Lydgate Infant School

Lydgate Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 5FQ

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 Children make a good start in Reception class. By the end of Year 2, pupils are reaching standards that are above the national average.  Teaching is typically good. Pupils who find learning difficult make good progress because they receive good quality care and support.  Pupils’ personal development and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength and supports pupils from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds well.  The school has a calm, welcoming atmosphere that supports all pupils’ engagement and learning. Behaviour is good and the pupils are keen to learn in lessons. Pupils feel safe in school.  The vast majority of parents support the school and regularly attend social occasions and assemblies, which celebrate the achievements of the pupils. They speak positively about the different ways in which the school helps their children to do well.  The headteacher has shown determination in

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This is a good school

making improvements to the teaching and learning, which has helped pupils to make good progress. As a result, the school’s overall performance is improving.  The governors have been very effective in supporting the school, as well as making sure that they question school leaders and hold them to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) is not as strong in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1 as it is in Year 2. Children are not always given enough opportunities to practise putting words together in order to read.  The outdoor provision for Early Years Foundation Stage children does not provide the same good opportunities for learning as those found indoors.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons or part lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors listened to pupils read and observed teaching assistants working with pupils.  Discussions were held with two groups of pupils, with the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors and with the teachers, including senior and middle leaders. A brief discussion with the School Improvement Officer and a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority were also held.  Inspectors took account of 84 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also spoke to parents during the inspection. Information from 33 staff questionnaires was also considered as part of the inspection.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including plans for improvement, the school’s monitoring information, safeguarding and attendance documents, governing body

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Information about this inspection

documentation and school policies.  A broad range of other evidence was also scrutinised by inspectors including pupils’ current work in books and the school’s own data and monitoring records of how well pupils progress in their learning.

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Inspection team

Naila Zaffar, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jennifer Platt Additional Inspector Gill Curtis Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Lydgate Infant School is a larger than average four-form single phase school for four to seven- year-olds.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through action is below average as is the proportion of these pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families) is significantly below average.  The school has secured ‘Food for Life’ Flagship Status (the only school in Sheffield to have attained this award). This is linked to the school’s provision in the area of Education for

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to be consistently good or better, particularly in the teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) by: - training the teaching assistants in the teaching of letters and sounds so that they provide good support to pupils during the lesson - ensure that the teaching of letters and sounds is better matched to pupils’ needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 To ensure that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage experience outdoor provision which is as rich as that found indoors by: - ensuring that outdoor provision is planned and reflects the richness in the indoor learning - ensuring that all leaders evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken on children’s progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is enhanced by the school’s good partnership with parents. Regular feedback is given to parents about their children’s achievement and challenges. Parents are happy that their children make good progress at school.  The school is passionate about improving not just academic achievement, but also the social and personal development of the pupils and does so successfully.  Children start school with skills that are mostly typical for their age. They make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage and leave Reception Year with skills that are above those expected nationally for their age. Children eagerly show their independent skills in writing through simple sentences, for example, about the cress seeds they have been growing.  Good progress continues in Year 1 and Year 2. At the end of Key Stage 1, standards are above national averages in reading and mathematics and in line with the national average for writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There are now increased opportunities for extended writing through supportive but pupil-led activities that include educational visits. Current Year 2 pupils are on track to reach above average standards in 2013.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress in mathematics and English to that of other pupils because of the effective support they receive from teaching assistants. The development of the ‘Nurture Group’ provision has enabled some pupils to focus on and improve their attitudes to learning through a well-structured programme.  The school is successfully closing the gap in attainment between those who are eligible for the pupil premium funding and those who are not. Extra resources for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding are provided and additional teaching assistants have been appointed to support their learning. This year, all pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals

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The achievement of pupils is good

are progressing well, and there is no difference between their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics and that of other groups of pupils in the school.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well. All pupils do well at Lydgate. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics because they speak fluently in English when they enter school.  Older pupils can talk about their favourite authors and almost all pupils enjoy reading for pleasure. Pupils read regularly at school and at home. One pupil in Year 1 said that he ‘practises a lot at home’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Extra support is used well to help any pupil at risk of falling behind, and to plug any gaps in their learning.  Staff make good use of links between different subjects to make learning fun and engaging. For example, pupils learn how to describe physical and human features on the theme of ‘the seaside’ in their English lessons and apply what they have learned about the seaside from their science and geography lessons.  In mathematics lessons, teachers encourage pupils to use their newly acquired calculation skills to help them solve problems. In one lesson, pupils used their mathematical skills, together with a range of interactive resources, to solve problems associated with money.  Teachers give pupils many opportunities to write at length in English and other subjects. Pupils concentrate carefully on their writing, especially through the topic of ‘Island and seaside’.  Teachers’ clear guidance and good questioning skills ensure pupils know what they are expected

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The quality of teaching is good

to learn and enable them to remember and explain what they have learnt confidently and accurately. Teachers make good use of new technology to present information and engage pupils’ interest. They usually check closely on how well different groups of pupils are progressing Inspection report: Lydgate Infants School, 15–16 May 2013 Page 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

during lessons. Effective lesson summaries help pupils judge how well they have understood new learning.  Children in Early Years Foundation Stage and in Year 1 have a secure knowledge of letters and the sounds they make. However, they are not given sufficient opportunities to demonstrate and practise putting words together in order to read.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are helped to learn well. Teachers ensure these pupils are involved fully in lessons. Teaching assistants use resources, such as photographs and pictures, skilfully to develop the speaking and listening skills of these pupils.  The advice pupils receive in their books through teachers’ marking and next steps is very clear and helps them move forward with their learning. Pupils are increasingly asked to check their own work during lessons, including with a partner, although this is not always the case.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are well trained and assist teachers effectively in leading small group teaching in class. Occasionally though, they are used less well in the teaching of letters and sounds to small groups of pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There is a very welcoming atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils are polite, courteous and get on well with each other and adults. They enjoy school and are keen to learn. They are expected to behave well, and the large majority do. On a few occasions, when the teaching is not challenging enough, a few pupils lose concentration and so do not show the normally good level of attention.  Pupils can articulate understanding of systems to support and promote behaviour and safety and recognise how to keep themselves safe in the playground and in the classrooms generally.  The school works closely with parents of pupils who have social, emotional or behavioural concerns. The special needs coordinator provides good advice and support, often in liaison with other behaviour professionals. These pupils make good progress in learning to manage their own behaviour. Consequently, poor behaviour is very rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Safeguarding systems are well established. High expectations for pupils’ safety are promoted by all staff and the governors.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and are quite sure that very little goes on. Parents are very happy with the school’s timely response to any concerns and feel their children are kept safe. This was shown in discussions and in the responses on Parents View.  Attendance is above average. This is the result of the school’s work to promote and celebrate good attendance, challenge absence and support families to improve punctuality.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders check the effectiveness of teaching rigorously and provide feedback to teachers about how their teaching practice can be improved. Timely action is taken when improvements are needed. Performance management is used well to hold teachers to account for the progress that pupils make. The review of teachers’ performance is used to make decisions about teachers’ pay.  A strength of pupils’ learning is the well-established Learning for Life (L4L) rich curriculum which enables pupils to begin to recognise and empathise with emotions and feelings in others. Subjects are interwoven through central themes and supported by a range of visits.  The Early Years Foundation Stage facilities have been improved so that children have the opportunity to experience learning outdoors. However, vital opportunities for children to learn outdoors are sometimes missed and not planned for.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders quickly identify and tackle any underachievement in reading, writing and mathematics. Careful tracking of individual pupils and well-planned support for those needing extra help is accelerating learning. This, together with ways in which additional pupil premium funding is used to close the gaps in learning, shows leaders and managers achieve good equality of opportunity for the pupils.  Leaders and managers have developed confidence and engagement with parents. Parents are encouraged to become involved with the school and are supported to do so. For example, parents, staff, governors and pupils were involved in painting murals of animals on the walls of the staircase which is now very attractive and colourful.  The school’s safeguarding policy is comprehensive and clearly explains roles and responsibilities involved in all aspects of child safety. As a result, all safeguarding requirements are met.

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The leadership and management are good

 School self-evaluation is very detailed and accurate. All members of the school community are invited to join in the development of the school improvement plan. However, criteria for success are not sharp enough in order to measure the impact of the actions taken fully.  The school receives light-touch support from the local authority.  The governance of the school:  Under the strong and dedicated leadership of the Chair of the Governing Body, governors are supportive and have an accurate view of the school’s performance. Governors ask challenging questions of the headteacher to ensure that school development priorities are met. They are rigorous in their financial monitoring and make sure that good teachers are rewarded and underperformance tackled. They also look closely at the allocation of pupil premium funding to see that the allocation of funds is closely linked to improved achievement for eligible pupils.

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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 106999 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 413403

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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 359 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Dee Bannister Headteacher Mr Dewi Bromage Date of previous school inspection 14 May 2009 Telephone number 0114 2662450 Fax number 0114 2678268 Email address enquiries@lydgate-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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