Schools & FE · Report card

Bank End Primary Academy

Inspected 27 Jan 2026 · URN 144036

Original PDF ↗

Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Alison Stephenson (lead), Natasha Greenough, Nick Coates

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Strong standard
Early years verified
Strong standard
Inclusion verified
Strong standard
Leadership and governance verified
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
27 Jan 2026
Inspectors verified
Alison Stephenson, Natasha Greenough, Nick Coates
Postcode verified
S70 4AZ
Name on report verified
Bank End Primary Academy
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
144036

Page 1 of 15

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

Join free to get a short, plain-English summary of any report.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementStrong
Attendance and behaviourStrong
Curriculum and teachingStrong
Early yearsStrong
InclusionStrong
Leadership and governanceStrong
Personal development and wellbeingStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+88Very positivemore positive than 86% of reports of this type

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type.

Praisestrongconsistentlyhighly effectiveeffectivelyambitiousvery wellclearpositive

Criticismconcernspersistent absencegapssuspensions

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1578w+90
Leadership236w+80
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve27w+64

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Leaders should sustain the strong performance across all aspects of the school's work to ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, continue to thrive. p.6

What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,889; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 38, typical 43
Average sentence: 13 words
Next steps: 1; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 2%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 56%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 33%

Full report text

Bank End Primary Academy

Address: Underwood Avenue, Worsbrough Dale, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 4AZ Unique reference number (URN): 144036

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Achievement Strong standard

Over time, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve consistently well. By the time pupils leave the school, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics typically sits above the standards achieved by pupils nationally. Pupils in Year 1 also perform well in the phonics screening check, remaining above national averages for 3 consecutive years. This means that pupils have the essential reading knowledge they need for later success.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Pupils produce high-quality work across the curriculum. They retain detailed knowledge and apply skills confidently. Pupils routinely and accurately use subject-specific vocabulary in their writing and explanations. For example, when learning about the Roman Empire, pupils use terms such as delegate, empower and governors. They can explain the meaning of these words and apply them in new contexts, demonstrating their depth of understanding.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and detailed understanding of the factors that influence pupils’ attendance. They respond promptly to address any barriers as soon as they arise. Staff promote the importance of high attendance consistently. Overall attendance remains close to national figures and continues to improve. The reduction in persistent absence through 2025 and the clear improvement in the attendance of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities highlight the effectiveness of leaders’ targeted strategies. The school promotes strong attendance through well-planned initiatives, such as weekly parent breakfast sessions and enhanced Friday curriculum opportunities. This has significantly improved attendance for some pupils.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The school has high expectations for pupils’ conduct. Pupils respond swiftly, politely and maturely to instructions, such as requesting their lunches. Support staff work effectively with teachers to sustain pupils' focus. This ensures that classrooms are purposeful learning environments. Leaders monitor behaviour carefully and track patterns. When behaviour concerns arise, leaders act decisively and proportionately. The use of suspensions, personalised timetables and referrals to external agencies is appropriate. This ensures that pupils who need help to improve their behaviour receive tailored support. This contributes to sustained improvements in pupils’ behaviour over time.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have a sophisticated and secure understanding of the school’s curriculum and the strengths in teaching across subjects. The trust's curriculum is consistently high in quality. It is well sequenced from early years to Year 6. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge is evident in their clear explanations, which help pupils build knowledge securely over time.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers identify gaps in pupils’ understanding adeptly during lessons. They address them promptly. This ensures that work is precisely pitched and supports pupils to achieve well. Staff use assessment information astutely to adapt the curriculum and its delivery for all pupils.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Pupils build strong foundations in English and mathematics. They develop their spoken language and use ambitious vocabulary confidently. Phonics teaching is organised with care and precision. Staff model sounds clearly and correct misconceptions sensitively. They give pupils the confidence to have a go and to secure accurate pronunciation. Regular handwriting practice supports pupils to form letters fluently and consistently.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is highly effective in lessons. For example, many pupils benefit from using personalised resources. These support pupils with SEND to participate in lessons with greater confidence. This is implemented consistently well across the school to overcome barriers to achievement.

p.3

Early years Strong standard

Leaders set a clear and ambitious vision for early years. They use their astute knowledge of the children to make well-judged decisions and adapt the trust’s early years curriculum effectively. Staff prioritise oracy and focus sharply on meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents and carers.

p.3

Early years Strong standard

Adults in the Nursery model vocabulary explicitly and use visual prompts to address high levels of speech, language and communication need. Leaders ensure that well-planned provision, such as the sand and construction areas, supports children with SEND to achieve well. High-quality adult interactions in the early years strengthen children’s communication and prepare them successfully for Year 1.

p.3

Early years Strong standard

The curriculum secures the essential knowledge that children need for future learning. Staff teach letter formation and phonics securely. Teachers address misconceptions in handwriting promptly. Children begin learning phonics in Nursery. Children who are at the early stages of recognising sounds receive timely extra support. This targeted approach enables them to begin decoding with confidence during early reading activities.

p.3

Early years Strong standard

Children settle quickly into routines and sustain concentration in well-designed activities. Staff design these activities thoughtfully to promote purposeful engagement. As a result, children develop a secure and broad understanding across the 7 areas of learning.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) know that they belong at this school. The school is highly inclusive and educates a higher-than-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Clear and efficient processes ensure that any additional needs, including SEND, are identified swiftly and accurately. Leaders make sure staff get the right training so they can support pupils well. Leaders also work closely with external agencies to remove barriers to pupils’ learning and wellbeing. For example, leaders arrange timely assessments and specialist advice when pupils need it. Leaders and staff know pupils’ individual needs extremely well. Approaches to tracking and checking pupils' progress are rigorous and used with precision. They lead to purposeful action plans that guide leaders’ decisions. For example, leaders gain clear information about pupils' next steps. This enables staff to adjust strategies skilfully when needed. Staff know

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

what support pupils with SEND require day to day and act on these needs consistently. This ensures sustained improvements for pupils.

p.4

Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use additional funding effectively to support eligible pupils. Their decisions about how funding is allocated are deliberate and firmly rooted in well-analysed data. This enables the school to enhance both outcomes and wider experiences for disadvantaged pupils.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors, trustees and leaders work effectively together so that decisions consistently prioritise pupils’ learning and wellbeing. Governors and trustees ensure that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school are clearly defined. Leaders show a clear understanding of the school’s context and use this insight to set precise priorities. They direct additional funding thoughtfully so that support reaches pupils who will benefit most. As a result, pupils’ outcomes, including those who are disadvantaged, continue to improve.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders place a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing. They introduce practical approaches that reduce workload and make staff feel valued.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders make thoughtful efforts to build positive relationships with families. Activities such as weekly parent and carer breakfasts help improve communication and create informal opportunities for parents to speak to staff. Leaders recognise the importance of continuing to strengthen home–school connections.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders offer a coherent, evidence-informed professional learning programme that benefits all staff, including those at the early stage of their career. Key stage teams work closely together to refine and evaluate their practice. The school uses approaches such as coaching to strengthen staff expertise over time.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

The skilled local governing board members use their in-depth knowledge and expertise to provide consistent support and challenge to leaders. Governors fulfil their statutory duties with rigour. They ensure that decisions remain in the best interests of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.4