Carfield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • strengthening the role, impact and accountability of middle leaders in improving the quality of teaching and pupil progress
  • sharpening the analysis of assessment information to identify and act on underperformance more accurately and more rapidly
  • focusing progress review meetings with teachers more sharply on what they may do to improve the progress of individual pupils and groups in their class
  • providing more coaching and tailored professional development for individual teachers.
• Improve the quality of teaching by:
  • using questioning more effectively to develop thinking, reasoning and inference
  • ensuring that new approaches to the teaching of reading are implemented effectively and improve pupils’ progress, including those who speak English as an additional language
  • developing the use of problem-solving in mathematics
  • ensuring that the most able make good progress in mathematics, especially at upper key stage 2.
• Improve the quality of the early years by:
  • increasing the accuracy of baseline assessment improving the progress children make in reading and writing increasing the proportion of children who exceed the expected levels of development at the end of the early years
  • ensuring that disadvantaged children make more rapid progress and a higher proportion reach a good level of development by the end of the early years
  • developing action plans that focus more sharply on these areas for improvement. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Discontinuity in subject leadership due to staff leaving and staff absence has slowed the pace of school improvement. This is now more settled. Many subject and phase leaders are new to their role. They are keen to make a contribution but have not been in post for long enough to show an impact on the quality and consistency of teaching and pupil progress. Those in post for longer understand the strengths and weaknesses in their area and can demonstrate that they have secured improvements. Senior leaders are stretched because they also share the teaching of a Year 6 class.
• Leaders’ analysis of assessment data is not sharp enough in identifying underachievement and the progress of different groups, including the most able, or in evaluating the impact of strategies to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders have not focused pupil progress meetings tightly enough on barriers to learning and how to overcome them. Recorded actions refer to additional interventions outside of the class, rather than actions teaching staff plan to take in the class.
• The headteacher and senior leaders have established a consistent approach to planning in each year group and common expectations for good teaching. These include a common approach to providing challenge for different abilities, the presentation of pupils’ work and marking. However, the quality of teaching and of pupils’ work remains inconsistent.
• The headteacher has tackled difficult staffing issues effectively and a significant number of teachers and subject leaders have left. Her robust actions have brought about improvements in teaching, learning and the school environment. The use of temporary teachers has reduced and staffing is now stable.
• Performance management targets are linked appropriately to school priorities. Pay increases were not awarded if staff did not meet targets and standards.
• The headteacher and senior leaders have an accurate understanding of strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning and set relevant priorities for improvement.
• Leaders have used professional development effectively to support the introduction of new approaches to teaching reading, writing and mathematics. These are at an early stage of implementation and the impact is uneven at this stage. Coaching is helping some teachers to sharpen specific aspects of their teaching, but it has not been developed sufficiently to result in consistently good teaching.
• Teaching assistants are more involved in training and development, which has strengthened their support in the classroom, including for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders monitor the provision for and progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities well.
• Leaders have re-designed the curriculum effectively to better stimulate and reflect pupils’ interests. There are more visits to and from school. There is a clear focus on continuity and progression between year groups as well as common approaches within year groups. Leaders are continuing to develop the curriculum to overcome identified weaknesses in learning more effectively.
• Leaders have improved the provision for reading so pupils can choose from a good range of books matched to their reading levels. Incentives and rewards for frequent reading are popular with pupils and successfully encourage reading at home.
• The personal, social and health education programme helps pupils to develop tolerance and their understanding of British values. The positive relationships between pupils from different backgrounds, and their sociable attitudes, contribute well to their preparation for life in modern Britain. A good range of extra-curricular sports and arts clubs and activities promote pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development well.
• The physical education and sport premium is used effectively to increase the range of physical activities at lunchtime and after school, including tournaments and competitions. This has led to increased participation by pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The pupil premium funding is managed appropriately. However, the impact on the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils has been variable, with limited impact in the early years.
• The headteacher and senior leaders have improved the school’s communication with parents and parental engagement is stronger. Parents who inspectors spoke with were happy with the school and pleased with the reduced use of temporary teachers and the improved communication. The results of the Ofsted online questionnaire confirmed parents’ positive views of the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors are rightly keen to bring about more rapid improvement. They recognise that the headteacher has successfully overcome many challenges to stabilise and improve staffing and that the quality of teaching and the learning environment have improved. Governors correctly identify that developing the responsibilities of middle leaders is a priority for improving the quality and consistency of teaching and pupils’ progress across year groups and subjects. They recognise the need for greater accountability of middle leaders and more coaching for staff to improve aspects of teaching.
• Governors acknowledge that the governing body was not quick enough in identifying issues and raising questions in the past. This has changed. Current governors have a good range of expertise, a clear focus on school improvement and a strong determination to raise standards. They are reconsidering the strategy for pupil premium funding to ensure that additional resources and interventions have a sustained impact on the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders do not present data clearly enough for them to see the strengths and weaknesses in the performance of the full range of pupil groups, including the most able.
• Governors are appropriately engaged in reviewing leaders’ actions to implement the safeguarding policy. They informally check that staff and pupils know what to do if a concern arises.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Thorough and timely actions ensure that pupils are safeguarded well. Staff monitor vulnerable pupils carefully and are tenacious in following up concerns. Effective links with other agencies result in relevant support for pupils and their families. Staff and governors have received the required training in safeguarding. The school curriculum appropriately raises pupils’ awareness of the range of risks and dangers they may face.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Often, three classes in a year group are taught the same lesson, which helpfully promotes a common approach. However, the quality of teaching across these lessons sometimes varies.
• Although teachers use the same plans and resources, they deploy them with varying skill in managing the learning and in the precise application of subject knowledge. This results in variations in pupils’ engagement, learning and progress.
• Questioning does not get pupils to explain their reasoning often enough. In mathematics, for example, questions are sometimes limited to checking that pupils have the correct answers. Teachers do not exploit the potential for problem-solving and reasoning in tasks often enough.
• In some lessons, teaching does not provide sufficient challenge for the most able.
• Standards of presentation are sometimes variable within a pupil’s work and between classes.
• Teachers’ marking is often constructive but sometimes there is limited guidance for improvement and inaccurate responses are not corrected.
• Reading skills for academic learning have not been taught sufficiently well. In the 2016 tests, Year 6 pupils lacked skills in making inferences from texts. Some teachers provide good models of questioning and dialogue that develop these skills. A promising programme for teaching these skills has been introduced but is at an early stage of implementation. In some cases, teachers do not structure reading activities tightly enough and pupils lose focus.
• Reading for enjoyment is encouraged well and reading records show that many read frequently. Weaker readers receive additional support and encouragement that helps them to develop their phonics knowledge and skill and their understanding and enjoyment of books.
• The teaching of phonics is structured and paced well and led by skilled staff who pronounce sounds clearly. Pupils enjoy learning letters and sounds. Effective teaching resulted in most Year 1 pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, reaching the required standard in 2016.
• Reasoning was a key weakness in the Year 6 mathematics test results in 2016. The introduction of more practical resources for mathematics, supported by staff training, is strengthening the teaching of reasoning.
• Teachers often design learning resources well. Well-planned links with topics and practical experiences stimulate pupils’ writing. Pupils have more opportunities for sustained writing. In some lessons, teachers’ feedback and challenge enables them to extend their use of vocabulary and grammar and quickly improve their writing.
• Teachers use learning objectives consistently to guide and focus pupils’ learning and to enable pupils, as well as the teacher, to assess progress. Teachers are applying a new system for providing different levels of challenge well. Pupils appreciate the choice to work at different levels of difficulty.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are generally confident and sociable. The school’s strong sense of community promotes pupils’ security and welfare. Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for by adults.
• The learning mentor and pupil support staff provide effective help and guidance for vulnerable pupils and their families.
• Peer mediators take their responsibilities seriously and play a positive role in helping others to manage relationships. They alert staff promptly to any difficulties that emerge. Pupils also take on a good range of other responsibilities in school.
• Pupils enjoy the good range of extra-curricular activities in sport, drama and music, which contribute well to their personal development.
• Pupils know what the word ‘gay’ means and respond with maturity and understanding, though pupils occasionally hear it used as an insult. They said that any incidents of bullying are dealt with promptly.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The playground is well staffed and pupils enjoy a good range of play equipment. The space is a bit constricted, but zoning and pupils’ good behaviour promotes safe play. Pupils move round the school buildings sensibly.
• In lessons, pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They engage well and are keen to contribute.
• Pupils value the rewards and sanctions for behaviour and say the behaviour code works well.
• Attendance, including persistent absence, has been sustained at the national average and is closely monitored.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In 2015 and 2016, pupils at the end of Year 6 did not make enough progress from their starting points at the end of key stage 1, especially in reading and mathematics. This was due to a legacy of weak teaching, staff absence and the use of temporary teachers.
• The 2016 Year 6 group made weak progress in Years 3 and 4, sped up in Years 5 and 6, but did not catch up. As a result, the proportion reaching the expected standard in reading and mathematics was below the provisional national average, and the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was low.
• The current Year 6 made little progress when in Year 4, but accelerated in Year 5. At this point, they are further ahead than the previous Year 6, but are still behind where they should be and have ground to catch up before they are fully ready for the next stage of their education.
• Progress in writing at the end of key stage 2 was weak in previous years, but improved due to better teaching. In 2016, attainment both in writing and in grammar, spelling and punctuation was above the provisional national average.
• Rates of progress are improving. However, there is some inconsistency across subjects, years and pupil groups.
• In 2016, only a small minority of the most able Year 6 pupils reached the high standard in mathematics at the end of key stage 2. School data shows that the most able have not made enough progress in mathematics in Years 5 and 6.
• In 2015, disadvantaged Year 6 pupils made less progress from key stage 1 than disadvantaged pupils nationally. School data shows that during the last school year disadvantaged pupils made more than expected progress in most year groups, but progress was less strong in Years 2 and 3. In the early years, the proportion of disadvantaged children reaching a good level of development has been consistently well below average. The impact of the school’s use of pupil premium funding demonstrates improvement in some areas but weakness in others.
• In the last school year, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities made more than expected progress in most year groups, but progress was less strong in Years 2 and 3.
• Last year, in some year groups, pupils who speak English as an additional language made less progress in reading than in their other subjects.
• Attainment at key stage 1 was above the provisional national average in 2016. Over the last two years, pupils have made at least expected progress from the end of the early years to the end of key stage 1.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics in Year 1 has risen year-on-year from average to above average. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils achieved as well as other pupils nationally in phonics.
• The proportion of pupils reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception was below the provisional national average in 2016. In previous years, it was above the national average.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• In 2015, the great majority of children who entered Reception were at a typical level of development. They made at least expected progress to reach expected levels of development in most areas. However, progress in reading and writing was weaker and the proportions reaching the expected level of development in reading and writing were below the 2015 national average.
• In 2015, on entry to Reception, leaders identified very few children who were above the typical levels of development. The proportion of children who exceeded the expected level of development at the end of Reception in 2016 was also well below average. This picture does not match the profile of the school. It also indicates that some children, including the most able, made limited progress in their development.
• It appears that teacher assessment is not accurately identifying the most able children on entry or at the end of Reception. This suggests that expectations of the most able children may not be high enough in Reception or at the beginning of Year 1.
• Leaders are not analysing assessment information effectively enough to identify priorities and drive improvement. The early years action plan accurately prioritises writing. However, it does not explain how the staff will accelerate the development of the most able. Nor does it identify how additional funding will accelerate the development of disadvantaged children so they are ready to start Year 1.
• Additional funding provides extra adults who know which disadvantaged children they are targeting for their support. Leaders have not fully evaluated its impact.
• Staff sometimes miss opportunities to provide additional challenge for the most able children through questions and more stretching activities.
• Staff speak knowledgeably about the children. Assessment identifies next steps for all children and staff use them effectively to support learning in free-flow sessions. Activities are generally well matched to pupils’ ability and interest.
• Progress is well documented in learning journeys and reviewed regularly. Good teamwork ensures that children make a smooth transition from Nursery to Reception.
• Staff develop good relationships with parents and they contribute helpful information about their child’s development.
• Adults in Nursery form strong relationships with children and they settle quickly. Well- established routines mean that time is not lost. Expectations for behaviour are high. Children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. They cooperate and share resources well.
• Children’s relationships with key workers are highly positive. Children engage well with activities and demonstrate a good level of independence. Adults interact with children well to promote their learning and children are confident to talk about what they are doing.
• Staff often use questioning well to encourage children to talk and think. For example, adults’ accurate use of mathematical vocabulary and skilful questioning enabled children to develop their understanding of measure and number skills.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Staff say sounds clearly and children repeat and learn them accurately.
• In the outdoor area, stimulating resources encourage the development of writing and mathematics well. The outdoor role-play corner and reading areas are not appealing enough and few children choose to use them.
• Safeguarding in the early years meets requirements.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107087 Sheffield 10001070 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils Gender of pupils 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 610 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Bella Abrams Lorna Culloden Telephone number 01142557534 Website www.carfieldprimary.co.uk/ Email address enquiries@carfield.sheffield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The headteacher took up post in September 2014.
• The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• Children attend the Nursery for either a morning or afternoon session.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups. A number of observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and talked to them about their learning and their experiences at school.
• Discussions were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. The inspector also talked with a representative from ‘Learn Sheffield’ on behalf of the local authority.
• Inspectors checked the school website and evaluated a wide range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, information about pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance and records of admissions and safeguarding.
• The inspection took account of 60 responses from parents to the Ofsted online questionnaire. Inspectors spoke to parents from a range of year groups including those attending a class presentation.

Inspection team

Bernard Campbell, lead inspector Mary Lanovy-Taylor Marianne Young Tracy Fulthorpe Elizabeth Lawley

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector