Angram Bank Primary School

Angram Bank Primary School Inspection report

p.1

107085 Unique Reference Number Sheffield Local Authority 309307 Inspection number 23 October 2007 Inspection date Lesley Clark Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 225 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S Crookes Chair Mr Escott Headteacher 8 December 2003 Date of previous school inspection Kinsey Road School address High Green Sheffield South Yorkshire S35 4HN 0114 284 8553 Telephone number 0114 284 6894 Fax number

p.1

3-11 Age group 23 October 2007 Inspection date 309307 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Angram Bank Primary school is slightly larger than average. It serves an area of considerable social and economic disadvantage to the north of Sheffield. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much higher than usual as is the proportion with a statement of special educational need. There is an integrated resource unit for children with hearing impairments who travel to school by minibus from their homes elsewhere. Currently 14 children attend the unit. Extensive building works for a children's centre, due to open on site in April 2008, restrict access to the infant building at present. The school has gained several awards including the Activemark Gold Award, Healthy Schools, Basic Skills Quality Mark and Investors in People. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: achievement and standards, the quality of teaching and learning, the curriculum and

p.3

Description of the school

the care, support and guidance given to pupils, with particular emphasis on achievement, especially in writing, and whether the school had underestimated the quality of its care and provision. Evidence was gathered from observations of lessons, discussions with pupils and looking at their work with them, discussions with the staff and the chair of governors, and a scrutiny of the school's documents and parents' questionnaires. Other aspects were not investigated in detail.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007

p.3

Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school which has made excellent improvement since the last inspection. This is because of outstanding leadership, management and governance which put children and their individual needs first. Children really matter here and staff believe that 'instead of adults taking over, we let children do it.' Pupils learn exceptionally well because they take charge of their own learning. As a result, they turn into self-reliant, confident and mature young people. The pupils' motto: 'Where learning, fun and friendship meet', aptly describes their experience. Pupils relish coming to school because 'We are treated properly, like adults. We are given challenging work to do and there are loads of clubs and things to do at lunchtime.' Behaviour is exemplary because pupils mirror the way adults treat each other. Pupils are very sure there is no bullying because 'There's so much to do.' Equality of opportunity is promoted

p.4

Grade: 1

outstandingly well with children who have hearing impairments fully integrated into lessons and older pupils choosing to attend the 'understanding deafness' club to learn what it is like for their friends. As a result, the school is a happy, harmonious community where pupils respect the needs of others. Achievement is outstanding because pupils are extremely well taught at each stage of their education. Lively, interesting and active lessons with a strong focus on drama, speaking, listening and the creative arts, including dance, capture pupils' interest and ensure that boys as well as girls learn equally well. An outstanding feature is the way teachers match work exactly to pupils' different needs, sometimes operating successfully as many as six different learning groups in lessons to ensure that each receives challenging work. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning for they are taught, 'It's hard but I can do it and next week it will look easy.' They are used to

p.4

Grade: 1

discussing work with a partner and deciding what needs improving so they learn to be self-critical. Because they are fully involved in assessing their own learning they know what to do to improve their work. From a low starting point pupils make outstanding progress to reach average standards at the end of Year 6. The trend in the school's results in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 is upwards. The school meets challenging targets because support is targeted exactly where it is needed to help pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, to learn skills in literacy and numeracy and practise them in other subjects. Standards tend to be higher in mathematics and science than in English. This is because pupils help themselves to learn in these subjects through using their 'maths toolkits' (practical aids to learning) and carrying out scientific investigations using scientific vocabulary to explain their findings. Standards are higher in

p.4

Grade: 1

reading than in writing because pupils practise reading daily, on their own, with a partner or in groups with adult support. The school's current focus on writing through developing spoken language is bearing fruit in terms of planning and organisation but limited written vocabulary still holds some older pupils back. In addition, writing is taught a little too formally for some pupils in Year 1 who have not yet reached the early learning goals at the end of the Foundation Stage. Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Frequent educational visits and visitors to school enable pupils to appreciate cultural diversity. They are independent-minded young people with a strong sense of community. It is a measure of the outstanding leadership that pupils confidently organise fundraising themselves. Older pupils look after younger ones, organising games and making sure that

p.4

Grade: 1

everyone has friends. They have an outstanding awareness of why it is important to lead healthy 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007 lives. Healthy snacks, daily exercise through attending running, healthy heart and dance clubs at lunchtimes, as well as taking part in sporting activities, mean that pupils play energetically and return to work refreshed. They are extremely well prepared for their future lives for they learn to be tolerant and cooperative, knowing it is important to work hard to achieve success. Outstanding partnerships with other schools, including secondary schools, prepare pupils very well indeed for the next stage in their education. The school's systems to safeguard pupils meet current national guidelines. Arrangements to ensure that pupils receive suitable guidance both academically and personally are outstanding. Child protection procedures are robust. Consequently, pupils feel safe at school and confidently

p.4

Grade: 1

ask for extra help when they need it. The systems to check pupils' progress are equally strong and teachers use the information extensively to help them to plan what to teach. The senior leadership team has an excellent overview of overall progress, from Nursery upwards, ensuring that no one falls behind and that teaching assistants provide the support where it is most needed. Attendance is monitored very closely and despite the large proportion of vulnerable pupils or those with health issues, which impacts on their attendance periodically, attendance is now slightly above average. Outstanding provision for vulnerable pupils, as well as those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those in the unit for hearing impaired children, enables them to make excellent progress. The school underestimated itself when it evaluated its work as good for it is outstanding in most areas. The school has identified developing the curriculum to make more creative links

p.5

Grade: 1

between different subjects as an area for further improvement. Nonetheless, it is a good curriculum, with considerable strengths in the way parents are involved in family learning courses to develop their skills and confidence. In addition, special days each term devoted to literacy or mathematics, for instance, give parents the opportunity to see what their children are learning and how they might help them. It is not surprising that parents are very pleased with the education their children receive and many wrote to say so. Outstanding leadership and a lively, creative staff team drive this school's improvement. It gives outstanding value for money and has outstanding capacity to improve further.

p.5

Grade: 1

Children get off to an excellent start because staff provide stimulating activities which arouse children's curiosity so they cannot wait to get going. Leadership and management are excellent. Routines are established quickly so that children learn to organise themselves. Outstanding organisation ensures that children receive the help they need and allows the more able children to forge ahead because tasks are tailored to suit them. From a low base, with limited communication and language skills and poor knowledge and understanding of the world, children make outstanding progress in all areas of learning. This is because of outstanding teaching which enables children to learn almost without realising it as they choose different tasks. By the end of Reception, the majority of children have not met all the goals expected of them but they have made great strides towards them. The popular Nursery lunchtime club

p.5

Grade: 1

prepares children well for longer days in Reception. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those from the hearing impaired unit, are extremely well provided for and make outstanding progress. This also makes a major contribution to children's outstanding personal development as they learn to play and share in different ways to suit those with different needs. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Find ways of teaching writing informally to younger pupils and developing the written vocabulary of older ones. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007 .

p.6

What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.8

Achievement and standards

1 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 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.8

learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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

p.8

and interests of learners?

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

p.8

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007

p.8

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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Angram Bank Primary School, Sheffield, S35 4HN Thank you for your warm welcome to your school and for talking to me so readily. I really enjoyed my day with you all, watching you work and play; I especially enjoyed talking to a group of Year 6 pupils who had such a lot to tell me about your school. Your school gives you an outstanding education. This is because it is outstandingly well led and managed by your headteacher and other staff. You are given excellent guidance and support and, as a result, you all work and play hard with considerable enjoyment. You are extremely well taught. Several of you said you liked working in small groups because it helps you to make your work better and I agree. You make a great deal of progress while you are in school and results in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 go up each year. Your school helps you to develop into mature and responsible young people and you are quite right when you say that

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your teachers can rely on you to do things. Your behaviour is exemplary and you are extremely good at including everyone in whatever you do whether it is work or play. These qualities mean you are exceptionally well prepared for your future lives. You tend to do better in mathematics, science and reading than in writing. I have suggested that your school develops a less formal approach to teaching writing for younger pupils so they have lots of opportunities to write and play at the same time. When I looked through your English folders, it struck me that some older pupils had less support for writing than you do for mathematics. I have suggested that your school helps you to develop your written vocabulary for this will enrich your writing just as drama is enriching your speech. I do hope you continue to enjoy your time in school and have fun writing. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Angram Bank Primary School, 23 October 2007

p.10