High Greave Infant School

High Greave Infant School High Greave Road, East Herringthorpe, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S65 3LZ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1.  In key stage 1, teachers’ expectations are not consistently high and the teaching of phonics is not effective. Assessment of pupils’ learning is not used consistently well to plan and set challenging tasks.  Questioning is not used skilfully to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils are not keen to respond and, at times, do not listen well.  Teachers do not check the work of their assistants in key stage 1, and this leads to inconsistent progress for pupils.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning vary and are not consistently positive. Sometimes, pupils’ behaviour slows learning. Attendance is below average, especially for disadvantaged pupils.  There are too few opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to develop their writing and mathematical skills.  Leaders have been too generous when

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

assessing the quality of teaching. As a result, insufficient action has been taken to improve teaching in key stage 1.  Governance has not been effective in holding leaders to account for their work and ensuring the overall effectiveness of the school is good.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children make good progress in early years because of good teaching and leadership.  Pupils say they are safe in school. They conduct themselves well around the school, including at break and lunchtime.  Parents and carers are confident their children are well cared for across the school.  Pupils have a good understanding of British values. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in key stage 1 so that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make good progress by ensuring that: – assessment is used to plan challenging work for all groups of pupils – expectations are high so that pupils’ work and presentation are of a good standard – provide greater opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills and write at length in a wide range of subjects – reading materials are suitably challenging and linked well to developing pupils’ phonics skills and vocabulary – skilful questioning engages pupils well in their learning and deepens their understanding – the work of teaching assistants is checked thoroughly and managed well.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by making sure that: – attendance is least average and persistent absence is average or below, especially for disadvantaged pupils – pupils develop good attitudes to learning, by concentrating and listening well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the provision in early years by ensuring that adults take every opportunity to develop children’s speaking and listening skills.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and governance by ensuring that: – the quality of teaching is checked accurately and steps are taken to make sure pupils’ progress is at least good – plans for improvement have sharply focused actions and precise measures for success – professional development is used successfully and leads to good teaching for all groups of pupils – additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively to remove barriers to their learning – governors develop their skills to hold leaders to account fully for their work.  Undertake an external review of governance in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.  Undertake an external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium in order to

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have been too positive about the school’s effectiveness. As a result, they have not taken sufficient action to make sure the quality of teaching across key stage 1 and pupils’ outcomes are good. Also, leaders have not ensured personal development behaviour and welfare are good. Therefore, the quality of leadership and management requires improvement.  Plans for improvement identify the key priorities for the school. However, actions taken are not precisely identified and measures for success do not show clearly how much improvement is expected in teaching and pupils’ learning. As a result, leaders are not clear how quickly the school is improving.  Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is not used successfully to overcome barriers to learning for these pupils. Leaders have not ensured teaching is consistently good for disadvantaged pupils, and absence continues to impact on learning. Some of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

the extra funding is used well to make sure pupils can engage in all aspects of school life.  Staff value the professional development organised for them. They visit other schools in the trust, work with other schools on common projects such as improving the teaching of phonics and receive coaching from school leaders. However, the work of the trust and school leaders has not led to teaching being good across key stage 1.  Pupils study a wide range of subjects. Trips and visits broaden children’s experiences. However, the curriculum does not contribute sufficiently well to the development of good reading, writing and mathematics. There are too few opportunities for pupils to apply their writing and mathematical skills across a range of subjects.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences are integrated well into the curriculum. Art work is a strength of the school. Pupils have good opportunities to learn about

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

other faiths and cultures through religious education.  The personal, social and health education programme makes a good contribution to pupils’ understanding of British values. The primary school physical education and sports funding is used well to make sure pupils are active, engage in a range of sport and know how important it is to stay fit and healthy.  Extra funding for those pupils with SEND is used well in both key stages. Leaders make sure these pupils have effective support in school and additional specialist support from external agencies when necessary.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are clear about their lines of accountability within the trust. Local governance of the school is clear about the main priorities for improvement and governors ask appropriate questions of leaders to check their work. However, they are not tenacious in following up on initial questions to ensure leaders are challenged thoroughly. Consequently, they have not made sure the funding allocated to disadvantaged pupils has been used well over time to overcome barriers to learning. They, and the trust, have not challenged leaders’ views about teaching and the effectiveness of the school to make sure the quality of education is good across both key stages.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff are knowledgeable and up to date with the most recent legislation for keeping children safe. Leaders have made sure staff are clear about their responsibilities and have created an effective culture that keeps children safe from harm. The school works with external agencies and parents to make sure children are kept safe.  Record-keeping for individual children is thorough and the school is relentless in following up matters to make sure children are safe. Online systems help leaders to recognise early signs of any safeguarding issues, and leaders act on them quickly.  Leaders and governors are trained in safer recruitment procedures. They check that those working in school are fit to work with children and make sure details are recorded appropriately in the school’s central register for staff. Inspectors noted some administrative errors in the school’s record, and these were quickly addressed by

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching across key stage 1 is not consistently good.  Assessment information is not used well by teachers to plan work that challenges pupils to make strong progress. Assessment of pupils’ work is accurate, but expectations of what pupils can do are not consistently high. Work set can be too easy in mathematics, and reading materials are not pitched well enough to challenge pupils to make good progress. When work is well planned and challenging, as for example in a Year 2 poetry and writing session, pupils make good progress and enjoy learning.  The teaching of phonics is variable. Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to use and apply their phonics knowledge to read and write to a good standard. For some pupils, books are not matched well to pupils’ phonics knowledge, and this slows their progress in reading.  When questioning is used skilfully, pupils engage well and answer in detail to deepen

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

their knowledge. Some questioning is superficial and does not measure how much pupils are learning or how much they understand.  An analysis of pupils’ work by inspectors and leaders confirmed that work set is not sufficiently challenging in mathematics and in English. It showed too few opportunities for pupils to improve their writing by editing work or writing at length across a range of subjects. Some recent changes to the teaching of writing and reading showed signs of improving progress in pupils’ work, but this is at a very early stage.  The work of teaching assistants is variable and is not checked by teachers to make sure it is consistently good. This slows learning for groups of pupils.  Good relationships and mutual respect exist between pupils and adults.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are not consistently good. Some do not listen well when teachers are explaining work and they are not eager to answer questions. They do not persist well with their work, particularly when asked to work in pairs or independently.  Pupils do not consistently take enough pride in their work, and this hampers their progress. There are examples of neat presentation and detailed work that supports good progress. However, there is variation in the quality of presentation.  Pupils are pleasant, polite and courteous to staff and visitors. They socialise well together, tell visitors they enjoy school and are proud of their school. They say some bullying occurs but they are confident staff deal with it appropriately. Pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong.  Pupils have a clear understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet. Pupils

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Personal development and welfare

have a good understanding about British values and have learned about democracy by following local elections.  Procedures for keeping pupils safe in the breakfast club are secure. Pupils are well cared for in school, and the personal, social and health education programme helps pupils to settle into school at the start of the day. Parents and staff are highly confident that children are well looked after in school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils lose concentration too easily and do not make a positive contribution to their learning. They are not quick to settle to tasks, and at times there is some low-level interruption to learning that slows progress.  Attendance is below average and the proportion often absent from school is above average. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is lower than other pupils and has a negative impact on learning. Leaders check the whereabouts of absent pupils to make sure they are safe. They reward good attendance and have systems in place to encourage parents to send their children to school more often. However, attendance is not improving strongly.  Around school, pupils conduct themselves well. At break and lunchtime pupils are very active, skipping and playing games together. They are well supervised by adults.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The progress pupils are making is not good, because of inconsistencies in teaching across key stage 1.  Published information at the end of Year 2 shows the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is below average. The proportion attaining the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics is inconsistent over time. From their starting points at the beginning of Year 1, pupils have not made good progress to attain well.  Inspectors analysed current pupils’ work across key stage 1 and found that progress is not strong in reading, writing and mathematics, with standards being below average despite some recent improvement. Disadvantaged pupils are not making enough progress to diminish gaps in attainment quickly, and they remain behind others nationally.  Pupils with SEND make good progress, because leaders clearly identify the needs of these pupils, provide external support for them and additional support in school. Also,

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

the pitch of work for these pupils is better matched to their needs than for others in school.  Over time, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in phonics by the end of Year 1 is well below average. Leaders have changed the system for teaching phonics, and there are some signs of recent improvement. Overall, improvements are not quick enough to make sure attainment is close to average, and pupils remain behind in phonics.  When checking reading across the school, inspectors found that texts were not challenging enough to ensure pupils made good progress, and pupils’ vocabulary is not well developed.

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Early years provision Good

 Children make a good start to their education in early years. They settle quickly in school and are safe and happy, because of the secure procedures in the provision and the good links with parents.  Children are well cared for, and relationships between adults and children are nurturing and warm.  Children enter the Nursery with skills that are below those typical for their age. Some have skills that are significantly below those typical for their age.  Children, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, make good progress in Nursery and enter Reception with skills that are close to those typically found for their age.  A significant minority of children join the provision at the start of Reception. Overall, children start Reception with skills that are below average and make good progress. By the end of Reception, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development

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Early years provision Good

is average.  Good leadership has led to good teaching. Teachers and teaching assistants know children well. They assess children’s skills accurately and use the information to plan appropriately challenging tasks that are matched to children’s needs and abilities.  Teachers plan good learning opportunities across a wide range of skills. Consequently, children are excited about their learning. Questioning is generally effective and engages children well. Occasionally, adults do not make the most of opportunities to extend and enrich children’s speaking and listening skills.  Activities are well matched to children’s interests and the provision is well resourced. Children enjoy learning in the outdoor and indoor areas. The curriculum is well planned to capture children’s imagination. For example, children worked with great imagination to create a story using a castle, dragons and knights. They took turns, helped each

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Early years provision Good

other out and concentrated for a considerable time. Children are kind and considerate to each other.  Parents are very positive about early years and the experiences their children are having. They value regular updates to their child’s online learning journal and make contributions to assessments.  The school has developed increased opportunities for parents to be involved in their child’s learning through regular times in class together and for families, not just from early years but from key stage 1, to engage in family learning in the school’s Family Hub.  From Nursery to Reception, the attendance of children improves strongly. For those not attending well, intervention and additional support is put in place by the leader of early years, and this helps children to catch up.  All the appropriate safeguarding and welfare requirements are met in the early years.  Children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.

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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

Email address HighGreaveInfant@Rotherham.School

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is well above average. Six in 10 pupils are disadvantaged.  Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.  One in 10 pupils has support for SEND. This is broadly average.  Children attend part-time in Nursery and full-time in Reception.  High Greave Infant School converted to academy status on 1 July 2016. When the predecessor school, High Greave Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, its overall effectiveness was judged to be good.  The school is a member of the Learners’ Trust, a multi-academy trust incorporating 17 schools. The trust is governed by a board of directors known as a trust board. It delegates some management responsibilities to the local governing body. The trust board has designated responsibility for the effectiveness of the school. High Greave

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Information about this school

Infant School is a founding member of the Learners’ Trust, and established the trust with High Greave Junior School and one other local school in July 2016.  The current headteacher took up her post from 1 January 2019, after being Head of Infants in the school.  The school manages a breakfast club for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning throughout the school. The inspectors and senior leaders observed several sessions jointly.  During the two days of the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both individually and in groups, about learning and safety. They also spoke with several parents.  Inspectors reviewed pupils’ work in lessons and analysed samples of work in pupils’ books. They listened to some pupils reading.  The lead inspector held a meeting with three members of the local governing body. A meeting was held with the chief executive officer for the trust.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders and middle leaders.  Inspectors looked at the school’s review of its own performance, its development and improvement plans, a number of school policies and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. They considered a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors analysed the 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. They analysed a school questionnaire completed by 56 parents.

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Inspection team

Jim McGrath, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Bowyer Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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