Hallam Fields Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The school is well led and managed.

Leaders have successfully implemented new whole-school strategies, which are rapidly securing improvements in the progress of current pupils, particularly in reading and mathematics. The governing body has a thorough understanding of the school's strengths and areas for further improvement. Governors support and challenge leaders in equal measures.

Leaders ensure that pupils are safe and secure. Relationships in school are good. The school promotes pupils' welfare very well.

Pupils develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development within a safe and highly nurturing environment. Th...erefore, pupils are happy, confident and have a mature level of respect and empathy for others. The majority of pupils behave very well.

Leaders provide effective support for the few pupils who need help to improve their behaviour. However, leaders recognise that some parents have concerns about behaviour at the school. The progress of disadvantaged pupils, although improving, does not consistently meet the progress of other pupils nationally in all subjects.

Teachers use assessment information about pupils to plan learning that is appropriate for most pupils' needs. However, some teachers do not check pupils' understanding well enough in lessons. Therefore, pupils' misconceptions are not always followed up and pupils who grasp new learning quickly are not moved on to deepen their knowledge.

Some lower ability pupils struggle with their basic reading skills, while others are not sufficiently challenged.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized junior school. Since the last inspection, the school's senior leadership team and governing body have been restructured.

Two new assistant headteachers have been appointed. The previous chair of governors has taken on the role of vice chair, and two governors now share the role of chair of governors. There have been a number of new staff appointments, including the appointment of five newly qualified teachers over the past two years.

The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language are below average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with the national average.

The proportion of pupils who receive additional funding through the pupil premium is above average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.