Barrow Hill Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school because they like to be with their friends and teachers. Most pupils play and work together in harmony. Some parents and carers appreciate leaders' actions to understand and meet their child's needs.

In the words of one parent, 'It is a community.'

Every morning, all pupils receive breakfast on arrival at school. Pupils know the importance of a healthy diet.

They know that staff care for them and will help them with any worries or concerns they may have.

Pupils know the school rules of 'ready, respectful, safe.' Bespoke strategies are put in place for those pupils who need additional help to regulate their behaviour..../>
However, pupils told inspectors that some pupils' behaviour was not consistently good throughout the school day. Although adults sort out any instances of bullying, pupils said teasing and name-calling remain.

Children settle quickly into the early years.

They learn to share and independently access resources. However, leaders have not clearly outlined what the children in the early years will know and remember. Subject leaders are at the early stages of understanding how to check if children remember what they have learned.

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

Many of the school's policies, procedures and systems are in their infancy. School and trust leaders recognise that there is further work to do to ensure that their ambitions and expectations are realised. This includes the school's behaviour procedures and policies.

Some parents feel that they are not well informed about the changes in school.

Leaders have reviewed the school's curriculum. They have considered the key knowledge that they would like pupils to know and remember.

However, leaders have not made checks to ensure that the curriculum is helping pupils to know more over time. Curriculum leaders do not yet have a secure overview of how well the school's curriculum is being remembered by pupils. They do not yet provide guidance and support for teachers so that they understand how to deliver their subject area in a consistent way.

Leaders have revised the school's early reading programme to ensure that all staff teach phonics in a consistent way. Staff have received training. Leaders have ensured that the writing programme links to the sounds pupils learn in their reading.

Leaders are reviewing attendance and punctuality procedures to ensure that pupils who need additional help to read are in school every day.

Relationships in the early years are secure. Children follow routines to help them become independent.

For example, they learn to tidy up after themselves. Others gather the resources they need to mix dry powder paint to create their art. Children enjoy sharing a variety of books.

They learn to sing simple songs and rhymes as they play. Leaders are improving the outdoor area to ensure that the whole learning environment is purposeful. However, leaders have not set out precisely what children in the early years should learn, and when.

Leaders are supporting staff to develop their understanding of the early years curriculum.

Leaders are quick to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND). Leaders liaise with external agencies to address pupils' needs.

However, some of the targets on pupils' learning plans are too general. They do not set out clearly and precisely enough what pupils should achieve.

Pupils learn about healthy relationships.

They are beginning to understand values such as respect and tolerance. They learn about different types of families. Pupils understand the importance of looking after their own mental health.

They enjoy sharing their achievements in assemblies. They like the different clubs the school offers. However, pupils' understanding of different faiths and communities is not secure.

Trustees have received training to help them to understand their role. They are beginning to use the information they receive to hold leaders to account for their actions and decisions.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

They recognise that the recent changes are helping them to improve their teaching. They acknowledge the efforts of leaders to support their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their families well. They seek to understand the wider circumstances of their community. Where leaders have concerns, they communicate these with external agencies in a swift manner.

Leaders ensure that all staff have regular training to understand the school's procedures for safeguarding. Staff know the signs to look for that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. Trust leaders regularly check the school's policies and procedures regarding safeguarding.

Pupils understand how to report any issues online. They know that they should not give out personal information when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Many of the school's systems, policies and procedures are in their infancy and are yet to have the desired impact on the education of all pupils, including pupils with SEND.

The recent improvements are not embedded. This results in inconsistences in leaders' actions. Leaders at all levels must ensure that policies, systems and procedures are embedded and communicated with all stakeholders to ensure sustained school improvement.

• Many subject leaders do not yet have the confidence and skills to lead their subjects and provide effective guidance and support for teachers. Teachers' subject knowledge is not consistently strong in all areas of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders develop the necessary experience and skills to lead their curriculum areas effectively, including supporting teachers to deliver the curriculum, so that pupils know and remember more over time.

• Leaders have not ensured that pupils' behaviour is of a consistently high standard. Teasing and name-calling are common. There are inconsistences in how behaviour incidents are managed.

Leaders must ensure that all staff have the highest expectations for pupils' behaviour. They must ensure that all adults apply the school's behaviour systems so that pupils' behaviour is consistently strong across the school. ? The early years curriculum is not yet sufficiently planned and sequenced.

This means that staff do not have a clear overview of what children in the early years need to know and when. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum for the early years is well sequenced so that children are well prepared for Year 1. ? Leaders have not ensured that pupils have a strong understanding of a range of faiths and cultures.

This limits how well pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that the wider curriculum enables pupils to learn about different communities, faiths and beliefs. They should help pupils to understand and respect those who are different to them so that they develop well as young citizens.