Emmaus Catholic and CofE Primary School

Inspection of Emmaus Catholic and CofE Primary School Southend Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 5FT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 24–25 September 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know the pupils well. These positive relationships make pupils feel safe and secure. Leaders and staff expect pupils to behave well. Pupils live up to this. They are polite and considerate of others’ feelings. The atmosphere in the school is calm. Bullying is rare and pupils know what to do if it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through lessons and assemblies, pupils learn about important issues, such as the environment and crime. They enjoy debating and are confident to share their opinions. They also listen carefully to different points of view. Leaders are keen for pupils to try new activities. A variety of clubs and lessons, including fencing and violin, are popular with pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From an early age, pupils hold extra responsibilities. For example, worship leaders, school councillors, lunchtime buddies and science ambassadors all take an active part in school life. Pupils know they must be trustworthy and responsible to take on these roles. This motivates them to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy sharing their learning with their parents through regular ‘showcases’. Parents also take part in family learning events. Leaders design these carefully so that all parents can join in.

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better?

Since the last inspection, leaders have improved some vital parts of the curriculum. They have made sure that staff are well trained in phonics, mathematics and science. Stronger teaching is now in place in these areas. However, leaders have not made sure that this is the case for all subjects. Each year too many pupils move on without the knowledge they need for their next stage of education.

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better?

In mathematics and science, pupils understand the important concepts. This is because teachers are clear about what pupils need to learn. Lessons build on what pupils already know. Teachers make sure that pupils understand and use the words linked to a subject. This helps pupils to explain their thinking.

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better?

For other subjects, including history and art, the whole-school plans are not good enough. Teachers do not cover as much of the curriculum as they should. Their lessons are not well ordered to build pupils’ knowledge. Teachers do not check that pupils have understood important concepts. This means pupils have a limited understanding of some of the subjects they have studied.

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better?

This is not the case in the early years. Here, leaders plan the curriculum well. They think about the knowledge children already have and what they need when they enter Year 1. Teachers design activities and experiences to systematically bridge these points. Adults extend children’s learning through questions and demonstrations. Although many children only started school a few weeks ago, they have already settled well. They are independent and confident in their learning. 24–25 September 2019

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During the inspection, children were engrossed in activities linked to their topic on outer space.

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Staff who teach phonics are now experts in this area. They appreciate the frequent and ongoing training they receive. They build up pupils’ knowledge in small steps. Pupils have lots of opportunities to revisit and repeat the sounds they are learning. The books they use to practise contain only the sounds they know. This helps them to be confident readers. Sometimes pupils in phonics sessions do not concentrate as well as they should. This hampers their learning. Leaders know about this and have already started work to address it.

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Pupils are inquisitive and keen to learn. Teachers make sure that pupils learn about a range of cultures and backgrounds. For example, during a focus on Black history, pupils learned about people who have made a significant difference. This included learning about Sheffield’s first Black Lord Mayor.

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Teachers adapt the curriculum well for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders advise teachers of creative ways to include pupils in learning alongside their classmates. However, some pupils with SEND are not as well supported. Teachers do not always know which aspects pupils need more practice in. The gaps in knowledge remain and pupils cannot move on with their learning.

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Trust leaders and governors share the headteacher’s desire to give pupils the best education possible. They have played an important part in improving the school. Leaders keep them up to date on the school’s performance. However, some of the information they receive paints a too positive picture. Due to this, they have not challenged leaders enough to improve the quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and know how to keep children safe. The regular updates for staff give them information about risks to watch out for. Staff with designated responsibility for safeguarding know pupils and their families well. They provide crucial support when circumstances make families vulnerable. Where appropriate, staff communicate with outside agencies. Pupils have detailed knowledge about the dangers they may face online and how to avoid these. They are also taught about the consequences of risky behaviour, including substance misuse and crime.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders must ensure that all subjects offer breadth and ambition equal to that outlined in the national curriculum. They must also make sure that subjects are 24–25 September 2019

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coherently planned so that pupils can build on their existing knowledge effectively. In a number of subjects, pupils do not develop their knowledge of important concepts well. Leaders and teachers should establish a shared understanding of what the important concepts are within each subject. They should then check that pupils are remembering these aspects. Subject leaders need to develop their skills so that they can take responsibility for these improvements.  Leaders must make sure that pupils with SEND are supported to achieve their potential. They should make sure that pupils’ needs are identified precisely and that teaching is well matched to pupils’ needs so that pupils can move on in their learning.  For improvements to be rapid, accountability at all levels of leadership must improve. Those responsible for governance need to hold senior leaders to account more stringently. Similarly, leaders in the school, including subject leaders, must

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challenge colleagues to improve pupils’ achievements.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 24–25 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110597 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 June 2017

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than an average-sized primary school. It has a Nursery class for children from the age of three. It also runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school joined the Hallam Schools’ Partnership Trust in August 2014.  The school is designated as having a Catholic and Church of England character and is part of the Diocese of Sheffield and the Diocese of Hallam. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in April 2017.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is almost double the national average.  Just over half of pupils are of White British heritage. Approximately a fifth of pupils are of Black or Black British African heritage. A further 11 ethnic groups are represented in the school.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 24–25 September 2019

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of staff. We also met with the chief executive officer from the trust, a trust director and a representative of the diocese. We met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. We took account of the 26 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  We observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at breakfast club, playtimes and lunchtimes. We gathered pupils’ views about the school through formal and informal discussion. We also considered the 25 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  We scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding documents. We also evaluated information relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  We gathered the views of parents at the start of the school day. We also took

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account of the views of seven parents who submitted free-text responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors looked in-depth at the following subjects: reading, mathematics, science, art and history. In doing so, we visited classes across all year groups and reviewed pupils’ work. We spoke to pupils about their learning and listened to them read. We also met with teachers.

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Inspection team

Karine Hendley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pritiben Patel Ofsted Inspector 24–25 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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