Hillsborough Nursery & Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hillsborough Primary School Parkside Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S6 2AA

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Outcome

Hillsborough Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Hillsborough Primary School are happy. Most parents agree. Pupils like their teachers and say they have many friends. They enjoy learning and like coming to school. They say that lessons are interesting. They particularly enjoy mathematics, physical education and reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well during lessons. Teachers consistently follow the new behaviour system. Pupils receive good care and pastoral support. Their needs are well met. Adults show sensitivity and patience when working with groups. Pupils earn lots of rewards for positive attitudes, manners and working hard. They are keen to collect behaviour points. Behaviour in classrooms is calm and well ordered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over lunchtime, a few pupils do not always follow the rules. Some adults and pupils say this happens too regularly. Some parents also expressed concerns over behaviour at lunchtimes. Pupils say when pupils do misbehave adults are quick to sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A very high proportion of new pupils join the school part way throughout the year. These may be from other schools or new arrivals to the county. Leaders make sure these pupils settle quickly. Pupils receive support from adults or adapted work to help them catch up.

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

The new headteacher is making a positive difference at the school. Along with the trust, governors and senior leaders she is implementing identified improvements. Parents have noticed the improvements in communication. They are happy with the changes made. The headteacher works closely with staff and, as a result, morale is high. Teachers value the reduction of their workload, feel well supported and listened to. 29–30 January 2020

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Work to improve behaviour in the classrooms has had a positive impact. Pupils work hard. They answer questions, take turns and work well with partners. Attitudes to learning are positive. Pupils want to please their teachers. They delight in sharing their knowledge with adults and each other. They concentrate well and reflect on what they have learned. This is because adults plan work that is interesting and keeps the pupils motivated. Adults show high expectations throughout lessons; pupils respond with enthusiasm.

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Some pupils, parents and staff say that some pupils do not behave well over lunchtime. Leaders are aware of this. They have written up plans to tackle this and know what they need to do. The number of exclusions has recently increased. This is because leaders are implementing their new behaviour policy. Leaders need to take effective action in order to improve behaviour over lunchtimes.

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Pupils enjoy reading. They talk about the range of books they have read and enjoy listening to a daily story. Pupils in key stage 2 receive effective small-group catch-up lessons. This helps them improve their phonics knowledge. Teachers have received recent training in the teaching of phonics. Their plans show what pupils need to have learned at the end of each year in order to read fluently. In some classes, pupils do not read to adults regularly. When pupils have fallen behind, regular reading is not prioritised. This is slowing down their progress. In addition, reading books do not match the phonics knowledge of pupils in key stage 1. Pupils struggle to read because the books are too hard. Adults then spend too long sounding out words for the pupils. This inhibits independence and confidence.

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The curriculum is well planned. It ensures that pupils remember and build on knowledge from previous years. In a geography lesson, pupils discussed biomes. They could give sensible suggestions about how plants have adapted to live in the desert. The teacher introduced a quick review of deciduous and evergreen trees into the session. This helped pupils to remember the words. All teachers were clear about where their lessons came in the sequence of learning.

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Mathematics is taught well across the school. Teachers deliver mathematics lessons confidently. In the Nursery, children count objects to 10. Teachers remind them to touch each item as they count. Once they know how many objects they have, they find the number on a number line. Activities around the classroom support number recognition. In the Reception class, children work with teens numbers. They identify which groups are more and fewer. Children have time to consolidate their knowledge. The teacher checks that they understand before moving on. Children who show good understanding receive more-challenging work.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have appropriate support plans. These plans help teachers to adapt their planning. This ensures that work matches their needs. The leader for SEND checks that work is well matched. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND receive a broad and rich curriculum.

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Pupils talk with compassion about helping other people. They show an understanding of other faiths. They understand what it means to live in a democracy. 29–30 January 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The trust ensures that all necessary staffing checks are carried out. Trust members and leaders regularly check the school’s records. When appointing new staff, correct procedures are followed.

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Safeguarding

All staff know what to do if they have any concerns about any pupils who may be at risk. They receive regular training which keeps them up to date with any recent changes. They are confident when talking about procedures and policies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reduce the number of behaviour incidents over lunchtimes by ensuring that lunchtime provision is more closely matched to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly the small number of pupils who find self-regulation difficult. Review and improve lunchtime provision for all pupils. Continue to implement and refine new lunchtime arrangements in order that all pupils have an enjoyable experience over lunchtime.  Continue to monitor the number of exclusions closely and reduce the number of fixed- term exclusions.  In reading, ensure that all pupils in key stage 1 read regularly to adults, particularly those who are struggling to catch up. Match the new phonetic reading books carefully to ability to make sure that pupils succeed in reading their books, without over-reliance on adults to support them to do so. Ensure that pupils are more independent when reading books which help them to practise their phonics.

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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 school to be good on 5 June 2015. 29–30 January 2020

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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.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 29–30 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10088952 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 June 2015

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post for just over a year.  The school has an exceptionally high number of mobile pupils. Many pupils leave the school when places become available at their local school. In the last academic year 35 pupils left the school and 49 joined part way through the school year.  The school has a high number of pupils with SEND.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher and two trustees, including the chief executive and the executive headteacher. I met with a range of senior and middle leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, the early years leader and the curriculum leaders for mathematics, reading, geography and physical education.  I scrutinised three subjects. These were reading, mathematics and geography. I visited lessons, spoke to curriculum leaders and talked to pupils about their learning. I heard pupils read. 29–30 January 2020

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 I spoke to some parents at the end of the school day. I considered the 84 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, including 12 written comments. I took account of the 16 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 26 pupil responses to the Ofsted survey.  I held a meeting with the leader responsible for safeguarding. I looked at a range of documents linked to safer recruitment. Pupils’ safeguarding information was discussed and evaluated.

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Inspection team

Janet Lunn, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 29–30 January 2020

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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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