Lydgate Junior School

Lydgate Junior School Manchester Road, Crosspool, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 5DP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils of all abilities, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress. They leave Year 6 with standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are consistently above average.  The overall quality of teaching is good. Teaching is sometimes outstanding. Teachers make certain that pupils are clear about precisely what they are to learn and how they can improve their own work.  The pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They are thoughtful and considerate to each other and respect their teachers. Attendance is high.  Pupils are proud of their school. They benefit from many opportunities to take part in high quality musical, sporting and artistic activities.  Parents hold the school in high regard and appreciate the care and support their children receive.  The headteacher and senior leadership team set a clear direction for the school’s development and pursue it with rigour and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enthusiasm. They are well supported by the governing body.  Procedures to check and improve the quality of teaching are particularly effective. As a result, the school has continued to improve pupils' achievement since the last inspection and is well placed to continue to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons, pupils do not have enough opportunity to use their own initiative or organise and manage their own work.  Pupils do not make full use of information and communication technology (ICT) to help their learning in different subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 23 lessons including a joint observation with a member of the senior leadership team. The inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority, an educational consultant, and members of staff including senior and middle leaders. Inspectors also heard a group of pupils from Year 3 and Year 6 read.  Inspectors took account of 39 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and outcomes from the school’s consultations with parents.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including data on pupils’ current and previous progress, the school development plan, performance management documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Doreen Davenport Additional Inspector Steve Rigby Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. The proportion of pupils that speak English as an additional language is well above average. Both proportions have increased since the school was last inspected.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  ensuring pupils take the initiative for organising and managing their own work more often  enabling pupils to make further use of information and communication technology (ICT) to help their learning in different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils start school in Year 3 with standards which are generally above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Many pupils make better than normally expected progress as they move through school. As a result, by the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment is higher than the national average with an improving trend over the last three years.  Pupils' progress is accelerating and is sometimes outstanding. This reflects the teachers' good use of accurate measures of pupils' achievement to set high expectations and improvements to the quality of teaching.  More-able pupils make good progress and the proportion reaching the higher levels in national tests and assessments is above average. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and good skills for improving their own work, which contribute well to their progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their

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The achievement of pupils is good

starting points. This is because staff understand their learning needs and make rigorous efforts to meet them. The increasing proportions of pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress. The successful attention given to establishing key literacy and numeracy skills ensure that these pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.  The few pupils supported by pupil premium funding make good progress and the gap between their achievement and that of other pupils is reducing. The use of the funding to provide one-to- one support is reviewed carefully to ensure it has a maximum impact on pupils' learning and results show several examples of better progress than expected.  Pupils read fluently and widely. They tackle new and unfamiliar words well because they develop a good understanding of letters and their sounds. Pupils of all ages and abilities read with expression and enthusiasm. Their love of reading and depth of understanding of books makes a

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The achievement of pupils is good

significant contribution to their overall achievement.  Pupils' writing skills are well developed. There is a strong focus on ensuring accuracy in basic skills such as spelling and grammar. Pupils have many good reasons to write.  Pupils’ mathematical skills are very well developed. For example, by Year 6 most pupils confidently apply their very good understanding of area and perimeter to solve complex real-life problems such as the costs of double glazing.  On a few occasions, however, pupils do not have the opportunity to use their initiative to organise and manage their own work imaginatively, which inhibits them from making the very best progress.  Pupils use their reading, writing and mathematical skills well to improve their learning in different subjects such as history and science. However, pupils do not use and apply their ICT skills as regularly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use information about how well pupils have learned to help them plan future activities that meet the needs of each pupil. They involve pupils well in assessing their own work and identifying the steps they can take to improve it. This is reinforced well through teachers' marking and feedback and is a key factor in enabling pupils to contribute to their own improvement.  The school has established strong basic principles for good teaching known as 'The Lydgate Way'. These are based on rigorous systems for sharing the best practice and measuring its impact. As a result, teaching is becoming increasingly outstanding leading to even faster rates of progress and higher standards since the last inspection.  Excellent relationships and very good management of behaviour contribute very well to the calm, orderly and academic nature of all classes. As a result, pupils, particularly those with English as an additional language, feel included and welcomed which contributes to their good

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The quality of teaching is good

progress.  Teachers make it very clear to pupils of different ability precisely what they are expected to do and to achieve during their lessons. This means that, not only do pupils feel well informed and involved in their learning but also that they are able to make decisions. This ensures that they generally make good rates of progress in all subjects.  Teachers and other adults ask probing questions to explore pupils’ understanding and develop their thinking skills. They enable pupils to make a full contribution to discussions through, for example, partner talk and presentations. This successfully reinforces their knowledge and understanding. For example, pupils in Year 6 engaged in lively and well-informed debate as to whether Mallory and Irving where the first to conquer Everest. As a result, the written accounts that followed were well written and mature.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs undertake work that is well

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The quality of teaching is good

matched to their needs and builds progressively on their earlier learning. Teaching assistants and other adults provide sensitive and skilled support when needed while encouraging pupils to work as independently as possible.  Overall, teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to practise and use the skills they have learned. However, occasionally, teachers give too much guidance and direction to pupils and this limits their ability to use their initiative or to develop fully their organisational skills. At these times, pupils are not as independent nor do they produce as much work as when they make the very best progress.  Teachers make good use of ICT to present their ideas and grab the pupils’ attention at the start of lessons. However, they do not always encourage pupils to use their own ICT skills to boost their learning. For example, opportunities for pupils to digitally record or photograph their ideas

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The quality of teaching is good

as an aide-memoire or to listen to themselves speaking in modern foreign language or performance activities are missed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely well behaved throughout the school. They listen very attentively to teachers and their peers. They move around the school with care and consideration for others. Pupils are punctual and their attendance is consistently high.  The school works closely with parents to support pupils with emotional and social difficulties. They enjoy visiting the 'Friendship Room' where they take part in well-planned activities to successfully help them manage their own behaviour. Consequently, parents appreciate teachers’ high expectations and poor behaviour is very rare.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and feel that very little goes on. They make a very good contribution to the maintenance of school rules through the school's Good Behaviour Code. As school councilors or as ‘Junior Friends’, pupils help to ensure the school is a safe and welcoming place to be.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The pupils respond extremely well to strong moral and social guidance they receive. They develop very positive attitudes to life and learning due to the teaching of common values and expectations through 'The Building Learning Power' programme and other activities. Through their learning in many subjects, pupils are introduced to ethical issues and debate. For example, in Year 5, pupils expressed mature views as to whether the character of 'The Highwayman', in Alfred Noyes famous poem of the same name, is good or evil.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have successfully developed the teaching and leadership skills of the staff. Over the past three years, this has been achieved through high- quality training, advice and good support provided by the local authority and external consultants.  Staff value the sharply-focused training and support they receive. In particular, they are very aware that the common expectations developed through the 'Lydgate Way' programme have significantly contributed to an increasingly outstanding quality of teaching.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher agree about what needs to be done to make the school more successful to which parents, staff and the governing body fully subscribe. This is shared effectively with parents through, for example, regular newsletters and the school website. In turn, parents have extremely positive views of the school. They particularly appreciate the personal knowledge and care staff have for all pupils and their families in this

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The leadership and management are good

large school.  The Year Group Leaders, who are members of the senior leadership team, play an important role in checking and improving the quality of teaching and learning. They have an accurate view of the impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement.  The school receives support from the local authority which is tailored to its needs. Regular professional discussions between local authority personnel and the senior leadership team and the governing body contribute to the school's awareness of how well the school is doing.  The school’s leaders are acutely aware that teachers’ pay needs to be linked to the effectiveness of teaching in raising pupils’ standards, and leaders are successful in ensuring that this is the case. The targets set for teachers to achieve are challenging and effective in helping to make the necessary improvements. Consequently, the school is aware of the few aspects of teaching and

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The leadership and management are good

learning requiring further development and is well placed to address them.  The activities provided in lessons capture pupils’ imaginations and hold their interest. The school makes very good use of teachers' specialist skills, for example, in music and art. In addition, there is an excellent range of after-school activities provided on a regular basis to enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils greatly enjoy these.  The quality of care, guidance and support provided for pupils is outstanding. This is a school in which pupils are warmly welcomed and equally valued and discrimination has no place. Procedures to keep pupils safe meet legal requirements and are scrupulously maintained.  The school’s effective track record in accelerating pupils’ progress over the last three years and more, demonstrates its good capacity for further improvement.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is led effectively and is well informed about the school’s work through

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The leadership and management are good

high-quality reports from the headteacher and the governors’ own systematic checking procedures. The governing body have a good understanding of the steps taken to improve the quality of teaching and its impact on the progress that pupils make. As a result, it makes a strong contribution to establishing the strategic direction of the school. Governors ensure that financial management is matched well to improving pupils’ achievement and the impact is carefully scrutinised. For example, the use of the pupil premium funding to provide precisely targeted support for individual pupils, and development of the Friendship Room is enabling these pupils to make good progress.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 106998 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 403028

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 487 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Maureen Neill Headteacher Sue Havenhand Date of previous school inspection 6 February 2008 Telephone number 0114 2669500 Fax number 0114 2638210 Email address headteacher@lydgate-jun.sheffield.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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