Bevendean Primary School and Nursery

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 17–18 January 2012 Inspection number 378864 Bevendean Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 114485 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 378864 Inspection dates 17–18 January 2012 Lead inspector Helen Howard

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on Roll 425 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mark Back Headteacher Wendy King Date of previous school inspection 11 May 2009 School address Heath Hill Avenue Lower Bevendean Brighton BN2 4JP Telephone number 01273 681292 Fax number 01273 622334 Email address admin@bevendean.brighton-hove.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The team observed 25 lessons taught by 15 teachers. They met with pupils, listened to them read, met with members of the governing body and with various members of staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at school documentation including its self-evaluation, monitoring procedures and data about pupils’ progress. The inspectors analysed the views of 159 parents and carers who responded to the questionnaires.

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Information about the school

Bevendean Primary is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils who have a minority ethnic heritage is lower than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is well above that found nationally. Nearly one fifth of pupils are disabled and/or have special educational needs. The majority of these have behavioural, emotional or social difficulties or have speech, language or communication needs. The school also hosts a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs, known as the Launch Pad, for eight pupils who have hearing impairments and who are supported by a statement of special educational needs. They are on the roll of the school and are fully included in all aspects of the school’s provision. Nearly one fifth

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Information about the school

of pupils join or leave the school part-way through their education. The school meets the current floor standards.

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Information about the school

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attend part time in the Nursery and attend Reception full time in one of two classes. The school runs a breakfast club every day. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Bevendean Primary is a good school. Attainment is now average and improving, as shown by the rising proportion of pupils gaining expected levels by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils make good progress overall relative to their starting points. Achievement in mathematics and in reading, which had been a focus for leaders and managers, has accelerated rapidly as a result of good teaching. Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 is not as consistently strong in all lessons. Groups of pupils make good progress, including those with disabilities and special educational needs, those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are in the Launch Pad.

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Key findings

 Teaching is typically good overall, enabling pupils to make accelerated progress. It is not consistently good in all lessons because the pace and the challenge for pupils are not always at the same high level. Teachers’ use of assessment, which is good overall, is not consistently embedded at Key Stage 1. The school provides high quality support for pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs and those whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. This, in addition to very effective partnerships, helps pupils to succeed.

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Key findings

 Pupils feel very safe in school. They behave well and the school’s emphases on respect, positive relationships and strong moral and social development prepare them well for life in the modern world. Opportunities to appreciate different cultures and beliefs beyond school are fewer.

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Key findings

 The strong leadership of the headteacher, supported well by the governing body and leaders and managers, has led to improvements since the last inspection. Improvements in the curriculum have accelerated progress in reading and mathematics. Pupils enjoy opportunities to apply their skills in a range of contexts, although these are not consistently offered in all subjects. Leaders and managers know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and plan effectively to bring about further improvements. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate progress in Key Stage 1 by ensuring that all teaching is consistently good or better by December 2012, by: − increasing the pace of learning in lessons − ensuring that the level of challenge is matched to the needs of pupils − making more effective use of assessment in lessons to let pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the curriculum by: − offering increased opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in a range of contexts − offering more opportunities to develop pupils’ awareness of different beliefs and cultures in the modern world.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils start school with skills and abilities that are below those typical for their age. By the time they leave school, they make good progress and reach average attainment in both English and mathematics. In lessons observed it was clear that there has been a marked improvement where there has been a specific drive and focus, especially in mathematics and reading. For example in an outstanding Year 4 mathematics lesson, pupils investigated how to solve multiplication problems, using recently acquired knowledge. All of the pupils made outstanding progress in being able to explain how they would approach the problem and, as a result, they could apply their prior knowledge to solve new problems. The teaching of reading in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is good. The emphasis on reading continues in Key Stage 2, where pupils are encouraged to enjoy books and link their reading to writing skills. As a result, attainment in reading is now average at the end

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Achievement of pupils

of Key Stages 1 and 2 and improving rapidly.

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Achievement of pupils

Almost all parents and carers rightly feel that their child is making good progress in school. In the majority of lessons progress is good. It is not always accelerating at the same rate in Key Stage 1 because the pace of teaching is not consistently brisk enough and the level of challenge is not always matched to individual pupils’ needs.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because there is effective identification of their needs, teachers plan appropriate activities and they receive good support from teaching assistants in lessons. Pupils who join the school part-way through their education make good progress because the school identifies their needs early and provides appropriate support when required. In the Launch Pad, Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

pupils make good progress as a result of highly specialist provision and support from teachers and other adults. Good relationships with the local Traveller community and very effective support in school enable pupils from this community to make good progress.

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Quality of teaching

Strategies to improve the quality of teaching have been effective so that, in most lessons, good subject knowledge and good relationships support learning. All of the parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire feel that their child is taught well. As one parent said, ‘What makes the school so fantastic is the teachers’ attitudes to learning and the fun way they teach.’ Teachers generally have high expectations and ensure that lessons enthuse and engage pupils. A minority of lessons, especially in Key Stage 1, lack challenge and, as a consequence, pace slows. Effective modelling and open-ended questioning enable pupils to reflect on their learning. For example, in an outstanding Year 6 literacy lesson, the teacher modelled how to write a book ‘blurb’, using pupils’ ideas. They were then able to apply the same skills to their own writing, achieving a high standard as a result. Pupils are able

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Quality of teaching

to work well on their own and in the best lessons they are developing high levels of independent skills. The use of ‘talk partners’, where pupils discuss their work with each other, is embedded across the school and is very successful in enabling all pupils to contribute and share learning.

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Quality of teaching

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching is good, especially in the Nursery, where there is a good balance of child-initiated and teacher-led activities and where adults skilfully develop children’s good attitudes to learning.

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Quality of teaching

Data are used effectively by teachers to match activities to meet the needs of all pupils and to identify underperformance so that actions can be taken to address it. Generally, teachers use assessment well to inform pupils about how well they are doing, together with specific comments about and what they need to do next. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson, outstanding assessment led to written dialogues between the teacher and pupils about how the work was improving. This practice is not consistently used in Key Stage 1 and as a result progress is not always so brisk.

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Quality of teaching

A range of activities in lessons helps pupils to develop good social skills and pupils work very well together as a result. Improvements in teaching and the curriculum have provided more opportunities for creativity and enabled pupils to develop curiosity about their learning. Teaching takes account of the diversity within the school and consequently, many pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are able to overcome barriers to their learning. Pupils respond well to artistic and creative opportunities and participate in a range of clubs and activities outside of lessons. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school’s high expectations and consistent approach in following the behaviour policy enable pupils to behave well. Almost all parents and carers who replied to the questionnaire felt that there was a good standard of behaviour at the school and that their child felt safe. During the inspection, all pupils said that they felt very safe in school. Pupils set themselves very high standards of behaviour and a minority of pupils said in their questionnaires that behaviour could be even better. Inspectors found behaviour to be good in most lessons and around the school. In a few lessons, where behaviour is satisfactory, this is because teaching lacks pace or challenge and pupils become less engaged. One of the strengths of the school is its drive to help pupils understand the impact of their behaviour on others. For example, in a Year 3 class, when a pupil was talking out of turn, the teacher explained how the pupil’s

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

behaviour was stopping another from learning and this intervention was highly effective in maintaining the pace of learning. The school provides opportunities in the curriculum and through assemblies for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. In information and communication technology (ICT) lessons, pupils are helped to understand the risks associated with social networking sites and cyber bullying.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

There is convincing evidence to show improvements in behaviour over time. There are excellent relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils are friendly, courteous and sensitive to the needs of others. For example, pupils in the Launch Pad are included well in all aspects of school life. This ethos is strongly introduced in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where adults have high expectations of children’s attitudes and behaviour. Adults are skilful in providing engaging activities that develop social skills. Pupils are acutely aware of what constitutes bullying and say that incidents are very rare. Pupils say that they trust the adults and are confident that any incidents will be dealt with well by the school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school supports pupils with challenging behaviour very well and is successful in engaging them in learning. Staff are prepared to go to great lengths to keep pupils in school and exclusions are rare. Attendance is improving rapidly from below national averages and is now close to average. For a very small minority of pupils, attendance is low and this is hindering their progress.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and governing body have shown determination in securing improvements in the school. Their shared vision has been embraced by all staff and importantly, the pupils. The effective governing body gives strategic leadership and rigorously monitors the school’s performance. Good arrangements for safeguarding ensure that pupils are safe in school. Leaders and managers at all levels provide good role models for other staff and their ability to work together as a team is a strength of the school. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Leaders and managers have provided professional support for teachers including peer support, coaching and training and this has resulted in improvements in the quality of teaching overall. Pupils are enthused and motivated to do well. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

Consequently over time, attainment has risen and pupils’ achievement is now good.

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Leadership and management

There is strong capacity for further improvement. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well and has taken appropriate steps to remedy weaknesses. As a result, there have been improvements in behaviour, the quality of teaching and in attendance.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good because it is broad, balanced and provides imaginative approaches. This has led to improvements in progress, especially in mathematics and English. There are good opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in different contexts although these are not consistently offered in all subjects. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are reflective in their learning and this is supported by ‘learning assemblies’, where pupils share work that they are proud of. These activities foster a great sense of pride and curiosity about learning. Pupils develop a strong sense of right and wrong, have good social skills and a good awareness of the cultural diversity of the school. There are fewer opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of beliefs and cultures in the wider modern world.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers take very effective steps to ensure that they promote equality and as a result, groups of pupils make good progress in the school. Discrimination is rare but effectively tackled. Consequently, the school is a very harmonious community.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Bevendean Primary School, Brighton BN2 4JP

You may remember that three of us visited your school recently. Thank you so much for your very warm welcome. We could see how much you enjoyed school and we enjoyed meeting you and your teachers. Bevendean is a good school that helps you to do well.

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Inspection of Bevendean Primary School, Brighton BN2 4JP

You told us that you think you learn a lot in school and that teaching is good. We could see how much you enjoy learning when you are finding things out for yourselves and when you work together.

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Inspection of Bevendean Primary School, Brighton BN2 4JP

You also told us that the school deals with bullying well. Most of you think that behaviour is good. Some of you think that behaviour could be even better. We thought you behaved very well in lessons and when you move around the school. We were especially impressed with how well you all get on with each other.

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Inspection of Bevendean Primary School, Brighton BN2 4JP

We asked the school to do two things to make it even better.  Most of the teaching is good but we have asked teachers to make it even more interesting by including activities that are more challenging, especially in Key Stage 1. We have also asked teachers to make sure that they all help you to know how well you are doing and what you need to do next to improve your work.  We have asked your teachers to plan more activities that will help you to: − use your reading, writing, mathematics and computer skills in different lessons − learn more about other people’s beliefs and cultures.

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Inspection of Bevendean Primary School, Brighton BN2 4JP

You can all help by continuing to work hard.

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Inspection of Bevendean Primary School, Brighton BN2 4JP

Helen Howard Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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