Sheep Dip Lane Academy

Inspection of Sheep Dip Lane Academy Sheep Dip Lane, Dunscroft, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN7 4AU

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The principal of this school is Faye Parish. This school is part of Exceed Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Beryce Nixon (OBE), and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Blount. 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this school benefit from an environment that is an oasis of calm, consistency and kindness. Pupils are valued. Staff treat pupils with respect and consideration. Pupils likewise treat each other with this same level of care. Pupils feel safe. They have high levels of trust in adults in school. Pupils are enthusiastic to learn and behave in an exemplary way, both in lessons and around school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and very well supported. Pupils who need help with their behaviour receive highly skilled support from adults. Pupils’ exceptional attitudes to learning begin in the early years. Here, they are carefully taught the skills they need to become resilient and focused learners, both during their time in early years and beyond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest expectations for what pupils can achieve, how they should behave, and the range of experiences they should benefit from during their time in school. These expectations are being fully realised in relation to how pupils behave in school and their attitudes to learning. Pupils develop a strong sense of self and belief in what they can achieve. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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

The school has created an ambitious curriculum for pupils. At each stage of pupils’ learning, the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils are taught is carefully considered. The curriculum begins in the early years. Children in the early years benefit from a well- structured curriculum. This prepares them well for their future learning. In lessons, pupils with SEND are well supported. They get the help they need when they need it in lessons. There are a range of educational trips and visitors into school that enrich what pupils have learned in the curriculum. In some subjects, the activities that pupils are given do not give them the best chance to achieve the ambitious aims of the curriculum.

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

Children in the early years get a positive start to their education. The school has carefully considered what it wants children to learn in the different parts of the early years curriculum. Staff skilfully teach and model to children the behaviours and expectations of the school. Children rise to these expectations and quickly become engaged and enthusiastic learners. Staff focus effectively on developing children’s vocabulary and communication. Children with SEND in the early years are quickly identified. Staff build very positive relationships with parents and carers during their children’s journey in the early years.

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

The teaching of reading is a priority. The phonics curriculum is carefully structured and consistently taught. Leaders regularly check how well it is being delivered and how well pupils are learning. Pupils who need support with reading are quickly identified and skilfully supported. Staff receive regular training and guidance to be the most effective teachers of phonics that they can be. Pupils have frequent opportunities to become fluent readers by reading books that have sounds they have been recently taught. They develop positive attitudes to reading. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are exceptional. Throughout school, there is clarity on how pupils should behave and the type of people they can become. The school rules and expectations are not just shared with pupils but are deliberately and intentionally taught to them. Pupils thrive in this atmosphere of certainty and security. The smallest details around how pupils should behave have been considered. Pupils enthusiastically look for opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the ‘relentless routines’ that are a key feature of the school’s approach to behaviour. The school has ensured that positive attendance is understood by pupils and parents. Over recent years, attendance has increased and the number of pupils persistently absent has decreased. The school is not complacent about the continued work needed to embed a culture of high attendance.

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The school’s approach to personal development is worthy of sharing. Leaders ask, ‘Why not Sheep Dip pupils?’ when talking about the vast range of opportunities and experiences they have created for pupils. This sums up their ambition for pupils. Pupils are empowered to make a difference to their school and wider community. All children benefit from opportunities, both in and out of the classroom. For example, they talk about the ‘Sheep Dip 70’ and how they are enjoying ticking off the experiences identified on this list. Pupils develop an extremely strong sense of right and wrong. Pupils can only consider others because they are first supported and encouraged to see their own uniqueness and potential.

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Leaders at all levels share a common goal to give pupils the best life chances possible. The trust has ensured that there are clear systems for leaders to have a clear picture of the strengths of the school and the areas to focus on. The school proactively engages with parents. Parents speak in glowing terms about the work of the school.

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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, some activities that teachers give to pupils are not designed in a way that gives pupils enough opportunity to deepen and extend their learning. As a result, some pupils do not fully achieve the ambitious objectives identified in the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure staff have the subject knowledge and skills to design tasks that give pupils the best chance to learn the curriculum well. 19 and 20 November 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 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Website www.sheepdiplane.doncaster.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Exceed Learning Partnership.  The school joined the trust in April 2020.  The school uses one 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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education pro- vision. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 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 spoke to executive leaders, including the chief executive officer, the director of primary education, the academy improvement partners, and several members of the governing body, including directors.  Inspectors spoke to other senior leaders, including the principal and the vice principal.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held a discussion about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 children’s interests first.

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Inspection team

Liam Colclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindsay Lomas Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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