Hunter's Bar Infant School

Hunter's Bar Infant School Sharrow Vale Raod, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S11 8ZG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher and senior leadership team have created a climate of high expectations for all teachers and pupils, which is having a very strong impact on school improvement.  Pupils’ achievement is good overall. For girls, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs it is now outstanding.  The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now good.  Behaviour is outstanding. Polite, friendly pupils get on noticeably well together, creating a happy, harmonious school in which they feel safe.  Governors are highly reflective and committed to school improvement. They hold the leadership to account with rigour.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching does not yet enable all groups of pupils to make outstanding progress. Occasionally, activities planned for pupils do not closely match their abilities and interests and at times teachers do not check regularly on the understanding of some groups of pupils when they are working independently.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out 15 lesson observations, two of which were joint observations with the school’s senior leaders. They also scrutinised work in pupils’ books.  Meetings were held with three members of the governing body, staff and pupils. There was also a discussion with a representative of the local authority.  Parents’ views were taken into account through the 93 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also spoke informally with parents during the inspection. The views of staff were taken into account through discussions and also through responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documents, including a summary of the school’s view of its performance and documents relating to safeguarding, child protection, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Angela Shaw, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Judith Straw Additional Inspector Tony Price Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-size infant school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is over twice the national average. Pupils of Pakistani heritage make up the largest of these groups.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  A below average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for pupil-premium funding. Pupil premium funding is additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and the children of service families.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is more than double that usually found.  The school holds a number of awards including the Eco School award and Investors in Pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching, to enable all groups of pupils to make outstanding progress by:  ensuring that all teachers plan activities that closely match pupils’ abilities so that they are neither too hard nor too easy  making sure that teachers regularly check the understanding of boys and of those at early stages of learning English as an additional language, during lessons and particularly when they are working independently  improving the consistency of marking and giving pupils more opportunities to respond to teacher comments.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter school from a wide range of settings, with skills which are generally below the levels typically expected for their age, particularly in language and communication. Some pupils have little experience of English before entry to school. All groups of pupils make good progress so that by the time they leave Year 2, their standards are consistently well above average in English and mathematics.  Achievement has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now good. It is not yet outstanding because progress is not equally rapid across all groups of learners.  In Reception, the strong emphasis on personal development ensures that children settle and quickly make friends. This, together with the inspirational and purposeful learning opportunities teachers and support staff provide enables children to make good progress.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make outstanding progress as a result

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The achievement of pupils is good

of outstanding leadership of SEND along with highly-effective, targeted support from teachers and teaching assistants which helps them to succeed.  Although boys make at least good progress overall it is not as rapid as that of the girls, who make outstanding progress in both English and mathematics.  Gaps between the achievement of different groups of children are narrowing, including those between boys and girls and those pupils who speak English as an additional language, as a result of teaching strategies and a curriculum which interests and motivates boys. There is also effective support for those pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Pupil-premium funding is carefully identified and effectively used to provide extra support and enrichment opportunities such as the ‘Wide Awake Club’. This has had a good impact on the achievement of this group. The attainment of those pupils known to be eligible for free school

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved strongly as a result of rigorous monitoring by the leadership team and an overriding emphasis on addressing the areas of weakness identified in the previous report. It is now consistently good across the school.  Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are a strength of the school. Pupils are interested and curious about their learning. They cooperate with and listen to their teachers carefully and are eager to answer questions; progress in lessons is, therefore, good. However, when pupils, particularly boys and those who speak English as an additional language are working independently progress slips a little when there are no adults to help them with their understanding.  Highly-skilled teaching assistants play an active part in lessons and lead very effective support activities, ensuring that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make

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The quality of teaching is good

outstanding progress.  Marking provides pupils with helpful encouragement about how well they have done and how they can improve. However, there is little evidence of pupils responding to teachers’ comments and time is not always given in lessons for them to do this. This limits the full impact of marking on pupils’ learning.  In the majority of lessons, teachers use information about pupils’ abilities and targets to make sure that activities are matched closely to pupils’ needs. However, in a minority of lessons, activities are too easy for some pupils and too difficult for others. This slows the progress that some pupils make.  The teaching of reading is good. Pupils enjoy the many and varied opportunities the school gives them to practise their reading skills. Teachers have a good knowledge of how to teach phonics (the relationship between letters and the sounds they make). The introduction of a new

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The quality of teaching is good

programme for the teaching of phonics is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress in reading. Most pupils now read well.  Reception class teachers assess children’s needs accurately and plan a good range of activities, both in the classroom and outdoors, that stimulates children’s learning and promotes good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say consistently that they are happy in school, a view that the majority of parents strongly support. Pupils are enthusiastic about what they have done and about their lessons.  From their first day in school, children are encouraged to have good manners and show kindness. Respect for others can be seen in the way pupils listen to one another and collaborate together so effectively when working on a task.  Pupils respond very positively to taking responsibilities in school and relish being consulted about the curriculum and the school environment.  In lessons children are interested and curious. Pupils want to please the teachers and follow their instructions quickly.  The safety of the pupils is a high priority and promoted well by all staff. Pupils say that they feel safe. They talk about bullying and how to deal with it sensibly. Excellent relationships with teachers and teaching assistants leads to pupils being confident that they can talk to any adult in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

the school. Incidents of bullying are very rare and dealt with quickly and effectively.  The school provides pupils with many opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. For example, on seeing butterflies on a trip to a butterfly house, one child commented, ‘This is the best thing that has happened in my whole life!’  The headteacher and her team have worked very effectively to improve attendance since the previous inspection. Attendance is now above the national average.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher, working in close partnership with the governing body, have been highly successful in improving pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching and leadership since the previous inspection. It is clear that morale is very high and all staff share the determination to improve further.  The school’s view of its own performance is highly accurate and has ensured a very clear and successful focus on areas for development since the previous inspection.  Training for staff is closely linked to the school’s priorities and also takes account of individual needs. Staff performance is managed well and progression in salary is linked to the effectiveness of teaching.  Leaders and managers have embedded procedures for checking on pupils’ progress. Any underachievement is now identified quickly and appropriate action taken to help pupils to catch up. This is has brought about a rise in achievement and a narrowing of the gap between the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

performance of different groups of pupils.  Considerable thought has gone into the use of the pupil premium. It is being used very effectively to fund additional support and enrichment opportunities to assist pupils in areas of learning in which they require support.  The curriculum is outstanding. It is based on the interests of all pupils and has been re- designed to inspire and appeal particularly to boys, with excitingly-named themes such as ‘Blood and Bones’ and ‘To Infinity and Beyond’. There is an excellent focus on communication, language, mathematics and physical development.  Safeguarding and child-protection arrangements are exemplary and fully meet requirements. The school rejects discrimination in all its forms and promotes equality of opportunity well.  The local authority provides light touch support as appropriate to this good school.  The governance of the school: – The governing body knows the school well. It is exceptionally rigorous in holding school

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The leadership and management are outstanding

leaders and managers to account for improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. The governing body sets challenging targets for the headteacher. It links the outcomes firmly to decisions regarding pay progression and to reward good teaching. The governing body uses data knowledgeably to compare the effectiveness of the school with other similar schools both locally and nationally. Finances are tightly controlled and decisions on spending are linked closely to priorities in the school-improvement plan. Actions and results are questioned to ensure value for money, especially with regard to how the pupil-premium funding is allocated and how effective it is in supporting the achievement of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. Governors keep themselves up to date by regularly attending training courses run by the local authority and other organisations.

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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 106995 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 405072

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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 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 269 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Shipley Headteacher Michelle Hayes Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2011 Telephone number 0114 2660541 Fax number 0114 2685604 Email address enquiries@huntersbar-inf.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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