Schools & FE · Report card

Dodworth St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy

Inspected 9 Sept 2026 · published 14 Oct 2026 · URN 140539

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Georgina Chinaka (lead), Chris Jennings

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
9 Sept 2026
Inspectors verified
Chris Jennings, Georgina Chinaka
Postcode verified
S75 3JS
Name on report verified
Dodworth St John the Baptist CofE Primary
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
140539

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

positive

The academy is now stable, with pupils achieving well, feeling safe and happy, and leaders driving clear improvements.

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe. Pupils make steady progress, behave well and attend more regularly as leaders check attendance closely. Some teaching does not adapt lessons well enough for mixed-age classes or pupils' gaps in knowledge.

Going well

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe
Pupils make steady progress and achieve well across the curriculum
Pupils behave well and persistent absence has fallen sharply
Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively

To improve

Adapt lessons better for mixed ages and pupils' gaps in knowledge
Avoid giving too much new information at once in lessons
Check pupils have prior knowledge needed before tasks
Make the most of every interaction with children in early years

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

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

+71Very positivemore positive than 45% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseenjoypositiveeffectivelyambitioussafewell-plannedfeel safewell prepared

Criticismpoorgapsconcernspersistent absencebelowsuspensions

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

Findings1543w+71
Leadership228w+76
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve29w0

Strengths

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Concerns

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Next steps

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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: 1,851; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Fairly hard; Flesch 52, typical 43
Average sentence: 14 words
Next steps: 2; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 2%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 53%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 37%

Full report text

Academy

Address: Barnsley Road, Dodworth, Dodworth St John the Baptist Ce Primary Academy, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 3JS Unique reference number (URN): 140539

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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 Expected standard

Pupils make steady progress across the curriculum. They can talk accurately about what they have learned in a range of subjects. In lessons, pupils explain their thinking during paired talk, contribute to tasks and engage well with activities.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, get off to a good start in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils' results in the Year 1 phonics screening check and the Year 4 multiplication tables check have improved steadily over time. The school’s checks on pupils' learning help to make sure that pupils know and remember more. There is now a much-improved picture for attainment and in the work that pupils produce.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

There are small numbers of disadvantaged pupils across the school. These pupils have made considerable progress through the curriculum.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

While pupils’ attainment in previous years has varied, current pupils' work and progress shows that pupils achieve well across the curriculum. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders keep a close eye on attendance. They check attendance records frequently and step in early when attendance falls below their expectations. Leaders work directly with families to understand why pupils miss school. They offer support and make expectations clear to families. The school celebrates and rewards high attendance. As a result of leaders' efforts, persistent absence has fallen sharply across all pupil groups, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well. They understand the 'ten great expectations' for behaviour and enjoy being recognised for doing the right thing. Pupils are kind to each other. They know that hurtful language is wrong. Pupils have confidence that staff will sort out any poor behaviour. Suspensions are rare. Leaders use them appropriately when necessary. The school provides helpful support for pupils who need support to manage their emotions. For example, pupils benefit from mentor support and detailed, personalised behaviour plans. Across school, staff share the same approach to behaviour and feel supported by leaders.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school has reorganised the curriculum to suit the recently introduced mixed-age classes. This is working well. Teachers are clear about what to teach, when to teach it and why. The school helps pupils build secure foundations in reading, writing, and mathematics. Staff teach the curriculum effectively. Consequently, pupils build their knowledge and skills in a logical order. In lessons, teachers check pupils' understanding regularly. They correct any mistakes or misunderstanding quickly. Staff receive timely and effective professional development to enhance their expertise and the quality of teaching. For example, staff training on how to teach reading is helping pupils to quickly become competent, fluent readers.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff make helpful adjustments in the classroom to ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access learning. However, in a small number of subjects and classes, teachers do not adapt lessons well enough for the mixed ages of pupils, or with pupils' gaps in knowledge in mind. Occasionally, learning slows down when teachers give too much new information at once, or when teachers have not checked that pupils have the prior knowledge needed for a task. Leaders are working to help teachers adapt learning better and to check what pupils know and remember over time.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that sets out clearly what young children need to learn and do. Trust experts and leaders help staff to improve their teaching skills, use practical ways to check what children know and remember and create inviting indoor and outdoor learning areas.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Children are well cared for at Dodworth St John the Baptist. Children are happy, safe and enjoy their learning. Children settle quickly into daily routines, learning to be independent and confident in their classroom.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Staff generally model effectively the important language that children need to know. They use helpful prompts in the classroom to extend children's thinking and vocabulary. Staff provide lots of meaningful opportunities for children to apply their new learning. For example, children use their knowledge of number in mini 10-pin bowling games and while riding trikes.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

The school recognises the importance of children getting off to a positive start in the early years. As a result, children build solid foundations and are ready to move into Year 1. To develop further, leaders are working to ensure that staff make the most of every interaction with children throughout the day.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Staff identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early and effectively. Staff create support plans that are clear and easy to use. This helps them to put effective and personalised support in place in classrooms.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Staff listen to pupils' views and work closely with parents and carers when planning support. Pupils receive swift support with learning or wellbeing. Staff check this support regularly to make sure it is working. In lessons, pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. They feel included and take a full part in school life.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Work in pupils’ books shows that pupils with barriers to their learning access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers and make just as much progress. The school uses pupil premium funding wisely to quickly and effectively close any gaps in pupils' knowledge or skills. Leaders regularly check the effectiveness of these strategies to ensure there is a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils’ progress and wellbeing.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders understand the challenges that some pupils face. They work closely with families to help remove these obstacles. The school provides practical and non-judgmental support for families. The majority of parents are positive about the school's caring approach and support for their children and about the pastoral support they receive.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

After a period of turbulence, the school is now in a more stable position. Leaders have brought about clear improvements in different aspects of the school's work.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance and trust leaders know the school's strengths and what it needs to improve. Governors have the relevant expertise to enable them to hold leaders to account effectively. Those responsible for governance know the school priorities. They make regular, careful checks on pupils' achievement as well as on the support that pupils receive to ensure that pupils reach their full potential. Working alongside the diocese and trust, leaders have renewed the school's vision. They develop positive relationships with parents and carers and the local community.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders care about staff workload and wellbeing. Staff feel valued and supported. The trust provides well-planned support to build staff expertise, particularly in the early years, curriculum development and managing behaviour. Leaders keep a close eye on the impact this is having. Their checks give them confidence in the improvements in these areas. Staff value the subject expertise development they receive from the trust and wider organisations.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school is redesigning how it responds to parents' views. Leaders reflect carefully on feedback from their school community to maintain positive relationships. The overwhelming majority of parents are highly complimentary about relationships between staff and pupils, the pastoral offer and the education their children receive.

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