Dobcroft Junior School

Dobcroft Junior School

Address: Pingle Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S7 2LN Unique reference number (URN): 107035

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve very well as they move through the school. They build secure knowledge across year groups and apply it confidently in different subjects. Their work shows clear progression in reading, writing, mathematics and the wider curriculum. Pupils use precise vocabulary to explain their thinking and make meaningful links between ideas in different subjects.

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Achievement Strong standard

Outcomes in national tests over time are consistently above national figures in reading, writing and mathematics, with reading a particular strength. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. They produce high-quality work across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make effective progress from their starting points. This is because adaptations and teaching meet their needs closely. Leaders always seek to understand the specific reasons if any pupil is at risk of not achieving well, and they quickly address any barriers to learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils’ extensive work and their enthusiastic recount of their learning across the wider curriculum demonstrate a broad and secure knowledge. This means that pupils leave well prepared for the next stage of their education with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Attendance is a clear priority for leaders. Their work has a marked impact on improving attendance. As a result, attendance for all pupils is consistently above national figures. Rates for disadvantaged pupils have risen significantly and are now well above national levels. Leaders monitor attendance closely and act early when patterns change. The school uses a range of strategies to help families understand expectations and to feel supported. Leaders balance high expectations with care. They work with external agencies when needed. Pupils understand why attendance matters and they respond positively. As a result, they attend regularly and punctually.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Behaviour across the school is consistently calm, respectful and purposeful. Pupils take pride in their work and support each other well. At playtimes, pupils play cooperatively, use the outdoor spaces sensibly and include others in their games. They understand that some pupils need extra help and show empathy and patience.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils say bullying is rare. When concerns arise, leaders act quickly. Pupils trust staff to help them and they know how to report worries. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour policy well. Staff apply it consistently. This helps to maintain a calm environment. Staff know pupils well. They make suitable adaptations to help those pupils who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing to manage their emotions. Pupils show a dedication to their learning and demonstrate resilience when they find work challenging.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate view of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They check practice carefully and use what they learn to refine and strengthen provision. The curriculum is broad and ambitious. It is designed to help pupils build knowledge in a logical order. Leaders have identified the crucial knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn in each subject. Pupils revisit this often, which helps them to remember important ideas securely.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistent and supports pupils to think hard, use subject-specific vocabulary and explain their learning with confidence. Developing pupils' foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics is prioritised. Books match pupils’ reading needs well. Staff help pupils to develop fluency and understanding. The writing curriculum follows a clear sequence. Pupils use ambitious vocabulary and accurate spelling. In mathematics, pupils practise key skills regularly and approach challenging problems with confidence.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They use a range of effective strategies to deepen pupils’ understanding. Leaders ensure that any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified quickly so that support is put in place.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is inclusive. Staff know pupils well and make thoughtful adaptations. This helps disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learn successfully alongside their peers. Staff help pupils to access learning while maintaining high expectations.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils are welcomed with care and understanding. Leaders ensure pupils' needs are noticed quickly. Staff use a range of strategies and work with families to build a clear picture of each pupil's needs. This includes disadvantaged pupils, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known or previously known to social care. Leaders use well- established systems to check pupils’ emotional and social needs so that they are identified and addressed swiftly and sensitively.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Teaching is adapted thoughtfully so that pupils take part in lessons confidently. Teachers use a range of adaptations, such as supportive writing tools, flexible seating and sensory resources, to help pupils focus and feel settled. The school offers carefully structured programmes for pupils who need a more tailored approach so that they can learn alongside their classmates. Classrooms are organised to help pupils access the curriculum without feeling different from their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders keep a close eye on the progress of pupils who may face barriers. They adjust support promptly when pupils fall behind. Additional funding is used effectively to provide tutoring, small group teaching, staff training and access to wider opportunities. This helps disadvantaged pupils to take part fully in school life. Frequent training helps staff to understand how to support pupils’ learning, communication and emotional needs. Pupils know they are understood, cared for and able to succeed alongside their peers.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders act with purpose and integrity. They have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. They place pupils’ needs at the centre of every decision. Leaders check the quality of teaching and the curriculum carefully. They take timely action when needed. For example, leaders ensure that teachers' feedback leads to improvements in pupils’ progress. Leaders precisely understand the needs of pupils and make decisions about support, pastoral care and teaching that are firmly focused on removing barriers so that all pupils can thrive.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governance is well established, knowledgeable and ambitious for the school’s strategic direction. Governors fulfil their statutory duties well and oversee all aspects of the school’s work. They draw on a wide range of evidence to support and challenge leaders. This enables them to check that resources are used effectively and that leaders’ decisions are in the best interests of pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders ensure that staff benefit from a coherent, high-quality programme of professional development. Training is sustained and evidence informed. It aligns with whole school priorities and improvement plans. This means that staff are consistently well supported to improve the knowledge and skills they need to do their job well. Early career teachers receive strong support and protected time to develop their practice. Leaders consider workload carefully when planning development work. They protect the time teachers have to plan and prepare. Staff feel valued, listened to and well supported in their roles. They are keen to play their part in school improvement activities. Together, leaders and governors promote a culture of high ambition, professional trust and shared responsibility for pupils’ achievement and wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development programme is carefully designed to meet the needs of the community and to give pupils the knowledge and confidence they need to thrive. It is woven through daily life in the school. Pupils learn about respect, fairness and difference. For example, they recognise that some things that make people different are protected in law. Pupils show a thoughtful understanding of fundamental British values. This helps pupils to develop a secure sense of right and wrong and a deep respect for others’ beliefs and backgrounds.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The curriculum helps pupils to develop the character, resilience and values they need to contribute positively to society. Pupils talk confidently about staying safe, including online, in relationships and in the wider world. They understand how to manage their feelings and how to support friends who may be worried. Staff use well-established routines, such as daily check-ins, calm transitions and pastoral conversations, to help pupils manage their emotions and share any concerns. Pupils, including the most vulnerable, have the opportunity to express their views and ask for help when they need it. Leaders and staff know pupils well. They use this knowledge to predict situations that pupils may find difficult and prepare them well.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils across school benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities and structured community projects with local care homes and food banks. Leaders monitor participation closely and remove barriers so that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can take part fully. Adapted day trip alternatives ensure that pupils who cannot attend residentials still access equivalent experiences.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leadership opportunities help pupils become confident and responsible citizens. Their leadership roles build communication, teamwork and a sense of belonging. Pupils describe how these experiences help them grow in confidence and develop empathy for others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Overall, pupils leave with a secure understanding of themselves, their community and the wider world. They are consistently well prepared for secondary school and for life beyond education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at Dobcroft Junior School achieve highly and enjoy their learning. They arrive with purpose, settle quickly and talk with pride about the work they produce. Across the curriculum, pupils gain secure knowledge because teaching is clear, well sequenced and engaging. Staff reduce barriers to learning with thoughtful adaptations. This helps pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and those facing more complex circumstances to learn alongside their peers and take part in everything the school offers.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils feel a robust sense of belonging. Staff greet pupils warmly at the start of the day. Pupils understand the school's consistent routines. Positive relationships help pupils to feel valued and ready to learn. Pupils describe staff as kind, helpful and always willing to listen. Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to report worries and trust staff to act. Bullying is rare. When concerns do arise, they are dealt with quickly and fairly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Behaviour is calm and respectful. Pupils work hard in lessons, support each other and enjoy harmonious playtimes. They understand the school's values and celebrate how people are different. Pupils show empathy to others and welcome pupils who are new to the school. Older pupils take pride in leadership roles such as sports leaders, peer mediators and members of the pupil parliament.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a rich range of wider opportunities. They talk enthusiastically about extra-curricular activities and community projects, such as those with local care homes and food banks. These experiences help pupils to build confidence and resilience and to develop new interests. Pupils understand why coming to school every day matters and they attend regularly.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

By the time they reach Year 6, pupils are articulate, confident and well prepared for secondary school. They leave school with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive in the next stage of their education.

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Team inspectors:

Lee Wilson, Ofsted Inspector Lorraine Bamforth, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should continue their work to refine and further enhance the school curriculum and how it is taught in order to drive a transformational impact for all pupils.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Professor Katherine Oglesby.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteachers, other school leaders, members of the local governing body and a representative from the local authority during the inspection. They also spoke with staff, pupils and parents.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Nicola Sexton and Sheree Doyle: Headteachers

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support. National average: 3.5%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 50% 46% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 67% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 67% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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