Sandfield Close Primary School

Inspection of Sandfield Close Primary School Sandfield Close, Leicester, Leicestershire LE4 7RE

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They understand the school’s values of responsibleness, respectfulness, resilience and resourcefulness, and they demonstrate these to each other and the staff. Pupils are kind and have a deep appreciation of diversity and equality, which helps everyone in the school to feel welcome. Pupils behave well and enjoy receiving rewards when they demonstrate positive attitudes to learning in the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ achievement. Typically, pupils meet these expectations. Pupils understand the importance of working hard and trying their best. They know that school is important, and they appreciate how adults in school help them to learn new things. Pupils like to impress with their new knowledge and delight in sharing exciting facts to ‘wow’ adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like having additional responsibilities in the school, such as being monitors at lunchtime. They like the clubs and trips that the school provides, for example a recent space camp. Pupils are excited about the new opportunities to be leaders in the school, such as being school councillors, and they feel that these will help them to become more confident.

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

The school has an ambitious vision for the quality of education that it provides. There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary to help them to access the broad and balanced curriculum. A wide range of opportunities help pupils to make tangible connections to local, national and global events. Pupils value learning from visitors to school and from their visits to other educational places. This enables them to learn more deeply about some areas of the curriculum.

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

The school successfully identifies and provides for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In the specially resourced provision, a wide range of therapies are used to help pupils to access their learning successfully and to manage their emotions.

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

In most subjects, the school has refined the knowledge that pupils should know and remember. In some subjects, such as history and geography, pupils learn important facts and how to answer investigative questions. In most subjects, knowledge is sequenced from the early years so that pupils can connect and remember important facts over time. However, in some subjects, the school has not made it clear what pupils will learn and when. This hinders teachers in designing learning activities that emphasise this important information.

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

Teachers demonstrate and explain concepts well so that pupils know what they should do when they work independently. Teachers check carefully for any misconceptions that pupils may have. However, sometimes, teachers do not use assessment sufficiently well in lessons so that activities and the work pupils receive are ambitious for all. 29 and 30 October 2024

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Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and want to do their best. They like to debate and share their ideas with one and other. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They know what teachers expect of them.

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Reading is a high priority in the school. Teachers have expert knowledge in how to teach early reading and this helps pupils to develop their reading fluency. Pupils who need more help with their reading receive additional practice to help to them to catch up quickly. The school provides a wide range of carefully chosen reading books and class novels. These help to inspire pupils to read widely and often.

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Children in the early years have a strong start to their schooling. Adults help them to understand school routines and expectations quickly. Children learn to play cooperatively with each other. Adults plan activities carefully to help children sustain high levels of concentration. This helps children to practise and apply their learning.

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Pupils have a strong understanding of their physical and mental health. They learn about a range of different cultures and faiths and like to share information about their own beliefs. Pupils are taught about how to stay safe online and in the community. Pupils enjoy attending extra-curricular clubs. The school is in the process of expanding the range of clubs on offer. Pupils are excited at these opportunities to help them to develop their interests and talents further.

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The school has an accurate understanding of the provision’s strengths and the areas for development. The school is ensuring that those responsible for governance receive training to assist them in their work supporting and challenging the school. Staff feel well supported and value the training that they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should know and remember has not been identified clearly enough. This means that teachers lack clarity about the information that they should emphasise when they deliver the curriculum. The school should clarify the knowledge that pupils should remember in these subjects so that their knowledge builds securely over time.  Sometimes, the work that pupils receive is not ambitious enough. This means that some pupils receive work or activities that do not enable them to develop more complex ideas. The school should adopt consistent assessment strategies across the whole curriculum so that teachers know pupils’ different starting points and adapt their approaches in lessons accordingly. 29 and 30 October 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with 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). 29 and 30 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.sandfieldclose.leicester.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is a new headteacher since the previous school inspection.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The pupils who attend the provision have communication and interaction needs and have an education, health and care plan. There are 12 pupils in the provision.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 October 2024

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other leaders. The lead inspector met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the local governing body. The lead inspector also held a discussion with a local authority representative.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors observed some pupils

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read to a familiar member of staff. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and reviewed curriculum documentation in some other subjects.  Inspectors spent time in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors observed behaviour in lessons and at other times around school. Inspectors met with those responsible for behaviour, attendance and personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan and information about governance. Inspectors also considered information about pupils’ attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent

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View, and the results of Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Sarah Sadler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Moore Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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