Mundella Primary School

Mundella Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 5–11 Inspection date(s) 19–20 September 2011 Inspection number 377512 Unique Reference Number 107006 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 377512 Inspection dates 19–20 September 2011 Reporting inspector Carmen Markham

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 289 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steven Ellis Headteacher Helen Bush Date of previous school inspection 27 June 2007 School address Mundella Place Sheffield S8 8SJ Telephone number 0114 2551348 Fax number 0114 2551348 Email address headteacher@mundella.sheffield.sch.uk 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 12 lessons and observed 11 teachers. Inspectors spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at learning in lessons and in pupils’ books. The inspectors held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils and spoke informally to parents. They observed the school's work, and looked at the school improvement plan, school policies, safeguarding documents and details of the progress made by pupils. The responses to 96 questionnaires from parents and carers, and those from pupils and staff were scrutinised.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The accuracy of the school’s own evaluation of the attainment and progress of pupils and whether the above average attainment and progress, seen during the previous inspection, have been maintained.  Whether teaching and the curriculum have made sufficient provision for the increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The effectiveness of leadership and governance in distributing management responsibilities and holding class teachers to account for the performance of their pupils.  The quality of the school’s planning and delivery of the national and global elements of community cohesion.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than the average primary school. It has mixed-age classes in most year groups. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. A large proportion of pupils are White British; very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational needs, has been increasing since the last inspection and is now in line with the national average. There have been significant staff changes since the previous inspection. There is no pre-school or nursery provision on site. The school has been awarded Healthy School status, the Basic Skills Charter Mark and Study Support recognition. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is a good school. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is outstanding. This is underpinned by their excellent behaviour that contributes to pupils’ outstanding attitudes to safety and high attendance. Throughout the school all groups of pupils make good progress and by the end of Year 6 their attainment is above average in English and mathematics. However, mathematics is not as strong as English.

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Main findings

The focus of the headteacher and senior leadership team on raising pupils’ achievement and developing excellent personal skills has been expertly shared with staff and governors. They share her strong drive and ambition for the school and its pupils. Morale is high and strong team work facilitates effective improvement. The sharper delegation of management responsibilities has ensured that all staff are involved in aspects of school management. Teachers are now held to account for the performance of their class through regular reviews of pupils’ progress. The governing body discharges its statutory responsibilities and ensures that pupils and staff are safe. However, it does not systematically review school policies and is not sufficiently involved in evaluating the impact of its decisions. Nevertheless, the school’s evaluation of its performance is extremely accurate because staff monitor the effectiveness of initiatives and the tracking of pupils’ progress is rigorous.

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Main findings

Consequently, school improvement planning is thorough and systematically tackles areas requiring improvement. The school therefore has good capacity for sustained improvement.

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Main findings

Teaching in most lessons is good or better. Pupils are very active learners who make good progress and enjoy learning. In the small number of satisfactory lessons seen progress is slower and this produces some uneven progress across the school. The outstanding care, guidance and support pupils receive, combined with excellent partnerships with other agencies, ensure that pupils who are vulnerable due to their circumstances, and their families, have access to high levels of care and support. Therefore, these pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities consistently make good progress. The imaginative and effective curriculum provides all pupils with a wealth of learning experiences that captures their imagination.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to raise attainment, particularly in mathematics by:  improving the consistency of teaching so that all lessons are at least good  improving the consistency of marking so that pupils are always aware of how to improve their work  ensuring pupils have the opportunity to apply their mathematical skills across the curriculum.   Develop the role of the governing body to enable its members to systematically review all school policies and actively evaluate the outcomes of decisions they have made.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

All pupils are enthusiastic and well-motivated learners. In the majority of lessons they are fully engaged in their learning and work successfully both with others and independently. The skills required for effective team work are fully employed and pupils support each other in problem solving. Their approach to learning is both mature and confident. Pupils are beginning to understand how they learn and to take responsibility for their learning. They are very clear about the levels they attain, their targets and, in most instances, how to improve their work. Pupils are beginning to assess their own work and that of others but this is at an early stage of development. The pace and challenge of lessons lead to an enjoyment in learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Children’s skills on entry to the Reception class are below the expected levels for their age. Work in books and in lessons demonstrates that in Key Stage 1 pupils attain in line with the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 6 attainment is above average in English and mathematics. This represents good achievement. Overall the achievement of girls and boys is similar. The new class structure in Key Stages 1 and 2 is ensuring that the higher attainers are reaching their potential and increasingly achieving the higher levels expected for their age. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the small number who speak English as an additional language also benefit from the new arrangement and make good progress.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and makes an excellent contribution to their personal development. Behaviour of all pupils is exemplary in lessons and around the school. Pupils serve their school and local community extremely well. School councillors give pupils a real voice in school and pupils know that the council makes a real difference to them. Many pupils have whole school responsibilities including playground friends, junior wardens and peer mediators. Pupil-led charity fund-raising provides good opportunities for enterprise and the good development of basic skills ensures that pupils are well prepared for their future economic well-being. This is further supported by high attendance and excellent punctuality. These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 1 Pupils' behaviour 1 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 1 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is good overall with the majority of lessons seen being good or better. Where teaching is outstanding there is an excellent use of assessment which enables teachers to plan lessons to meet pupils’ individual needs. This ensures that learning moves forward at a brisk pace. Information and communication technology is used particularly effectively to support learning. Although teaching is always at least satisfactory there is variation in the quality of teaching and learning across year groups. In the lessons where teaching seen is less than good, work is not matched so well to pupils’ needs, introductions to lessons are too lengthy and the pace of learning is slow. As a consequence, pupils make less progress and interest wanes. Teachers’ guidance through marking is variable across classes and it is not always clear from their comments how pupils are to improve their work. Teaching assistants

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How effective is the provision?

provide an effective layer of additional support, particularly for those pupils who find learning difficult.

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How effective is the provision?

Careful planning ensures that all pupils have full access to the curriculum. Coverage of all curriculum areas is good and recent changes to the English curriculum have improved attainment in reading. The mathematics curriculum meets requirements but too few opportunities are provided for pupils to apply mathematical skills across the curriculum. Information and communication technology is used extremely effectively to enhance the curriculum and pupils are competent and capable users of this medium. The skilful matching of the curriculum to pupils' interests captures their imagination and adds to their enjoyment of learning. The curriculum is enriched by a wide variety of clubs and other activities that are very well attended. Diversity week has enabled pupils to understand that to stereotype and judge people provides inaccurate information about them. The curriculum contributes strongly to personal development. Road safety has been reinforced by

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How effective is the provision?

pupils working with police when they stopped speeding motorists.

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How effective is the provision?

There has been significant improvement in the care, guidance and support of pupils

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low since the previous inspection. The school has developed additional pastoral responsibilities, including the home school worker, and now provides extensive training by qualified staff to develop staff skills. Therefore, pastoral support is highly effective with a strong focus on implementing specific programmes for target groups. Exemplary case studies provide striking examples of instances where clearly targeted support has made a significant impact on overcoming difficulties and ensuring academic progress. Excellent partnerships with a range of agencies and schools sustain learning and support the well-being of all pupils on their transition into school and transfer to secondary education. Extremely rigorous strategies ensure consistently high attendance.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 2 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

Effective self-evaluation identifies good priorities for improvement. Development planning is rigorous and linked to challenging targets and the relentless drive of the headteacher to move the school forward. School monitoring and evaluation have been strengthened by the systematic development of school management to ensure that managers are clear about their roles and are given the time to undertake them effectively. Strong partnerships with local partners have enabled best practice to be shared effectively. The monitoring of teaching and learning has improved and there is an increase in the examples of outstanding practice, although some areas of satisfactory practice remain.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Members of the governing body provide satisfactory support and work with staff and the school council to improve their understanding of the school. However, governors have limited involvement in evaluating the school’s provision and do not systematically review school policies. All safeguarding requirements are fully met and are effective. Pupils are very safe in school; the building and the school grounds are secure and high priority is given to regular safeguarding training for staff. High- quality risk assessments, policies and procedures help to secure the safety of pupils. The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination effectively. All groups of pupils progress at similar rates. Excellent work on diversity and pupils’ considerate behaviour ensure that unacceptable comments are very rare events. The school has evaluated its impact on community cohesion and promotes close links

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How effective are leadership and management?

with a variety of communities beyond the school. The school’s annual Mundella carnival is a highlight of the year and enables school and community to celebrate and reflect on chosen themes. Good links with a school in Kenya and a school serving a different socio-economic area in the city ensure community cohesion is good and makes a strong contribution to work within the school. These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and

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How effective are leadership and management?

tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children start in the Reception class with skills slightly below age-related expectations. Reading, writing and calculating are the weakest areas but children rapidly make good progress in all areas. They make particularly good progress in learning sounds and letters. By the time children reach Year 1 the majority of them have attained at least the average expectations and some have exceeded them in all areas. Children follow healthy routines and behave safely and sensibly. They are kind to other children and considerate of their needs. Teaching is effective as careful analysis of assessment information ensures individual needs are met. A strong focus on play and activities, led by the children’s own interests, ensures learning is fun. The outdoor area is used very effectively throughout the day. Expectations are high and pupils rapidly become confident and independent learners.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Reflective and ambitious leadership ensures that staff work as a very effective team and share a common understanding of expectations. The welfare and safeguarding of children are priorities for the staff. Parents and carers are exceptionally positive about the provision; they value the workshops staff run to help them to support their child’s learning and value the children’s learning journey records. Staff work very closely with pre-school provisions to improve transition experiences.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Overall responses to the parents’ questionnaire were overwhelmingly positive but some of the parents and carers wrote comments that were at odds with these positive views. Therefore, inspectors spoke to parents and carers informally to establish a wider range of views. These parents and carers were unanimous in their praise for the school and cited the excellent care the school takes of pupils and their good progress. Typically, parents and carers commented that the entire school has, ‘A very calm and positive atmosphere where children are nurtured and can grow and blossom.’ Other strengths identified include the support their children receive and the extensive range of extra-curricular activities including the Mundella Carnival. Parents and carers value the workshops that help them to support their children.

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Views of parents and carers

Negative parent comments on the questionnaires suggested that there are some parents and carers who do not feel so well informed about their child’s progress or school events. Inspectors found that the school has a good variety of methods to ensure communication is good. However, the school is currently reviewing this as it is aware of parents’ and carers’ concerns.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Mundella Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 96 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 289 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 57 59 39 41 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 70 73 26 27 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 37 39 46 48 8 8 2 2 My child is making enough progress at this school 44 46 38 40 5 5 1 1 The teaching is good at this school 55 57 39 41 1 1 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 47 49 41 43 4 4 1 1 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 53 55 40 42 1 1 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 38 40 45 47 3 3 0 0

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 46 48 40 42 3 3 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 47 49 33 34 7 7 0 0

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 40 42 40 42 6 6 2 2

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 54 56 36 38 2 2 2 2 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 56 58 37 39 1 1 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: The progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: The standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: The proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: The contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: The rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Inspection of Mundella Primary School, Sheffield S8 8SJ

I would like to thank you for making my colleagues and me so welcome when we came to inspect your school. A special ‘thank you’ goes to the pupils who gave up some of their time to talk to us about their work and activities. We enjoyed learning about the Mundella Carnival and Diversity week.

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Inspection of Mundella Primary School, Sheffield S8 8SJ

You attend a good school where the headteacher and all the staff ensure that you are extremely well cared for and safe. They have made a lot of improvements in school to help you make better progress. We were very impressed by how well you understand how to improve your work and know what your targets are. Your targets are helping you to do better in English and mathematics. Most of you make good progress in lessons but many do better in English than in mathematics. You enjoy school so your attendance is excellent and your behaviour is outstanding. You take very good care of each other and know how to stay healthy. We were impressed by how safe you feel in school.

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Inspection of Mundella Primary School, Sheffield S8 8SJ

We have asked your school leaders to do the following two things to improve your school further:  help teachers to ensure you all make even more progress, especially in mathematics  involve governors more in looking at school policies and checking that their ideas are working well in school.

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Inspection of Mundella Primary School, Sheffield S8 8SJ

You can help to improve your school by learning to assess your own work so that you can make it even better.

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Inspection of Mundella Primary School, Sheffield S8 8SJ

Carmen Markham Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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