Coit Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Coit Primary School Park Avenue, Chapeltown, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S35 1WH

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 October 2022

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at Coit Primary School. Pupils feel safe and enjoy learning. Behaviour is excellent. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Pupils have high expectations of themselves. In lessons, pupils are calm and focused. At social times, they play well together. Bullying is extremely rare. Staff manage behaviour incidents quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Curriculum planning is ambitious. Leaders have thought carefully about how they can help pupils learn to think like subject experts. However, this approach is new. The full impact of the new curriculum has not been realised at this early stage. Some curriculum planning is not broken down in sufficient detail. Activities usually match pupils’ learning needs, but this is not consistent across all subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are usually supported well. This is especially true within the resourced provision, Treehouse. This provision provides a nurturing environment for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to be actively involved in the life of the school community. For example, some pupils helped to redesign the school playground. Pupils also participate in the end-of-year talent show. Leaders also encourage parents and carers to get involved in the life of the school. They help parents to understand how to support their child at home. For example, many parents have attended workshops on how to support their children with reading. Parents also come into school to talk with pupils about the jobs they do and the world of work. 12 and 13 October 2022

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

Leaders provide regular opportunities for staff to access training, especially in curriculum design and reading instruction. There is a sophisticated approach to curriculum planning. It is designed to help pupils understand how subject experts think and behave. However, this approach is new. It is not having an impact at this early stage. Planning is detailed but is not consistently broken down as fully as it should be. Leaders continue to develop planning so that their aims for the curriculum can be fully realised.

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

Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They regularly observe lessons and look at books to quality assure the curriculum. Leaders are highly trained and pay close attention to detail. They have high expectations of staff but are also very supportive. Staff enjoy working at the school and the majority feel supported by leaders.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They deliberately think aloud to help pupils understand how they approach tasks and solve problems in different subjects. They address pupils’ misconceptions to help them stay on track. Occasionally, the work provided, for example in ‘challenge’ tasks, does not match the learning needs of the children securely enough.

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

The resourced provision for pupils with SEMH is highly effective. Pupils follow a bespoke curriculum that meets their academic and emotional needs. Staff work conscientiously to build pupils’ vocabulary. Pupils feel safe and are happy to attend. Within the mainstream school, most pupils with SEND learn well. However, some pupils with SEND are occasionally withdrawn for more targeted support, for example in mathematics. This support is not consistently matched to pupils’ needs.

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

Children in the early years are safe and happy. Leaders design activities to support the teacher-led sessions. These activities are purposeful and engaging. Staff take every opportunity to develop pupils’ vocabulary while they play and learn.

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

Most children learn to read quickly. The reading leaders ensure that staff deliver the phonics programme consistently. This helps children to stay on track because routines are clear. Most of the books and texts that children read match the sounds they know. Sometimes, this is not the case. On these occasions, children are not able to access the reading as they should. Leaders are working to improve this shortcoming.

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

Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils develop into responsible citizens. There is an active school council. There are many opportunities for pupils to engage with new experiences. There are regular educational visits. Visits are carefully chosen to deepen pupils’ knowledge of the planned curriculum. Pupils also visit the local library, which helps them to develop a love of reading. Leaders have developed a range of extra-curricular clubs, such as yoga, craft club and multi-skills. Almost all pupils attend at least one club across the school year.

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

The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) covers a wide range of important topics, such as online safety and healthy relationships. Pupils learn to respect 12 and 13 October 2022

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people from all backgrounds. They speak positively about other cultures and faiths. Pupils are respectful in the way they treat each other and visitors to school. Pupils remember much of what they learn through the PSHE curriculum, but there are gaps. For example, despite electing school councillors, pupils were not able to talk about democracy.

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Although pupils engage well in lessons, they sometimes struggle to articulate their ideas. Leaders have not provided sufficient opportunity for pupils to develop skills in debating and discussing important topics. There are plans in place to develop this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained well. They are alert to potential risks to pupils, such as the risk of domestic abuse. They report all concerns appropriately. These are followed up quickly and effectively by leaders. Leaders put support in place for pupils who need extra help. Leaders make timely referrals to external agencies, such as local authority children’s services, when needed. Pupils feel safe and have a trusted adult to talk to in school.

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Safeguarding

Checks are carried out on staff and visitors to make sure every adult is appropriately vetted and safe to be around children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, learning is not sufficiently well broken down in the planning and is not adapted well to pupils’ learning needs consistently. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum, ensuring that learning is consistently clearly broken down into small steps and that work securely matches pupils’ learning needs, including for children in the early years.  Leaders have not deliberately planned to develop pupils’ skills in debating and discussing. Pupils sometimes struggle to articulate what they mean. Leaders should develop debating and oracy across the curriculum, building on the vocabulary planning already in place.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 12 and 13 October 2022

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in December 2016.

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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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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 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240514 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 10 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs an on-site resourced provision for pupils with SEMH.  The number of pupils eligible to receive pupil premium funding is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held several meetings with the headteacher during the inspection.  A meeting was held with three members of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where appropriate, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. 12 and 13 October 2022

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 Pupils talked to the inspector, formally and informally, about their learning and experiences at school.  Safeguarding documentation and records for behaviour and attendance were considered.  The inspector reviewed the responses received through Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector considered responses received through Ofsted’s staff survey and responses to the pupil survey.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they have at school.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 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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