. They remain focused and show sustained concentration. Children talk to adults confidently about their learning. Adults use these opportunities to develop children’s speech and vocabulary. Children are well cared for, and relationships between staff and children are warm.

p.2

2

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know that the rewards they receive help them to behave well. This can be seen in the positive behaviour around school. In lessons, pupils listen attentively and work cooperatively with one another. At social times, pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer to them in the playground. Pupils enjoy reading the books in the dedicated reading areas outside. Recently appointed games leaders are proud of their role. They help younger pupils to play together harmoniously.

p.2

2

There is a wealth of activities to support pupils’ wider development. The personal development programme develops pupils’ knowledge of the world around them and beyond their local area. Educational visits are deliberately planned to ensure that pupils have experiences they have not had before. For example, pupils visit the seaside and eat in a restaurant during the carefully planned residential.

p.2

2

The school supports subject leaders and teachers effectively to develop their subject knowledge. Subject leaders provide staff with helpful training. Leaders and governors ensure that new initiatives are manageable. They give subject leaders time to review and develop their subject. Staff feel well supported by leaders. Leaders care about staff’s well- being and help them to manage their workload. 4 and 5 October 2023

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Systems to check what pupils know and remember are not embedded in all subjects. This means that the school does not have a comprehensive understanding of how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum in the wider curriculum subjects. The school should ensure that staff use effective systems to check what pupils know, remember and can do in each subject of the curriculum.  The school does not check how well pupils in key stage 2 are developing their reading knowledge precisely enough. This impacts negatively on some pupils’ ability to read with confidence and fluency. The school should implement agreed strategies to address gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge and help them to become accurate and fluent readers.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 4 and 5 October 2023

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 4 and 5 October 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision providers.  There is a breakfast club run by the school on site.  The school has a nursery for three- and four-year-old children.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, representatives from the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample 4 and 5 October 2023

p.5

6

of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record of recruitment checks; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, including comments received via the free-text facility. The inspector also talked to parents in the

p.6

Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 October 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7