Abbey Lane Primary School

Inspection Report Abbey Lane Primary School

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106982 Unique Reference Number Sheffield LEA 277674 Inspection number 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 Inspection dates Ms Joan McKenna CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Abbey Lane School address Primary Type of school Sheffield Community School category South Yorkshire S8 0BN 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0114 274 5054 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0114 274 5054 Fax number 416 Number on roll Mr D Kidd Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Susan Lee Headteacher 7 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277674 3 May 2006 - 4 to 11 4 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Most of the pupils in this large school come from the relatively advantaged area close to it. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below that usually found. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also below average. The majority of pupils are of white British heritage. Around 10% are from minority ethnic groups, most of whom speak English fluently.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Abbey Lane Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Grade: 2

Abbey Lane is a good school. Very high quality pastoral care for pupils results in outstanding personal development. Pupils' attitudes are very good and they greatly enjoy school. Behaviour is excellent. Academic provision, including in the Foundation Stage, is good. The curriculum is broad with strong enrichment, especially in the arts and sport. Pupils achieve well. They build consistently on their above average standards at entry and generally reach high standards in the Foundation Stage and throughout the rest of the school. Several years of well above average results in national tests was followed by a decline in 2005. Results were still above average but not as high as previously, mainly due to a greater than usual proportion of the pupils in the cohort having learning and personal needs. Pupils are currently making good progress across the school, helped by good teaching. However, in some lessons the level of the work

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Grade: 2

and pace of learning does not ensure that all pupils make similar progress. Some aspects of assessing pupils' work are good, but systems for tracking their progress do not yet give comprehensive and easily accessible information. Leadership, management and governance are good. The headteacher provides strong and determined leadership. The school's strengths and areas requiring development are well known. Inspectors agree with most of the school's judgements about itself but judge that improvement since the last inspection has been good rather than outstanding. This justifiably highly regarded school, which provides good value for money, is well placed to build on its current success.

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What the school should do to improve further

The school should focus on: • ensuring that the work provided in all lessons and the way that lessons are organised enables pupils in all classes to progress as well as they should • improving systems for assessing pupils, tracking their progress and analysing and using the information gained.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good. They enter the Foundation Stage with standards above those normally found and make good progress. By the end of it, most meet the learning goals set nationally for pupils of that age and many exceed them. At the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2, results in national tests and assessments are normally well above the national average. There was a decline in results for 2005, mainly because both groups of pupils, especially Year 6, had a larger than usual proportion of children with learning or personal difficulties, which affected standards. Inspection evidence indicates that most pupils across the school currently are making good progress in their work in English, mathematics and science. The school predicts that targets set for Key Stage 1 in 2006 will not only be met but exceeded. At Key Stage 2 the targets set are challenging, higher than the 2005 results, and the school is working hard to meet

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Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Abbey Lane Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 them. Pupils of all ages are making better progress in writing than previously, the result of a successful focus on improving their writing skills. Although there are some variations in the rate of progress of different groups of pupils across the school, with, for example, girls sometimes doing better than boys, there is no significant and consistent difference overall.

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Grade: 1

The quality of personal development is outstanding. Pupils enjoy coming to school, where they feel safe and secure. As one pupil said, 'I love my school'. Overall, pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very strong. For example, six-year-old pupils show good understanding of their feelings and how to take part in class discussions. Pupils respond very well to the many opportunities to work for the benefit of others, such as being trained to be monitors and playground friends. They develop good skills for their future by having to apply for these jobs and having their performance monitored. Pupils' attitudes are very good; they listen attentively both to teachers and to other pupils, showing very good levels of concentration. They work well together in small groups, taking pride in producing high standards of work. Behaviour in class and around the school is excellent. Attendance is very good, though

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Grade: 1

marginally affected by children being taken out of school for annual holidays. Pupils know how to keep safe. Pupils understand about sensible eating and the need for exercise. They are very active at break times, making good use of the play equipment, and many take up the opportunities to be involved in sporting activities. The school council has responded well to the opportunities to discuss issues that pupils feel are important to them.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Some is very good. However, some is satisfactory and the quality across the school is not consistent. Teachers have very good relationships with pupils. They present work clearly and in a stimulating way, making good use of resources like interactive whiteboards to make explanations more interesting. Class discussion is usually effective, with teachers asking probing questions to draw out pupils' understanding and develop it further. Pupils of all ages are keen to respond and show good levels of knowledge. These sessions are usually fast and punchy. Sometimes they are too long and this slows the pace of children's learning. Good attention overall is given to planning work, with the right degree of difficulty to enable all groups of pupils to progress well, but occasionally work is not set at the right level to challenge higher attaining pupils which limits their achievement.

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Grade: 2

Teaching assistants provide effective support to the pupils they work with. The very positive attitudes and behaviour of pupils from Reception upwards makes a significant 3 Inspection Report: Abbey Lane Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 contribution to their good learning. In almost all cases, pupils work hard and are keen to do well. Clear guidance is given to pupils on how to improve their work in class and how to achieve their targets. The marking of pupils' work, particularly their writing, is generally informative and helpful but is not fully consistent.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, and it meets the needs of all groups of pupils. It provides a secure grounding for the teaching of literacy and numeracy for pupils from the Foundation Stage onwards, and these skills are also promoted well in other subjects. There have been substantial developments in provision for information and communication technology (ICT) recently which have impacted positively on children's understanding of computing, although older pupils have not yet covered all areas of the subject sufficiently. Provision for the arts is a real strength of the school and the school has recently gained Artsmark at gold standard. Participation in the 2005 Sheffield Arts festival provided very positive opportunities for pupils to develop their artistic skills as well as their performance skills in dance, drama and music. There is a very strong range of enrichment activities, which includes modern foreign language and a

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Grade: 2

variety and quality in sports. A good range of trips is provided which enhance pupils' enjoyment of school.

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Grade: 2

The school takes outstanding care of its pupils. Both the personal and academic needs of pupils are considered important. New pupils to the school say they were very well looked after when they arrived. Those with learning difficulties or disabilities are given good support. Pupils' needs are carefully assessed leading to appropriate provision, including access to a mentor or counselling where necessary. As one parent wrote, 'The behaviour of my child has tested the patience of a saint.he has received the help to improve'. The support provided for pupils with muscle control difficulties is recognised within the city for its excellence. There are good procedures for ensuring child protection and the safety of pupils; risk assessments are carried out diligently. There are systems for tracking pupils' progress but they are not comprehensive enough to allow senior managers to easily draw together relevant whole school data and to

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Grade: 2

analyse strengths and weaknesses in achievement in sufficient depth.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides clear direction and is determined and persistent in her approach to improving the school. Management, for example of literacy and numeracy, is through teams which results in a large number of staff being involved in developments and in monitoring the effectiveness of provision 4 Inspection Report: Abbey Lane Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 - this is developing their skills effectively. The school's self-evaluation is largely accurate. Strengths and areas requiring improvement, such as assessment systems, are well known. Action to tackle weaknesses is focused and effective, as seen in recent successes in developing ICT. The senior leadership team is outward looking. The working partnership with other organisations is good and several staff have received external recognition of their expertise. Parents' views are welcomed and they hold the school

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Grade: 2

in very high regard. Governance is strong and has a positive impact. The chair in particular is knowledgeable and plays an active and constructive part in both supporting and challenging the school. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. With the new leadership structure and management systems in place, the school is well placed to improve further. To realise this potential, greater consistency in the quality of teaching needs to be secured. 5 Inspection Report: Abbey Lane Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Abbey Lane Primary School, 3 May 2006 to 4 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for being so friendly and making us feel welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and watching you learn very much. What we liked most about your school - You enjoy school very much and are enthusiastic about all it offers you. - Your behaviour is excellent. - You get on very well with each other and play and work together nicely. - The adults in your school care for you extremely well and you help to care for each other. - You try hard to do what your teachers ask in lessons. This helps you learn. - The school provides a lot of interesting activities for you. - The headteacher and other staff are working hard to make your school even better. What we have asked the school to do to make it an even better place for you to learn - Make all of your lessons as good as the very best ones. - Improve the way teachers measure and record how well you are doing so that it gives them

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

as much information as possible about the progress you are making. You can help your teachers by continuing to work hard and listening carefully when they are talking to you. We hope that you continue to be happy at school.

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