Lound Junior School

Lound Junior School Lound Side, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S35 2UT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils of all abilities do not always make the best progress of which they are capable in order to reach their full potential in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is not good principally because teachers do not consistently expect enough of their pupils nor ensure that the work they set effectively challenges pupils and deepens their understanding.  Sometimes teachers do not check closely enough on pupils' progress during lessons and make certain that the pupils understand what they are doing.  Teachers do not always ensure pupils act on the guidance from marking and feedback to help them improve their work.  Targets for school improvement are not always specific and precise enough to ensure the school improves as quickly as possible and that subject leaders and the governing body make a strong contribution to future development.

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The school has the following strengths

 The co-headteachers, with strong support from the governing body, have created an increasingly positive ethos for learning built on good team work despite a period of significant change and staff turbulence. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving and any dip in pupils' achievement is being addressed.  The school makes good use of the pupil premium funding to narrow the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others.  Pupils' behaviour is good and they feel safe. Parents agree and are, rightly, very supportive of the school.  The rich curriculum promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school's 'golden rules' and the role of school councillors help pupils to value democratic processes and to be tolerant of the beliefs of others.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching throughout the school and conducted several shorter observations of teaching and learning. They included three observations carried out jointly with the co-headteacher (junior). Inspectors also looked at a wide range of pupils' work and listened to them read.  Discussions were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and other members of the governing body, a representative of the academy trust and members of staff, including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities.  The inspectors took account of 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), the results from the school’s own consultations with parents, and spoke to parents during the inspection. The responses from staff to the inspection questionnaires were also considered.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including: information on

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ current progress, the school’s plans for improvement, the management of teachers’ performance, the use of pupil premium funding, and documentation and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

Andrew Clark, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Lound Junior converted to become an academy school on 1 July 2013. When its predecessor school, Lound Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The school is an average-size primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average and few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school has a breakfast club run by the governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard which is the minimum expectation for pupils’

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Information about this school

attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching throughout school in order to raise pupils' achievement by:  raising teachers’ expectations to ensure that all work challenges pupils to deepen their understanding and be as productive as possible  ensuring pupils are clear what they need to do to succeed in their task and checking regularly that they are making the best progress they can during the lesson  making full use of marking and feedback to ensure that pupils act on the guidance they receive to effectively improve their own work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen further leadership and management, including governance, by:  ensuring that priorities for school improvement have precise and specific targets to be achieved as quickly as possible  identifying clearly the role of all staff, particularly subject leaders, and the governing body, in monitoring and promoting the targets for future improvement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The co-headteachers of both schools within the academy trust, along with senior leaders, have established a strong ethos for improvement and a positive culture for learning. This is despite a period of staff turbulence. As a result, staff work well as a team and are ambitious for further improvement. Morale is high. However, leadership and management require improvement because teaching is not good and pupils are not consistently making the best progress they should.  The school identifies appropriate priorities for school improvement based on analysis of pupils' achievement and other data. However, the targets set are not always specific and precise enough to ensure the best rates of improvement. Occasionally, the role of staff and the governing body in monitoring the effectiveness of improvement is not clear.  Senior leaders are good role models through their own teaching and the challenge and support they

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The leadership and management requires improvement

provide to other teachers. In particular, they have worked well with other local schools to develop robust systems to observe and improve the quality of teaching and this is leading to measurable improvements.  Middle leaders, including subject leaders, are not fully accountable for their areas of responsibility. Many are new to their posts. They have developed well-considered action plans for future improvement. However, the procedures to measure and ensure the actions have the impact expected are not fully implemented.  The new academy trust is developing in its role and has provided appropriate support to the development of the school's vision and ethos. The trust, with the governing body, has ensured stability during a period of staff difficulties through the staff appointments made and support for training and professional development of senior and other leaders.  The school has appropriate procedures to ensure staff are held accountable for the progress pupils make.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Teachers have to meet stringent criteria in order to achieve the next salary level.  The use of pupil premium funding is increasingly effective in ensuring disadvantaged pupils are narrowing the gap in their attainment when compared with other pupils in school. The results of national tests and the school's own data are carefully analysed to ensure that support is improving learning and ensures that all groups of pupils have equality of opportunity.  Leaders ensure that all pupils have the same opportunities to succeed and to participate fully in school life. There is no evidence of discrimination in the academy. However, the school is not fully effective in ensuring that pupils consistently achieve the best they can.  Safeguarding procedures are effective and meet statutory requirements. They are based on detailed and accurate record keeping and well-trained and vigilant staff.  Pupils enjoy learning in a range of subjects through the links made across the curriculum. For instance,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

there are many examples of interesting work in subjects including art, computing, music and science.  Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the different subjects taught. Through religious and personal and social education, pupils develop a good appreciation of different faiths and beliefs and gain a good understanding of the life and values of modern British society. For example, pupils have a good understanding of fairness and reporting without bias in newspaper articles. They discuss and apply democratic principles in their roles as school councillors and sports leaders. A range of visits, including residential trips, broaden pupils' horizons and develop their independence and self-confidence.  Effective use is made of the primary school physical education and sports funding. The school is developing further the skills of all staff, and widening opportunities for pupils to participate in different

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The leadership and management requires improvement

sports and team games. This has led to increasing take up of sporting activities, including team games. This contributes to pupils' health and well-being.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is led and managed well. It is working with the Lound Academy Trust Board to review its effectiveness and match members' individual skills closely to the roles they undertake. This is a developing strength. The governing body makes use of learning walks and regular visits to school to gain first-hand knowledge of the school. The governors review data relating to the school's performance. However, governors do not always have a precise role in monitoring and assessing school improvements.  Governors play a robust role in making decisions as to whether teachers and other staff should be rewarded with salary increases and in reviewing targets for the headteacher. They receive regular information on the quality of teaching in the headteacher's reports in order to ensure weaknesses in

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teaching are addressed. They take advantage of a range of training opportunities to improve their effectiveness. Governors ensure the school is a safe environment for all users. The governing body regularly monitors the effectiveness of the budget including the use of the pupil premium and sport funding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and friendly towards each other. They listen attentively to their teachers and to each other. Very occasionally, a few pupils do not concentrate as well as they need to and the school is addressing this. Pupils are very rarely badly behaved and parents agree.  Pupils' conduct is good. Pupils settle quickly to work in their lessons and move smartly around school. The school makes good use of outdoor spaces at break, lunchtimes and in outdoor learning sessions to help pupils develop cooperation and other social skills.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They move quickly and efficiently to their tasks and work extremely well with others. When they assess and mark their own work, they do so with integrity. The pupils’ acceptance of the school's 'Golden Rules' contribute to their sense of fairness and the rules of law. They take their roles such as sports leaders, school councillors and many other roles seriously and provide

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Behaviour

well-informed support to other pupils.  The behaviour of pupils with social and emotional difficulties is well managed. The school works very closely with the family support worker who is employed across the two schools. Pupils' needs are assessed accurately and they receive support which is consistent and planned well. Pupils are guided well to develop effective strategies to manage and improve their own behaviour.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe and their parents overwhelmingly agree.  Pupils understand risks and dangers in their everyday life. They are well informed about different types of bullying, including racist, homophobic and cyber-bullying, through specific projects and through personal, social and health education programmes. Pupils rightly feel that there are very few incidents but know what they would do should they occur.  Pupils are tolerant of others' views and beliefs and this is developed well through learning in many subjects. The school keeps detailed records of the rare incidents of inappropriate incidents and responds to them in a robust and well-considered manner.  Attendance is above the national average. Pupils are punctual. The school has effective procedures to monitor and improve attendance further.  Pupils are well prepared for keeping themselves safe in later life. Programmes of personal, social and

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Safety

health education, including work with health and emergency services, ensure pupils have a strong understanding of the dangers of drugs and alcohol, for example. Residential and other visits help pupils to assess risks, stay healthy and enjoy challenging activities safely.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Sometimes teachers do not expect enough of their pupils and the work they set does not challenge pupils sufficiently. For example, teachers do not always expect pupils to write enough in a given period of time or take enough care with presentation. In mathematics, pupils sometimes spend too long on simple calculations or on laborious counting and labelling tasks which do not deepen their learning sufficiently.  Teachers do not always check sufficiently well on the progress pupils make during lessons to ensure they consistently make the best progress they can. For example, they do not always ensure pupils know precisely what is expected of them and how to achieve success. Occasionally, they do not ensure pupils are fully engaged and working hard enough.  The use of marking and feedback is not always effective enough. There has been good recent improvement and teachers provide increasingly appropriate guidance to pupils. However, they do not

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

always ensure that pupils act upon advice.  Relationships are good throughout the school. Classrooms are attractive and interesting displays motivate pupils and provide useful learning resources. These contribute to pupils' positive attitudes to learning.  Teaching assistants are well informed about pupils' progress and are deployed effectively to support and challenge all groups of learners so that pupils usually do their best. For example, they provide good support to most able pupils in mathematics and to disadvantaged pupils across the school.  The learning needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well understood and all staff who work with them are well informed. Effective reading and writing programmes of work ensure that these pupils learn increasingly well in all subjects.  The most able pupils, in particular, benefit from links between subjects, opportunities to take leadership

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

roles and often manage aspects of their own learning. They respond well to thoughtful questions which help them to think deeply and recall information. Their learning is, however, limited by the overall quality of teaching which requires improvement.  The teaching of reading is largely effective and improving due to the range of resources for reading and further staff training. Pupils' comprehension skills and their enjoyment of fiction and non-fiction are increasing as a result and they make the most of regular opportunities to read aloud to others.  Pupils also refine and develop their knowledge and understanding in response to some skilful and effective questioning.  A good trend of improvement in pupils' sporting and physical education is a result of very focused specialist teaching and good development of teachers' skills in this area. For example, pupils try extremely hard to meet the challenges they are set in athletic circuit-training activities.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils’ skills are improved through regular, well-planned homework, including the use of computers and after-school clubs.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils enter the school in Year 3 with largely average standards. In 2014, the national curriculum test and assessment results for Year 6 pupils were average in reading, writing, mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling. The majority of pupils of all abilities made the progress expected of them and some make more than this. Inspection evidence from pupils’ current work and the school's own data shows that too few pupils make consistently better than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics to ensure that they achieve the best they can and consistently reach their full potential.  Pupils of all abilities are not always as productive as they should be because teachers do not always expect enough from them. This limits their overall progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils make overall progress similar to their peers. Outcomes in 2014 were similar to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

national averages for the proportion of pupils reaching a level above that normally expected for Year 6. An average proportion of pupils reached highest Level 6 in mathematics but not in reading and writing. Pupils are developing increasing self-awareness and independence, particularly when they take responsibility for organising and improving their own work.  The gap between the standards reached by disadvantaged pupils and those of other pupils in the school is narrowing. In 2014, the results of National Curriculum tests for these pupils in reading were in line with other pupils in the school, while in writing and mathematics, they were approximately a term behind. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils was in line with other pupils nationally in reading and mathematics and a term behind in writing. The school rigorously reviews how pupil premium expenditure is used on a regular basis and there is evidence of increasingly good achievement by eligible pupils.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress similar to that of other pupils in the school. In 2014, several reached standards similar to other pupils. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well by effective special teaching programmes and well-deployed teaching assistants, so they develop basic skills well, especially in reading.  An increasingly strong focus on pupils' presentation and handwriting has been effectively in raising standards over the last few terms. However, its effectiveness is sometimes undermined because teachers do not always expect pupils to write enough through all lessons and develop fully their fluency and stamina.  The school has identified a weakness in pupils’ comprehension skills which limits some from making the best progress of which they are capable. The school has provided more opportunities for pupils to improve

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

and practise these skills which are showing improvement. The use of grammar, punctuation and spelling skills is generally effective and contributes to improving reading and writing.  Pupils' mathematical skills are largely well developed. Pupils are generally building well on their mental and calculation skills to solve mathematical problems and investigations although sometimes they do not complete tasks in a timely enough fashion to make the best 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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 139863 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 449960

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Roy Headteacher Emma Bellamy (Co-headteacher, Juniors) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0114 246 2181 Fax number Not applicable Email address enquiries@lound-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 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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