High Storrs School

School report The information contained within this draft report should not be shared or published under any circumstances. Ofsted will consider the sharing of information in any manner a serious breach of confidentiality and will take appropriate action if necessary

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Draft and confidential - Not for disclosure or publication Inspection of a good school: High Storrs School High Storrs Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S11 7LH

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Outcome

High Storrs School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this highly ambitious and warmly supportive school. The school has a house system. Pupils take healthy pride in belonging to their house. They celebrate their own achievements and the achievements of others. Pupils are inspired by the broad range of subjects they can study. These include classical civilisation, Latin and music. Pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders regularly seek the views of parents, pupils and staff. They celebrate the different backgrounds of pupils and staff within the school. Leaders lead by example, creating a warm environment where everyone is welcome.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Teachers rarely need to use the behaviour system. Pupils behave extremely well in lessons. They are keen to learn. Bullying happens occasionally. It is reported and resolved quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. At the time of the inspection, pupils were in final rehearsals for the High Storrs Dance Xchange. They spoke with enthusiasm and confidence about being part of the show.

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

Leaders provide pupils in school with an ambitious curriculum. The curriculum is deliberately planned to help pupils learn and remember. Curriculum planning in the sixth form is thorough. However, planning at key stages 3 and 4 is less secure. In some subjects, such as English, planning is not precise enough. Leaders are aware of this. Currently, they are refining their planning so that teachers know precisely what to teach. In a small number of lessons, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding before moving on. Occasionally, they fail to spot pupils’ misconceptions. 29–30 March 2022

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A small number of pupils attend alternative provision. The provision is appropriate to their needs. The school performs checks to try to ensure these pupils are receiving a good education. However, these checks are not always thorough enough to identify weaknesses.

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The special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) knows the pupils well. Pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans get the help they need. Teachers know how to help pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. A small number of pupils are taught within smaller classes to help them learn. They access the same curriculum as their peers but are given more structured support.

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Behaviour in lessons is calm and focused. Most pupils are confident and eager to learn. There is hardly any low-level disruption. When it happens, staff use the behaviour system to get the lesson back on track quickly. The three Cs - challenge, choice, consequence - ensure pupils have the chance to do the right thing. Although leaders take swift action to manage incidents of bullying, it is not always clear to pupils that this is happening.

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Leaders have a range of strategies in place to develop pupils’ early reading. This includes phonics teaching. Leaders are also developing a culture of reading. Pupils read texts that subject experts might use. Pupils will ‘read like a scientist’ or ‘read like a classicist.’ Pupils learn academic language and gain deeper understanding of their subjects.

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Pupils study personal, social, health, citizenship and economic education (PSHCEE) in all key stages, including the sixth form. Pupils remember this learning. They talk confidently about healthy relationships. They know how to stay safe online and offline. The school is part of the ‘White Ribbon’ project, where men advocate for an end to violence against women and girls. Pupils in the sixth form are particularly grateful for the stand leaders have taken on this important issue.

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Leaders offer pupils many extra-curricular experiences. There are over 50 clubs to choose from, including Warhammer, design-lab and the German film club. Leaders are committed to ensuring there is ‘something for everyone’. These activities are attended by the vast majority of pupils.

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Leaders help pupils to explore possible future careers. They provide information about university courses and alternatives, such as apprenticeships. However, leaders do not consistently show that they value these alternatives as highly as they value university routes.

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Trustees, governors and the headteacher are deeply committed to the school. They regularly meet to discuss the school’s strengths and areas for further development. They do so with honesty, clarity and openness. Staff are proud to work at the school. Staff morale is very high. Teachers praise the way that leaders help them to manage their workload. They know they are highly valued by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29–30 March 2022

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Leaders make sure that pupils at risk of harm are identified quickly. Pupils are encouraged to seek support from the pastoral team. A dedicated email address, safe@highstorrs, encourages pupils to seek help when they need it. Leaders meet regularly to discuss the provision for those pupils who need protection from harm. Leaders have a thorough knowledge of local risks, including the risk of radicalisation. They work proactively with other agencies to keep children safe. When new staff join, leaders carry out background recruitment checks to make sure pupils are kept safe.

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A small number of pupils attend alternative provision. Leaders have assured themselves that appropriate checks have been carried out on staff working in this provision. However, there are minor weaknesses in aspects of the administration of these arrangements.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders make use of alternative provision for a small number of pupils. Most of this provision is registered with the local authority (LA). Leaders have secured written confirmation from the LA that the registered alternative provision is subject to checks, including safeguarding checks. While stating unequivocally that the necessary safeguarding checks are carried out, the written confirmation does not set out precise details of which checks this entails. Leaders know that they hold responsibility for the suitability of alternative provision and, as such, should tighten up their procedures even further to confirm with absolute clarity that the LA have carried out all the required checks as stated in their letter.  Teachers do not consistently check pupils understanding before moving on. Sometimes pupils’ misconceptions are not challenged. They do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure staff routinely check pupils’ understanding. This should be

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

precise enough that misconceptions can be identified and challenged. 

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, also called High Storrs School, to be good on November 2013. 29–30 March 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 29–30 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227613 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1695

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form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 High Storrs School converted to become an academy in March 2018. It became part of the Minerva Trust. When its predecessor school, High Storrs School, was last inspected by Ofsted, in 2013, it was judged to be good overall.  A new headteacher took up post since the predecessor school was inspected. The current headteacher was appointed in September 2016.  The school makes use of alternative provision. Six providers are used. Two of these, Sheffield Inclusion Centre and Becton School, are registered with Ofsted. One provider, Group Training Association (GTA), is registered with the Department for Education. Three providers are unregistered. These are Whirlow Farm, Endeavour Training and Sheffield Private Tutors.  Through its careers programme, the school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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 The school hosts a local authority SEND provision for pupils with impaired hearing.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 8 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, maths, geography and business studies. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects. Inspectors visited specific lessons to check provision for pupils with EHC plans.  Members of the inspection team met with those with responsibility for pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with the chair and vice-chair of trustees. Inspectors met with the chair and vice-chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors took into account 112 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 159 responses from parents to Parent View. This included 146 free-text responses from parents.  Inspectors met with several groups of pupils to discuss their views about the school.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also took into account 613 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  An inspector spoke with three providers of alternative provision who are currently educating a small number of pupils who usually attend this school. To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record of recruitment checks. They spoke to governors, the designated safeguarding leader, the behaviour lead and looked at how incidents are logged and followed up. Inspectors explored a range of case studies in detail. Inspectors also spoke to a range of teaching and non-teaching staff to check their understanding of safeguarding training.

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Information about this inspection

Zoe Helman, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Information about this inspection

Janet Sheriff Ofsted Inspector 29–30 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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