Angram Bank Primary School

Angram Bank Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 June 2012 Inspection number 395472 Unique Reference Number 107085 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 395472 Inspection dates 20–21 June 2012 Lead inspector Terry McDermott

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 287 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Susan Crookes Headteacher Andrea Carr Date of previous school inspection 23 October 2007 School address Kinsey Road High Green Sheffield S35 4HN Telephone number 0114 284 8553 Fax number 0114 284 6894 Email address enquiries@angrambank.sheffield.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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

Terry McDermott Sally Hicks Additional inspector Additional inspector Derek Pattinson Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 25 lessons taught by eight teachers for a total of approximately 12 hours. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, spoke to pupils, listened to pupils read, looked at the school’s methods for tracking pupils’ progress and at a range of school documents, including its policies, minutes of governing body meetings, monitoring records and samples of pupils’ work. Responses from 72 parents and carers to the Ofsted questionnaire were considered, along with questionnaires completed by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Almost all classes are mixed- age. Almost all pupils are White British. The proportion of girls in the school is below average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is below average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportions of disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, including those supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs are well above average. The school meets the government’s current floor standard which sets the national minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school has an integrated resource unit for pupils with hearing impairment. All of these pupils travel to school by mini-bus. Many of these pupils have medical treatment during term time.

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Information about the school

The school holds the Quality Mark for Achievement for All. The very large majority of pupils are enrolled in the Children’s University. A new headteacher was appointed in January 2009. 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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Key Findings

 This is a good school. The majority of parents and carers express full confidence in its work. Pupils’ attitudes to learning in lessons are excellent. This is because the school provides thought provoking work in an attractive environment. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, because adults consistently model high standards of politeness, tolerance and respect. The school is not outstanding because there is not enough excellent teaching to produce outstanding learning.

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Key Findings

 Achievement is good. From starting points which are often low in comparison to national expectations, pupils make good progress to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The school’s accurate and uncomplicated tracking system shows that no group of pupils underachieves.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good. Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent. Teachers have good subject knowledge. Most lessons encourage pupils to work independently, developing ideas in small groups. Planning does not always take sufficient account of individual pupils’ learning needs. Occasionally, teachers spend too long explaining work instead of letting pupils get on with it.

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Key Findings

 Pupils are polite, friendly and very considerate of each other and their environment. They get on together very well. Parents and carers are almost unanimous that the school keeps their children safe. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens ‘because we all get on so well’. Attendance is broadly average because of medical issues for some pupils.

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Key Findings

 Leadership and management are good. Actions to improve the quality of provision in Early Years Foundation Stage and to raise attainment in Key Stage 1 have been successful. Procedures for the management of performance are followed well. Subject leaders do not always check rigorously enough on the amount of learning in lessons. The school has good capacity for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Improve the quality of learning in lessons, so that a greater proportion of teaching is good or better by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensuring that pupils spend less time listening to explanations and more time actively engaged in finding things out for themselves

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 planning more accurately to provide different tasks to meet pupils’ different learning needs

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 measuring more closely the amount of learning taking place in lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well throughout the school and there are no significant differences in the progress of boys and girls, or other groups of pupils. Children’s skills on entry to Nursery vary from year to year but are often low in comparison to those typically expected. They settle in quickly because of the good links between the school and families. In lessons, they make good progress in developing their communication skills because adults constantly engage them in imaginative and thoughtful discussions. The good relationships they develop are consolidated and extended as they move through the school. This underpins their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development over time.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils continue to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 1 and 2. The programme for teaching reading and phonics (the sounds that letters make) is good. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading is close to average. Pupils read regularly and enthusiastically, and were delighted when they were asked to read aloud to the inspectors. By the end of Year 6, attainment in both reading and writing is slightly ahead of the national average. Attainment in mathematics is similar in relation to the national average. This represents good progress in Key Stage 2 in relation to these pupils’ starting points. All pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and those with hearing impairment, make better progress than is found nationally, irrespective of their starting points. Parents and carers rightly believe that their children are making good progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Learning in lessons is usually good. It can occasionally be outstanding, but can also sometimes be satisfactory. Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They are always keen to find things out for themselves. Even the youngest sustain their concentration for long periods when responding to challenges set by their teachers. They listen carefully when their classmates are giving their different views and opinions. This helps them to deepen their understanding by considering alternatives they have not themselves thought of.

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Quality of teaching

Many examples of good or better teaching were seen. Some examples of satisfactory teaching were seen in all phases of the school. This explains why pupils’ achievement is good rather than outstanding. Outstanding lessons are characterised by a rapid series of demanding, usually practically based tasks, carefully matched to individual pupils’ learning needs. This provokes curiosity and a sense of competition to ‘think outside the box’, as pupils respond with sustained efforts to meet the challenges they have been set. This was seen to excellent effect in an outstanding Year 4 literacy lesson. Pupils rapidly extended their skills at writing persuasive text, and gained deeper understanding of the subtleties of language through sharing their work in regular mini-plenary sessions (called ‘pit-stops’). They then engaged in remarkably serious peer assessment, with the greatest respect for individual efforts, before giving pointers for improvement. Their concentration on working

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Quality of teaching

on challenging individual tasks was total. Their learning was outstanding.

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Quality of teaching

Classrooms are colourful and well resourced and raise pupils’ awareness of the world around them. This supports pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The curriculum is well planned and leads to well-organised lessons where teachers make clear to pupils what they are going to learn. Teachers often ask rapid-fire direct questions, seeking opinions but always with explanations. Pupils are comfortable giving their views and sharing their thoughts, because they know their opinions are valued. Teaching assistants are deployed flexibly and play an effective role in supporting and challenging different groups of pupils. This ensures that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and pupils’ with hearing impairment, make the same good progress as their peers. Occasionally, the pace of learning slows when all pupils are expected to listen to the same explanation or are given similar tasks, regardless of their ability. The marking of pupils’ work is regular but

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Quality of teaching

does not always give enough guidance on what pupils need to do next to improve.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour and safety are good throughout the school and school records indicate that this is the norm. The large majority of parents and carers believe that behaviour is good and that the school ensures their children are safe, free from bullying, and well looked after. Their children agree. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage play and move around from one activity to another safely and with care for each other. Pupils know why they are safe in school and respond very well to the gentle management of behaviour by staff. Occasionally, pupils’ behaviour is outstanding, particularly when listening to and respecting the views of others. Pupils are aware of the different forms of prejudice-based bullying even though they are certain ‘it doesn’t happen here’. They say that any rare occurrence of bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively by staff. They know very clearly what it means to be ‘On the Angram Bank Bus’. They leave school as good young citizens

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Leadership and management

The calm and aspirational leadership of the experienced headteacher has built an excellent team spirit within the school. Staff morale is high. The headteacher is well supported by her able deputy. Procedures for the management of performance of adults are effective. Phase leaders are open-minded and thoughtful. They form part of a leadership group well able to continue to improve the school further. This is because they engage wholeheartedly in continuing professional development to enhance their evaluation skills, although these are not always applied with sufficient objectivity when measuring learning in lessons. Nevertheless, school evaluation is accurate and effective. It ensures that most teaching is of good quality and that pupils’ achievement and progress are good.

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Leadership and management

Members of governing body are active, knowledgeable and hard working. They provide good support and levels of challenge to the school, through regular attendance at school functions and focused visits to monitor and review different aspects of its work. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. They ensure that the school meets current statutory requirements, particularly for safeguarding.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good overall, and the personal and social education aspects are outstanding. This is demonstrated in pupils’ consistently good behaviour. A large proportion of the school’s work is planned around topics, which provide many opportunities for pupils to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills in a range of contexts. A good range of well-attended extra-curricular activities, including sport and subject boosters, take place during and after the school day. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a language-rich learning environment, with well-planned activities for children to choose from. There are many opportunities for all groups of pupils to take responsibilities as, for example, fund raisers, to extend their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness skills. These and other opportunities ensure that every pupil, including those whose circumstances and other

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Leadership and management

needs make them potentially vulnerable, is able to benefit from all that the school offers. They reflect the school’s success in promoting equal opportunities and tackling discrimination.

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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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school 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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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN

Thank you for making us so welcome when we inspected your school recently. We enjoyed visiting you in your lessons and we learned a lot from talking with you about the ‘Angram Bank Bus’. We were particularly impressed with your politeness and good manners, and the way you get on so well with each other and with the adults in your school. You pay very good attention to the teachers and to each other in lessons.

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Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN

We found that Angram Bank is a good school. It is well led by your headteacher. The way in which the school helps you to build your self-discipline means that your behaviour is good and your attitudes to learning are excellent. We found that your spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Good teaching helps you to achieve well over your time in school.

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Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN

However, we also found that the school could do some things better, and these would help you to learn even more than you do now. So we have asked the adults who run the school to make lessons even better by:

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Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN

 planning work better so that the tasks you are set in lessons meet your particular individual learning needs accurately   spending less time explaining what you are going to do and giving you more time to become involved in learning for yourselves   checking more closely and more often that you are actually learning as much as you should be doing in lessons. 

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Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN

You can help your school to get better by telling your teachers, politely of course, if you find the work you are given is either too easy or too hard and by continuing to enjoy learning as much as you do now. Good luck for the future.

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Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN

Terry McDermott 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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