Gleadless Primary School

Inspection of Gleadless Primary School Hollinsend Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S12 2EJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils want to do their best for their teachers and themselves. In lessons, pupils are keen to learn. They enjoy learning to read. Their achievements are celebrated through sparkle and shine assemblies. Here pupils are rewarded with certificates to celebrate their reading success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school’s core values. They know these make a positive contribution to school life. Pupils say that the school behaviour rules are fair. They know the rules have improved behaviour in school and expectations are higher. For example, if a pupil breaks the rules they are encouraged to reflect and think about what they could do differently next time. Whilst bullying sometimes happens, pupils trust that adults will resolve it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about and can talk about Christian and Muslim ceremonies. They believe it is important to treat everyone fairly. On a residential visit to Thornbridge, pupils enjoyed riding bicycles and walking the high ropes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who are digital leaders are online safety experts. They help other pupils to understand how to stay safe online. This helps pupils to understand the risks they may face online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents welcome recent changes to the school. They say that communication is getting better. Parents say their children enjoy after-school clubs such as football and cross-country running.

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better?

Leaders have improved the way they teach children to read. They have trained teachers well. Younger children learn new sounds earlier. They enjoy taking part in the lessons and learn to read sooner. Pupils carefully find and write words and then sentences. From Reception through to Year 2, pupils’ writing and spelling gets better. Pupils who need more help to read have extra time with adults. This helps them to remember the sounds more quickly. The books they use match the sounds they are learning. Pupils enjoy their reading. They are able to talk about the books they read in class. Pupils like to listen to their teachers reading class books. It motivates them to read.

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better?

Leaders have planned the mathematics curriculum sequentially from the early years to Year 6. Teachers support pupils to remember what they need to know. In lessons, however, teachers do not always give pupils enough time to practise calculating. Some pupils are unable to answer questions with accuracy. Teachers do not check pupils’ understanding frequently enough. This means that some pupils continue to make the same mistakes. 15 and 16 March 2022

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The leader for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has recently made positive changes to the support for pupils with SEND. She has thought carefully about what pupils need. A variety of additional help has now been put in place. Pupils receive thoughtful adaptions or alternative ways to learn. Adults in school work with pupils well.

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Leaders have put in place a well-planned curriculum. What pupils need to learn is broken down into small steps. Each step builds on the last. However, teachers do not always follow this curriculum as it has been planned. Books show very few activities have been completed in history. Some pupils are unsure of what they are learning and do not know whether their work is classed as science or geography.

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In the early years there is an exciting curriculum which prepares pupils well for Year 1. Teachers use small steps to build children’s knowledge securely. They make sure that all adults know what vocabulary children should learn. In lessons, children learn stories and rhymes, and practise their speaking and listening. This helps them to remember and use new words. Adults help children to get on with each other. Children share, sort out problems and work together to help each other.

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Leaders support families well. They carefully look at what is needed and find other agencies who can help. Leaders go to extra lengths to ensure pupils’ attendance is continually improving by promoting the importance of attending school to parents.

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Pupils understand how important it is to say active. They enjoy taking part in the sports competitions they have with other schools. Getting stamps in your fruit passport is popular. Pupils know that eating fruit daily helps to keep them healthy. A curriculum to support pupils’ well-being is in place. Pupils know keeping a healthy mind is important.

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The school was previously part of Arbourthorne and Gleadless Primary Schools Federation. There have been recent changes to the senior leadership team. In September 2021 the governing body restructured. Governors have taken time to understand what the priorities are in this school. They check on the improvements that are being made. There is a shared desire to ensure this school achieves ambitious standards across the curriculum for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have carefully identified the risks that pupils may face. They give families the extra support they need. Leaders have worked with outside agencies to make sure families get the best support. All adults take part in safeguarding training. They know how this will help them to spot pupils who may be vulnerable or at risk. They understand the risk their pupils may face. Leaders have carefully added extra lessons for pupils to support online safety. Governors carry out their statutory duties. 15 and 16 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, such as history, pupils cannot remember key knowledge. This is because teachers do not always teach the curriculum as it is planned. Leaders need to ensure the teachers teach the exact content, and the order of the curriculum is taught consistently.  Teachers do not always follow the curriculum plans in subjects other than English and mathematics. This leads to some confusion among pupils about which subject they are studying. Leaders should ensure that teachers develop their subject knowledge in the wider curriculum and are clear with pupils about what they are learning.  In lessons, teachers are not always clear on what it is that pupils cannot do. This is because teachers do not systematically check what pupils have remembered. Leaders need to ensure that teachers assess pupils’ learning in lessons to check understanding so that pupils are supported in knowing more, remembering more

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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. 15 and 16 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10210975 Type of school Primary

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School details

Chair of governing body Caroline Beattie

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Gleadless Primary School was a part of the Arbourthorne and Gleadless Primary Schools Federation until September 2021.  The school uses four unregistered and one registered alternative provider.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and other staff. An inspector met with the governing body.  Inspectors looked in detail at four subjects – reading, mathematics, geography and history. They talked to leaders and teachers about their curriculum plans. They also talked to pupils about what pupils knew and remembered in these subjects. They looked at pupils’ work and visited lessons. 15 and 16 March 2022

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 Inspectors met with leaders with overall responsibility for safeguarding and looked at school records. They also scrutinised the single central record.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including free-text responses.  Inspectors talked to pupils to gather their views on school life. They also talked to parents.

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Inspection team

Lesley Allwood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth Her Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 March 2022

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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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