Silverdale School

Inspection of Silverdale School Bents Crescent, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S11 9QH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 6 and 7 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils of Silverdale School enjoy being part of a diverse learning community. Pupils from the sixth form, the integrated resource for pupils with a hearing impairment and those in Years 7 to 11 are happy in each other’s company. The curriculum is broad and varied. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In lessons, teachers’ plans and adaptations ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is purposeful. They are focused because they trust their teachers and are interested in their learning. In Year 7, pupils already feel like they belong at the school. Older pupils help them, for example, by escorting them to lessons if they are lost. Teachers and pupils respect each other. This helps to make bullying rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a broad range of extra-curricular clubs. When inspectors visited, pupils were enjoying dance, choir, soul band and netball. These clubs are well attended. Leaders are aware that they need to do more to ensure that pupils from all backgrounds attend these clubs. A new system is being introduced this year to ensure that leaders can check this effectively. Leaders in sixth form encourage students to have high aspirations, which leaders’ actions help them to meet. For example, key stage 5 students have opportunities to act as paired readers with Year 7 or take on supervisory roles at lunchtime. These help to build confidence in older students as they prepare to leave Silverdale School.

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better?

Leaders aspire to ‘outstanding achievement for all’ at Silverdale School. The planning of the curriculum is helping them to move towards this goal. Curriculum plans are carefully sequenced, so that there is a clear plan in place from Year 7 to Year 13. There is aspiration among leaders for all pupils to be ready for their next steps. For example, leaders are aware of the opportunities for medical and engineering employment in the local area. They ensure that the curriculum prepares pupils to enter these professions if they wish. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and the leader of the integrated resource for pupils with a hearing impairment provide clear information to teachers. This means that teachers confidently adapt lessons to involve all pupils. Curriculum leaders’ plans go beyond the classroom. For example, in English, pupils have a chance to enter the ‘Poetry by Heart’ competition.

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better?

Teachers make regular checks on the important information that they want pupils to remember through the 'responsive teaching' strategies that are used in lessons. Leaders are aware that there is more work to do to ensure that assessment systems for key stage 3 pupils are as coherent and well understood as those for older pupils. Leaders are developing strategies to strengthen this area. 6 and 7 October 2022

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Staff identify struggling readers quickly and a range of different strategies are used to help pupils develop the reading skills they need. Literacy is given a high priority across the school. For example, in history, inspectors visited lessons which helped pupils to understand and use important subject-specific vocabulary. The library has dedicated sections for staff and sixth-form students. Pupils in Years 8 and 9 are keen to take on responsibility as librarians.

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In lessons, pupils are focused. Pupils told inspectors that when disruption to lessons does occur, teachers deal with it quickly. Inspectors saw pupils’ positive attitudes to their learning during the inspection. Students in the sixth form support each other and display extremely positive attitudes to learning. Leaders’ work to integrate students from Silverdale School and those from other schools is very successful in fostering these attitudes. At social times and lesson changeovers, pupils show respect to each other and to their teachers. However, there are a small number of pupils that say they feel school behaviour systems are not consistently applied. Inspectors saw some examples of this. As a result, a small number of pupils do not feel confident about reporting behaviour incidents to adults.

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There are a wide range of clubs and visits for pupils to attend. These are enjoyed by large groups of pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils receive clear advice about moving to colleges or university. Pupils with SEND are helped to visit a range of possible education providers. Leaders’ focus on diversity across the school is understood by pupils. For example, initiatives such as ‘This is me’ day help to create a safe and purposeful environment for pupils where differences are celebrated. Some sixth-form students act as bi-lingual ambassadors. Leaders invite external organisations into school to ensure that pupils receive age-appropriate help and guidance, for example, the South Yorkshire Safer Driving Partnership and the Amy Winehouse Foundation work with students in the sixth form. Leaders’ support for students in the sixth form continues after they leave Silverdale. For example, students embarking on a gap

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year have offers of help available to assist them with university applications upon their return.

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Staff feel well supported. They are proud to work at Silverdale. Teachers are given time to make ‘professional learning visits’ to other lessons. This ensures that good practice is shared across the school. Those at the early stages of their career feel that there is a supportive, collegiate approach. Leaders are approachable but staff are not aware of the formal routes available to discuss issues around workload and well-being. Governors understand leaders’ priorities for school development. Many parents told inspectors they were happy to send their children to Silverdale School.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Training for teachers takes account of issues specific to Silverdale School. There is a clear programme of induction for new teachers. 6 and 7 October 2022

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Fortnightly meetings of the ‘referral panel’ take place. This includes leaders from across the school and ensures that there is a good understanding of the support that vulnerable pupils need. Leaders for safeguarding involve external agencies where necessary and take advice to ensure that they take the necessary steps to safeguard children.

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There are clear systems to make appropriate checks on staff that work with children. Teachers understand how to pass on concerns about other adults and know how to use the school’s systems to alert leaders to concerns about pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, behaviour policies and systems are not applied consistently at social times. This means that a small number of pupils do not buy into the ethos of the school or feel that they are treated fairly. Leaders should ensure that behaviour systems are well understood and consistently applied by staff.  Assessment of pupils’ learning at key stage 3 is not as well developed as it is for older pupils. This means that subject leaders and teachers do not understand how their subject fits into the overall assessment strategy at key stage 3. Leaders should ensure that all staff know how their subjects and lessons form part of the overall approach to assessment at key stage 3.

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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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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. 6 and 7 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10244629 Type of school Secondary

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1461

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sixth form

Website http://www.silverdale.sheffield.sch.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 October 2014

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection in 2014, there have been considerable changes in leadership. The headteacher and deputy headteacher took up their positions about five years ago. There have also been changes in other leadership positions. The chair of governors and chair of the board of trustees have also changed.  Silverdale School has an integrated resource for pupils with a hearing impairment. It is currently attended by 15 pupils from Year 7 to Year 11.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative providers for a very small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Year 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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

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 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 met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with the chief executive officer of Chorus Education Trust. Inspectors met with trustees, including the chair of trustees, and members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, physical education, history, modern foreign languages and English. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans for science, drama, geography and

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design and technology. Inspectors met with leaders to discuss school-wide assessment systems.  Inspectors met with the SENCo and with the leader for additionally resourced provision that caters for pupils with a hearing impairment. Inspectors also visited lessons to look at the support that pupils with SEND receive in lessons.  Inspectors met with leaders for safeguarding to discuss polices and systems used in the school. Inspectors spoke to teachers about safeguarding and looked at records that leaders keep in relation to safeguarding. Inspectors also scrutinised the single central record.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, both formally and informally, including single-sex groups of pupils.  Inspectors met with leaders for the sixth form. They visited lessons and spoke with pupils about the sixth from provision.  Inspectors spoke with leaders for the alternative providers used by the school and

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made visits to a sample of these providers.  Inspectors looked at systems to identify early readers and visited lessons to look at the support that those at the early stages of reading receive. Inspectors also visited the school library.  Inspectors observed social times and spoke to staff and pupils at social times.  Inspectors spoke to different groups of staff, including support staff and early career teachers.  Inspectors met with leaders for personal, social and health education and with leaders for careers and extra-curricular activities.  Inspectors took account of the view of parents, pupils and staff through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View. 6 and 7 October 2022

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Garry Stout Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 October 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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