Stocksbridge Junior School

Inspection of Stocksbridge Junior School Cedar Road, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S36 1AS

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding

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

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The headteacher of this school is Samantha Gaymond. This school is part of Chorus Education 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), Chris James, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Angela O’Brien.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Stocksbridge Junior School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Stocksbridge Junior School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Stocksbridge Junior School is a warm and nurturing school. Pupils enjoy an inspiring place to learn. Staff know pupils extremely well. Their deep understanding of pupils’ needs means that the school puts the right support in place for every pupil.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to school. This is reflected in high attendance and impressively high achievement across the curriculum. Staff have high expectations for pupils. There is a real ambition for pupils to achieve well beyond the junior school. Pupils play well together outside. They hold leadership roles in school. For example, peer mediators organise games and activities in the playground. Pupils feel happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of enrichment activities. Educational visits and residentials help pupils to develop learning and gain confidence. The school plays a big part in the local community. For example, ‘mini police’ joined the police force to monitor local traffic using hand-held speed cameras.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff regularly assess pupils’ personal growth and well-being. They use this information to support pupils in taking responsibility for their own emotions and behaviours. As a result, pupils behave extremely well in lessons.

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

The school has created a curriculum that meets the needs of its pupils. Teacher subject knowledge is excellent. The curriculum is delivered with skill and confidence. Teachers check pupil knowledge in lessons by using effective questioning. Pupils learn to check their own learning through self-assessment of their work. Pupils are proud of their work and achieve highly. In 2024, the school experienced a drop in writing results. However, the school addressed this swiftly to ensure that pupils now achieve highly with writing.

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

Reading is at the heart of this school. Staff identify gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge as they enter the school. Expert staff deliver catch-up reading lessons. During these lessons, staff constantly check that pupils understand what they are reading. This ensures that pupils become fluent and confident readers and achieve exceptionally well by the end of key stage 2.

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

In other subjects, including mathematics, the school constantly reviews and adapts the curriculum. Staff make careful links across subjects. For example, when discussing their health and well-being, pupils made links to lessons in physical education (PE), personal, social and health education and after-school clubs.

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

The school supports pupils with special educational and/or disabilities extremely well. Identification of needs starts even before pupils join the school through a positive relationship with the local infant school. The school is truly inclusive. Adaptations to learning and classroom support help pupils to achieve highly alongside their peers. Support in ‘The Hub’ strengthens provision further for some pupils with education, health and care plans. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Pupils behave extremely well when moving around school. They are polite, holding doors open and asking visitors how their day is. In lessons, pupils listen attentively to teachers and there is no low-level disruption. Attendance is high. Rigorous support is in place where this is not the case.

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The personal and character development opportunities for pupils are exemplary. Pupils develop a deep understanding of other faiths and communities. They are accepting and tolerant of others. The school challenges pupils to think deeply and prepares them well for lessons in secondary school. Pupils develop high levels of confidence by performing on stage for the rest of the school. The choir sings at a variety of community events and pupils take part in sports events with other schools. The curriculum includes lessons and visits linked to staying safe, both online and while outside of school.

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Leaders at all levels know the school well. There is a shared vision and high ambition for the school. School leaders welcome the collaboration opportunities that being part of a trust brings. Governors know the school well and provide effective support and challenge leaders. Staff well-being and workload are positive. Staff are proud to work at this school.

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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.

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Website www.stocksbridge-jun.sheffield.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined Chorus Education Trust in November 2023.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.

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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 provision. 25 and 26 March 2025

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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 met with senior staff in the school. This included the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. The lead inspector also met with governors, trustees and the CEO of the trust.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PE and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions 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. Inspectors discussed and reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and their

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experiences at school. An inspector also spoke to parents at the school gate.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktime and lunchtime. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour at the school.  Inspectors reviewed the parental responses received through the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Helen Haunch, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Neil Butler Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 2025

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