Wath Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wath Church of England Primary School Barnsley Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S63 6PY

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Outcome

Wath Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Paul Beevor. 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.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this warm and inclusive school. The school’s values underpin the positive way that pupils relate to one another. Pupils are kind and polite. They make everyone feel welcome in their school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend well. They appreciate and contribute to the positive atmosphere throughout school and enjoy strong relationships with adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils behave well at playtimes and try their best in lessons. They typically achieve well. Year 6 pupils are well prepared for their secondary education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and clubs beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils spoke excitedly about robotics and choir opportunities, as well as residential trips and sports competitions. The school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme is well organised. This contributes to pupils' increasing understanding of what it means to be a positive citizen in modern Britain. Pupils have opportunities to voice their opinions on various aspects of school life and contribute well. For example, pupils who are PSHE ambassadors have worked with leaders in planning fundraising activities. 15 and 16 April 2025

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

The school has put much thought into improving its curriculum since the last inspection. These improvements have gently evolved. Staff have reviewed the precise knowledge that pupils should be expected to know and in what order this should be taught. Teachers have the guidance and resources to help them to deliver the curriculum effectively. This is particularly true in mathematics where pupils develop secure knowledge of mathematical ideas and terms. Across the ambitious curriculum, teachers demonstrate a strong understanding of the how subjects work, for example in scientific process, and related key vocabulary.

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

Recently, the school has revised its approach to teaching pupils to write. For example, pupils have more opportunity to discuss their ideas before they write them down. Pupils find this helpful. They are beginning to make use of these new approaches to support their writing. However, these improvements are in their earlier stages. Some pupils do not express their ideas in writing as well as they could.

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

In the Nursery class, children build up their knowledge of rhymes and songs so that they are well prepared for later learning. Children begin learning phonics when they start in the Reception Year. Staff ensure that pupils practise their phonics knowledge regularly. If pupils find reading difficult, staff provide extra support to help them to catch up quickly. Most pupils read fluently by the time they enter key stage 2.

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

The school has effective systems in place to identify and assess the additional needs of pupils with SEND. These pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers. The school has trained staff well to ensure that they adapt the delivery of the curriculum appropriately for pupils with SEND. This helps these pupils to achieve well.

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

Pupils grow to have a strong understanding of what it means to be fair and to treat everyone with respect. For instance, sports leaders within school are keen to support younger children with their play. The school ensures that pupils are aware of, and respectful towards, people from cultures that may be different to their own. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of the importance of fundamental British values. They learn about the importance of forging healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online.

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

Children in the early years settle into school well. Staff ensure that children swiftly become accustomed to the school’s routines. Pupils move around the school impeccably and take pride in their work. Learning is very seldom disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils have a strong understanding of the school’s behaviour policy and the importance of conducting themselves appropriately. The school has rightly made attendance a high priority. Staff make good use of attendance and punctuality information to help pupils attend and benefit from the work of the school.

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

Staff say that the school cares about their well-being as well as that of the pupils. They speak highly about the support and opportunities they receive. Senior leaders have 15 and 16 April 2025

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thoughtfully guided improvements since the last inspection. They have ensured that change has been sustainable and well understood.

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Those responsible for governance understand what the school does well and how it needs to improve. They receive clear information about leaders’ actions. They share the same wholehearted focus on pupils’ academic and wider development and encouraging them to engage with the wider community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s recently revised approach to teaching pupils to write is not fully embedded. As a results, pupils’ writing skills are not consistently well developed, so some older pupils do not deepen and extend their writing as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff receive the support and guidance needed to ensure that the approach to writing is implemented well so that it meets the needs of all pupils.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Wath CofE (A) Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2012. 15 and 16 April 2025

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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). 15 and 16 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of James Montgomery Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Sheffield. The last section 48 inspection took place in September 2024.

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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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector held discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other senior and middle leaders. 15 and 16 April 2025

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 The inspector held discussions with the CEO, the chair of trustees and members of the local governing board.  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 reviewed the programme for PSHE and spoke with leaders.  The inspector looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying and attendance.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school and their self-evaluation of the school’s work.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff survey, as well as Ofsted

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Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 15 and 16 April 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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