Phillimore Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Phillimore Community Primary School Phillimore Road, Darnall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 5EF

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Outcome

Phillimore Community Primary School continues to be a good school. However, the inspector has some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that pupils from all backgrounds are welcomed. Pupils who are new to the country quickly settle in and become part of the school. Parents and carers who come to the breakfast club with their children say this is a positive, friendly start to the day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Older pupils set a good example to others. They work hard and help younger pupils at lunchtime. Although pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen, most say that it is dealt with quickly and fairly by adults. Pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that clubs, visits and showcase events are some of the best things about their school. They like practising their skills in physical education activities, in school and beyond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have started to make sure that, as well as being exciting, lessons help pupils to remember more in different subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are learning and remembering more too. In subjects such as mathematics, pupils are now achieving well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy books and stories. However, many pupils do not read very well, particularly those in key stage 1. This affects some of their learning in other subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders encourage pupils to be healthy, happy members of society. Leaders provide pupils with memorable experiences to interest them in different subjects. Leaders make sure that pupils have necessary life skills, such as being able to swim. Recently, leaders have started to fine-tune the curriculum so that pupils remember more in different subjects. 16–17 October 2019

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The new curriculum is already helping pupils to improve their knowledge in some subjects. For example, in geography, Year 1 pupils remember what they have learned about maps. This helped them to compare an area they have visited in the Peak District to where they live. In mathematics, the curriculum is well organised. Teachers carefully check on what pupils know and build on this. This helps pupils of all abilities to achieve well.

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In some subjects, such as art, curriculum leaders have ambitious plans and ideas for improvement. Leaders have looked carefully at what pupils already know. Leaders have used this information to plan a better sequenced curriculum. However, these new plans have not been put into action with pupils in the classroom. Leaders are still considering how they will check what pupils have learned in each subject.

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Leaders have bought new books of high quality to interest and inform pupils. As soon as children start school, staff make sure that they enjoy and remember stories. Young children have the chance to listen to favourite stories again and again. In Nursery, children joined in with the words and actions to an autumn story with gusto. One child excitedly told their teacher, ‘That’s just like in the story Owl Babies.’

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However, the programme to teach pupils to read is not well planned. Many pupils struggle to read well, particularly those in key stage 1. Pupils’ achievement in reading at the end of each key stage has been considerably lower than the national average for the past few years. Pupils often do not use phonics when they try read new words. They try to use clues in the pictures. Sometimes, they memorise what they have been told a word or sentence says. Adults’ expectations of what pupils will learn and when are not clear. Leaders have not made sure that staff have the right knowledge and skills to teach phonics. Many pupils enter school with little English. Staff do not say and write sounds often enough and clearly enough for pupils to know exactly how to do it themselves.

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Pupils generally behave well. They like telling others about their work. They say that bullying and arguments sometimes happen at playtime. Most pupils say that staff help them to sort this out.

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Many pupils join or leave the school at different times throughout the school year. Leaders keep very close track of pupils’ attendance. When a pupil does not turn up at school, staff quickly try to get in touch with their parents. Leaders contact the relevant authorities immediately if they do not know where a pupil is.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that every member of staff knows the most up-to-date information about safeguarding. Staff teach pupils how to keep safe in assemblies and in lessons. Leaders check on everyone’s understanding of how to keep safe through quick quizzes and spot checks. Effective systems are in place to make sure that concerns are followed up quickly and passed on to external agencies where necessary. Staff say that they feel very well supported by the inclusion team. This helps them to manage pupils’ behaviour 16–17 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils are unable to read with fluency and accuracy, particularly in key stage 1. There is not a well-sequenced curriculum plan for phonics. Staff are unsure what pupils should know and when. Staff do not model sounds often enough or consistently accurately to give pupils confidence in recognising and saying sounds themselves. Pupils, many who are new to English, do not get enough opportunity to practise reading aloud. Leaders should make sure that all staff are trained to teach phonics effectively. Leaders should ensure a progressive curriculum is in place in phonics, with clear expectations of what knowledge pupils should have and when. Leaders should give pupils, particularly lower-attaining pupils and those new to English, plenty of opportunities to practise the sounds they have learned through reading aloud.  Pupils are not achieving consistently well across the curriculum. The knowledge pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

should acquire in some subjects has not been fully considered. While ways to check on what pupils know are in place for a few subjects, such as mathematics, plans for assessment in other subjects are still being tested and decided. Leaders should build on the success of the actions they have taken in subjects such as geography and mathematics to implement their plans in other subjects. They should make sure that curriculum leaders know how to check how well pupils are gaining knowledge in different subjects.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Phillimore Community Primary School, to be good in October2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 16–17 October 2019

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

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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. 16–17 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110701 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is the first inspection of Phillimore Community Primary School since it was converted to join Sheffield South East Trust in December 2016.  The proportion of pupils who enter or leave the school throughout the year is greater than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 I met regularly with the headteacher throughout the inspection. The headteacher joined me on almost all visits to lessons. I met with other senior and curriculum leaders. I met with the chief executive officer for the trust and another trustee. I met representatives from the local governing body, including the chair. I spoke with other staff and considered the 46 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.  I explored the curriculum for reading, geography and art. This work involved discussions with pupils, curriculum leaders, teachers and teaching assistants, and scrutiny of pupils’ work, visits to lessons and hearing pupils read. I also visited lessons 16–17 October 2019

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in mathematics and physical education.  To review the curriculum for pupils with SEND, I met with the leader for pupils with SEND, saw and spoke to pupils and visited the nurture room.  I checked how well leaders ensure that pupils are safe. I looked at how staff training, application of school policies and the curriculum for pupils create a culture of safeguarding. I spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school.  I spoke to parents during my visit. I took into account the 12 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Kate Rowley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 16–17 October 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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