Nether Edge Primary School

Inspection of Nether Edge Primary School Glen Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S7 1RB

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Michele Nott. This school is part of Mercia Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Neil Miley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Rhona Dodds.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Nether Edge Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged The Nether Edge Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Nether Edge Primary school as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and thrive at this school. The curriculum is very well designed and delivered. The school has high ambitions for pupils’ education. These high ambitions are realised and pupils achieve well. Those pupils who enter the school with low starting points achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are empowered through the school’s strong personal development offer. This is carefully considered to reflect pupils’ experiences and aspirations. The approach ensures that pupils are well equipped for life beyond the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get the chance to make a real difference in the school. This includes pupil leadership roles. For example, peer mediators successfully help other pupils to work out any disharmony that might arise between friends. Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values is thorough. This deep understanding is embodied in pupils’ choices and interactions. Pupils are knowledgeable about different faiths and cultures. They accept and value difference. Pupils contribute positively to the community. This includes litter picking, working with refugee charities and delivering art and music activities for elderly residents of the local care home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations of pupils’ positive behaviour are well embedded and understood by pupils. As a result, pupils’ conduct is exemplary. Pupils treat each other and adults with kindness and respect.

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

The provision for children in the early years is a strength of the school. It is highly effective, providing a strong foundation for children’s learning and development. Staff create a stimulating and purposeful environment. Activities are carefully designed to ensure that they match children’s next steps in learning. Adults interact skilfully and sensitively with children in this nurturing environment, so that all learn well. Children are extremely well prepared for the challenges of Year 1 and beyond.

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

The school’s approach to teaching phonics and reading is highly effective. Staff are experts in teaching phonics. Teachers model sounds clearly and accurately. Pupils learn to decode words quickly. Pupils who require extra help are identified early to ensure that they get the tailored support that they need. Pupils practise reading using books that match the sounds they learn. As a result, pupils in the school quickly become confident and fluent readers.

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

The school has designed an inspiring curriculum that is personalised to Nether Edge’s context. The knowledge that pupils are expected to learn is set out in a logical order. This helps pupils to develop their knowledge exceptionally well over time.

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

Highly trained teachers deliver the curriculum effectively. Pupils develop a rich understanding of the subjects that they study. Adults support pupils to understand new thoughts and ideas. For example, pupils are encouraged to reinforce their understanding 4 and 5 March 2025

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of new concepts through peer discussion. Pupils express their knowledge clearly and confidently across various subjects and produce high-quality work. Staff meticulously check pupils’ understanding. Any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions are then skilfully addressed.

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The school is committed to meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It identifies pupils with SEND quickly. Leaders and staff work diligently to ensure that every pupil receives the support needed to thrive. When necessary, thoughtful adjustments and adaptations are made in close collaboration with external experts. This proactive and inclusive approach ensures that pupils can fully engage with and succeed in the curriculum, enabling them to achieve well.

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Behaviour in lessons is exemplary, reflecting the school’s strong culture of respect and high expectations. Pupils are highly engaged and demonstrate a genuine enthusiasm for learning. This creates an environment where all pupils succeed both academically and in their broader development. Pupils’ attendance is managed very well. The school engages positively with parents and carers to ensure that all pupils attend regularly.

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The school places a strong emphasis on personal development. Staff equip pupils with the knowledge that they need to safely navigate online safety, safety in the community and to understand healthy and unhealthy relationships. The school provides a wide range of inclusive clubs. These help to develop pupils’ wide range of talents and interests. Regular visits from members of the local community further enrich pupils’ experiences. They help to reinforce pupils’ self-belief and to raise their aspirations for the future.

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High-quality leadership saturates every corner of the school. The school’s decisions are based on careful thought and research. Staff skilfully deliver whole school strategies. Staff feel highly supported in their workload and well-being. Governance is a strength of the school. Governors fulfil their responsibilities and support the school to maintain a high quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has a breakfast club, overseen by the governing body.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of Mercia Learning Trust. Nether Edge Primary School converted to become an academy school in August 2015. When its predecessor school, The Nether Edge Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.

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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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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 members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body, a representative of the board of trustees and the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art and design, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff and parents. This included any free-text responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Andrew Yeomans, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mel Garlick Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 2025

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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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