Springfield Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Springfield Primary School Cavendish Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S3 7RZ

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Outcome

Springfield Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued at Springfield, and this is because the school does value each individual who attends here. This is a listening school. Leaders hear the voices of staff and pupils. This supports the school in its genuine collaborative approach to learning, improving learning experiences both in and out of the classroom. Leaders’ high expectations permeate all areas of the school. The school celebrates pupils’ achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A high proportion of pupils arrive throughout the year and many speak English as an additional language. The school successfully gets to know all pupils on their arrival to the school, whether this be at the start of early years or later in their school life. This enables the school to give pupils personalised support. The school has a determination to ensure that all pupils excel in their own way. The school is successful in this mission. Pupils are well equipped for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Polite, respectful children in early years play and learn together. The older pupils are great ambassadors for the school. Pupils are welcoming and well mannered to each other and the staff. This helps ensure the school, in and outside the classroom, is calm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Clubs and activities are carefully planned. They link to learning which sparks pupils’ interest. For example, the visits to local museums build on learning in the classroom.

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

The school ensures pupils learn to read well. Reading is an important part of every day for every pupil. Staff teach phonics with great skill to support those in the early stages of reading. When pupils become fluent readers, they thrive on the rich, diverse texts that the school provides. Reading for pleasure is also ever-present. Pupils speak with 5 and 6 November 2024

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enthusiasm about books and story characters. Educational visits help to bring books to life. For example, pupils enjoyed reading and finding out about astronauts at the National Space Centre. The needs of the pupils in school provide the starting point for the support that they receive. The school ensures pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a rich, broad curriculum from early years all through school. The school is skilled at meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. It does this by removing barriers to learning, for example in mathematics, using resources that support specific needs pupils have.

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Clear, well-understood subject ambition underpins pupils’ learning. For example, in mathematics, teachers help pupils understand fractions. They do this in a well-paced, practice-rich environment. This has given pupils space and time to develop their mathematical confidence and knowledge. Learning is not a series of stand-alone lessons. It is a process that has had careful thought from early years to Year 6. In art, children successfully develop their pencil grip and mark-making skills in the early years. In Year 6, pupils effectively use different pencil techniques in their sketchbooks. The school’s development of pupil oracy is less strong. Some pupils are less able to speak with confidence and stamina. The use of subject-specific language across all subjects and enabling pupils to use this vocabulary accurately is limited.

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The school offers a tranquil learning environment. In early years, the children have a wealth of opportunities to explore and learn. Children are attentive in both indoor and outdoor areas. In the early years provision, children demonstrate deep concentration on their tasks. Children are able to share and play together with great harmony. Early years staff are knowledgeable, caring and calm. They help improve children’s subject knowledge from varied starting points. The staff nurture the children in early years. This approach is maintained throughout school until the pupils leave school in Year 6 for their next chapter of learning. The school cares for the whole child, supporting them to be mentally healthy as well as supporting their academic progress.

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Pupils arrive at school ready to learn. They understand the school’s clear routines and expectations. The staff fuel the pupils’ curiosity in class. This reduces the opportunity for distractions and being off task. When a pupil’s concentration lapses, adults are quick to draw their attention back to the learning. This motivation to learn encourages pupils to attend school more often.

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Pupils’ personal development is the heartbeat of this school. It feeds pupils’ success in all other areas. Pupils have a clear respect for each other and for their learning. Carefully considered excursions within the local area, and trips more widely, linked to learning support pupils’ development. These experiences help pupils to become well-rounded, positive members of society. The school council supports the leadership of the school. Pupils are proud to represent their classmates when elected to the council. They help decide the clubs the school should offer to meet pupils’ interests. An example is the after- school crafts club. The pupils also help in the local community. They have helped to design the local park, performed in the national music awards in the city and supported local charities.

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The governing body offers integrity, care and kindness. Senior leaders model these traits, 5 and 6 November 2024

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and staff adopt them. The school values reflection and self-improvement. This approach supports the school to improve and maintain the high standards it offers continuously.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s actions to develop pupils’ spoken language are not fully embedded. This means that some pupils’ oracy is not as advanced as it could be. The school should continue with its plans to support pupils with subject-specific vocabulary to improve their language knowledge.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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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. 5 and 6 November 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 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Linda Joseph and Sally Holder (Co- Headteachers) Website springfieldschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the co-headteachers and senior leaders and spoke to staff  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the 5 and 6 November 2024

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff. He also reviewed the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector also considered the views of pupils from meetings with groups of pupils from across the school. He also spoke to pupils informally about the school.

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Inspection team

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 November 2024

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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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