Eckington Junior School

Inspection of Eckington Junior School School Street, Eckington, Sheffield, Derbyshire S21 4FL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Yvette Cherry. This school is part of Learners’ Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Matt Freeston, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Steve Welsh. 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Eckington Junior School has a real sense of community. Staff, parents and carers, and pupils all talk about the school being a family. One staff member typically stated: ‘I love this school as it feels a little like your own family.’ All are welcome, no matter where they come from, or their backgrounds. This is because pupils have a clear understanding of equality and diversity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well, especially those with a special educational need and/or disability (SEND). The ‘LEARNER’s code: listen, effort, attitude, readiness, neatness, empathy, respect and social’ helps ensure that these expectations are realised. Teachers explain clear next steps. Pupils self-assess and self-direct their own efforts to become good learners. The rainbow, bronze, silver and gold bands for achieving these steps are highly sought after, even by the staff!

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. ‘Stop, look, listen on 1, 2, 3’ focuses pupils back onto the lesson task. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and positive. The key themes of aspiration, community, equality and environment weave throughout the work of the school. These themes further encourage positive attitudes of pupils to each other, the local community and their view of the wider world.

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better?

The school works hard to ensure that all pupils develop a love of reading. Rigorous systems check how well pupils can read as soon as they start in the school. Skilled staff provide bespoke support to those who need it. A sequential approach to teaching reading is applied consistently in all lessons. Teachers challenge pupils thinking and learning with ‘four truths and a lie’. This develops critical thinking and a robust understanding of what the author means. Pupils talk excitedly about the wide range of books the school provides. Reviewing books in assemblies promotes the importance for pupils of reading more widely. Pupils enjoy reading.

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better?

The curriculum is well structured and organised. ‘Fast eight’ and ‘flashback 4’ help pupils recall prior learning. Pupils talk confidently about what they have learned. For instance, in history they recall facts about the Romans, Saxons and Vikings. They link concepts of settlement and invasion across these time periods. The school ensures that teachers have the knowledge they need to teach subjects well. Teachers pick up misconceptions and correct them swiftly. The use of pre-teaching delivery and activities enables pupils with SEND to access lessons. Targeted adaptations to learning ensure that these pupils achieve well in lessons. Regular reviews of the curriculum ensure that it is delivered well.

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better?

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND well. Work with external support provides staff with the knowledge needed to help these pupils progress. Detailed plans ensure that all staff support these pupils effectively. 5 and 6 March 2024

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The school is a calm place with an excited buzz. Routines are well established. The school has high expectations of pupils to behave well. Pupils live up to these expectations. Pupils get on well together. Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are positive. They enjoy coming to school. Although attendance has fallen in recent years, the school has responded well to this recent drop.

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Pupils are tolerant and respectful. They care and look out for one another. While pupils are tolerant and understanding of difference, a few pupils are not aware of the significance of British values to them or have a broad understanding of differing faiths and cultures. This means they are not as prepared as they could be to live in modern Britain. Pastoral support is highly thought of. The nurture club builds pupils’ confidence. There are a wide range of clubs to explore and develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils talk about the zorb football, glow in the dark dodgeball and fencing as being great fun.

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Leadership and management are exceptional. Staff and pupils unite in the delivery of the school’s strong vision. The school ensures that staff are highly trained to undertake their roles and responsibilities. Staff state the school considers greatly their workload. Parents speak highly of the work of the school and consider themselves partners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While pupils are tolerant and understanding of difference, a few pupils are not aware of the significance of British values to them or have a broad understanding of differing faiths and cultures. This means they are not as prepared as they could be to live in modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of differing faiths and cultures and an awareness of the significance of British values to them.

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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. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Website www.learnerstrust.org/eckington-juniors/

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 5 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a part of Learners’ Trust, which is a multi-academy trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  There is a before-school club managed by the school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCO).  Inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: reading, mathematics, history and physical education (PE). To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and met with teachers and pupils. They also looked at curriculum documentation for geography, reading, religious education (RE) and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.  The lead inspector met with three members of the academy champions including the chair. They also met with a member of the board of trustees.  The lead inspector met with a chief executive officer (CEO) and with the trust partner.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Parent View, including free-text responses and Ofsted’s survey for school staff. An inspector spoke informally to

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parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  Inspectors considered records of attendance, behaviour and safeguarding, including the school’s single central record. Inspectors met with leaders to discuss the safeguarding arrangements and took account of the view of staff and pupils. Inspectors considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

George Huthart Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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