Emmanuel Anglican/Methodist Junior Academy

Inspection of a good school: Emmanuel Anglican/Methodist Junior School Thorpe Drive, Waterthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S20 7JU

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Outcome

Emmanuel Anglican/Methodist Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a safe and happy community. Leaders want pupils to be ‘respectful, courageous and safe’. Pupils live up to this motto well. They enjoy school. Pupils are caring and supportive of each other. They have a strong sense of fairness and equality. They believe in helping everyone to ‘be the best they can be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff encourage positive behaviour and have high expectations of pupils’ conduct. Lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils are keen to learn. They stay on task. They play well together at social times. Bullying is extremely rare. If poor behaviour happens, pupils tell an adult. The adults sort out problems quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as joining the pupil leadership team. They are mature and respectful when discussing their ideas with others. They enjoy belonging to a ‘house’ within school. It gives them a sense of belonging and a healthy pride. Pupils in Year 6 are well prepared for the next steps in their education. Leaders have formed close links with the local secondary, and the infant school, to make sure that the curriculum joins up across all phases.

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

Historically, the curriculum has not supported pupils to achieve well. However, leaders have developed a new curriculum, which is well thought through. Previous weaknesses have been addressed. Leaders have clearly identified the end goals that pupils are working towards. In most subjects, the underpinning knowledge that pupils need in order to reach these goals is clearly identified. This helps teachers know what small steps to teach. Pupils generally achieve well. Outcomes are improving. However, in a small number of subjects, the work to identify the specific underlying knowledge that pupils need is not is complete. This means that, in some subjects, pupils have minor gaps in their knowledge. Leaders are aware of this and are working to address it. 13 and 14 June 2023

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Leaders have provided teachers with high-quality training to ensure that new curriculums are taught well. Teachers make effective choices to help pupils learn and remember new knowledge. Where it is clearly identified in the curriculum, teachers skilfully draw pupils’ attention to the most important learning within lessons. They explain new learning carefully and address misconceptions well. Teachers make subtle and appropriate adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) where needed. Teachers and teaching assistants give pupils with SEND the right support at the right time. As a result, these pupils achieve well.

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A small number of pupils are taught phonics to help them to read confidently. Teachers deliver these sessions very effectively. Books match the sounds that pupils know, which helps them to learn quickly. Pupils enjoy reading and talking about the books they have studied.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Leaders adapt this appropriately for pupils with SEND, if required. These pupils have some small-group sessions to help them understand sensitive topics. Pupils develop detailed knowledge of, for example, online safety, democracy and equalities. However, they do not remember as much about aspects of the curriculum for religious education, specifically, other world faiths. Leaders are in the process of addressing this. Leaders have joined up with other schools to help pupils understand more about people from different faiths and backgrounds. There are regular educational visits which support pupils to learn the curriculum. There is also a range of clubs available for pupils, including various sports teams and the school choir.

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Governors and trustees offer effective support and challenge to school leaders. Teachers say that workload is well managed. They feel encouraged and supported by leaders. Staff access regular, high-quality training. There are frequent opportunities to collaborate with other schools in the trust and beyond.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

If pupils are worried about anything, they let staff know. Staff report any concerns they have about pupils’ safety or well-being immediately. Leaders follow these up quickly and effectively. They involve external agencies where needed. Staff keep detailed records of their actions. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers.

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Safeguarding

In PSHE lessons, pupils study a range of topics to help them to be safe. For example, they learn about water safety and about the dangers of fireworks. They also learn about healthy friendships and staying safe in the community.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out checks to make sure that any new staff or visitors are safe to work in school. 13 and 14 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the knowledge that pupils need in order to reach the curriculum goals is not consistently identified in a small number of subjects. Teachers are sometimes unclear about the small steps to teach in order to help pupils learn and remember the aims of the curriculum. Leaders should continue refining the curriculum so that teachers know what the most important underlying knowledge is and check that pupils have learned it.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2018.

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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust.  A new executive headteacher and head of school have taken up their posts since the previous inspection.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above the national average.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  In its most recent SIAMs (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools) inspection, the school was judged ‘good’ overall for its effectiveness and distinctiveness as a Church of England school.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held several meetings with the headteacher during the inspection. 13 and 14 June 2023

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 The inspector met with three members of the governing body and the chair of the trust board.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer (CEO) and deputy CEO of the trust.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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.  The inspector spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school. The inspector also spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at the school gate.  Safeguarding documentation and records for behaviour and attendance were checked.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during

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lesson visits and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school.  The inspector reviewed the parental responses received to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector also considered the responses received to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and the responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 June 2023

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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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