Acres Hill Community Primary School

Inspection of Acres Hill Community Primary School Mather Road, Littledale, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 4GQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected 6–7 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Acres Hill Community Primary is a school where pupils feel safe. They care for and respect each other. Pupils are polite and friendly to staff and visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils. They are determined to give them lots of memorable experiences, including visits linked to what they are learning. The headteacher, leaders and staff want all pupils to do their best. They provide support to make sure this happens. Staff encourage parents and carers to be involved with their children’s education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour has dramatically improved. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils are confident to talk to an adult if they have any worries. Pupils told us that incidents of bullying are rare. They feel that adults are good at dealing with bullying when it happens.

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better?

The headteacher and staff have developed an effective curriculum. In addition to what is taught in lessons, a range of trips and visitors to the school make learning memorable. Teachers plan lessons which build on what pupils already know. In history, this helped pupils to gain secure knowledge, such as putting historical events in chronological order. In their art sketchbooks, pupils had learned specific skills, such as perspective and cross-hatching. They enjoyed explaining how they used these to produce some high-quality artwork based on the artist Henry Moore.

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better?

Staff know their pupils well and understand individuals’ needs, particularly those who need extra help. Staff have had training to make sure their support is helpful. If pupils struggle in a lesson, they get help the very same day. Teachers make sure that pupils have time to practise new skills to help them become confident when using them. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do well. Staff find out why these pupils sometimes struggle to learn and find ways to help them. Teachers make sure that the curriculum is accessible to all pupils.

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better?

Leaders prioritise learning about phonics and the development of early reading skills. Pupils read books which focus on the sounds they are learning. Because of this, pupils become more confident and fluent readers. Pupils who do struggle receive support from well-trained staff. Due to this, they improve quickly. Pupils enjoy reading. They also look forward to adults reading to them, particularly when adults use different voices for different characters. Pupils talked with great enthusiasm about their favourite authors like David Walliams, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo.

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better?

Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. There are some pupils who find it difficult to manage their feelings. The behaviour of these pupils has improved because of the support they receive. Staff have worked both with pupils and with families to highlight the importance of attending school regularly. 6–7 November 2019

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Pupils’ attendance has significantly improved, but leaders know this needs to be even better.

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In the early years, staff help children to develop their communication skills well. They learn to play with their friends and share equipment. For example, we saw them working well as a team, building a tower out of blocks. Children listen and follow instructions. There are clear routines which the children know well. Children are enthusiastic in their learning. The outdoor area contains equipment which has been well used. Some of these resources are worn and now need replacing.

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The school offers pupils a range of clubs, including choir, sport and science. Pupils respect each other’s cultures and backgrounds. Pupils care for each other and there are opportunities for them to contribute to the daily life of the school. The school council, by sharing its views and suggestions, helps staff improve the school.

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Leaders know the school well and are always looking for ways to make it even better. In the past, there have been a lot of staff changes, but now the headteacher has an enthusiastic and motivated staff team. Staff value the training they receive. They appreciate how leaders are considerate and supportive of their workload. Some subject leaders need the opportunity to check on the quality of education in their subjects. They would then be able to improve their subjects more effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure the right checks are carried out on adults before they start working in the school. Staff have regular training to keep up to date on current guidance for keeping children safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff take pupils’ safety very seriously. All concerns are logged and monitored carefully. Staff have good partnerships with outside support agencies. Because of this, they make sure families get the help and support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, Year 6 pupils attend workshops where they find out more about keeping safe online and how to keep healthy.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders need to continue to improve pupils’ attendance. There are still a small number of pupils who are frequently absent.  Leaders have supported curriculum leaders to develop the curriculum in their subjects. Curriculum leaders now need greater opportunities to check the quality of education in their subjects to support further improvement. 6–7 November 2019

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 The trust board has supported improvements to the learning environment. However, the outdoor area within the early years needs improving further to support children’s learning.

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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. 6–7 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110546 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

 Acres Hill Community Primary School joined the Sheffield South East Trust in December 2016. When Ofsted last inspected the predecessor school in November 2015, it was judged to be inadequate.  Acres Hill Community Primary school is one of five schools in the Sheffield South East Trust.  The school offers provision for nursery-aged children.  The school has a breakfast club which is managed by the school.

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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

 We met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, including the early years leader and the special educational needs coordinator.  We met with representatives of the trust and had a meeting with members of the local governing body.  We looked in particular detail into reading, mathematics, science, history and art. We met subject leaders and teachers for these subjects and visited lessons in all 6–7 November 2019

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of these subjects, apart from history. We also talked to pupils and looked at their work.  We reviewed leaders’ checks on the suitability of staff to work with children. We looked at attendance information, behaviour logs and safeguarding records. We held discussions with senior leaders about safeguarding.  We spoke informally with pupils and observed their behaviour at various times during the day, including breaktime and lunchtime and in the breakfast club.  Inspectors met several parents at the start of the day to gain their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Andy Taylor, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Juliet Wright Ofsted Inspector 6–7 November 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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