Hunter's Bar Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that pupils who arrive in Year 3 with gaps in their reading skills make even faster progress to catch up with their peers.
• Ensure that pupils’ attainment in science rises further so it at least equals that in reading, writing and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher and his senior team lead with commitment and passion to secure the best possible outcomes for pupils. Underpinning the school’s considerable success is a highly impressive approach to professional development for teachers and leaders. This draws upon the very best practice, both locally and nationally.
• The first-class work of middle leaders is having a profound impact on pupils’ outcomes, the curriculum and pupils’ personal development. Their expert subject knowledge enables them to support teachers to be the best they can be. Middle leaders are meticulous in their planning when introducing something new. This ensures that they measure carefully the impact of all that they do.
• Leaders are very mindful to ensure that teachers’ workload is manageable. This means that teachers do not have to spend time doing things that make minimal impact on pupils’ learning. Consequently, almost all teachers who responded to the questionnaire felt well supported and enjoy working at the school.
• The curriculum is exceptionally rich and is a key reason why pupils told inspectors they enjoyed school so much. Music can be heard throughout the school, with around half of pupils playing a musical instrument. The impressive school choir, whose membership includes many boys, performs regularly. Drama, too, is high profile in the curriculum. During the inspection, pupils staged their own version of a scene from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, having been inspired by a theatre visit. The artwork pupils produce is high quality, such as the recent work using the techniques of Matisse.
• The curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness extremely well. Topical assemblies help pupils to understand such issues as the Windrush generation. Events such as Black History Month enable pupils to explore music and literature from different cultures and times. All pupils learn the essentials of French, German and Spanish in preparation for further study in secondary school.
• Leaders have built excellent relationships with parents. Weekly, themed, coffee mornings are well attended. They ensure that parents are given information on how they can keep their children safe online or how they can support with reading at home. The regular blogs on the school website written by staff also give valuable information to parents.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding exceptionally well, which is having a strong impact on learning for disadvantaged pupils. All pupils have a personalised plan which outlines how they can best be supported and prepared for the next stage in their education.
• The sport and physical education (PE) funding is having a strong impact on pupils’ participation and interest in sport. It is also used effectively to ensure that staff improve their PE teaching skills through training. Pupils take part in an impressive range of sports, which includes fencing and orienteering. The school is the current British primary schools orienteering champion. Moreover, pupils take part in sports designed for the blind so they can better appreciate and understand the challenges of being visually impaired.
• Similarly, the funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities has been used thoughtfully to tailor packages of support. This support not only identifies and addresses gaps in pupils’ learning but helps pupils to become confident, independent learners.
• Parents, when talking to inspectors, were keen to praise the school. Their comments included: ‘The school inspires pupils to be the best they can be,’ and ‘They are a school not obsessed with results but encourage learning for life.’

Governance of the school

• The governing body has a deep understanding of the school’s strengths and what it now needs to improve further. Assessment information and national statistics are used very well by the governing body to both challenge and support school leaders.
• Governors are well trained. As a result, they are able to discharge their legal obligations well.
• The vision of governors aligns well with that of the headteacher. They understand the immense value of research work and training for staff. Consequently, they have secured funding for these important projects.
• Governors have good complementary skills to support the school. For example, in health and safety, legal matters, finance, safeguarding and SEN.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Appropriate checks are made on staff on their appointment.
• Safeguarding and child protection documents are fit for purpose and kept securely. They are well maintained and detailed in their content.
• Training for staff is frequent and regular to ensure it is up to date with the latest government requirements.
• The site is well maintained and is safe and secure. Appropriate risk assessments are carried out regularly.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are well trained so they are able to report any concerns promptly. Particularly strong are the regular year team meetings, which ensure that all staff are well aware of any concerns no matter how small. This ensures that the welfare of pupils is afforded the highest importance.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• It is as a result of the exceptional professional development that teachers constantly strive to improve their teaching. A governor described the school as ‘a restless school’, meaning that things never stand still. This was very apparent when inspectors observed the high-quality conversations between staff about how to improve teaching further still.
• Assessment in the school is used exceptionally well to pinpoint pupils’ next steps in learning. This is done across all areas of the curriculum, not only in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, teachers know their pupils very well and therefore are able to tailor teaching to their needs.
• The assessment of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is equally incisive. Their individual programmes are regularly updated and shared with the pupils and their parents. As a result, no time is wasted doing work which has little or no impact on learning.
• The teaching of reading has improved since the last inspection as a result of research into how pupils read words and their comprehension skills. Central to this work has been the improvement of pupils’ vocabulary, which is apparent in all classrooms and across all areas of the curriculum.
• In Year 3, a minority of pupils arrive with gaps in their reading skills. Leaders are now working to accelerate these pupils’ progress so that they are reading freely when they enter Year 4.
• The work done to improve pupils’ vocabulary is very much evident in the teaching of writing. Pupils are taught to use rich, interesting vocabulary as well as correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Teaching assistants give high-quality support to pupils but also know precisely when to allow pupils to make their own mistakes and become confident, self-assured, independent learners.
• Teachers question pupils deeply to ensure that they give answers in full sentences and justify their thinking.
• A feature of lessons is how much pupils love learning. Classrooms buzz with excitement. This is reflected in pupils’ excellent attitudes in lessons and how little teachers have to use any sanctions.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils say they feel very safe from any threats of bullying, since it very rarely happens. The school’s records verify that this is the case.
• Pupils have a very good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet. Parents, too, receive high-quality information through regular coffee mornings and information on the school’s website.
• Many pupils grasp the plentiful opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as becoming a play leader. Many pupils play their musical instruments in assembly or sing. Many pupils lead sports activities. A pupil told an inspector how his interest in dodgeball prompted him to start a club in school.
• Through the excellent curriculum, pupils learn about how to be considerate, to appreciate different cultures and religions and to listen to others’ views. This ensures that they are well prepared for life in a modern, democratic Britain. Parents make comments such as: ‘I am very impressed by how considerate of others children are.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Inspectors were particularly struck by pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning in lessons. Pupils have a real thirst to learn. They are eager to support each other and make their work the best it can be. They very rarely, if ever, drift off-task, which means that teachers almost never have to sanction pupils.
• At lunchtimes and at breaktimes, pupils behave extremely well. They take turns when using play equipment. They play sensibly, organising their own games. While there are adults to turn to if necessary, pupils’ behaviour is so good that adults very rarely need to intervene.
• Inspectors were impressed with pupils’ manners. On various occasions, inspectors were asked if they were having a good day and were greeted politely by pupils. Pupils take responsibility for keeping the site litter free.
• Pupils who find behaving well a challenge have their needs met extremely well. This is because staff draw upon the best possible advice and support nationally.
• Attendance is above average for most groups of pupils.
• Almost all parents who responded to the questionnaire were happy about pupils’ behaviour.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• In the 2018 tests, an above-average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. An above-average proportion of pupils also reached a greater depth of learning. Over time, the school tracking shows that they made strong progress.
• Inspection evidence indicates that pupils currently in the school are making better progress than in previous years. This has been the result of the work to improve pupils’ comprehension, their vocabulary and mathematical reasoning skills.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils is improving and approaching that of others nationally. These improvements have been brought about by the individual support for pupils and very close working with their parents. Parents support pupils well at home.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress across all subjects. This is a result of the high-quality support they receive and how well teachers use assessments to pinpoint pupils’ next steps in learning.
• Pupils’ writing work is highly impressive and is no weaker in their geography, history or science work than it is in their English work. Pupils, by the time they are in Year 6, write legibly and neatly. They write in a mature style, which is also reflected in their speaking. As a result, they are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• The imaginative curriculum enables pupils to gain a range of skills across the curriculum. For example, pupils learn about the importance of keeping the oceans clean while also learning about persuasive writing on ecological issues.
• The excellent curriculum, particularly in PE and the performing and creative arts, has a profoundly positive impact on pupils’ outcomes, their enjoyment of school and their high attendance.
• Visits to museums and the countryside surrounding the city are commonplace, bringing learning alive for pupils. This ensures that pupils have interesting, relevant topics to write about once they return to school.
• In mathematics, pupils solve problems intelligently so that they are able to select the best method. They use their good knowledge of times tables to solve problems and are able to explain their thinking rather than just give the answer to a question.
• Outcomes in science in 2018 were broadly average. Leaders are aware that work now needs to be done to raise attainment in science so that it equals that of reading, writing and mathematics.
• Almost all parents who responded to the questionnaire were happy that their children were making good progress and that they are taught well.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 106994 Sheffield 10055082 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 357 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Yogi Amin Michael Watson 0114 266 0547 www.huntersbarjunior.co.uk enquiries@huntersbar-jun.sheffield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 March 2014

Information about this school

• Hunter’s Bar Junior School serves the population of an area to the south west of Sheffield. Most pupils have previously attended the infant school, which is adjacent to the school.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• The proportion of pupils whose first language is not English is broadly average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons, listened to some pupils reading and looked at the work in pupils’ books to evaluate their progress over time. They spoke to pupils, staff, parents, governors and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised various documents including the summary of self-evaluation, the school development plan, safeguarding information, the tracking of pupils’ progress and documents relating to the pupil premium.
• The 95 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered by inspectors as well as 23 staff questionnaire responses.

Inspection team

Robert Jones, lead inspector Janet Lunn Helen Hussey

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector