Walkley Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Walkley Primary School Burnaby Crescent, Walkley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S6 2RZ

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Pupils are respectful of differences. They understand the importance of considering different beliefs and opinions. For example, pupils in Year 6 talk confidently about issues such as gender equality and racism in football. Pupils are polite and courteous. They are supportive of one another. Pupils listen carefully in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is positive. Pupils say that they do not have to worry about bullying. They know about different types of bullying and say that bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that adults would help them if they had any problems. Leaders have established effective links between home and school. A weekly ‘Golden Citizen’ assembly recognises pupils who show the school’s values of enjoyment, achievement and learning for life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending clubs such as those for yoga and street dance. Clubs are well attended. Pupils study a wide range of subjects. However, some subject plans are not sequenced well enough. This means that pupils are not able to build on what they have learned before. Teachers work hard to make lessons interesting for pupils. Pupils enjoy taking part in activities that attract their interest. Sometimes, these activities are not planned well enough. When this happens, pupils do not spend enough time practising important aspects of their learning.

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

Adults help children to develop language from an early age. Children are encouraged to develop their vocabulary through role play. The early years leader has reviewed the curriculum. Children build on what they know each term as they move through early years. Adults support children well as they move into Year 1. Teachers share information about pupils, so teachers have the best possible start to key stage 1. 20 and 21 April 2022

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Leaders recognise the importance of encouraging pupils to read. For example, the school’s Reading Race rewards pupils for reading at home. Children learn to read as soon as they enter the school. Adults have received training to use the school’s phonics programme. Teachers check regularly to see how well pupils are doing. Pupils receive extra help if they start to fall behind. However, the checks that teachers make can be inaccurate. This means that some children do not learn about the right sounds. Some pupils find it difficult to join in with phonics lessons. Others struggle to read their books. Pupils learn how to answer questions about texts as they move through the school. Their work is neat and tidy. However, teachers do not plan learning activities carefully enough. Pupils spend too much time completing tasks that do not help them practise important aspects of reading.

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Leaders have thought carefully about their new mathematics curriculum. Plans provide opportunities for pupils to build on what they know. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Pupils spend time each day practising things they have already learned. Pupils have regular opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills. Teachers provide pupils with equipment that helps them to understand tricky concepts. Sometimes, the activities that teachers plan are not matched well enough to what teachers want pupils to learn. This means that some pupils lack confidence when explaining important aspects of mathematics.

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Subject leaders are knowledgeable about their subject. They have started to review the curriculum in foundation subjects. Curriculum plans in subjects such as geography, history and design technology are not complete. Leaders have not identified the most important things that pupils must know in each subject. This means that pupils could miss important learning that helps them as they move through the school.

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Subject leaders do not check how well pupils are doing carefully enough. There have been no checks on some subjects such as geography, history and design technology. Leaders have started to use an electronic system to record pupils’ achievements. However, subject leaders have not used this to find out what pupils know. This means that subject leaders cannot identify exactly what needs to improve.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support to meet their individual learning needs. Teachers make regular checks to see how well pupils with SEND are doing in English and mathematics. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) helps staff to plan lessons. She provides resources to help staff meet pupils’ needs. Staff take part in a range of training opportunities to help them support pupils with SEND effectively. Staff work well with external agencies to provide pupils with the help they need.

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Leaders take care to consider the workload of staff. Staff work well as a team to help each other and share ideas. Governors have not carried out checks on the curriculum carefully enough. They are unclear about the progress that leaders have made when reviewing the curriculum. Governors have not ensured that information is up to date on the school’s website. 20 and 21 April 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders recognise the importance of keeping pupils safe. New staff receive information about how to safeguard pupils. Safeguarding records show that leaders act quickly when pupils need support or help for matters that relate to safeguarding. Staff work closely with external agencies to support pupils’ needs.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training about safeguarding. They know which signs to look for to identify a range of safeguarding concerns. Staff know whom to report to should they have any concerns about pupils’ safety.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the school’s curriculum. They know how to stay safe when they are outside school. For example, pupils learn how to stay safe when online. They know to report any concerns they have to an adult.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The checks that teachers make on how well pupils are learning to read can be inaccurate. This means that some children struggle to join in with lessons and others do not have books that are well matched to their needs. Leaders should ensure that teachers make accurate checks on pupils’ reading ability. Teachers should ensure that the books they provide to pupils are well matched to their reading ability.  Sometimes, the activities that teachers plan do not enable pupils to practise important aspects of reading and mathematics. Pupils spend too much time carrying out tasks that are not focused on what teachers want them to learn. Teachers should ensure that lesson activities help pupils to spend more time learning the knowledge they need in order to become better readers or mathematicians.  Curriculum plans for foundation subjects are not sequenced well enough. Leaders have not considered what pupils must know in each subject carefully enough. Curriculum

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

leaders should consider what it is essential for pupils to know and in what order it should be taught, so that pupils know more and remember more as they move through school.  Foundation subject leaders do not check what pupils have learned carefully enough. This means that they do not know whether pupils have understood what they have been taught. Leaders should establish systems to check what pupils have learned and remembered. Subject leaders should use this information to improve the quality of teaching in their subjects.  Governors do not check the work of leaders and staff carefully enough to ensure that they have an accurate view of the quality and effectiveness of the school curriculum. They do not check carefully that important information is up to date on the school’s website. Governors should check the quality of the school’s curriculum. They should publish all necessary information on the school’s website.

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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 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 in February 2017.

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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. 20 and 21 April 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211417 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils identified as having SEND is lower than national averages.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in his evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, designated safeguarding lead, SENCo and curriculum leaders. Meetings also took place with members of the teaching staff and with teaching support staff.  The inspector met with members of the local governing body and the local authority. 20 and 21 April 2022

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 The inspector undertook deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, including records on the school’s recording system and the single central record.  The inspector met with staff to discuss the training they have received, how leaders support them and how workload is managed.  The 50 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered. There were 10 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff and 111 responses from pupils.

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Inspection team

Jaimie Holbrook, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 April 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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