Springfield Junior School

Inspection of Springfield Junior School Springfield Road, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0BU

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 and 13 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school because they like learning and being with their friends. They enjoy taking care of the school chickens. Pupils feel safe in school. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that if any bullying happens, they can click a link on the school’s website known as ‘the bully button’. This sends a message to leaders. Pupils are confident that if they ever had to use ‘the bully button’ they would get the help they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know well the pupils and the families that the school serves. They care about them. Pupils know that it is important to be kind and that even if you disagree with someone, you can still be their friend. Pupils learn that it is important to ‘have a go’. They are learning to be resilient and to understand that making mistakes is part of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils behave well. But, too often, some pupils’ behaviour is not good enough. They carry on talking when adults or their friends are talking, not listening to what is being said by others. Some pupils do not follow instructions given to them by adults straight away.

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better?

Leaders have recently reviewed the curriculum. They have put in place new plans for most subjects this term. The plans set out what pupils should learn in each subject. Leaders have not fully adapted the plans to make sure that they precisely meet the needs of the pupils. This includes tackling any gaps in pupils’ knowledge that might have emerged as a result of the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, or due to the shortcomings of the school’s previous plans.

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better?

Leaders have not precisely identified the crucial knowledge that they want pupils to remember in every subject. Teachers are not able to use assessment well to check that pupils are remembering the most important things in the long term.

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better?

In some subjects, leaders have provided teachers with training so that they can teach the content of the curriculum effectively. This is not the case in all subjects.

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better?

Mathematics is taught well. Teachers check that pupils can remember what they have learned in previous lessons. They provide clear explanations so that pupils build on what they already know.

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better?

When they join the school in Year 3, pupils who have not already learned to read, do not get off to a quick start. Staff do not teach phonics consistently well. Some staff have not had appropriate training to teach phonics for several years.

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better?

Staff have the same expectations of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as they do of all pupils. The school offers specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. The 12 and 13 October 2021

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special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), with responsibility for pupils with SEND, works closely with the teacher in the specially resourced provision. They have high expectations of what these pupils will achieve. They work in partnership with parents and external agencies to provide well for pupils’ individual needs.

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Some pupils receive extra help with their behaviour. However, some pupils show a lack of respect for adults and their classmates. They talk over each other. Some pupils have to be told several times before they follow instructions given by an adult. Not all staff have high enough expectations of how all pupils will behave.

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Pupil’s talk confidently about people who may have lifestyles or beliefs that are different to their own. Pupils say, ‘We are all equal’. They enjoy the clubs and trips that are on offer. Leaders provide a range of opportunities for pupils to learn about, and be prepared for, life in modern Britain.

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Leaders consider the well-being and workload of staff. They have changed some of the systems and procedures in school to make them more efficient. Leaders, including governors, are aware of some of the shortcomings in the school’s provision. They have begun to make some of the necessary improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. This includes preparing them for when they might walk alone to secondary school. Pupils understand the potential dangers of modern technology. Staff understand how to keep pupils safe. They know how to report any concerns they may have about a pupil’s welfare. They are kept up to date with their responsibilities through regular briefings. Leaders work closely with a range of external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils in Year 3, who have not learned phonics well enough before starting at the school, do not start to learn phonics at the level that is right for them for several weeks after joining the school. This slows their progress in learning to read. Leaders must ensure that all staff have the training they need to teach phonics well and that pupils who are still at the early stages of reading are taught phonics as a matter of priority.  Leaders have introduced a curriculum that sets out what pupils will learn and the order they will learn it. They have not identified all the gaps in pupils learning to enable them to adapt the curriculum to specifically meet the needs of pupils who attend this school. Pupils are not reliably building on secure prior knowledge. 12 and 13 October 2021

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Leaders must ensure that the newly introduced curriculum is suitably adapted to meet the needs of the pupils at this school.  Teachers do not use assessment well enough to check that pupils know and remember the crucial parts of the curriculum in the long term. Pupils do not reliably recall what they have previously been taught in all subjects. Leaders must make sure that teachers use assessment effectively to check that pupils remember what they have been taught.  Not all staff have the same high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Some pupils do not behave well and, sometimes, this interrupts lessons. Leaders must implement the new behaviour policy consistently, ensuring that all staff have the same high expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 12 and 13 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200440 Type of school Junior

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School details

Website www.springfield.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school provides specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school became an academy in June 2017. It is sponsored by QEGSMAT. This is a multi-academy trust.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, science and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 12 and 13 October 2021

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 Inspectors also looked at the curriculum plans for a broad range of subjects and discussed them with leaders.  Inspectors met with the SENCo and the inclusion mentor. They met with a group of staff and several groups of pupils to talk about their experiences of school.  Inspectors observed and talked to pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors examined the single central record of recruitment checks. They spoke with leaders and staff about the procedures for keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school. This includes the school’s evaluation of the work it does, its plans for improvement, minutes of governors’ meetings and documents relating to the safeguarding of pupils.  Inspectors met with representatives from QEGSMAT multi-academy trust and from the local governing body, including the chair, via an online link.  Inspectors spoke to parents as they brought their children to school. They took

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account of parents’ views through the 45 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. There were no responses to the online surveys for staff or pupils.

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Inspection team

Di Mullan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

George Huthart Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 October 2021

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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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