Broomhill Infant School: 'Happy and welcoming' Sheffield school celebrates first Ofsted visit in 12 years

It took 12 years for inspectors to return, but a Sheffield junior school is celebrating after being told they are still up to scratch.

Broomhill Infant School has gone over a decade without a fresh visit from Ofsted so staff could prove they are worth their salt.

Now, the wait is over after a new report was published on December 14 - where the education watchdog praised them as a "happy and welcoming school where pupils thrive".

Headteacher Jane Barnes said: "We're really thrilled - and relieved - that the inspection went well and that Ofsted recognised our school as a happy and welcoming place.

"We were really anxious to be honest. It's a completely different framework to what it was 12 years ago and we did this inspection without having that benchmark or compass point to know what was required of us, so to speak, and we're really happy we achieved that."

The report heaped praise on how Broomhill Infant School was described as "one big family" by pupils and staff alike.

It reads: "Staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND... Pupils work hard, enjoy learning, and are proud of their achievements.

"Pupils behave well throughout school. In lessons, they are keen to learn and they participate positively in lessons. They are polite and welcoming of visitors."

Inspectors especially praised the school's forest school provision, where pupils get at least one day a week learning outdoors and which Ms Barnes calls "in my opinion, the jewel in the crown of Broomhill".

The report reads: "Every pupil accesses a day of high-quality outdoor learning each week. These opportunities are carefully planned by expert teachers and enhance and reinforce learning across the curriculum.

"Parents who completed Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, were overwhelmingly positive about the school and would recommend it to others."

It was rated 'Good' overall and rated 'Outstanding' for personal development. It's a step down from the overall 'Outstanding' it received under the previous framework 12 years ago, but Ms Barnes says she isn't concerned.

Minor criticisms included weaknesses in pupils remembering what they learned in a small number of subjects such as computing, as well an overall need for teachers to consistently address errors in spelling, handwriting and punctuation, as well as gaps in some pupils' attendance.

Ms Barnes said: "We're pleased as we are aware of what areas needed to improve and were able to show inspectors what was already being done on the day.

"The support we've had from our parents has been amazing. Thank you to all our staff at Broomhill. We all work really well as a team and we achieved this together.

"We are a family and we all look after each other."

The Star reported in August how many of Sheffield's Outstanding schools and nurseries had been waiting up to 10 years or even more for fresh Ofsted visits.

The most severely out-of-date remains Stannington Infant School, which has been waiting since October 2007 for a fresh visit, although it converted into an academy in 2019.

In recent years, the rules governing top-rated schools were changed. Previously, 'outstanding' schools did not need to be fully reinspected without concerns being raised. Now, they require routine full inspections.

Between this and interruptions brought on by Covid-19, inspectors face huge backlogs, and many of Sheffield's 'outstanding' schools have not been scrutinised in over a decade.