Shawlands Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Shawlands Primary School Shaw Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 6JL

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Outcome

Shawlands Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values at Shawlands Primary School are underpinned by one rule, ‘to make the right choice’. The school reminds pupils daily to make the right choices when they are learning and at social times. Pupils think about the consequences of their actions. This helps them to behave well and to treat others with respect. Older pupils take on leadership roles, including at breaktime and lunchtime. They help younger pupils to play well together. This positive culture supports everyone to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Lots of work has been done to improve the curriculum. Pupils’ results in English and mathematics are improving year-on-year as pupils rise to the challenge set by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Public health incident statistics show that the number of road accidents in this area is higher than usual. The school provides extra lessons to teach pupils about road safety. Pupils in key stage 1 learn how to cross the road safely in the classroom. They then go outside to practise this. The school invites specialist cycling trainers to visit school. Older pupils are taught how to ride their bicycles safely near traffic. This helps to prepare pupils well for life outside school.

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

Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics at Shawlands Primary School. In 2023, pupils in Year 4 and Year 6 achieved results in mathematics that were among the best in the country. The school is creative in how it adapts the mathematics curriculum to meet the needs of every pupil. The staff have expert subject knowledge in mathematics. They check pupils’ understanding of mathematical vocabulary and calculation strategies in lessons effectively. Their enthusiasm for mathematics is infectious.

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

Pupils achieve well in languages. Many Year 6 pupils complete sustained writing in French. They use full sentences and correct grammar. Pupils complete speaking, listening, reading 16 and 17 July 2024

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and writing exercises and staff assess pupils’ progress in each aspect. When the school audited staff training needs, they learned that extra time is needed for planning and assessment in languages. This is because staff lack confidence in their own subject knowledge. For example, they need to research grammatical rules in the language prior to teaching the lesson. This increases teachers’ workload.

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In physical education (PE), pupils’ knowledge and skills improve incrementally every year. This helps pupils to achieve well in competitive sporting fixtures. The curriculum is adapted skilfully for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, in athletics, the school provides different sized and weighted balls for throwing, or they shorten the distance that pupils with SEND are required to run. Every pupil can be equally successful in PE. The school has carefully crafted opportunities for pupils to improve on their personal best.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. They are interested in their learning. A few pupils with SEND sometimes struggle to regulate their emotions. The school is continuing to improve partnerships with parents of pupils with SEND. The school regularly reviews provision to check that it is meeting the needs of each pupil with SEND. This work is starting to have an impact. Pupils with SEND achieve well from their individual starting points.

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The curriculum for early reading is effective. Phonics is taught consistently well, right from the start in early years and throughout key stage 1. The school ensures that reading books match pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils enjoy reading, and they apply their phonics knowledge in their writing. Almost all Year 1 pupils met the standard in the phonics screening check this year.

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Children in the early years have fun using the tyre-swing. This improves their physical development. Every opportunity is taken to develop children’s independence when they are learning through play. When children are pouring and measuring outside, they pump their own water from the water pump. They also return it to the water butt when tidying up. Children enjoy paddling in the sea during their educational visit to the seaside. Some children see seagulls for the first time. Children apply their phonics knowledge linked to the trip. They write lists of items to put in their beach bag. Children thrive in this high- quality learning environment.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development is effective. Children learn about democracy in an age-appropriate way. In the early years, children vote for their preferred story to be read aloud each day. Older pupils make a profit in their annual enterprise project. They then vote on how to spend the money they have earned.

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Leaders and governors are united in their commitment to providing a high-quality education. Staff enjoy working at the school. They have high morale. Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 16 and 17 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff lack the subject knowledge needed to teach languages with confidence and fluency. This has an impact on workload, as extra time is needed to prepare and assess pupils’ learning. Leaders should continue to improve teachers’ subject knowledge to further enhance the teaching of languages.

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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 January 2015.

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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.

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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 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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.shawlandsprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has changed since the last inspection. The governing body appointed a head of school in April 2024 when the previous headteacher left. The head of school is supported by an executive headteacher. This interim arrangement is in place until August 2025.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was 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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the executive headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The reading, mathematics and PE subject leaders met the inspector separately. 16 and 17 July 2024

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 A meeting was held with several governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector held discussions with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  In addition to deep dive subjects, the inspector evaluated evidence of pupils’ learning in languages. The inspector visited lessons in the early years in addition to the lessons that were visited during deep dive evidence gathering.  The inspector met with senior staff who lead the wider curriculum. The inspector also discussed this with pupils, including in single-sex groups.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety was evaluated in lessons and at lunchtime.

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 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed Ofsted Parent View and spoke to several parents before the start of the school day. The inspector also considered responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 July 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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