OFSTED inspectors have slammed a Barnsley primary school where teachers could not spell some of the words they were trying to teach pupils.
The report found Sandhill Primary School, in Great Houghton, to require improvement in all areas of its assessment after an inspection at the end of March this year.
This includes leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, outcomes for pupils and early years provision.
This report is the first for the school since it became an academy under the Shire Multi-Academy Trust in April 2015.
Prior to this, its last inspection was in February 2012 where it was found to be good.
In the teaching section of the report, it states: “Teachers do not always spell accurately the words they expect the pupils to spell. On occasion, adults are not careful enough to speak in correct forms of Standard English to reinforce pupils’ learning of phonics.”
It did however praise teachers using positive relationships with pupils to promote positive attitudes to their learning, and some lessons showed good engagement from the children.
Elsewhere, the report finds that the trust and senior leaders have not taken effective action to prevent a decline in the school’s key stage two performance since it became an academy. It highlighted below average progress for year six pupils in reading and maths and parents’ concerns that staff turnover was affecting teaching and leadership continuity.
Teaching in reading, writing and maths is highlighted as needing improvement and persistent pupil absence found to be too high.
In early years, a lack of focus in the planning of play and in adult interaction was found to be limiting children’s learning and development.
Under strengths, the report noted that senior and middle leaders had taken effective steps in the current school year to improve teaching in reading, writing and maths and that most pupils are well behaved, keen to learn and display positive attitudes.
Pupils were also noted to be achieving well in phonics and reading, writing and maths at key stage one.
Sandhill declined to comment on the report.
