Herringthorpe Junior School

Inspection of Herringthorpe Junior School Chatterton Drive, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S65 2JW

p.1

Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

p.1

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

p.1

The headteacher of this school is Mandy Adams. The school is part of Willow Tree Academy, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jane Fearnley OBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anthony Trueman.

p.1

Ofsted has not previously inspected Herringthorpe Junior School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Herringthorpe Junior school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. 11 and 12 February 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Herringthorpe Junior School is an exceptional and inspiring place of learning. Staff form warm and nurturing relationships with pupils. They know every pupil exceptionally well. This deep understanding of each pupil means that the school can give them the right help and support to ensure every pupil succeeds.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take great pride in the school. This is reflected in their strong attendance and impressive academic achievements. Staff have unwavering ambition for all pupils. Pupils live up to staff aspirations through their exemplary behaviour and attitudes towards their learning. Pupils feel happy and safe here.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Enrichment activities and educational visits, including residential visits, are a central part of the school’s curriculum. They offer pupils hands-on learning experiences that deepen their understanding of the curriculum. For example, pupils, staff and community members come together to create solutions for global issues, such as energy conservation. Pupils engage with projects that inspire them to take action and reflect on their role in creating positive change.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils regularly reflect on their personal growth. Pupils identify strengths and areas to work on. They have access to a range of roles and responsibilities, like student councillors and playground leaders. Pupils use these roles to help other pupils to manage their behaviour and resolve any disagreements. Pupils apply for these jobs to develop important leadership skills.

p.2

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

There is a relentless commitment to ensuring that every pupil receives an excellent education. The school has crafted an ambitious curriculum. Pupils build their knowledge of the curriculum very well over time. They achieve highly. Staff present the curriculum in an engaging way. They ensure that pupils understand subject specific vocabulary. For example, important learning and vocabulary are clearly defined in areas like drawing, sculpture and painting. Pupils learn about ‘cubism’ and techniques such as ‘stippling’ and ‘smudging’. They learn about local artists and can explain why artists use different media and techniques. Pupils develop a deep understanding of each subject. They use this to think critically across the curriculum. The school regularly checks what pupils know and can do. Staff swiftly identify any pupils who are in need of extra support to learn the intended curriculum.

p.2

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

The school has a strong system for teaching reading. This helps pupils perform in national tests well above their peers in other schools. Pupils read confidently and with expression. They enjoy reading on their own but also get involved in group guided reading sessions. Teachers help pupils to read with increased fluency. Pupils read different types of books and love story time in class. Reading is linked to subjects across the curriculum. For pupils who are in the early stages of reading, the school gives extra help and support that ensures they catch up quickly to become confident, fluent readers. 11 and 12 February 2025

p.2

3

The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. They consistently show high levels of self-control and positive attitudes. Pupils have a strong desire to do well for themselves. Pupils support the well-being of their peers, offering care and compassion. They check in with others and ask each other to ‘scale’ their feelings. Such sensitivity to pupils’ emotional well-being supports extremely positive behaviour.

p.3

3

The school teaches pupils self-care, first aid and positive mental health. Pupils learn important knowledge, such as how the brain reacts to stressful situations. Such insight helps pupils to learn to manage their feelings when they experience this. Pupils talk confidently about how they use techniques such as ‘happy breathing’ to relax and refocus.

p.3

3

The school swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They provide the right support to help them succeed. Staff have excellent knowledge of how to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils. They use this to support pupils with SEND to thrive in lessons alongside their peers. A small number of pupils benefit from high-quality personalised support when accessing the school’s specialist ‘LEAF’ provision.

p.3

3

Leaders, including governors and trustees, demonstrate a clear and ambitious vision for the school’s future. Their understanding of their roles and responsibilities ensure that the school remains forward thinking and well governed. They hold high expectations for the school’s ongoing development, ensuring that ambition is consistently pursued and the needs of all pupils are met.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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, 11 and 12 February 2025

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 February 2025

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 July 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of the Willow Tree Academy trust. It joined the trust in April 2015 as a founding school.  Some pupils from the school attend an enhanced resource provision that is hosted at another school in the trust. Pupils who attend this provision are dual registered at this school and the resourced provision.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.

p.5

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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 February 2025

p.5

6

 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other senior and middle leaders in the school. They also spoke with representatives of the trust board and local governing board. The lead inspector spoke with the CEO of the trust.  An inspector spoke with the school’s education improvement advisor.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentary evidence, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science,

p.6

6

history and art and design. 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 also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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 and open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered responses to the staff survey and responses to the survey for pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Kerry Partington, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Alison Greaves Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7