Harthill Primary School

Inspection of Harthill Primary School Union Street, Harthill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S26 7YH

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Sarah Littlewood. This school is part of the James Montgomery 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 (CEO), David Silvester, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Punshon. 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘belonging, ambition, resilience and kindness’ are at the core of everything it does. The school fosters a strong sense of belonging, ensuring that every pupil feels valued, supported and safe. This helps pupils to feel happy and enthusiastic about their learning and the enrichment opportunities on offer to them. Staff have high expectations of how pupils achieve. The majority of pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently show high levels of kindness and politeness towards both their peers and visitors. Staff help pupils to behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils have a clear understanding of the school’s behaviour expectations. Pupils demonstrate understanding and acceptance of each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is proud to help pupils to play an active role in the community. Pupils contribute positively to their local area. For example, the school’s choir regularly sings with the community choir and takes part in local celebration events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a well-considered offer for personal development. The school prioritises the development of pupil leadership opportunities. Pupils are empowered to take leading roles in assemblies, lunchtime clubs and charity fundraising. Pupils also act as peer mentors and school councillors. This means that they make a tangible contribution to school life. For example, the school council has successfully campaigned for safer driving near the school.

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

The curriculum that pupils follow is broad and ambitious. The school has thought carefully about how to design the curriculum for mixed-age classes so that it builds progressively over time. Staff have secure subject knowledge and this supports their curriculum thinking. The school has identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn. It has considered how this knowledge is revisited so that pupils remember it in the long-term.

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

The curriculum is generally taught well, enabling pupils to learn important knowledge and skills. On occasions, the tasks that pupils are set do not enable them to apply their learning in sufficient depth. Pupils’ work in the wider curriculum is not as strong as the standard of their work in core subjects, such as English. In some lessons, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough. This means that learning does not consistently develop as well as it should.

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

The school encourages pupils to read widely. They enjoy discussing their favourite authors. Pupils can read at an age-appropriate standard. The school has ensured that staff are trained to teach phonics well. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. The school has also developed its own resources to use alongside these books. This is supporting pupils to practise sounds so they progress through the phonics programme well. 22 and 23 October 2024

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It identifies the needs of pupils quickly and ensures that staff are skilled at meeting those needs. Pupils with SEND typically achieve well.

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Children in the early years thrive. The vast majority of children leave the early years well prepared for the next stage of learning. The school has developed a stimulating and nurturing environment that promotes a strong sense of curiosity. The curriculum is well designed, fun and engaging. Children develop independence and practise their learning through carefully considered activities. For example, a mathematics activity allows children to take part in a scooter race with a focus on numbers. Children roll a large dice and use chalk to write their number before jumping along that number of spaces. Staff know the children’s needs and they adapt learning experiences appropriately. The school has developed strong partnerships with parents so they can collectively support their child’s development.

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The school has developed effective attendance systems. Attendance is in line with national figures. The attendance of different pupil groups is improving. The school provides staff with ongoing training in behaviour management. This helps to ensure that there is consistency in how behaviour incidents are resolved. Pupils are motivated to uphold the school values through a well-structured reward system that benefits all pupils.

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Leaders at all levels, including those with responsibility for governance, know the school well. They have complete clarity about the requirements of their roles. Leaders create ambitious opportunities for their pupils. However, leaders do not check if their wider curriculum aims are realised well enough. This means that some pupils do not learn the intended curriculum as well as they should. The school has created a safe and supportive environment that allows staff to develop their skills. Leaders consider staff well-being and workload. Staff are proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The tasks that pupils are set do not consistently enable them to learn the wider curriculum as well as they should. Pupils’ work in the wider curriculum is below the standard of their work in core subjects. The school should carry out further work to help deepen pupils’ learning in the wider curriculum.  Assessment is not used well enough to check how well pupils are learning the wider curriculum. This means that gaps are not identified and teachers are not consistently sure that pupils are ready for new learning. The school should improve the use of assessment to better check how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. 22 and 23 October 2024

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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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school became part of the James Montgomery Academy Trust in April 2020.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 22 and 23 October 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with a trustee and with members of the local governing body, including the chair, and with the CEO and the deputy CEO of the trust.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders and staff.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The lead inspector considered the views of staff through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors reviewed documentation on pupils’ behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art

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and design, and history. 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.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  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.

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Inspection team

Becky Austwick, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lee Wilson Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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