Anns Grove Primary School

Anns Grove Primary School Inspection report

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107086 Unique Reference Number Sheffield Local Authority 309308 Inspection number 16 °17 January 2008 Inspection dates Peter Howard 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 310 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andrew Jackson Chair Ms Jacqueline Smalley Headteacher 17 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Anns Road School address Sheffield South Yorkshire S2 3DJ 0114 2550398 Telephone number 0 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 16 °17 January 2008 Inspection dates 309308 Inspection number .

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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 larger than average school serves an area of mainly local authority and privately rented housing, where levels of social disadvantage are higher than average. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average and there are increasing numbers of pupils whose first language is not English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. In 2006 the school moved into new purpose-built accommodation on its existing site. The school holds the Healthy Schools and Activemark awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school. It is emerging from a period of low standards, which were caused by severe staff turbulence that had an adverse impact on the quality of teaching. The headteacher has provided strong leadership in managing the process of recovery. Standards have been rising since 2006 and pupils are now making at least expected levels of progress. Their achievement is satisfactory. In 2007 standards at the end of Year 6 were above average. Although the pupils currently in Year 6 are working to standards that are below average, this reflects the historical disruption to their learning and their particularly low levels of skills and knowledge when they entered school. Staff and governors work together well, with a strong focus on improving learning. Parents give the school their overwhelming support. One parent commented, 'The school has a lovely, welcoming atmosphere, the children are happy and all

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Grade: 3

have a sense of belonging.' The school recognises that its priority is to maintain the momentum of recent improvement and it has a good capacity to do so. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils are proud of their school and want to learn. Their behaviour is good; they get on well with each other and they are welcoming and courteous to visitors. Pupils are aware of the importance of living healthy lifestyles and of how to keep themselves safe. They value the many opportunities in school to take responsibility and carry out their duties on the school council, or as reading buddies, with enthusiasm. The quality of care, guidance and support given to pupils is satisfactory. Pupils trust staff and are confident to approach them if they are troubled and, as a result, pupils feel well cared for and safe. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those considered to be vulnerable

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Grade: 3

are well supported. Although pupils' attendance is below average, the school's strategies to improve attendance are extremely thorough. The school has implemented appropriate systems to assess pupils' work and to monitor their progress, but these are in the early stages of development. Marking and targets to guide pupils' learning do not consistently give pupils the information they need to improve their work. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and there is some good teaching across the school. Classrooms are well organised and increasingly effective cooperation between teachers is helping to improve planning and is contributing to raising standards. However, there are some inconsistencies in teaching, which limits pupils' progress. In some lessons, pupils are not given enough opportunities to work and think for themselves. Strategies to involve pupils in judging for themselves how well they are doing are not consistently implemented. The quality

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Grade: 3

of the curriculum is satisfactory and the range of activities to enrich pupils' learning is good. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has the confidence of the whole school community and she is well supported by a strong senior leadership team. The governing body has played an effective part in recent improvements and is taking a lead in developing even stronger links with the local community. Strategies for checking on teaching and learning and planning for improvement are sound. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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Grade: 2

On entry to Nursery, children's skills and knowledge are well below those expected for children of that age. Children's personal and social development is particularly restricted and an increasing number display limited language skills. There are good links with parents. Good induction 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008 procedures ensure that children settle in well and they are happy and secure in their learning. Children make a good start as a result of good planning and teaching that meets their needs. Much attention is paid to meeting children's emotional needs and they make good progress in this area. A rich curriculum offers a good range of appropriate learning experiences. Visits off site, such as to Twycross Zoo, provide valuable opportunities to extend children's language development and enhance their learning. Outdoor provision is limited and learning experiences

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Grade: 2

outside do not match those on offer inside the classroom. Leadership of the Foundation Stage is good and the leaders are taking appropriate steps to ensure that assessment of what children know and can do is secure. By the end of Reception, children's skills and knowledge are below average. However, given their starting points, they make good progress in Foundation Stage.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the consistency of teaching and learning in order that pupils' progress is accelerated and standards are raised. ■ Improve procedures to assess pupils' learning and monitor their progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers' marking and target setting make it clear to pupils what they need to do to improve their work. A small proportion of the schools where overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

After a period of several years when standards in Key Stage 1 were well below average, standards are rising and pupils currently in Year 2 are working at broadly average levels. In Key Stage 2, after two years of exceptionally low standards, pupils' attainment began to rise in 2006. In 2007 the results in national tests taken by pupils in Year 6 were average in English and science and well above average in mathematics. However, pupils currently in Year 6 are working at levels that are below average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils in this class have a lot of catching up to do as a result of the impact of staffing instability on their earlier learning. In addition, their performance reflects the particularly low starting points of this group of pupils when they entered school. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory, although variable, progress and their achievement is satisfactory. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those with learning

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Grade: 3

difficulties and/or disabilities receive effective support and make satisfactory progress as a result.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. However, pupils' understanding of different cultures and religions is at an early stage of development. Pupils enjoy school because, as they say, 'It is fun and the teachers are really helpful.' Pupils behave well in lessons and around school and demonstrate increasing maturity in their positive approach to learning. Pupils are becoming more aware of how to live a healthy lifestyle and display this in their choice of healthy food options and by taking part in extra-curricular sports. They are safety conscious and older pupils are caring of those who are younger. Pupils value the opportunities they have to exercise responsibility. Year 6 pupils are proud to be members of the school council and appreciate that their ideas and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008

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Grade: 2

suggestions, for example regarding playground markings, are acted upon. Good opportunities for pupils to raise funds for worthy causes and become involved in environmental projects enable them to contribute to the wider community. Their preparation for the next stage in their learning is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

After a period of significant change, more settled staffing is contributing to school improvement. Relationships between staff and pupils are good and contribute to the positive atmosphere and good behaviour in lessons. Teachers are enthusiastic and work hard. They have good subject knowledge and a strong commitment to their own professional development. Lessons are well planned and supported by a range of appropriate strategies, such as the use of role play and drama to foster writing. Teachers provide a range of work to meet the needs of all learners, but the school is aware of the need to accelerate further the progress of the more able pupils. Teaching is generally conducted at an appropriate pace and pupils respond enthusiastically. However, in lessons where pupils spend too much time listening to the teacher, they are not sufficiently active in their own learning and this limits their progress. Strategies to involve

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Grade: 3

pupils in their own learning and to help them evaluate their own work are well considered, but not consistently implemented. Teaching assistants benefit from an appropriate training programme and generally make a good contribution to pupils' learning.

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Grade: 3

The quality of the curriculum and other activities is judged by the school to be good, but inspectors judge it to be satisfactory with some good features. There is a strong focus on the teaching of English and mathematics, which is helping to raise standards. The school recognises the need to engage the interests of pupils and gives them opportunities to practise basic skills across the curriculum. However, opportunities to write at length in subjects other than English and the use of information and communication technology are in early stages of development. The school provides opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 2 to learn a modern foreign language, but opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument are limited. The school provides a good range of learning opportunities, for example the effective Social, Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme, to promote pupils' personal development. This is helping to develop their

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Grade: 3

self-confidence and social skills and contributes towards their mature attitudes to learning. There is a good range of educational visits, visitors to school and extra-curricular activities to enrich pupils' learning.

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Grade: 3

The school judges care, guidance and support to be good. However, inspectors judge them to be satisfactory because procedures to assess pupils' work and to monitor their progress are not securely embedded. In addition, teachers' marking does not consistently relate to the intentions of the lesson and pupils' targets are not always expressed in language that they understand. As a result, pupils are not always clear on what they need to do to improve. However, this is a caring school, which places great importance on ensuring the welfare of its pupils. Staff are 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008 sensitive to pupils' feelings and anxieties and the good relationships that follow from this help pupils to feel safe. Pupils who are particularly vulnerable and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive good support. Arrangements to support the transition of pupils into

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Grade: 3

school and onto secondary education are effective. There are appropriate arrangements to safeguard pupils and ensure their health and safety.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, with good support from the chair of governors, has worked with commendable determination to steer the school successfully through a period of staffing turbulence, while at the same time managing the move to a new school building. Related financial issues have also been addressed and the school finances are now on a firm footing. The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. The headteacher has the support of a strong senior leadership team and together they have implemented a wide range of initiatives to improve provision and leadership and management. These initiatives have included a focus on evaluating data on the school's performance and the introduction of more rigorous arrangements for checking on teaching and learning. Not all of these developments are fully embedded in practice, for example the assessment of pupils' learning is not yet completely secure and subject leaders are not fully involved in checking on

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Grade: 3

teaching and learning in their own areas of responsibility. However, they are contributing to improving achievement and raising standards. Although some aspects of its self-evaluation are too generous, the school has a sound understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. The governing body is effectively contributing to the school's strategic development and is developing its ability to hold school leaders to account. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008

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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? 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? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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?

3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

On behalf of the inspectors who visited your school recently, I would like to thank you for your polite and friendly welcome. We really enjoyed meeting you and listening to what you had to say about your school. These are the good things we found that make yours a satisfactory and improving school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are proud of your school and want to learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour in school is good and you get on well with each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers give you lots to do that you find enjoyable.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Adults in school look after you well and you feel safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are learning how to make healthy choices about diet and exercise.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children in Nursery and Reception make a good start to their school life.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you are doing reasonably well in your learning, but we think many of you could do even better. ■ The headteacher, staff and governors are working hard to improve your education.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your parents support your school and many are becoming more involved in school life.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To help you even more we have asked your school to do the following.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that all the good ideas teachers have to help you learn are used in every lesson.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Improve the systems for checking on how well you are learning and keeping track of the progress you are making. ■ Improve how your teachers mark your work and set you targets to help you to make your work better. You can help too, by trying your best and working hard in every lesson. We wish you all the best for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Anns Grove Primary School, 16 °17 January 2008

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