Mapplewell Primary School

Inspection of Mapplewell Primary School Greenside Avenue, Staincross, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S75 6BB

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Mapplewell Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Gail Padfield. This school is part of Hoyland Common Academy Trust (HCAT), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tom Banham, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alan Richards. 27 and 28 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Mapplewell Primary School are proud of their school and work hard to uphold the school’s values. Pupils enjoy receiving ‘Mapplewell Points’ to reward good behaviour. P upils attend school regularly. They want to attend school because they enjoy learning new things and being with their friends. The school has high expectations for every pupil, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well, both academically and in their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values encourage pupils to think about the impact of their actions on other people. This supports them to consider their role as citizens within the local and global community. Following an initial idea by a pupil at the school, pupils raised funds to support a nearby hospital. Reading Ambassadors help younger pupils with their reading and maintain the school’s attractive library. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities the school offers. The wide range of extra-curricular clubs offered, including coding, art and singing, develops pupils’ interests, skills and talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and are kept safe. Pupils know that it is important to tell a trusted adult if they have a concern or worry. They are confident that staff will help them straight away if they did.

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better?

The early years is a strength of the school and children make a very strong start to their education. Leaders make sure children’s time in the early years prepares them extremely well for Year 1. Children learn early mathematical concepts and apply this knowledge in a range of practical contexts in the classroom and outside areas. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. Staff take every opportunity to develop children’s language skills. Highly effective provision means that children learn the vocabulary and core knowledge they need to be successful as they move on.

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better?

The school has developed a high-quality curriculum. Teachers ensure that what is taught takes into account the needs and interests of the pupils. Leaders have sequenced the knowledge and skills taught to ensure they are built on each year. Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils learn. ‘Fast four’ exercises at the beginning of lessons help pupils remember the most important knowledge. As pupils progress through school, they use their knowledge to help them learn more. For example, Year 6 pupils’ work on Gandhi’s life is built on what they had learned about him in Year 3.

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better?

The school has placed a high priority on the development of reading and extending pupils’ vocabulary. Staff consistently teach the school’s phonics programme. Most pupils read books that are matched well to their phonics knowledge. The school ensures that pupils who need extra help receive it quickly. Pupils use a range of strategies to read new words with increasing confidence. As pupils progress through 27 and 28 February 2024

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the school, they read with increasing fluency and accuracy. The school promotes pupils’ love of reading effectively through regular story time, attractive displays and an engaging library.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported by skilled and caring adults. Teachers carefully adapt teaching to help them access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders work closely with these pupils’ families and external agencies to decide how best to support them.

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Staff often check how well pupils are learning. They have a good understanding of what pupils know and can do. However, this information is not used routinely to identify if any further curriculum improvements might be made. This means that opportunities to further raise standards or improve the school’s provision even further can be missed.

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The school prepares pupils well for their future lives. Visits to places of interest, including a coal mining museum and a football stadium, and visitors to school enrich the curriculum and develop pupils’ experience of the world. Many pupils participate in the extra-curricular activities available. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe and treat others with tolerance and respect.

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The school has implemented a behaviour policy that rewards good behaviour. Children in the early years learn to share and take turns. Pupils generally behave well in lessons. During unstructured times, some pupils need reminders to manage their behaviour so that it does not become overly competitive.

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Parents and carers acknowledge and appreciate how well the school supports their children and families. However, a small number of parents say that the ways in which the school communicates with them could be improved.

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Leaders at all levels support staff’s professional development. Staff benefit from strategies taken by the school to reduce their workload. This includes opportunities to share planning and use centralised resources. The skilled and dedicated staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not routinely check that the actions it takes to improve the school are having the intended impact. This means that opportunities are missed to further raise standards or improve some aspects of the school’s provision. The school should regularly check that actions taken to improve the school are having the intended impact. 27 and 28 February 2024

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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 ’ 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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Mapplewell Primary School converted to become an academy in January 2020.  The school does not make any use of alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 The lead inspector met with the chair of the local committee. The lead inspector also held separate meetings with the chief executive officer of the trust and the chair of the trust board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, design technology and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read from different year groups.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with leaders about the provision for pupils with SEND and

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reviewed plans to support these pupils.  Inspectors observed behaviour at the start of the day, breaktimes, lunchtimes and in lessons.  To gather the views of pupils and staff, inspectors took account of Ofsted’s surveys.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents using Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

John Davie, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Harrington His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 February 2024

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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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