Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Joanne Eagleton Executive Headteacher Coit Primary School Park Avenue Chapletown Sheffield S35 1WH

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Subject inspection of Coit Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 10 December 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. The findings do not change the overall effectiveness judgement of outstanding from the last section 5 inspection.

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Subject inspection of Coit Primary School

This inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for a no formal designation inspection of schools. The inspection was carried out to enable Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector to better understand the quality of education in specific subjects provided by outstanding primary schools.

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Main findings

As curriculum leader for history, you have ensured that the subject has an increasingly high profile within the school. You have worked with teachers to develop a well sequenced and ambitious curriculum that covers the scope of the national curriculum. Teachers carefully consider the links between topics and the order in which topics are taught so that pupils build up their knowledge and understanding over time. You and your staff are clear about the crucial content that pupils must learn, your non-negotiables and the end points that pupils work towards. History curriculum plans span the early years where appropriate. The early years leader is fully involved in discussions with key stage 1 and 2 teachers about the development of the curriculum in history.

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Main findings

Teachers understand some of the limitations of summative assessment and focus on day-to-day assessment to check pupils’ understanding and address any misconceptions that pupils may have. Teachers ensure that key concepts are revisited. As a result, pupils know more, understand more and remember more over time. They can explain how their learning in one unit of work helps them to understand another.

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Main findings

You quality assure the implementation of the history curriculum. You ensure that teachers adapt their teaching to address any misconceptions. You adjust curriculum plans to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge or misconceptions.

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Main findings

In history lessons, pupils are confident to express their views and opinions. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Most pupils who made their views known during the inspection enjoy history. This is because teachers are enthusiastic about the teaching of history and the importance of history within the curriculum.

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Main findings

There is a strong focus on the development of pupils’ understanding of historical concepts. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils talked confidently about the meaning of peasantry, hierarchy, civilisation and government. Pupils can use increasingly complex vocabulary. This is evident in some of their written work in Years 5 and 6. Enrichment activities enhance pupils’ understanding further. Pupils talk positively about visits to museums and history workshops that they have undertaken within school.

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Main findings

You place high importance on the development of pupils’ chronological understanding. Timelines around the school, and pupils’ involvement in constructing their own timelines, help them to place the period of time they are studying within a chronological context.

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Main findings

However, pupils’ disciplinary knowledge and understanding are less well developed. Pupils are not developing enough of an appreciation of how historians have interpreted the past. There are few opportunities for pupils to evaluate critically and analyse historical sources to help them build a narrative or construct an answer. Written work in history tends to focus on the development of pupils’ English skills or comparing and contrasting periods of history with life today. There are few opportunities for pupils to write in response to historical enquiry questions.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with you to discuss the history curriculum. I scrutinised history curriculum plans, the history policy, and other documents relating to the implementation of the history curriculum. With the curriculum leader I visited lessons. I looked at a selection of books with you from the lessons visited. I met with the teachers from the lessons I had visited. I talked to pupils in lessons and met formally with a group of pupils from Years 5 and 6.

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Context

Coit Primary School is a smaller than average-sized primary school. There are currently 206 pupils on roll. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average. The school has a slightly higher than average proportion of pupils with SEND. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.

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Context

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Sheffield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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