Bramley Sunnyside Junior School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Bramley Sunnyside Junior School Flanderwell Lane, Bramley, Bramley Sunnyside Junior School, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S66 3QW

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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Outcome

Bramley Sunnyside Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are welcoming, polite and courteous. They greet visitors with warmth and friendliness. Staff build positive and supporting relationships with pupils that contribute to pupils feeling happy and safe at school. Pupils develop confidence and character and are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern British society. Pupils show high levels of respect and consideration for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. They learn important knowledge and skills across many subjects. In some subjects, they learn things in more depth than in others. The school puts a strong emphasis on the creative arts. Pupils benefit from an excellent curriculum in this area. The excellent art curriculum leads to pupils achieving well. Pupils produce high-quality pieces of art that adorn the school’s corridors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates pupils’ success and achievements in many ways. Pupils take pride in their work as school councillors, library squad, playground leaders and well-being ambassadors. Their work contributes to a positive and vibrant school culture.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school equips pupils with knowledge, skills and personal attributes in readiness for their next steps. Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils respond positively to expectations for their behaviour and conduct. Behaviour in lessons and around school is calm and orderly.

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Leaders have taken considered action to provide pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum that supports their achievement. Across the curriculum, the school has mapped out the important knowledge pupils should learn. The school has developed the expertise of teachers to ensure this curriculum is well taught. Leaders have a clear awareness of the school’s strengths and where some areas still need to improve. The school is working well to ensure ongoing improvement.

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The school has prioritised English and mathematics. It has recently intensified actions to improve pupils’ fluency in reading and mathematics. This is because, on occasions, pupils lacked the fluency to enable them to move on to more complex tasks and deepen their learning. Teaching now prioritises the teaching of this basic knowledge. For example, all mathematics lessons include regular opportunities for pupils to practise times tables. In reading lessons, teachers model fluent reading and pupils practise reading aloud. Lessons follow a clear and consistent structure in which pupils revisit previous learning, learn new things and have opportunities to apply new knowledge. Increasing numbers of pupils are reaching expected standards in external tests. However, on occasions, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to further deepen their knowledge.

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Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND in a timely way. They explore the best ways to provide help that enables them to work alongside their peers in the classroom. Staff adapt the curriculum well in response to the needs of pupils with SEND. This is helping to prepare them for their next steps.

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The school recognises the importance of the wider curriculum beyond the core subjects of English and mathematics. Many aspects of the school’s wider curriculum are extremely strong. In art, pupils acquire the skills and techniques to produce highly accomplished work. They become highly skilled and acquire important knowledge. Teachers have excellent knowledge of the subjects they teach. They explain new content clearly. Pupils demonstrate great pride their work, reflecting the high expectations of their teachers. On some occasions, misconceptions in pupils’ understanding are not addressed as well as they could be. This means that occasionally gaps in some pupils’ learning persist.

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The school provides an impressive personal development offer. Pupils have many opportunities to develop interests and passions beyond the curriculum. The school provides an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs which are well-attended, including by pupils who are disadvantaged. Pupils develop their outlook and their independence through a residential visit to London. Pupils’ words and actions reflect their secure understanding of inclusion and diversity. For example, they know that some disabilities may not be visible. They know that homophobic language is unacceptable. Pupils thrive in a range of leadership roles. For example, ‘Art Ambassadors’ promote the arts and are proud of their various duties. These include managing art resources and supporting with arrangements for an annual art exhibition at the school. These roles prepare pupils well for later life.

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Governors have a sound understanding of their roles. They know the school well. Governors and school leaders have taken intelligent action to further increase capacity for ongoing improvement. The school has worked with governors to build positive and fruitful 12 and 13 November 2024

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partnerships to further support the school’s development. Overwhelmingly staff are positive about their experience of working at the school, describing feeling part of a family. They appreciate the school’s consideration of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, teaching does not develop basic knowledge and skills in aspects of reading, writing and mathematics in sufficient depth. This can limit achievement for some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. The school should continue its work to develop pupils’ fluency in reading and mathematics to give them a foundation that enables them to progress to deeper knowledge.  The school does not consistently identify and address misconceptions in some pupils’ work. This means that some pupils continue to have misunderstandings and gaps in their knowledge. The school should work with staff to better identify and address misconceptions that on some occasions undermine pupils’ understanding of the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in July 2016. 12 and 13 November 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 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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Phillip Woodward

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. He also met with members of the governing body, and representatives of the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 12 and 13 November 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, the pupils’ survey and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 12 and 13 November 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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