Wombwell Park Street Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Wombwell Park Street Primary School Park Street, Wombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S73 0HS

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The headteacher of this school is Chloe Lawson. This school is part of Every Child Matters Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Geraldine Wilson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ian William Ward.

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Outcome

Wombwell Park Street Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Park Street Primary is a happy place to learn. Leaders value the contributions that pupils make to the school. Pupils know that their voice matters. This inspires pupils to support their school through the many leadership roles that are on offer. Playground leaders support younger peers, showing patience and generosity. Other pupils support their school as prefects, acting as role models for others. Pupil leadership is a golden thread that runs throughout this school. The culture of respect and care that leaders have built is helping all pupils to flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that all pupils behave well. Some pupils find it more difficult to manage their feelings and behaviour than others. Adults apply consistent approaches to help these pupils to get back on track. Breaktimes are harmonious. Pupils know that adults expect them to respect each other. Pupils live this out through their caring interactions with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has established a broad curriculum for pupils to study. For example, in art pupils develop their skills using different sketching techniques. They apply these skills when developing more complex compositions. This motivates pupils to take their art further by participating in various art competitions, in and beyond school. Across the curriculum, pupils receive a rich range of experiences. Pupils are happy and safe in this very inclusive school. 5 and 6 December 2023

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

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), study an ambitious curriculum. The school has identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Adults make sure that pupils learn this knowledge in an order that builds their understanding. In science, pupils learn about light. They explore how it interacts with opaque, translucent and transparent materials. This prepares pupils for a more complex study of light, examining the physics of reflection and refraction. Staff help pupils to acquire new scientific vocabulary consistently well. Pupils use this vocabulary confidently when talking about their science learning. In some subjects, the way that knowledge is shared with pupils does not help them to build a secure understanding. Sometimes, pupils struggle to connect new learning to the things that they already know. This means that pupils have gaps in some aspects of their knowledge.

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

In early years, children develop secure foundations for their future learning. They explore the world around them and how the seasons change. In art, they experiment by mixing different colours. Adults teach children how to cooperate well with each other. By the end of early years, children have the knowledge and skills that they need for Year 1 and beyond.

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

Reading is a priority in this school. Staff help pupils to master phonics quickly and to become fluent readers. Pupils’ books are closely matched to the sounds that they know. In early years, adults help children to develop a love of reading. Children enjoy repeating their favourite stories. Across the school, if pupils struggle to read, adults provide the right support to help them to catch up. Pupils appreciate the rewards that are on offer for reading. This inspires them to read widely and often. Many pupils apply to be reading leaders. They take pride in contributing to the positive culture of reading. This culture is enhanced by adults who regularly read to pupils. Pupils enjoy, ‘closing their eyes and imagining a different world’.

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

The school’s ‘incredible me’ programme supports all pupils, including those with SEND, exceptionally well. Staff work relentlessly to remove any barriers that pupils might face to their development and learning. Pupils learn to value their uniqueness. They develop the skills that they need to manage their feelings and behaviour. When pupils require extra help, adults make sure that this is precisely matched to the support that they need.

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

The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education helps pupils to understand how to stay safe online. They know when personal information should not be shared. Pupils also speak with maturity about complex issues such as hate crime and diversity. However, leaders’ ambition for pupils’ learning in other aspects of PSHE has not been fully secured. Pupils have a number of gaps in their knowledge. For example, their understanding about different faiths is less well developed than other areas. The school has recently refined the curriculum for PSHE. This is beginning to have an impact.

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

Those responsible for governance are knowledgeable about the school. They use their experience well to challenge and support leaders. The school and the trust deliver effective professional development for staff. The workload and well-being of all staff is a 5 and 6 December 2023

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high priority for leaders. Staff acknowledge that this is a school that ‘builds them up’. Staff are immensely proud to work at this highly inclusive school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects and in some lessons, the school’s ambitious curriculum is not implemented consistently. The way that knowledge is shared with pupils does not help them to build a secure understanding. The school should make sure that in all aspects of the curriculum, adults introduce new knowledge and practise existing knowledge in ways that help pupils to secure their learning.  In some aspects of PSHE, pupils’ knowledge is less well developed. Pupils’ struggle to remember some important aspects of their learning. The school should build on existing work to strengthen the PSHE curriculum so that pupils learn and remember the knowledge that they need.

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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 June 2018.

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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. 5 and 6 December 2023

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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' 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). 5 and 6 December 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school runs a nurture provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this graded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. 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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. 5 and 6 December 2023

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 The inspector held a meeting with governors, including the chair of the local governing board and the chair of trustees. The inspector held a separate meeting with the CEO of the trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, science and art. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector met with the SENCO, scrutinised pupils’ SEND plans and visited classrooms to see these plans in practice.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector scrutinised a range of other documentation, including governor meeting minutes and leaders’ evaluation of the school.  To gather the views of pupils, the inspector took account of the pupil survey. The inspector also spoke informally to pupils to gather their views on school life.  To gather parents’ views, the inspector took account of the views of parents from the Ofsted Parent View survey, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including free-text comments.  To gather the views of staff, inspectors took account of the staff survey.

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Jen Sloan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 December 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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