Springfield Primary School

Inspection Report Springfield Primary School

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107073 Unique Reference Number Sheffield LEA 277697 Inspection number 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 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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Broomspring Lane School address Primary Type of school Sheffield Community School category South Yorkshire S10 2FA 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0114 272 3455 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0114 249 3291 Fax number 213 Number on roll Miss N Audhali Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs B Stevenson Headteacher 9 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277697 12 October 2005 - 3 to 11 13 October 2005 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Springfield is an average size, inner-city primary school. It has a very high proportion of pupils from a range of minority ethnic groups, with 15 different home languages spoken. Many more pupils than usual have learning difficulties and many also have complex personal and social needs. The school serves a very deprived area and the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is very high. Many pupils are not at the school for the whole of their primary education, with large numbers joining and leaving at various times. Many of those joining the school are new to the country as well as to the school, and often speak little or no English when they arrive. Many families are refugees or asylum seekers, and some pupils are children of students from overseas. There is homeless family accommodation, a family drug rehabilitation unit and a domestic violence refuge within the locality.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Springfield Primary School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Grade: 2

Springfield is a good school that provides well for its pupils. Pupils' diverse personal needs are met successfully because of the very high quality pastoral care and support provided and the good partnership with parents and external agencies. Pupils feel happy, safe and secure and this helps them to achieve well. They enter the school with much lower standards than usually found, often speaking little English. The school concentrates on helping them to speak English and is very successful. Children make good progress during the Foundation Stage due to good provision. Pupils continue to make good progress during their time at Springfield and, despite standards being much lower than the national average at the end of Year 6, pupils achieve well given their starting points. Teaching is good, but the focus on English means that there has not been enough attention paid to other subjects, and pupils do not always receive

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Grade: 2

enough guidance on how to improve their work in all subjects. The headteacher leads and manages the school well and other staff share her commitment to improving it, although middle managers are not yet fully effective because their role is not broad enough. Strengths and weaknesses are well known, although a result of the very high standards set by senior managers is that some strengths are not recognised as being as positive as they are. The school provides good value for money. There has been good improvement since the last inspection and the school is well placed to continue to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

In order to raise standards in all subjects the school should: • Widen children's learning experiences by ensuring that subjects other than English and mathematics receive enough attention • Ensure that pupils' performance in all subjects is assessed thoroughly and that the information gained is used to help them make further progress • Increase the effectiveness of middle managers by broadening their role and ensuring that they monitor and evaluate developments in their areas of responsibility.

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Grade: 2

Pupils at Springfield achieve well. Children entering the nursery and reception class have much lower skills and knowledge than average; their social skills are particularly weak and many speak very little English. They make good progress during the Foundation Stage and, by the time they leave it, they reach standards that are below, rather than well below, average. Pupils also make good progress during Years 1 and 2, especially in English, where standards usually reach the national average in reading and writing, although they remain below average in mathematics. Many children join the school at different times during Years 3 to 6, usually speaking little English. This affects test results; the results of tests taken in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 are much lower than the national average. However, given their 2 Inspection Report: Springfield Primary School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Grade: 2

starting points, pupils achieve well overall, especially in English where they make very good progress. The school successfully ensures that all minority ethnic groups achieve as well as each other. The school recognises that achievement in mathematics and other subjects of the curriculum is not as good as in English and this is being tackled. Targets set for pupils' achievement often need to be modified to take account of those entering and leaving the school but, nevertheless, some are met.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils like school and enjoy learning new things, although some say they would like to learn more about subjects such as art and geography. They are eager to please their teachers and take pride in their achievements. Pupils behave well and play happily together. They are naturally inquisitive and greet visitors with smiling faces and a friendly 'Hello!'. In lessons, they usually concentrate well but sometimes become excitable and a little immature for their age. Pupils contribute well to their school community, for example, by taking on responsible roles such as school councillors. They are keen to have a say in how to improve the school, and are currently involved in developing the playground. Pupils know how to keep safe and healthy; they are happy to eat fruit, for example. There is a high level of racial harmony because

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Grade: 2

of the respect shown for the wide range of ethnic groups within school. Pupils, staff and parents celebrate the festivals of the different faiths together. Attendance is almost at the national average with the majority of pupils attending well but a small number of families do not ensure that children come to school regularly.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Many pupils join the school throughout the year and teachers work hard to establish clear classroom routines and good work habits so that all pupils know what is expected of them. All pupils are made to feel welcome and secure, and relationships with adults are positive. This helps pupils to work hard and learn well. Teachers are particularly effective in meeting the language needs of pupils. Their own use of English and the demands they make of pupils in oral and written work in class are very carefully structured to help pupils understand what is being taught. The very good attention given to meeting the complex learning and language needs of many pupils occasionally results in work given to those capable of reaching high standards not being hard enough for them. However, this is recognised and teachers are currently prioritising developing pupils' thinking skills, for example,

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Grade: 2

through better focused investigative work in mathematics and science. Pupils' work is assessed and teachers give them feedback on how well they are doing, especially in English, but feedback and advice on how to improve are not detailed enough in all subjects. 3 Inspection Report: Springfield Primary School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. There is strong emphasis on developing pupils' English skills and, while very successful, it is at the expense of other subjects. Consequently, pupils' experience of subjects like geography, art and music is limited. Occasional visitors, such as artists and musicians, who work with pupils help to compensate, but there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in all subjects. Similarly, there are not enough extra-curricular activities; most are for sport. The school is working to promote pupils' health by ensuring that pupils do more physical education and by improving playground equipment. It is sensitive to cultural concerns, for example, single sex swimming lessons are arranged. Pupils' personal development and their understanding of health and safety are well promoted. Many parents choose to withdraw their children from sex education. The curriculum equips

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Grade: 3

pupils for coping in the future by the emphasis on developing their English and personal skills.

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Grade: 2

The school provides good care, guidance and support, and there are some outstanding features in the pastoral care of pupils. The school values all pupils highly, welcomes them whenever they join, and gives as much support as they need to settle in. Staff are sympathetic to the needs of different ethnic groups and have a very good awareness of challenging family circumstances. The learning mentor plays a vital role in caring for pupils and families. She skilfully coordinates initiatives from a wide range of support agencies. Health and safety arrangements are good. Staff are very well informed about child protection. Any pupils who are vulnerable for any reason are quickly identified and supported. Pupils feel the school is a safe place and that teachers are 'like their guards looking after them'. The academic support given to pupils is less strong because the system for tracking pupils' achievements is relatively new. It is not yet thorough

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Grade: 2

enough or consistent in its quality across subjects.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides very clear and positive leadership to the whole school community. There is a strong and shared commitment to meeting pupils' diverse and complex personal needs and a determination to ensure they achieve their academic potential. The headteacher works closely with her deputy, who makes an effective contribution, and teamwork is a positive feature of how the school works. Since her appointment a year ago, the headteacher has correctly identified areas that require improvement and is developing the management systems necessary to bring this about. The views of parents and pupils are sought and used to inform plans for future development. Some helpful monitoring and evaluation takes place, although this is not yet comprehensive. The very high standards set by senior managers are seen in 4 Inspection Report: Springfield Primary School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 the fact that, although they know the school well, they judge themselves harshly in

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Grade: 2

some aspects. Middle leaders are not as effective as senior managers as their role is not yet as well developed, but this is recognised and is being acted upon. Governors are supportive of the school and key governors carry out their roles well, but not all are as actively involved as they might be. The school has responded well to the issues raised in the last inspection, and the effectiveness of senior leaders and the commitment of staff means that it is well placed to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Springfield Primary School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 .

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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: Springfield Primary School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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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 4 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 2 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 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 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 3 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

N/A 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 - Your teachers and other adults care for you very well, make sure that you settle into school well and make you feel safe. - You behave well and play nicely with each other. - You enjoy your work and try hard to do what your teachers ask. This helps you learn. - Your teachers and other adults help you to speak English well and this helps you to make good progress. - The school values all of your different backgrounds and celebrates all of your faiths and cultures. - Mrs Stevenson and the people who manage your school are working hard to make it even better for you. What we have asked the school to do now - Make sure that you spend more time learning about subjects like geography, art and music. - Give you more information about how well you are doing and how to improve your work in

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

all subjects. - Make sure that teachers check how well all of the subjects are being taught. We hope that you continue to be happy at school.

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