Meynell Nursery & Primary School

Inspection of Meynell Community Primary School Meynell Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S5 8GN

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Overall effectiveness

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 17–18 September 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all pupils to aim high and do well at school. They also expect teachers to work hard, and they do. Teachers care about each child. They want to do the best for their pupils. However, some teachers do not have an accurate understanding of what pupils should learn in mathematics. They give pupils work that is too easy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in corridors and they are polite to visitors. It was a pleasure talking to pupils. They are very confident and enjoy giving their opinions. Pupils were very keen to talk about their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils have too many days off school so they miss out on their learning. Some parents say that their children are taken out of lessons too often. Parents worry about how much learning their children are missing when this happens. Some parents say that the most senior leaders are not approachable to discuss these concerns with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that teachers help them if they are bullied. They make it stop. However, some pupils say there is still some bullying when pupils can use unkind words. Sometimes pupils are too boisterous on the playground. This means that some pupils do not always feel happy and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are very happy with the provision for two-year-olds. Children get off to a flying start in the early years. Children are happy and enjoy learning and playing together. Teachers and other adults are experts at teaching children to read. Children get lots of practise reading at home too. This means children are ready for their learning in Year 1.

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better?

Leaders and staff are getting much better at teaching children to read. Teachers and teaching assistants have had extra phonics training. There are lots of new resources to help them. Teachers started teaching phonics differently in January, and this is working. Key stage 1 pupils are now much more confident and successful when they are learning to read.

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better?

Some of the older pupils did not learn to read with confidence when they were little. This means they have found it much harder to catch up. They cannot read as well as other pupils of the same age. This means that Year 6 pupils are not achieving as well as they should. Governors are not making sure that this improves urgently.

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better?

Leaders have recently designed a new curriculum. You can see their detailed plans on the school’s website. Leaders have got lots of ideas to improve pupils’ learning in all subjects. Curriculum leaders are working hard to try to put these new ideas into action. This new curriculum has only just begun in history. It has not started in other subjects. Leaders say that the new science curriculum started earlier in September 17–18 September 2019

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2018. The most senior leaders have not checked carefully enough that this new curriculum is working.

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When the curriculum is good, pupils can remember what they have learned in the long term. Lots of pupils were not able to remember the things they had learned last year in science. Some pupils remembered having fun in science lessons, but they could not remember what they had learned.

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Sometimes pupils do not behave well. This can be on the playground and sometimes in lessons. Leaders intend to improve pupils’ personal development. Some pupils still use racist and homophobic language. When pupils misbehave in lessons, they are sometimes taken out of class. They spend time in ‘soft landings’. Some parents think this happens to their children too often.

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Leaders generally engage well with parents. However, some parents say that they don’t feel that the most senior leaders want to meet parents to listen to their worries. Senior leaders and governors say they want all parents to feel confident to approach them. Leaders want to work harder to make sure that relationships with all parents improve.

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Leaders have tried hard to improve attendance. There are still some pupils who miss school too often. This is affecting their learning. Too many pupils miss school because their parents take them on holiday in term time.

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Children in early years are getting a good start to their education. Leaders have given the teaching of reading the highest priority. Staff work closely with parents. Teachers lead phonics workshops to help parents understand how they can help their children learn to read quickly. No time is wasted. All adults have had extra training and they start teaching reading on the very first day. Some children have difficulty speaking and they are given extra help. Children are safe and well cared for.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. The safeguarding team is well trained. They work closely together to keep pupils safe. They know children and families very well. All staff in school have had safeguarding training. Staff know about risks such as county lines. They check quickly to make sure that absent pupils are safe. Pupils know how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In both previous inspections, inspectors told leaders that some pupils’ behaviour needs to improve. This is not improving quickly enough. The poor behaviour of a 17–18 September 2019

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few pupils disrupts learning for others. There is also bullying and name-calling. While leaders have lots of ideas to improve pupils’ behaviour, they need to check whether these ideas are working so that the number of serious sanctions reduces.  Absence rates are high. Some pupils are frequently absent. Absence is especially high for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Attendance rates need to improve for all pupils.  Most parents are happy with the school but some are very unhappy indeed. Some parents told inspectors that the most senior staff do not listen to them. All parents should feel confident that senior leaders are approachable so that any worries or issues can be identified and resolved quickly.  Attainment requires improvement in all key stages. This is because the sequence of learning across the curriculum is not effective. Pupils find it difficult to remember what they have learned. The most senior leaders should check

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thoroughly how well the sequencing of the curriculum is helping pupils to know more and remember more.  Trustees rely too heavily on the local governing body to challenge the most senior leaders. Trustees do not check whether this is happening. Trustees must increase the level of challenge and hold the most senior executive leaders to account. This will enable pupils to get the good quality of education that they deserve.

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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. 17–18 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110589 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 March 2019

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Information about this school

 This school has had two previous requiring improvement inspection judgements.  The school was previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 on 25–26 April 2017. A further progress monitoring inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 was carried out on 25 March 2019.  This school includes provision for two-year-olds.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, two trustees, the chief executive and the executive headteacher. Meetings were held with various senior and middle leaders, including assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders, the early years leader and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors selected four subjects for closer scrutiny. These were reading, mathematics, science and history. Inspectors visited lessons, discussed pupils’ work with curriculum leaders and talked to pupils about their learning.  One of the inspectors heard pupils read. Two inspectors spoke to some parents of 17–18 September 2019

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pupils with SEND by telephone. Inspectors spoke to 20 parents before school and reviewed the 27 comments left by parents through Ofsted’s Parent View survey.  A meeting was held with the leader who has responsibility for safeguarding. Documents linked to recruitment and staff training were checked. Pupils’ records were discussed and evaluated.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynda Florence Ofsted Inspector 17–18 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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