East Dene Primary

East Dene Primary Doncaster Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S65 2DF

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Pupils do not make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, they do not always reach the standards they are capable of.  The overall quality of teaching is not good enough throughout the academy.  Teachers’ expectations of their pupils are not always high enough. Consequently, pupils’ work, particularly in subjects other than English and mathematics, is not as good as it should be.  Teachers do not always make effective enough use of marking and feedback in mathematics to ensure pupils improve their own work and address errors.  In a few lessons, adults working with pupils in the classroom are not well enough informed to fully support pupils’ learning and promote the best achievement.  Procedures to ensure that pupils who start at the academy at times other than in the early years make the most rapid progress from their starting points are not fully established.  The academy does not take every opportunity to

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The school has the following strengths

 The executive and associate headteachers provide a clear and ambitious direction for academy improvement. They are well supported by a highly motivated leadership team (also recently appointed) and an effective governing body. As a result, teaching and learning are improving rapidly and raising standards by the time pupils leave Year 6.  Children make good progress and a strong start to their learning in the early years and are well prepared for Year 1.  The academy trust provides robust support to academy improvement through rigorous monitoring and carefully targeted funding.  Pupils are well behaved and feel safe. They take a pride in their work and listen attentively to their teachers.  The curriculum is well planned and contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and to their health and well-being.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons throughout the academy and conducted several short observations of teaching and learning. This included four observations carried out jointly with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also looked at a wide range of pupils’ work, including some with members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors listened to several pupils read.  Discussions were held with groups of pupils, the Chair of Governors and other members of the governing body, representatives of the academy trust, a representative of the local authority and members of staff, including senior leaders and other leaders with particular responsibilities.  The inspectors took account of four responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), the results of the academy’s own consultations with parents and spoke to parents during the inspection. The responses from staff to the inspection questionnaires were also considered.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed the academy’s work and looked at a range of documents including: information on pupils’ current progress, the academy'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

 East Dene Primary became a sponsored academy school in April 2013. It is part of the Central Learning Partnership Trust based in Wolverhampton. The academy works closely with its partner primary academy, Coleridge Primary, also in Rotherham.  The academy is larger than an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium funding, is well above 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.)  About half the pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils of minority ethnic heritage is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.

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Information about this school

 A higher proportion of pupils than usual are from Gypsy Roma families.  A much higher proportion of pupils than usual do not enter the academy in the early years.  Children attend the nursery on a part-time basis.  The academy did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2014, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The academy runs a daily breakfast club.  The executive headteacher, associate headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher were appointed to the academy in September 2014. They had provided training and support to the academy during the previous year. Several members of teaching staff are also new to the academy since it opened including some who are new to the profession.  The executive headteacher is a National Leader of Education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in order to accelerate pupils’ progress and raise standards in reading, writing and mathematics by:  ensuring that teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils through the work set for them in all subjects  making effective use of marking and feedback in mathematics to help pupils improve the quality of their own work  ensuring all adults working with pupils are well informed about the expectations for pupils’ learning in the lesson in order to provide high levels of support and challenge.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the needs of pupils who start at the academy other than in the early years or at different points in the year are promptly and accurately assessed so that learning and support can be accurately tailored to help them make rapid progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Take every opportunity to increase parents’ capacity to support their children's learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new executive headteacher and associate headteacher provide a clear sense of drive and ambition for the academy which underpins a strong and positive ethos. Prior to their appointment, the executive headteacher, new deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher provided high-quality staff training, especially on ensuring accurate assessment and its effective use in teaching, through the role of the academy trust. Consequently, they hit the ground running on taking up their posts and are rapidly improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement despite significant staff changes.  Senior leaders work well together with the other schools in the trust. They share and implement strong procedures for academy improvement. They are increasingly addressing historical gaps in pupils’ understanding which slow their progress. Staff morale is high. 'There have been lots of positive changes from the leadership team which has enabled both staff and pupils to thrive in a more positive

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The leadership and management are good

environment,’ typifies staff’s views.  Middle and subject leaders, including some who are new to their roles, provide good role models for other staff to follow through their own teaching and the support they provide. Leaders act on carefully considered action plans based on accurate assessments of the academy's effectiveness. These plans are increasingly improving learning in, for example the early years and the teaching of early reading skills, including letters and the sounds they make (phonics). As a result, the academy is very clear about the aspects of teaching and pupils’ achievement which need to be addressed to rapidly raise standards. The academy has strong capacity to improve standards and progress further.  Self-evaluation is rigorous and accurate. Procedures to measure and analyse pupils’ progress are thorough and detailed to support rigorous academy development and enable the governing body to hold leaders to

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The leadership and management are good

account effectively. The academy has been fully involved in developing and trialling new assessment procedures following the removal of National Curriculum levels. These have been effectively implemented, although it is too soon to measure their full impact.  The academy trust supports the academy well through effective policy development and strategic guidance and support to leaders and the governing body. In particular, the trust enabled the appointment of the effective leadership team, funded additional teaching and training to raise standards in Year 6 and strengthened leadership of the early years.  The academy has appropriate procedures to ensure staff are held accountable for the progress pupils make. 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 narrow the gap in attainment with other pupils. How well disadvantaged pupils achieve is closely analysed and

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The leadership and management are good

initiatives focus on boosting the learning of the individual pupils and preparing them well for their future learning. This is particularly evident in the academy's data on their progress compared with non- disadvantaged pupils in the academy.  The Primary school physical education and sports funding is used effectively. The academy is building on an established programme of specialist physical education by further developing the skills of all staff and curriculum planning. There has been significant improvement to the proportion of pupils of all ages participating in sports clubs and team games. This makes a good contribution to pupils’ health and well- being.  Leaders ensure that all pupils have the same opportunities to succeed and to participate fully in the life of the academy. There is no evidence of discrimination. However, the academy is not yet fully effective in ensuring that pupils consistently achieve the best they can.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements. They are based on detailed and accurate record keeping and staff are well-trained and vigilant.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the subjects taught. Pupils are excited by opportunities to investigate and explore the world around them including the history of the local urban environment, residential visits in the heart of the Peak District and studies of major faiths and religions. Religious, personal and social education and the work of the academy council strongly develop pupils’ tolerance and appreciation of different faiths and cultures.  Increasingly effective work with parents is reflected in generally positive views of the academy. In particular, initiatives for closer work with parents in the early years support good progress. However, the academy recognises the need to build further on this.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is focused and efficient. They have a clear view of where the academy needs to be and rigorously hold leaders to account. They have worked closely with the academy trust to take a significant role in academy improvements. The governing body is well led by a strongly committed Chair of the Governing Body who sets a positive example for others in his determination for success. The governing body has undertaken an external review and skills audit to strengthen its capacity to hold the academy to account. Members regularly attend teachers’ meetings with senior leadership about pupils’ progress, visit classes with leaders and scrutinise national information and the academy's own data.  The governing body rigorously challenges the academy constructively to match expenditure to improving achievement. This is evident in minutes of debates on additional staffing for Year 6 pupils,

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The leadership and management are good

the use of pupil premium funding and the investment in new reading materials and computer resources. The academy's budget is managed well and contributes to driving achievement higher. The governing body receives detailed information on the strengths in the quality of teaching and the steps the academy is taking to eradicate weaknesses. The governors are fully and appropriately involved in reviewing targets for the executive headteacher and making decisions as to whether staff should receive a salary increase.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and considerate towards each other and they respond well to the care that all adults show them. Pupils are proud of their academy and contribute to the calm and friendly ethos.  Pupils have positive learning attitudes. They move quickly and efficiently to their tasks and work very well with others. Very occasionally their concentration wanes when activities are not engaging enough. However, they are rarely badly behaved. This is strong improvement since the academy opened is a result of the senior leadership’s rigorous promotion of new behaviour policies and popular initiatives such as 'Fun Friday'. The improvements are fully reflected in the behaviour logs and the small number of exclusions.  Classrooms are calm, orderly and attractive. The academy makes good use of limited outdoor spaces at break, lunchtimes and during outdoor sessions in the early years to help pupils develop cooperation and

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Behaviour

other social skills. This is particularly effective as many children start the academy with social skills which are much lower than those typically found.  The academy's breakfast club provides a friendly start to the day and prepares pupils well for the day's work as well as providing opportunities for completion of homework and time to relax.  Pupils behave responsibly towards others. Good relationships are established in the early years and children share and work together well. Older pupils take their responsibilities as academy councillors and in other organisations seriously. This contributes well to their understanding of democracy and the rule of law and prepares them for life in modern Britain.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe, and their parents agree. They have a good understanding of potential bullying situations, including racial and internet concerns. Pupils give good examples of how the staff successfully address the few issues that emerge. Pupils and their parents feel well supported.  Pupils understand that their behaviour affects others and know that they should always try to be kind and considerate. Pupils who have emotional and social concerns are helped to manage their own behaviour, especially through work in the nurture group and support from well-trained teaching assistants and other staff. The success of this is very evident in detailed case studies and academy records.  Attendance is now close to the national average and rising rapidly from previously low levels. Pupils are punctual. They arrive to lessons well prepared for their work. The academy monitors attendance closely

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Safety

and works well with other professionals to address any concerns. Although the academy ensures regular communication with parents and establishes good relationships, senior leaders are striving to involve parents more in their children's learning to raise achievement and attendance further. This is not fully established.  Pupils are well prepared for keeping themselves safe in later life. For example, programmes of personal, social and health education, including work with health and emergency services, ensure pupils have a strong understanding of the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Visits and visitors contribute well to the development of pupils’ health and well-being.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations are not consistently high enough to ensure pupils always make the best progress they can. For example, pupils’ work in other subjects is not always of the same quality that they show they are capable of in English and mathematics.  Sometimes teachers do not provide clear enough guidance through marking and feedback for pupils to improve their own work in mathematics. They do not always insist that corrections are made. This is generally not the case in English.  In a few instances, the adults in the classroom supporting the teacher are not sufficiently informed to provide the best support for teaching and learning. For example, they occasionally mispronounce important words or letter sounds or miss opportunities to ask questions which would extend pupils’ vocabulary and deepen their learning.  Overall, however, teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support and challenge all groups of

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

learners so that pupils usually do their best including in the early years. For example, they provide specialist support to disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language throughout the academy.  Relationships with parents are good and, for example, parents’ evenings are well attended. However, some opportunities to further involve parents in pupils’ learning are missed. For example, parents are not always provided with information on how they can help their children succeed in the particular topics and themes they study.  Teachers now make good use of information from assessment of pupils’ progress to set challenging targets carefully matched to pupils’ needs in all lessons. This is a good improvement based on intensive staff training and coaching and is raising the quality of teaching. In mathematics in Year 6, for example, problems on ratio and probability are planned well to increasingly extend pupils’ use of their calculation

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

skills and develop their mathematical reasoning.  Teachers check regularly on pupils’ progress during lessons. They are generally quick to adjust their teaching to extend the challenge or provide additional support. Sometimes, however, they do not expect enough from their pupils.  All staff establish good relationships with their pupils and manage behaviour well. Classrooms are attractive environments and conducive to learning.  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. Specific programmes to develop reading and writing skills contribute well to preparing these pupils for their future learning.  Reading is taught increasingly well due to intensive staff development and a good range of learning resources. Pupils’ comprehension skills and their enjoyment of fiction and non-fiction are increasing as a

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

result, and they make the most of regular opportunities to read aloud to others.  There is a good trend of improvement in pupils’ sporting and physical education as a result of very focused specialist teaching and good development of teachers’ skills in this area.  Well-planned homework, including the good use of computers and after-academy clubs, contributes well to improving pupils’ skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the academy in the early years with skills which are largely lower than those typical for their age. In 2014, the National Curriculum test and assessment results for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils show standards reached were below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Although most pupils made the progress expected of them over time, too few made good enough progress to raise standards further, especially in writing.  Inspection evidence from pupils’ current work and the academy's own data shows that an increasing proportion are now making good progress. This is particularly evident in the early years and in Years 5 and 6. However, teaching is not consistently good enough throughout the academy to ensure that all pupils make the best progress that they are capable of. As a result, pupils’ achievement requires further improvement.  A higher proportion of pupils than nationally do not start at the academy in the early years. A significant

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

number of pupils do not join until Year 2 and later. Several do not start at the academy at the start of the academic year. The academy's data and pupils’ work show that those who spend longer in the academy achieve well and largely reach average standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The senior leadership team is developing procedures to ensure that those pupils who start at different points make the speediest progress possible, but these procedures are not fully established.  In 2014, disadvantaged pupils made better progress than non-disadvantaged pupils overall. However, they started at a much lower starting point and the gap with non-disadvantaged pupils in the school and those nationally was too wide. At the end of 2014, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 were four terms behind non-disadvantaged pupils in the academy in reading. In writing they were three terms behind and in mathematics they were two and a half terms behind. They were five and a half terms behind non-

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

disadvantaged pupils nationally in reading and writing and three terms behind in mathematics. The academy is now making effective use of funding for disadvantaged pupils to raise standards for these pupils through very carefully targeted staffing, training and resources. This has significantly narrowed the gap for current Year 2 and Year 6 pupils.  The achievement of the most able pupils also requires improvement overall. In 2014, the proportion of pupils who reached a level above that normally expected for Year 6 was smaller than the national average. Teachers’ expectations of these pupils are now rising rapidly because of the effective use of assessments and intensive professional development for teachers. As a result, a higher proportion of the most able pupils, especially in Year 6, are now working at higher levels. They are increasingly persistent in aiming for challenging targets and in using their literacy and numeracy skills to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs often make good progress overall. Use of assessments and teaching and support carefully matched to their needs ensures pupils build well on their basic skills and are effectively prepared for future learning.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make strong progress in learning English. The academy makes good use of staff's specialist skills to assess and support these learners. Their overall progress is similar to that of other pupils.  Pupils’ progress and standards in 2014 were closer to national averages in mathematics than in reading and writing at both Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils’ progress is improving but is not consistently good. Pupils’ mental and written calculation skills are increasingly securely developed. They use their skills systematically in problem-solving situations.  An improving focus on pupils’ presentation and handwriting is raising standards. Pupils are generally

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

productive and work hard. They are making more accurate use of spelling, grammar and punctuation in their written work than that reflected in previous test results. This is helping to raise standards of writing although not consistently in all subjects. Good use of homework supports these improvements.  Pupils’ reading skills are generally improving quickly. The rigorous introduction and investment in new teaching resources and professional development means that the majority of pupils are currently working at the standards expected. This is evident in Year 1 phonic checks which are close to average. Older pupils show a keen interest in reading for different purposes. They use a range of skills increasingly effectively to speedily retrieve information from non-fiction text. By Year 6, pupils have a sound knowledge of authors’ different styles and how they communicate their ideas in writing.

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The early years provision is good

 Good leadership and management of the early years have ensured sustained effectiveness over time. The quality of teaching is good and procedures to assess children's progress are effective. This is a result of thorough procedures to evaluate and improve staff's skills and curriculum planning. The teachers and teaching assistants have a good understanding of the needs of young children and have high expectations of them.  Children’s starting points are largely below those typical for their age, particularly in their social skills and their reading and writing skills. They make rapid progress in these areas and so they are well prepared for their next stage of learning in Year 1. Children of all abilities, including a high proportion of disadvantaged children, make good progress overall. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development is slightly below but increasingly close to the national average. An increasing proportion are working above

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The early years provision is good

these expected levels by the end of the Reception Year.  Relationships are good. The staff establish good relationships with parents from the start through rigorous induction procedures. These procedures enable the staff to build a good initial knowledge of children's individual starting points and move quickly to eliminate any gaps in their learning. The academy is seeking ways to further involve parents in children's learning. Disadvantaged children in the early years achieve well, making particularly good gains in their early language and communication skills. They are confident in talking to adults and other children, and say they feel safe and secure. The academy has strong links with educational and health agencies such as speech therapists to provide early support to children with special educational needs.  The most able children make good progress because they make rapid gains in key skills such as phonics,

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The early years provision is good

comprehension and addition and subtraction. They are stimulated by the opportunities for imaginative role play on the theme of 'Jack and the Beanstalk’ leading to independent writing. They are challenged by number activities. For example, counting in fives up to 30 in 'monster voices'.  Teachers make very accurate assessments of all aspects of children's achievement and use these to plan future learning. Overall, teachers and teaching assistants question children closely to secure and extend their knowledge and their understanding of the world. For example, through prompts such as 'Can you describe the characters in your story?' and 'How many beans does Jack have? Can you double that amount?' Very occasionally, staff do not correct children's misunderstanding well enough.  Literacy skills are well taught. Staff make good use of the children’s indoor and outdoor activities to improve children's manipulation and handwriting skills, including for boys. As a result, children of all

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The early years provision is good

abilities make increasingly rapid progress in learning to form letters, words and numbers accurately. Phonic skills are taught well.  Children of all abilities work and play very well together and concentrate on their activities. Their behaviour and safety are good. They feel safe and are cared for well. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and they are curious about the world around them. They tidy up with care and organise their work well. Teaching assistants and other adults are deployed effectively and have a good impact on children's achievement across all areas of learning.

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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 139225 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 449879

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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 sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 349 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ray Griffiths Headteacher Louise Ridge (Associate Headteacher) Mark Young (Executive Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01709 512202 Fax number 01709 837458 Email address enquiries@eastdene.org 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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