Nether Green Junior School

Nether Green Junior School Fulwood Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 3QA

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders and governors have faced the challenges from the previous inspection with a clear sense of purpose. They have had the necessary vision to make changes which ensure that pupils are now provided with good quality education. As a result, pupils’ achievement has improved.  Teaching is now good across the school and there are many examples of outstanding teaching for pupils of all abilities.  Pupils make good progress overall and a higher proportion than the average make outstanding progress in their learning. Significant gains have been made in the progress that pupils make, in their writing and mathematics in particular.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is well above the average and continuing to improve.  Pupils’ conduct around school is exemplary. They feel safe and well cared for. Pupils are kind and caring of each other. They demonstrate good attitudes to their learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school offers a rich and varied curriculum which inspires and enthuses pupils. Their artistic, cultural and physical development has not been sacrificed by the focus on improving pupils’ academic skills.  Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage in their education and for their future lives in modern Britain.  Provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is exceptional across the school, including in the integrated resource base. As a result, these pupils make at least good and sometimes outstanding progress from their different starting points.  The school is a friendly, warm and harmonious community. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have worked hard to raise standards. All staff share their vision and commitment to enabling pupils to achieve at the highest level they possibly can and to love learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils of different abilities are not always clear about what they are each expected to learn in a lesson.  Teachers’ questioning does not always help pupils to deepen their thinking sufficiently.  Attainment in reading is not at quite the same high level as in writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ understanding of how to stay safe on the internet and when using other forms of technology is less well developed than their knowledge of other aspects of safety.  Some middle leaders are still developing the skills they need to provide outstanding leadership in their subject areas.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of lessons or parts of lessons, some of which were undertaken jointly with the school’s leaders. They looked at pupils’ work in lessons and scrutinised some books in more detail.  Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 4 and 6 and inspectors discussed with them their views about their reading.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to find out their views about how they are taught and how well they think they are learning. Inspectors also explored their views about life in school and how well they feel they are being prepared for the next stage in their education.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a group of parents. The lead inspector also had telephone conversations with parents.  The inspectors observed various aspects of the school’s work. They reviewed documents relating to a

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Information about this inspection

range of issues including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, reports from external monitoring visits, the school’s data about pupil progress, and safeguarding procedures.  The 97 returns to the Ofsted online parent questionnaire were taken into account, together with two letters and the 17 staff questionnaires returned during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Hilary Ward, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Nether Green is a larger than average-sized junior school.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is also well below average. These pupils are supported by the pupil premium which is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average overall. The school provides specialist support in the integrated resource base for pupils who have a range of complex disabilities and special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of changes in the school’s teaching staff, leadership roles and in the membership of the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further so that outstanding achievement is secured by:  ensuring that pupils of all abilities clearly understand what they are expected to learn in a lesson so that they can achieve as much as possible  providing more opportunities for pupils to develop and practise higher-level reading and comprehension skills  questioning pupils more deeply in order to develop their independent thinking skills in a range of subjects  ensuring that the best practice which exists in the school is shared by all staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ safety by developing their understanding of how to stay safe on the internet and when using other forms of technology.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management further by continuing to develop the skills of middle managers in leading their subject areas.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and her recently appointed deputy, together with the school’s governors, have been determined to raise the quality of teaching and improve outcomes for pupils. They have worked with external consultants and the local authority to identify accurately those areas requiring improvement and to put in place effective action plans.  They ensure that data on pupil progress are now securely in place and they frequently check on individuals and groups of pupils. This means that the school’s leaders can quickly identify any areas of underperformance so that swift action can be taken.  Pupil progress meetings are held half-termly for each class, attended by the class teacher, a senior leader and the special educational needs coordinator. This ensures that sufficiently challenging targets are set for all pupils, particularly for the most able. Groups such as disadvantaged pupils, those from minority ethnic

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The leadership and management are good

groups or who are disabled or have special educational needs, make at least as good progress as other pupils because of the rigour and frequency of these meetings.  Senior leaders have sought advice and observed best practice in other schools to inform the professional development of teachers and teaching assistants. Staff report that the actions which senior leaders have taken have resulted in significant improvements in the quality of their own work. This is reflected in improved outcomes for pupils, although there is insufficient opportunity for teachers to share the outstanding practice which already exists in the school.  The performance management system which is now in place is highly effective. Senior leaders observe teaching frequently and review pupils’ work and progress regularly. They use this information to reward the good and outstanding performance of staff appropriately and to put professional development training

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The leadership and management are good

in place to meet the needs of the school and individual members of staff.  Middle leaders are beginning to take ownership of the management of their subject areas but this is at an early stage of development.  Despite a focus on ensuring that attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is rising, the staff team has been determined to keep a broad and balanced curriculum in place. This promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepares them very well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures and show tolerance for other beliefs. They appreciate the importance of democracy. The school exploited the national elections as pupils observed first hand the activities of the local constituency office next to the school. Parents say that they particularly appreciate the wide range of cultural and creative aspects of the curriculum, such as the excellent orchestra and choirs which all pupils

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The leadership and management are good

have an opportunity to join.  The school is a harmonious community where all pupils, staff and parents share an equal determination to promote equality of opportunity, foster good relations and tackle discrimination in all its forms. This results in pupils becoming concerned and mature individuals who care very well for each other.  The pupil premium is used highly effectively to ensure that the relatively small number of disadvantaged pupils achieve at least as well as other pupils. Governors keep a close watch to ensure that the funding is having the desired impact.  The school uses the primary physical education and sport funding extremely well to buy in specialist expertise to develop the skills of staff. It is also used to provide a broader range of sporting activities and competitions to increase pupil enjoyment.  Staff have worked hard to develop lines of communication with parents who now feel much better

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The leadership and management are good

informed about what their children are learning and the progress they are making. Parents say they recognise how much leaders and managers have done since the previous inspection to improve the provision and outcomes for their children. They appreciate the work done to ensure that information is gathered and shared when pupils move in to and out of the school. This is particularly true for parents of disabled pupils and those who have special education needs, including those who have children attending the Integrated Resource. These parents appreciate the care and support given to them as well as to their children.  Statutory safeguarding requirements are met. Good lines of communication, close attention to the needs of individual pupils and excellent record-keeping ensure that procedures are effective.  Since the previous inspection, the local authority has provided support to the school’s leaders. The regular

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The leadership and management are good

monitoring has now ceased because the local authority is confident that the school is well placed to continue to improve. Inspectors share this view.  The governance of the school:  Governance is very effective. Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of changes to membership of the governing body and new governors are developing their skills in the role.  The Chair of the Governing Body meets weekly with the headteacher and has an excellent working knowledge of the school’s day-to-day practice. This is shared with other governors at the six governing body meetings held each year, so that all governors are developing a good understanding of all aspects of the school’s work. This enables governors to provide good challenge and support to school leaders and to contribute well to school improvement. Links with classes are enabling governors to check on provision and outcomes at first hand.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors have a good knowledge of how the school checks pupils’ progress because the headteacher provides updates to every meeting and governors are able to ensure there are no gaps in performance between groups. Governors know about the quality of teaching. The performance of staff is checked and recommendations for pay increases are scrutinised to be sure they are linked to good or better performance and meet the school’s criteria and those of the Teachers’ Standards.  Governors have participated in a range of training, including safer recruitment and safeguarding training to ensure that statutory requirements are met. Governors are proud of the improvements in communication with parents and the links with other schools which are promoting best practice at Nether Green.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Their conduct around school, including at break and lunch times is exemplary.  Occasionally, pupils take time to respond to instructions in class, which can sometimes slow learning a little, but overall behaviour in lessons is good.  Pupils are very thoughtful of others. Trained peer mediators ensure that any disagreements between pupils are quickly resolved. They make sure that pupils are not left out of activities in the playground.  Pupils show great pride in their school and in themselves. They are developing as confident and articulate British citizens with strong moral values by taking on responsibilities in the school. They participate in a wide range of cultural, artistic and sporting activities such as residentials, orchestra, choir, gardening, book and sports clubs and gain high levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils have a good understanding of bullying in all its forms and are adamant that there is no bullying at the school.  All pupils, especially those in the Integrated Resource and others who are disabled or have special educational needs, benefit from strong, supportive relationships with staff which help them to be confident to try new things in the classroom.  Pupils know about cyber-bullying but their understanding of how to stay safe when using technology is less well developed than about other aspects of safety.  Attendance levels are above average because pupils enjoy coming to school and any absences are carefully followed up.  Parents are clear that their children are safe and happy in school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good overall, leading to pupils’ good progress. The quality of teaching varies across the school and within year groups with the teaching in Years 3 and 4 laying down firm foundations for learning. In Years 5 and 6, in response to stronger teaching overall, pupils’ progress swiftly accelerates.  Since the previous inspection, the teaching of mathematics, writing and reading has improved. Teachers have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, the most able pupils were challenged to decide for themselves and explain to others how they could work out internal angles of regular and irregular polygons from external information. This confirmed their mastery of the topic.  Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to practise higher-level writing skills across the curriculum and, as a result, standards of writing are exceptionally high. The recent work to promote reading is beginning to

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The quality of teaching is good

have an impact but the teaching does not provide pupils with enough opportunities to develop their reading and comprehension skills to a similarly high level.  Where learning is less effective, it is sometimes because pupils of differing abilities are not always clear what they are expected to achieve, especially where a learning objective is the same for the whole class. Questioning does not always sufficiently deepen pupils’ thinking about different topics.  The teaching of pupils in the integrated resource and for others who have special educational needs is outstanding. Teachers, teaching assistants and the special educational needs coordinator work together highly effectively. They plan activities and tasks which enable those of lower ability or who have special educational needs to achieve well from their different starting points, alongside their peers in the classroom. Additional small group or individual support work help pupils to make at least good and

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The quality of teaching is good

sometimes outstanding progress, and often to catch up with others.  A highly structured, individualised and sensory approach to learning ensures that those in the integrated resource achieve as well as they possibly can. For example, pupils chose settings for their writing from a range of pictures which were discussed with symbol and sign support to help them begin to write fairy stories. The teacher and teaching assistants individualised what they expected the pupils to achieve and they rose to the challenges with real enthusiasm because the preparation was outstanding.  Teachers plan a broad range of interesting topics in the excellent curriculum which motivates and inspires pupils to want to learn. For example, in another Year 5 class, pupils learnt an extensive vocabulary in Spanish, linked to their art work topic, in a very lively and engaging manner  Teaching assistants make an invaluable contribution to pupils’ learning. They are very skilled at judging

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The quality of teaching is good

where and how much support is needed, encouraging pupils, including those who have special educational needs, to work as independently as possible.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils start at the junior school with skills and attainment which are generally higher than average for their age. They make at least good progress during their time at Nether Green Juniors. They acquire sound skills and knowledge in the lower school so that they can make particularly rapid progress in Years 5 and 6. By the end of Year 6, attainment in writing and mathematics is well above average and attainment in reading is above average.  Standards have risen each year since the previous inspection. A much larger proportion of pupils than the national average make more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in writing and mathematics is stronger than in reading.  The most able pupils achieve exceptionally well. The proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching the highest National Curriculum Level 6 in 2014 was well above average in writing and mathematics.  The results in the English grammar, spelling and punctuation tests also showed attainment well above

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The achievement of pupils is good

average and this is reflected in the pupils’ high standard of writing.  The school’s own data indicate that pupils are on track to maintain the same high standards of progress across the school in each year group because of the improvements in the quality of teaching.  The numbers of disadvantaged pupils in each year group are small but the school’s data show that they achieve at the same high levels as other pupils. The school has successfully closed the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least good and sometimes outstanding progress from their different starting points. This is because the school’s leaders are totally committed to ensuring they have an equal opportunity to succeed in all areas of their learning. Those in the mainstream classes are provided with work which is well matched to their needs, and support from

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The achievement of pupils is good

teaching assistants is carefully managed and highly effective.  Pupils in the integrated resource provision benefit from consistently outstanding teaching so that those who are most able gain basic reading, writing and mathematical skills which they can use in their everyday lives.  The school has ensured that attainment and progress have improved in the basic subjects since the previous inspection. Equally, leaders provide an excellently varied curriculum to ensure that pupils gain many skills they will need to become well-rounded and valuable members of society in modern Britain. Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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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 107004 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 464033

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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 374 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Middleton Headteacher Susan Jackson Date of previous school inspection 22 October 2013 Telephone number 0114 230 2461 Fax number 0114 263 0189 Email address headteacher@nethergreen-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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