Hatfield Sheep Dip Lane Primary School

Hatfield Sheep Dip Lane Primary School Sheep Dip Lane, Dunscroft, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN7 4AU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress throughout the school, both academically and in their personal development.  Teaching is good and is resulting in improving standards.  Teaching assistants provide excellent support for pupils of all abilities.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. They are keen to learn.  Pupils feel safe because the site is secure, and the staff care for and look after them well.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well, through learning and the ethos of the school.  The headteacher provides very strong leadership. Leaders at all levels work together productively and, as a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are improving quickly.  The governing body oversees the school’s work comprehensively and is committed to raising achievement and teaching throughout the school. It knows so much about its work, that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

it is able to confidently help steer the school further forward.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Work for the most able pupils does not consistently help them to achieve as well as they can.  Marking does not always explain clearly to pupils what they need to do to improve their work and they are not regularly given the time to respond to the teacher’s advice.  Pupils do not have regular enough opportunities in lessons to write at length and to practise the skills they have learned.  Leaders’ monitoring is not sufficiently thorough to ensure that they have a fully accurate picture of the quality of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 19 lessons, of which three were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspectors spoke with many pupils during learning and playing, watched an assembly, and listened to several pupils reading. They also watched pupils being supported in small groups.  One inspector met formally with a group of pupils to find out what they think about their school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and subject leaders, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including information about the achievement of pupils, the school’s development planning, examples of pupils’ work and policies to keep them safe.  The inspectors took into account the 21 parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also checked the 36 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Lynne Blakelock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Ian Young Additional Inspector Melvyn Hemmings Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most other primary schools and the number on roll is rising.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is increasing.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and children that are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is part of a local pyramid of seven schools which work together to strengthen

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Information about this school

teaching and leadership and to provide more opportunities for pupils.  The headteacher has been in post since October 2011.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards more quickly by making sure teaching is always at least good, and more is outstanding, through ensuring that:  work for the most able pupils is harder so that they can achieve their potential  marking consistently tells pupils how to improve their work and teachers ensure that pupils always have time to respond to their advice  pupils have regular opportunities to write at length and practise the skills they have learned in all classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that leaders’ monitoring of the quality of pupils’ work is thorough and comprehensive, in order to ensure that the school has a fully accurate picture of where improvements need to be made.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils make good progress throughout the school in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because most teaching is good and teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils, whatever their needs.  Standards are rising across the school and are currently average by the end of Year 6 in writing and mathematics. They are above average in reading. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels is increasing, although in Year 2 there is some way to go to match national levels.  The children join the Nursery class with levels of knowledge and skills that are well below those typical for their age. They make quick progress through the Nursery and Reception classes, especially in reading. They develop a wide range of skills and knowledge because activities encourage the children’s curiosity and desire to do and know more. Although the proportion of

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The achievement of pupils is good

children reaching a good level of development was below average last year, it is above average this year.  The proportion of pupils achieving the required standard in the Year 1 national check of phonics (the sounds that letters make) has risen from below average last year to in line this year. Pupils develop their sounding-out skills and blending of letters well from the Nursery class and practise them very regularly, as seen in Year 1 and Year 4. The pupils in Year 3 who did not reach the required phonics standards in Year 2 have all made good progress this year and met the standard.  Pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding also make good progress throughout the school in reading, writing and mathematics. The extra money has resulted in carefully targeted support in literacy and numeracy, and in staffing to help support better attainment. In Year 6 in 2013, eligible pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, reached

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The achievement of pupils is good

standards that were in line with those of other pupils and half a term above in writing. This year, current standards show that there is no difference in the standards achieved between eligible and non-eligible pupils in reading and writing, and eligible pupils are a term above in mathematics. They confirm that the school caters equally well for all pupils and enables all groups to succeed well.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar rates of progress to other groups of pupils overall because the staff know exactly what they need to learn and explain it well. Pupils who speak English as an additional language also learn well because of very regular practice, especially in reading and writing.  While in some lessons, work for the most able pupils enables them to develop the skills to achieve higher levels, in others it is insufficiently demanding to ensure they practise the skills

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The quality of teaching is good

 Much teaching is good, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, pupils make good progress.  Pupils know what they have to learn because the staff explain it well. They settle quickly to learning and like working together to share ideas and thoughts. The positive relationships between pupils and with the staff are fundamental to the good learning in the school.  Teaching assistants are deployed very well to support pupils and work in close partnership with the teachers to ensure that pupils achieve well. They have very good skills. A group of pupils in Year 2 made quick progress in evaluating the characters in a story, helped by the teaching assistant’s careful questioning. This included a group of the most able pupils who, in that lesson, were supported well to enable them to reach the higher levels. However, overall, work does not stretch them enough to ensure that they achieve their potential.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils read often. The new library shows considerable investment in fiction and non-fiction books that appeal to both boys and girls. Year 2 boys found learning more enjoyable because their book was an exciting football story. The staff select stories in the Nursery and Reception classes that are not only really interesting and colourful, but which also enable the children to practise their numbers and phonics skills.  Pupils learn a wide range of skills. Beautiful displays around the school show, for example, their creative work. Artwork, in particular, is a strength. In lots of lessons, pupils get chances to practise their literacy skills and sometimes their numeracy skills. Pupils in Year 1 and 2, for example, enjoyed selecting two items for a party, using a specific method to calculate their cost.  The school has established good ways of developing pupils’ writing and number skills. The sentences that they write show good examples for their age of the use of powerful words and

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The quality of teaching is good

phrases. Many interesting visits and trips provide experiences that spur pupils on to write but they are not always made the most of, in the regularity of opportunities to write freely and at length, in order to practise and develop further the skills that they have learnt.  While marking is regularly helpful in telling pupils what they know well and what to do next, advice is not always sufficiently specific and teachers do not ensure that pupils have acted on their comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, pupils are keen to learn and they concentrate hard on what they are doing.  Around the school and throughout the day, pupils also behave well and get on with each other. They return from break times calmly, ready to get back to work. One pupil said, ‘It is all about respect and working as a team.’ Consequently, the school is a happy, sociable place, including in the dining hall and in the playground. Exclusions continue to fall.  A few pupils find it difficult to manage what they do and say, in accordance with the school’s expectations. These pupils are managed well to ensure that their behaviour improves and does not get in the way of other pupils’ learning.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe because they say no one can get into the school who does not have a right to be there. They know how to stay safe, such as when crossing the road and when near water; they also know how to use the internet

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

safely. The Nursery children know why we should walk and not run in classrooms.  Pupils are very aware of the different types of bullying. They say that bullying is rare because they are taught that it is wrong. They go to the staff or the anti-bullying buddies if other pupils say or do unkind things to them.  The pupils’ enjoyment of school is strengthened by the responsibilities that the staff entrust them with. They feel that they are listened to. For example, they requested new goalposts and got them. The school celebrates their achievements in and out of school and the pupils value this.  The many opportunities that the school provides and its ethos and expectations ensure that the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well, through activities and assemblies and in pupils’ interaction with their peers. They like learning about other cultures and respect the differences between lifestyles and beliefs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is average, with no significant differences between groups of pupils. The proportion of pupils who are often absent has fallen. Attendance is monitored closely and the school also works with parents to make sure that they understand the link between attendance and the rate of progress. Recent incentives, which reward regular attendance, are helping to raise rates of attendance more quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is moving forward quickly. Most pupils make good progress and standards are rising. Teaching is good and interventions to support pupils who need specific help are very effective in securing good learning.  It is the headteacher’s outstanding leadership that is pivotal to the improvements that have been made, including her speed in responding to the school’s needs. In the three years since her appointment, she has overhauled the way in which the school works and changed the structure of the leadership team so that it fits closely its needs. The inclusion manager, for example, has helped to strengthen home-school relationships, and has introduced effective behaviour management strategies.  The school collects detailed information about pupils’ progress very regularly. It acts on it very promptly and this is fundamental to the school’s good ability to keep improving.  Leadership is strengthened by clearly defined roles. All staff have responsibility for the

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The leadership and management are good

achievement of their pupils, and this ownership contributes to their commitment and support towards what the school is trying to achieve. They pull together as a team in their determination to continue improving.  The senior team checks the quality of teaching regularly. Records of observations are detailed and provide action points, which have led to improvements in the teaching of, for example, writing.  Subject leaders strengthen leadership, through their accurate and realistic understanding of pupils’ achievement in their areas. Although not all subject leaders observe teaching, they have responsibility for progress in their areas, which includes reporting to the governing body. While their checking of pupils’ progress is very regular and exceptionally thorough, and has led to effective strategies to teach reading, writing and mathematics, their scrutiny of strengths and areas for improvement evident in pupils’ work is a weaker aspect. It lacks sufficient

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The leadership and management are good

thoroughness and, therefore, leaders do not always have a fully accurate picture of the quality of pupils’ work.  School improvement planning and teachers’ performance targets are based on the areas in which teaching most needs to improve. Targets are very appropriate to the school’s needs and measurable; the staff know exactly what they have to achieve to meet them.  The staff say that training and support to enable them to achieve their targets is helpful. Inspection evidence showed the strong impact of coaching by the senior leaders. Teachers at the school are reflective and take every opportunity to improve their practices.  The school provides lots of different experiences that pupils enjoy and which help them to develop a broad range of skills through subjects and topics, including in music. After-school clubs extend their skills and talents in areas such as crafts, street dance and multi-skills. An

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The leadership and management are good

aspect of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is built into all lessons. Overall, activities enable most groups of pupils to achieve equally well.  The school is using the primary school sport funding appropriately to ensure that the staff have a greater range of knowledge and skills to teach physical education effectively, through providing support from qualified teachers and sports coaches. Pupils also have more activities to choose from, including competitive activities, and more pupils are taking part in them.  Other partnerships, such as with the pyramid of schools, enable the staff to become more effective in what and how they teach. The local authority provides light-touch support as well as helpful advice and suggestions.  Parents, whom the school views as its most important partners, support all aspects of the school’s work. The school encourages them to attend events and invites them to workshops to

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The leadership and management are good

help them to support their children’s learning, such as in mathematics schemes and in phonics. The website keeps them well informed.  The governance of the school:  Governing body minutes of meetings show that governors ask very probing questions of the school’s work, particularly about pupils’ achievement. They are very well informed by the headteacher and also find out a lot of information for themselves. As a result, they know the school very well.  Governors participate in very regular learning walks, which have helped them to see how the school’s new ways of teaching reading and writing are raising achievement.  Governors have a good understanding of the use of the pupil premium funding and its impact. They know the role of performance management targets in improving teaching.  The governing body attends regular training sessions, including training about national data and how well the school’s performance compares with that of other schools. Governors have a

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The leadership and management are good

good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and of how to carry them out.  Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements and are regularly checked to ensure they continue to do so.  The school’s finances are sound, and managed and overseen conscientiously.

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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 106717 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 447429

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 301 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jenny Thomas Headteacher Faye Parish Date of previous school inspection 24 June 2008 Telephone number 01302 842464 Fax number 01302 351792 Email address sdlp@doncaster.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 and 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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