Simmondley Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Simmondley Primary School Pennine Road, Simmondley, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 6NN

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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Outcome

Simmondley 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 are proud of their happy school. They appreciate the care they receive and feel safe. Each morning pupils check in and let their teachers know how they are feeling. If they arrive at school feeling less than their best, they have a chance to talk this through. Pupils who struggle to manage their feelings are well-supported. This helps everyone to settle quickly at the start of the school day and get on with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They strive to keep the school rules so they can have a mention on the ‘shout out board’, enjoy a hot chocolate with the headteacher or receive a nomination for ‘star of the week’. They know that their teachers have high expectations of their personal and academic achievements. Pupils meet these well. One pupil said, ‘Everyone gets a chance to show what they can do’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to see the world through the eyes of others. They show a keen interest in what it is like to live in places far beyond their own community. They respect one another’s ideas and opinions and develop empathy. Pupils understand that everyone is different and that this should never be a barrier to getting on well.

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

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils learn new content in a logical order so that their knowledge of each subject deepens progressively over time. This work begins in the early years, where children develop key skills that provide the springboard for later learning. For example, they explore the different ways of making the number five. By the time pupils reach Year 6 their deep understanding of number means they solve complex mathematical concepts confidently. 26 and 27 November 2024

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Promoting a love of reading is a high priority for the school. Staff read to pupils from a range of carefully chosen texts. Year 6 pupils buddy up with children in the Reception Year to enjoy books together. Children begin to learn the sounds that make up words as soon as they begin school. Pupils’ phonics knowledge increases over time and they learn to read well. However, sometimes, pupils make mistakes when they apply their phonic knowledge to their written work. Staff do not resolve these mistakes consistently, which means that pupils can repeat errors.

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Pupils learn the wider curriculum well. In history pupils become ‘detectives’. They use historical sources, such as evidence from archaeological digs, to work out how people in the distant past lived. They discuss their ideas using historical language with confidence. Across subjects the curriculum focuses on developing pupils’ oracy skills and the acquisition of subject specific vocabulary. This is a key part of every lesson. However, the school is still in the process of developing a system so it can check precisely what pupils know and remember in these subjects.

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The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Their needs are identified without delay. This includes pupils’ social and emotional needs, as well as any challenges they may have accessing the curriculum. Staff adapt the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils with SEND also benefit from high quality pastoral support. The school’s inclusive approach means that pupils with SEND achieve well and participate fully into all aspects of school life.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. School routines and systems are established in the early years. Across the school pupils listen with interest and participate enthusiastically in lessons. Pupils work and play together harmoniously. Social times are fun and active. If pupils have a problem, they are confident that an adult in school will help them to sort it out swiftly. The school ensures that parents and carers understand how important it is that pupils are in school on every possible day. This is working well, and pupils’ attendance is high.

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The school has planned carefully for pupil’s personal development. Pupils are offered a range of experiences and opportunities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. They leave the school as confident, polite and articulate individuals. They understand their own rights, how to keep themselves safe, as well as their responsibility to others.

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Governors work closely with the school to ensure that decisions are made with the best interests of pupils in mind. They understand and fulfil their role expertly.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They agree that leaders consider their workload and well-being. They appreciate the opportunities they have to develop their skills and say, ‘leaders invest in us.’ High levels of staff satisfaction add to this happy school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 and 27 November 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not established clearly enough a consistent approach to check what pupils know and remember in the wider curriculum. This means misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified and addressed effectively. The school should fully develop these systems so that staff use assessment information to ensure that pupils are well-prepared to progress to new learning.  Staff do not consistently check and make sure that pupils apply their phonic knowledge in their written work. They do not routinely identify patterns of the mistakes pupils make. As a result, pupils repeat these errors and do not embed their phonics knowledge securely. The school should ensure that all staff support pupils effectively to use the right sounds to improve the quality of their written work.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2015. 26 and 27 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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.simmondley.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector met with a group of teaching and support staff.  The inspector met with four representatives from the governing body including the chair and vice-chair of governors. She also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 The inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at playtime, lunchtime and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record of recruitment checks; met with the designated safeguarding leads; 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.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View and spoke to parents at the start of the school day. She considered the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 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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