Reignhead Primary School

Inspection Report Reignhead Primary School

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107077 Unique Reference Number Sheffield Local Authority 287705 Inspection number 21 °22 November 2006 Inspection dates Kevin Johnson Reporting inspector

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

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Platts Drive School address Primary Type of school Beighton, Sheffield Community School category South Yorkshire S20 1FD 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0114 2475767 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0114 2475767 Fax number 320 Number on roll (school) Mr Ian Saunders Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Hamilton Headteacher 5 February 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287705 21 °22 November 2006 3°11 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

This is a larger than average primary school situated in the Mossborough ward, south of Sheffield. The school is located in an area of mixed owner-occupied and local authority housing. Almost all of the pupils come from White British backgrounds. The number known to be eligible for free school meals is close to the national average. A higher than average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has achieved Green Flag Eco status in recognition of pupils' contribution to environmental improvements and awareness.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. The care, guidance and support provided for pupils are outstanding and they make exceptional progress in their personal development. The school is successful in meeting pupils' individual needs. A comment which typifies the views of parents is 'It's a super school where children are supported, encouraged and happy.' Pupils fully enjoy school. Pupils' behaviour and their relationships with others are exemplary. They take responsibility for their learning seriously and this underpins their good progress and achievements. They demonstrate very positive attitudes to work both in and outside the classroom. They are excited by the rich, varied curriculum and are immensely proud of their Green Flag Eco status through which they are forging links with local businesses that have shown an interest in their energy saving activities. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sports which contribute to their healthy lifestyles and

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Grade: 2

know the benefits of a sensible diet which they practise by eating fresh vegetables grown on their own allotment. Achievement is good because of consistently good teaching. High expectations are laid down in the Foundation Stage and drive pupils' learning throughout their time in school. Children's attainment levels are below expectations when they start in the Nursery but by the end of Year 6 pupils reach the national average in English and mathematics and exceed it in science. Teachers use their knowledge of pupils well to challenge and support their learning. Pupils evaluate their learning and understand the progress they make, through a whole-school approach to individual target setting and assessment for learning practices. Despite the steady rise in standards seen over the past three years the school is not complacent and has identified standards and quality in writing as an area to improve. Initiatives to improve mathematics and science,

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Grade: 2

particularly the rigorous use of assessment and target setting, have worked well. The good curriculum serves the needs of all pupils, especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The progress they make, especially when taught individually on the reading recovery programme, is often exceptional. Although leadership and management of the school are good overall an outstanding feature is the way in which leaders at all levels share the school's vision and collaborate to achieve consistent practice and better standards. Issues from the previous inspection have been dealt with effectively. The school's good capacity to improve is demonstrated through its more effective use of assessment systems, better teaching quality and pupils' achievement. The school's procedures for evaluating itself are rigorous; consequently, all are clear about what needs to be tackled next. The views of staff,

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Grade: 2

governors and pupils contribute strongly to the improvement plan but less so the views of parents and this has been identified by the school as an area to develop. Overall the school provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards in writing by the end of Year 6. • Encourage an inclusive voice from parents in contributing to future priorities for the school. 2 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Standards have improved over the past four years. The most recent, unvalidated, data show that standards at Key Stage 1 are slightly above those reached in 2005 in reading and mathematics and similar in writing. This represents good achievement because when children start in the Foundation Stage attainment levels, particularly in language and communication skills and personal and social development, are below national expectations. Standards at the end of Year 6 are broadly average overall in English and mathematics and above average in science. In the 2006 national tests the proportion reaching Level 5 in mathematics exceeded expectations but performance in English fell short of the agreed target. This can be attributed to an unsettled period of teaching in the past which caused the progress of the affected cohort to falter. Though much of the lost ground was recovered through effective teaching thereafter, some pupils

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Grade: 2

did not quite reach their expected levels, most noticeably in writing. Currently pupils build well on their learning throughout Key Stage 2 and their achievement and progress are good. Those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good and sometimes exceptional progress because of the quality of the support they receive.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. They enjoy learning and display consistently positive attitudes. They are keen to do well and work both independently and cooperatively from an early age. Pupils are always courteous. Their behaviour is exemplary and bullying is rare. School councillors take their role seriously and the pupil voice makes a significant difference. As one school council member put it, 'School wouldn't be the same without the school council.' They are very proud and enthusiastic about their Green Flag Eco status and their energy saving and recycling schemes which generate income for the school. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils learn to take account of the feelings of others and to understand the difference between right and wrong. They are fully aware of the importance of diet and exercise to stay healthy. They enjoy physical exercise and take

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Grade: 1

full advantage of the attractive outdoor areas. Attendance is broadly average and the school is doing all it can to improve the attendance of a small number of absentees.

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Grade: 2

Rigorous monitoring, evaluation and training by the management team has brought about improved quality and consistency of teaching and inspired pupils to achieve as well as they do. Planning is good and its effectiveness is evaluated regularly by teachers to make sure learning is relevant to pupils' needs. Pupils know what is expected of 3 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006 them because teachers use assessments well to set targets. Relationships are excellent. Teachers have high expectations so there is good pace to learning. This is helped by the good range of teaching methods used and effective use of resources which help to bring lessons to life. As a result pupils are highly motivated and enjoy their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. Provision for literacy and numeracy serves pupils' needs well. Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a crucial part in pupils' learning. This is a significant improvement in provision. Attractive wall displays clearly demonstrate the full breadth and creativity of pupils' learning and the purposeful links made between subjects. Visits to Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Eden Camp, for example, provide exciting first-hand experiences which support learning in the classroom well. There are valuable opportunities for pupils to take part in activities outside the school day, including sports which help pupils to adopt a healthy lifestyle. These are supplemented by residential visits that all pupils in Years 2, 4 and 6 enjoy. Good ICT links with the local secondary school and community projects such as the reopening of a 300-year-old 'secret' orchard bring excitement to pupils' learning and their personal

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Grade: 2

development. The personal, social and health education and citizenship programme is well planned to enable pupils to develop awareness of risks and of the importance of good health.

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Grade: 1

The care shown by the school to its pupils is outstanding and lies at the heart of its ethos. This is a major factor in enabling all pupils to achieve well. Excellent relationships ensure that all pupils feel safe and know where to turn to if they need help. Strategies to help vulnerable pupils are very effective and those experiencing difficulty are rapidly identified and supported with sensitivity. Child protection and health and safety procedures are in place, monitored regularly and applied rigorously. Adults who work in the school have an excellent understanding of individual pupils' needs and pay very close attention to their well-being. There are highly effective induction arrangements for children as they enter Nursery and similarly as they move to the next stages of their education. Academic progress is monitored scrupulously to identify the next steps in learning and pupils are aware of what these are. The school succeeds in helping

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Grade: 1

individuals feel valued and prepares them very well to take their place in the wider community.

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Grade: 2

The outstanding vision of the headteacher and her drive to improve standards has improved the quality and effectiveness of the school. She is supported well by a skilled and highly motivated deputy headteacher and leadership team, who share the 4 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006 monitoring and evaluation of the school's performance and ensure the consistency of good practice. Subject leaders are clear about how they influence practice and improve standards and they share ideas and expertise in order to improve pupils' learning. The impact of the school's highly effective system for tracking progress and setting realistic targets is seen in the much improved standards and achievement. Governors know the school well and as critical partners in its development they provide effective challenge and support. Although governors seek the views of stakeholders when considering

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Grade: 2

the school's future a more balanced discussion would result if more parents were encouraged to contribute their ideas. In the light of recent data, leaders have accurately revised their somewhat cautious evaluation of pupils' achievements and the school's effectiveness to reflect the continuing improvements made, and they have accurately judged the school's performance in other areas. 5 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, Mrs Hepworth, Mr Schubeler and I visited your school recently to find out how well you are learning. We would like to thank you all for the way you made us feel so welcome and give special thanks to the school council members who showed us around when we arrived. We enjoyed talking to you and found out a great deal, especially how proud you are of your school. We were very impressed by your good manners and excellent behaviour. It was also very pleasing to see how much you enjoy your lessons, work hard and achieve well. Your teachers work hard too and make your lessons fun. The adults in school take extremely good care of you so you know how to take care of each other. Your headteacher and all of the other staff members work really well together and have some good ideas about how to make your school even better. We have asked your headteacher to work especially on two things to improve your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We would like your teachers to help you become better writers by the time you leave the school. We would also like your school to encourage more parents to put forward their ideas about how it should develop in the future. Thank you for being so helpful during the inspection. Please keep on working as hard as you can. 9 Inspection Report: Reignhead Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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