Anston Park Junior School

Park Avenue, North Anston, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S25 2QZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 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

 Turbulence at headteacher level means the school is not as effective as reported at its previous inspection. Leadership at several levels is under- developed. Most subject leaders, for example, have not been checking that their work is improving pupils’ achievement.  Until recently, the governing body has not taken steps to make sure governance is effective enough and it has not provided appropriate challenge to leaders about pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching.  Teaching is not consistently strong and is not making sure that all pupils learn well. Some teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of the work that pupils should produce.  The work of teaching assistants is inconsistent and so does not support pupils’ learning equally well.  Work is not always closely matched to pupils’ different needs, especially for the most able pupils. Additional steps are not always taken to help those

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

pupils falling behind to catch up nor to close gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in school.  The marking of pupils’ work does not always provide them with sufficient guidance on how to improve it, and teachers do not always make sure that pupils respond to comments that are made.  The way that English is taught leads to weaknesses in the rate at which pupils develop their writing skills.  The shortcomings in teaching and leadership mean that pupils’ progress has not been fast enough overall and so their achievement is not good. It is too inconsistent across the school. The most able pupils do not always make fast enough progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness and is taking the right steps to bring about change. As a result, the school is starting to improve.  Changes the deputy headteacher made last year had a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2014 was higher than it had been previously and was above the national average.  The acting Chair of the Governing Body has started to improve governance.  Some teaching is effective and enables pupils to learn well. Pupils’ progress accelerates in Year 6.  Pupils are keen to learn and the large majority do as their teachers ask. They are very polite and friendly and they feel safe.  Pupils receive a broad curriculum and are taught about life in modern Britain.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons and made other visits to classrooms to look at pupils’ work.  Inspectors had meetings with school leaders and with pupils. They also had meetings with the Acting Chair and vice-chair of the Governing Body and with a consultant headteacher who works with the school on behalf of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the views of the 28 parents who made their views known through the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), of those gained through a survey undertaken by the school and with some spoken to at the begining of the school day.  Twenty-four questionnaires returned by staff were also considered.  Documents were scrutinised, including information relating to pupils’ achievement, attendance, behaviour, safeguarding, minutes of the governing body’s meetings, and internal and external monitoring and evaluation records.

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Inspection team

Joan McKenna, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This junior school is larger than the average sized primary school.  The very large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those eligible for support through the pupil premium is broadly average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school uses the Rotherham ASPIRE Primary Pupil Referral Unit as an alternative provider of education for two pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  A National Leader of Education from Thomas Estley Community College and a Specialist Leader of

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Information about this school

Education from Greengate Lane Academy are providing support to the school.  The school has experienced turbulence at headteacher level since the last inspection. The headteacher in post at the time left the school and an executive headteacher led the school for two years prior to the current headteacher taking up post in September 2014. The executive headteacher reduced the time spent in the school during the period and in her absence the deputy headteacher, who was new to her post, acted as the headteacher . An acting Chair of the Governing Body took up post in January 2015.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and consistency of teaching so that it is at least good and ensures that all groups of pupils achieve equally well from their different starting points by: - ensuring teachers have high expectations of the amount, quality and presentation of work that pupils produce - making sure that teachers use accurate information about pupils’ prior learning to match work closely to their different needs and to make sure it is appropriately challenging for all, including the most able pupils - ensuring teachers take additional steps to accelerate the progress of those pupils who are falling behind and for those where gaps between them and other pupils need to close, including disadvantaged pupils - developing the knowledge and skills of teaching assistants and checking they respond flexibly and effectively to meet the needs of pupils - making sure all pupils receive detailed and regular feedback on how well they are doing and what

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

they need to do to improve their work and that teachers check that pupils respond effectively to the comments made.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ writing skills by: - ensuring pupils are systematically taught the features of different types of writing and have opportunities to develop these skills for themselves in their writing in English lessons and across different subjects - ensuring that pupils are taught all relevant aspects of spelling, punctuation and grammar and that they apply these in their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership, management and governance by: - rapidly developing the understanding and skills of middle leaders and members of the wider senior leadership team so they play a fully effective role in improving pupils’ achievement in the areas for which they are responsible - ensuring that the governing body takes action to make sure that all of its members have an accurate view of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness and that they are proactive enough in fulfilling their responsibilities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The period of turbulence at headteacher level has slowed developments within the school. Despite the best efforts of those leading the school in the interim and some positive impact of their work, the school is not effective enough and it requires improvement.  The new headteacher has quickly made an accurate assessment of the school’s current effectiveness and its strengths and weaknesses. She has a clear view of the improvements that are necessary. The right actions have started to be taken to create a more aspirational culture within the school and to bring about the necessary change. This work is already having a positive impact.  The headteacher works closely with the deputy headteacher who shares her vision for the school. Although the deputy headteacher is relatively new to senior leadership, initiatives she has introduced have improved pupils’ outcomes.  Improving teaching has been prioritised by the headteacher and the school improvement plan has been

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The leadership and management requires improvement

modified to promote greater focus and urgency to developments. Training has been provided on key whole-school priorities and specific support has been provided for some individuals. The monitoring of the school’s work by senior leaders has become more rigorous. The quality of teaching is not consistent, however. Performance management procedures have been sharpened to hold teachers to account for their impact. Targets relating to teachers’ leadership responsibilities are not yet precise enough.  The understanding and skills of other senior leaders and subject leaders are not well developed. Although they have worked to improve aspects of provision, they have not checked the effectiveness of their work and the impact it is having on pupils’ achievement.  The curriculum has been reviewed in light of the new National Curriculum and pupils have a broad experience. The way the English curriculum is taught, however, does not promote maximum progress,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

especially in writing. The implementation of the mathematics curriculum is being modified to tackle weaknesses identified in pupils’ mental and problem-solving skills. There are emerging strengths in art and physical education, the latter aided by effective use of the primary school sports funding. Other areas, such as aspects of science and design technology require some development.  Assessment systems have been revised in light of national changes. Action is underway to promote the accuracy of judgements that teachers make about pupils’ attainment and progress because currently there are some inaccuracies, which limit the value of data collected about achievement.  The school liaises closely with the alternative provision used to check on how well the needs of pupils attending are being met. There is evidence that it is having a positive effect on their learning.  Pupil premium funding is spent in an appropriate way. It is having a positive impact in places, but gaps

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The leadership and management requires improvement

between disadvantaged pupils and others are not yet closing consistently across the school.  Appropriate steps are taken to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, centred on the school’s ‘6Rs’ programme which develops resilience, respect, relationships, resourcefulness, reflection and risk-taking. The school has worked successfully to increase pupils’ knowledge of different cultures, and has persevered despite some resistance from the local community. Through planned activities within the school and visits to places of worship of different religions, the school is fostering an awareness of life in, and the values of, modern Britain. The school is promoting good relationships and does not tolerate discrimination, although because not all pupils achieve equally it is not securing equality of opportunity for all.  Those parents who made their views known to the team were positive about the school. Parents have

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The leadership and management requires improvement

responded well to workshops put on to provide them with information about aspects of their children’s learning.  Under the new headteacher’s leadership the school is outward looking and external expertise and support has been both sought and welcomed. The consultant headteacher who works with the school on behalf of the local authority knows it well and is providing appropriate support. He has played a part in securing the services of the National and Specialist Leaders of Education who are working with the school.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has carried out its statutory responsibilities but it has not provided enough challenge to the school and has not been proactive enough in carrying out its functions or improving its practice. Not all governors are well enough informed about key aspects of the school. Individual

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The leadership and management requires improvement

governors hold information, such as about the quality of teaching and how it is monitored and rewarded, how performance is managed, how pupil premium funding is spent and its impact and about safeguarding arrangements, but this is not shared widely enough across the membership. This is beginning to change. The acting Chair of the Governing Body is asking more questions of leaders and has drawn up an action plan to improve governance. This work is at an early stage. The local authority has suggested that a review of governance take place but the suggestion has not been acted upon. Such a review should take place in order to check that the composition and functioning of the governing body is fully fit for purpose.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is mainly because pupils’ attitudes and approach to their work varies across classes. This is linked to the quality of teaching they are receiving. While most pupils do as they are asked and try hard, some lose attention when work is not interesting or when tasks are not well matched to their needs. When given the opportunity to be actively involved in activities or to work with others, pupils demonstrate good cooperative and collaborative skills and develop a positive range of skills for learning. The opportunities they have for this varies across classes.  Pupils generally act in a calm, orderly and responsible manner both in lessons and around the school. Records show that the number of behaviour incidents has declined over the course of this academic year, although the number in one class shows a recent, small spike.  Play is occasionally on the boisterous side in the playground, leading to a relatively high number of minor

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Behaviour

‘accidents’ being recorded.  Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are positive and respectful. Pupils are very friendly and considerate towards each other. Some are exceptionally polite to visitors and confidently initiate conversation with adults.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement.  Attendance has improved. It is close to the national average, although it dipped a little last term. While persistent absence has reduced, it is still above average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is not as high as it is for other pupils.  Pupils say they feel safe in school, helped by the relationship with adults and the secure site. They are taught how to keep safe in a variety of ways and so demonstrate a clear understanding of aspects such as fire and road safety and using the internet wisely.  Pupils say there is little bullying and internal records confirm this.  Staff have a good knowledge of vulnerable pupils. Case studies showed examples of effective work being undertaken with parents and external agencies to meet their needs.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school and not enough is ensuring that pupils learn well.  In too many lessons, expectations of pupils’ learning and of the work they produce are not high enough. For example, pupils are not expected to write enough in a given period of time or to take enough care with presentation.  Information about pupils’ prior learning is not always used to match work to their different needs. As a result, work is sometimes too hard for the less able pupils, and, more often, too easy for the most able pupils. On occasions, all are given identical work despite their different abilities and so they do not make equal rates of progress. The matching of work to individuals’ needs is also rendered less effective by the fact that not all assessments made by teachers are accurate.  Specific steps are rarely taken as a matter of routine in lessons to help individual pupils whose progress

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

needs to accelerate so they can catch up with others, to do so. This contributes to the fact that gaps between disadvantaged pupils and others are not closing consistently.  Teaching assistants are sometimes deployed in too general a way without a precise enough focus to their work and without knowing how best to support the learning of the particular pupils with whom they are working.  Pupils’ learning is sometimes limited by other shortcomings, such as work being uninteresting. This was seen when a writing task set following a visit out to Jorvik Viking Centre did not capitalise on pupils’ enthusiasm about the trip.  The way in which literacy is taught limits pupils’ acquisition of writing skills. For example, pupils are not taught enough about the features of different kinds of writing before they produce their own writing in a particular style and so they do not know what to include in order to write well. They are taught aspects of

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

spelling, punctuation and grammar, but more as separate exercises than as an integral aspect of their writing across subjects.  Reading comprehension skills are taught increasingly well through guided reading sessions, but these are not reinforced enough across subjects. As a result, sometimes some pupils do not understand how to do well in other subjects because they do not fully understand the language used in texts or resources they are reading.  Pupils’ ability to use mental strategies and to solve problems when working independently has been identified as weaknesses and action is being taken to improve these aspects.  Some teaching is effective, especially for pupils in Year 6. The weaknesses outlined above are much less evident in that year group. Pupils’ learning is planned for conscientiously and with a greater attention to detail and so promotes better learning. In these lessons, expectations of pupils are high and pupils

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

respond with mature attitudes and high levels of independence and application, thereby progressing well.  Some exemplary marking of pupils’ work takes place, where there is a genuine dialogue between the teacher and pupils about learning. In these cases, pupils’ response to the good guidance they are given and the challenges they are set results in demonstrable gains in understanding and skills. Not all marking is of this quality, and even when guidance is given, teachers do not always make sure that pupils respond and so opportunities to ensure progress are lost.

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requires improvement

 The assessments of pupils’ attainment as they join the school suggest that they generally enter with standards that are significantly above the national average, and with a high proportion of most able pupils in most year groups.  The impact of the turbulence in leadership over the past two years is seen in the fact that attainment at the end of Year 6 dipped to broadly average in 2012 and 2013, with pupils not making enough progress in these years. In 2014, attainment rose in mathematics, reading, writing and spelling, punctuation and grammar. It was significantly above the national average overall being especially high in mathematics and reading. This represents improved progress in all subjects, although it is accepted by leaders that it is not as good as it should be, especially in writing.  Pupils’ progress is inconsistent across the school. It is slowest in writing because of weaknesses in the way

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requires improvement

the curriculum is organised and skills are taught. It is better, and improving, in reading, although limitations in pupils’ comprehension skills restricts their progress across subjects. In mathematics, pupils are making more progress in their understanding of written methods of calculation than in their ability to use mental strategies and to solve longer problems independently. Progress is also mixed across classes and year groups. It is fastest in Year 6.  The most able pupils do not always make the progress they should because work is not challenging enough for them and it does not develop the depth of understanding they are capable of or the range of skills they should acquire.  The progress that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make from their different starting points is variable because the quality of teaching they receive is mixed and the specific support they receive is inconsistent in quality and impact.

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requires improvement

 The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is similar to other pupils nationally. However, gaps between them and other pupils in the school exist. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils were two terms behind others in the school in mathematics, and were around a term behind in reading and writing. Gaps elsewhere in the school are narrowing in places but are not doing so consistently and overall progress for these pupils requires improvement.  The behaviour of pupils attending alternative provision is improving and this means they are making better progress in their learning than previously.  Recent actions taken are starting to improve rates of progress but they are still not consistent enough across the school.

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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 106896 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 456097

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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 Junior School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 296 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sylvia Hudson Headteacher Amanda Bartholomew Date of previous school inspection 12 December 2011 Telephone number 01909 550779 Fax number 01909 550779 Email address anston-park.junior@rotherham.gov.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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