Burnt Ash Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 17–18 January 2012 Inspection number 376597 Burnt Ash Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 101597 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 376597 Inspection dates 17–18 January 2012 Lead inspector Sarah McDermott

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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 of pupils on the school roll 473 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kerry Godwin Headteacher Leah Crawley Date of previous school inspection 23–24 September 2008 School address Rangefield Road Bromley BR1 4QX Telephone number 020 8697 2441 Fax number 020 8695 5945 Email address admin@burntash.bromley.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 22 lessons taught by 17 teachers totalling 11 hours. The inspectors held meetings with governors, members of the senior leadership team and several groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, checked the school development plan, investigated procedures for keeping pupils safe, scrutinised behaviour logs and analysed responses to 81 questionnaires from parents and carers.

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Information about the school

Burnt Ash is larger than the average sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. Nearly half of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, predominantly of Black or Black British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. Over a third of pupils are disabled or have special educational needs. Their needs mostly relate to moderate learning difficulties. The school has a special opportunities unit (SOU) for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties. Consequently, the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational need is above the national average. Two pupils on the school’s roll currently attend other schools for special behaviour support or medical reasons. About a quarter of pupils join or leave school outside the usual times. The school meets the current floor standard.

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Information about the school

The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises two Reception classes. Nursery children from the age of three years old can also attend part time the pre-school (Little Ashes) run by the governing body. The school manages its own breakfast club and after-school club on site. The school holds the International Schools award and the Healthy Schools award. The local authority children’s centre situated on the same site was inspected at the same time by a different inspection team. A separate inspection report will be published.

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school where pupils make satisfactory progress from their starting points.  Achievement in writing is satisfactory. Pupils are particularly proud when good examples of their writing are displayed prominently around the school.  Pupils’ progress in reading is coming on in leaps and bounds because of daily, well-structured lessons in phonics. Gaps between the achievement of groups of pupils, such as boys or pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs, and their national counterparts are narrowing.  The senior leadership team was initially slow to raise achievement in mathematics but is now seeing the positive impact of improvements.  The behaviour of pupils is satisfactory. They move around the school in an orderly fashion because they know the school routines and pay heed to adults’ directions. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and have an adult to turn

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Key findings

to if they have any worries.  The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers use questioning well to reinforce learning, but on occasions, lessons lack pace.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. Senior leaders check pupils’ work and teachers’ planning regularly but do not spend sufficient time observing lessons to ensure the impact of teaching is having a consistently positive effect on the learning of all pupils.  The school has thorough systems to collect data on pupils’ performance, but not all staff find them easily accessible to give an effective overview of how individuals and groups of pupils are progressing.  Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The limited accommodation for the younger pupils in the special opportunities unit is not fully conducive to providing suitable activities to match their needs.

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in English and mathematics by:  regularly and robustly monitoring the quality of teaching, concentrating particularly on the impact teachers have on pupils’ learning, so the achievement of pupils is equally effective in all classes  ensuring systems to track the progress of pupils are manageable and accessible so teachers can identify underachievement quickly and senior leaders can effectively address any differences in pupils’ progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the provision in the special opportunities unit, particularly in the Key Stage 1 class, by September 2012 so physical shortcomings in the accommodation do not detract from providing an appropriate curriculum.

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Achievement of pupils

Children arrive in the pre-school nursery with skills well below those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the main school and leave in Year 6 with attainment below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. After some disparities in the performance of different groups, pupils are now all learning satisfactorily and at an improving rate. There is no noticeable variation between the progress of pupils of different ethnic backgrounds. The gap is being narrowed between the achievement of boys compared with boys nationally because teachers are alert to selecting activities that engage and motivate them. The school’s data and inspectors’ observations in the classroom show that progress is improving, particularly for the younger pupils. Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs, in both the special opportunities unit and in the main school, make similar progress to their classmates, because staff

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Achievement of pupils

pay careful attention to boosting their confidence and matching work to their capabilities.

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Achievement of pupils

Reading attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2011 was below average. However, pupils are gaining very positively from the rigour of daily phonics lessons and are on track to meet national averages this year. Pupils in Year 6, who have not benefited from the new regime of consistent and focused teaching of phonic skills, generally attained below average reading levels, but overall competency in reading is improving in Key Stage 2. After some low achievement in mathematics, the improved quality of mathematics teaching is reaping rewards in better number and calculation skills across the school.

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Achievement of pupils

Most pupils enjoy their lessons, keenly answer questions and move promptly to get down to individual work. On occasion, a few pupils find it difficult to focus on the task in hand and their learning suffers. Pupils appreciate working with their paired partners and make the most of sparking ideas off each other. Although most pupils know what they are aiming to learn in each lesson, they are not all entirely clear what they need to do to improve their work in the longer term. Nearly all pupils questioned by inspectors think they learn a lot in lessons. The vast majority of parents and carers expressed no significant concerns with the progress their children are making. The inspection team agrees with those parents and carers who feel that the school is sometimes inconsistent in providing up-to-date information on pupils’ progress and school events.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers have a good rapport with their pupils to put them at ease with their learning. The Early Years Foundation Stage staff are especially welcoming and make learning positively fun. Most teachers plan lessons thoroughly and ensure different ability groups are well catered for with suitably challenging tasks to promote their learning. However, on occasion teachers spend too long on introductions so pupils lose concentration and the pace of learning slows. More capable pupils are not always given sufficient scope to get on with tasks without sitting through whole-class explanations. Teachers make secure use of the planned curriculum to organise lessons so there is an interesting range of activities to keep pupils’ attention. In an English lesson where teaching was good, the teacher promoted lively writing very effectively because she provided a ‘dinosaur egg’ to develop imagination. Teachers take the opportunity to thread the promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Quality of teaching

Many teachers are good at questioning pupils to find out if all pupils are making the right progress and to challenge them to think more deeply. Teachers keep a good roving eye on the performance of each pupil, but in a few instances they are not quick enough to notice pupils who have picked up misconceptions. Learning support assistants are deployed thoughtfully to ensure pupils who need help make similar progress to others. Exercise books are marked regularly, with some excellent examples of extending pupils’ learning. However, this good practice is inconsistent and on occasion pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to follow up comments in marking. The vast majority of parents and carers are content with the quality of teaching. Although nearly all pupils who completed the survey believe they learn a lot in lessons, a few are not confident that teaching helps develop skills in communication, reading, writing and mathematics. The inspection team agrees with

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Quality of teaching

the pupils that the teaching of basic skills, while currently satisfactory, could be more effective in some classes.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils report that in most lessons behaviour is typically good and they can get on with their learning with little disruption. They say a small amount of bullying occurs, mostly relating to name calling or swearing. During the inspection pupils were polite and courteous to inspectors and keen to strike up conversations. Pupils value the ‘golden points’ awarded for good behaviour and look forward to the reward of ‘golden time’.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The management of pupils who misbehave or who have particular special educational needs relating to behaviour is satisfactory because of consistent and clearly understood behaviour management strategies. However, some pupils, and parents and carers have concerns about the inappropriate behaviour of a small group of older boys. The school’s own behaviour logs show that these pupils feature more than others. Pastoral support staff are working closely with the pupils and their parents and carers to reduce incidents of misbehaviour and ensure that their learning and that of their classmates is interrupted as little as possible.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils agree that once any behaviour or type of bullying issue is reported, staff are quick to sort out the problem. In particular, the ‘worry box’ allows pupils to report concerns in confidence. Consequently, pupils feel safe in school and parents and carers heartily endorse this. Pupils are learning how to look after themselves out in the community as a result of regular visits from the police community support officers and the fire service as well as participation in the junior citizenship scheme. Attendance is average and incidents of persistent absence are low.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher leads a committed band of teachers and teaching assistants with a clear focus on raising achievement. Following a restructure of the senior leadership team, several projects have been successfully introduced to bolster pupils’ performance and secure the necessary improvements required since the last inspection. The consistently delivered phonics sessions for the younger pupils, including children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, is raising achievement in reading and is held up as good practice in the local authority. The writing scheme is proving effective in engaging boys and girls in lively literacy. The senior leadership team has been slower to tackle past underachievement in mathematics. However, with concerted professional development, the quality of teaching of mathematics and the resulting learning of the pupils are improving rapidly. Senior leaders routinely check how well teachers plan lessons, but do not all spend sufficient time in lessons

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Leadership and management

specifically evaluating the impact of teaching on the progress of each individual pupil. Teachers clearly know how well each of their pupils is progressing. However, the data tracking system is not yet sufficiently slick for easy reference by all staff to quickly pinpoint how different groups are performing. The governing body is clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the school and knows what needs to be improved. Overall the school has satisfactory capacity to improve further.

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Leadership and management

The pre-school and Reception classes provide a varied range of activities for Early Years Foundation Stage children. Staff are beginning to work together effectively so children experience a smooth transition in learning from pre-school to Reception based on jointly agreed assessment systems and curriculum planning. The school maintains satisfactory links with the children’s centre on site. The curriculum in the main school covers all the required subjects and gives the pupils a satisfactory range of clubs and outings, particularly those promoting social and moral development. Extra sessions are provided to boost achievement. Interesting links between subjects, such as writing about the history of Anne Frank in English lessons, encourages deeper thought in pupils’ learning. The accommodation in the special opportunities unit is cramped and not suitable for the younger pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties.

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Leadership and management

The governing body, with leaders and managers at all levels, ensures that pupils are safe and secure while in the school’s care. The family worker liaises effectively with families to improve pupils’ attendance, so pupils with previously sporadic attendance now have equal opportunity to make the most of their education. The school tackles any discrimination effectively and ensures all pupils, including those newly arrived at the school, at the early stages of learning English and those known to be eligible for free school meals, have an equal opportunity to achieve similarly.

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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 Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

Thank you very much for welcoming us to your school. Burnt Ash Primary is a satisfactory school. You make satisfactory progress and leave school with below average attainment in English and mathematics. You enjoy your learning and feel you learn a lot in lessons. We are pleased with the progress you are making in your reading. We judge teaching to be satisfactory because most teachers plan interesting activities and ask good questions to improve your learning, but sometimes lessons do not move along quickly enough for you to achieve well. The headteacher and her team of senior teachers lead the school satisfactorily. They work well together and know what needs improving.

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Inspection of Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

You feel safe at school and know how to look after yourselves. A few of you are sometimes worried about bullying and the boisterous activities of older pupils, but you say that adults in school sort out problems when you raise them. Overall your behaviour in lessons and around the school is satisfactory. Over the last year your attendance has improved. Last year it was average and so far this year it is higher. Well done!

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Inspection of Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

To make your school even better, we have asked it to do two things.

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Inspection of Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

 Raise achievement in English and mathematics by:  setting up simple and easy ways to check how each of you are progressing  arranging for senior teachers to visit lessons more often so they can find out if teaching is helping you all to achieve as much as possible.

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Inspection of Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

 Improve the classroom for the younger pupils in the special opportunities unit.

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Inspection of Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

We certainly enjoyed our visit to your school. We know that your teachers and their assistants make your school a special place for you. All of you can help by always striving to do your best, behaving well and making your families and the school proud of you.

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Inspection of Burnt Ash Primary School, Bromley, BR1 4QX

Sarah McDermott 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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