Armthorpe Shaw Wood Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Armthorpe Shaw Wood Academy Mere Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN3 2DG

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Outcome

Armthorpe Shaw Wood Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Nicola Parker-Watts. This school is part of Armthorpe Shaw Academy Limited, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nicola Parker- Watts, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Karen Wood-Stones.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and enjoy coming to this school. The school has clear academic ambitions for its pupils. These are realised. Pupils demonstrate positive behaviour, both in lessons and around the school. The school’s behaviour approach is closely aligned with its core values. Through this values-driven approach, pupils are well supported in making choices that contribute to a respectful and inclusive school environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get the opportunity to take on various responsibilities in school through the school council and eco-team roles. These help pupils develop their leadership skills. Pupils are proud of the difference they make, both to school and the environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a range of different extra-curricular clubs. They value the opportunity to develop sporting interests discovered during physical education lessons. These include football, basketball and rounders. Pupils greatly appreciate learning different musical instruments, such as woodwind and brass instruments, stating they feel alive when playing music.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school actively promotes pupils’ character development through a range of rich, experiential visits. This includes residential trips to outdoor activity centres. These opportunities help pupils build resilience and teamwork skills. Pupils also deepen their cultural understanding by attending theatre performances. 11 and 12 March 2025

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

Children receive a positive and nurturing start to their education in early years. Learning activities are carefully designed to create meaningful links to future learning. For example, children use real-life images of key local buildings to create a small model town. This helps deepen their understanding of their community. This foundation is gradually built upon, enabling pupils to use symbols for buildings such as churches and hospitals in map work in later year groups. This structured approach effectively supports children in developing a broad and secure understanding across different areas of learning.

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

The school places a strong emphasis on the teaching of reading. Staff receive regular training to deliver phonics accurately. The school regularly checks what pupils understand. If needed, pupils receive targeted support to help them succeed. Pupils read books that are carefully matched to the sounds they learn. This enables them to develop confidence and fluency in reading.

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

The school has ensured that the curriculum is well-sequenced and includes the most important information they want pupils to learn. The school uses a range of strategies to deliver the curriculum effectively. This includes peer discussions and the use of practical resources to help pupils understand new concepts. However, at times, other strategies used in some lessons are not as effective. As a result, some pupils are not as well supported to develop their understanding successfully. In core subjects, the school accurately checks how well the pupils understand the curriculum. In these subjects, the information is used to consistently address any gaps and misconceptions. However, such checks for other subjects are in the early stages of development. As a result, the school is not as precise as it could be in effectively addressing any learning pupils need to revisit.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early. The school works with parents and external experts to identify support that is just right for them. As a result, pupils with SEND successfully access the same curriculum as their peers.

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

Behaviour in lessons is positive. However, in some lessons, pockets of pupils are not maintaining their focus when they complete learning activities. Whilst adults try to address this, at times, the approaches staff use are not effective. As a result, these pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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

The school is committed to supporting pupils’ broader development. Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships. This includes understanding and recognising the risks around themes such as peer pressure. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online. They know what to do if they have any concerns. Pupils have a clear understanding of fundamental British values and why these are important in society.

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

Leaders understand the strengths of the school and where there is further work to do. They have begun work on these areas. The impact of their considered approach is already evident. Pupils are attending school more regularly, for instance. The school supports staff well with regards to their well-being and workload. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Governors are committed to their roles and responsibilities. They have an accurate understanding of the school. They use this understanding to support the school to continue to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Processes for checking what pupils have learned and remembered are not yet fully developed across all foundation subjects. This means that in a few subjects, teachers do not precisely identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school should ensure that systems to check pupils’ knowledge are used across subjects consistently so that pupils build on prior learning successfully.  At times, the behaviour strategies that adults use in some lessons are not supporting some pupils to engage effectively in their learning. As a result, these pupils are not learning as much as they could. The school should ensure that the approaches used to address lower engagement are effective, so that pupils are able to learn as much as they can.  At times, the strategies used to deliver the curriculum in a few lessons are not supporting some pupils to learn and understand new concepts. This means that these pupils are not learning as much as they could. The school should revisit the strategies

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

used in lessons to ensure that they successfully support pupils to learn more.

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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 to be 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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2016.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a breakfast club, overseen by the governing body.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of Armthorpe Shaw Academy Limited. The trust is a single academy trust. The headteacher of the school is also the CEO of the trust.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 The inspector met with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the trustees.  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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses in Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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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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