Buckingham Park Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 8–9 February 2012 Inspection number 381743 Buckingham Park Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 134791 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 381743 Inspection dates 8–9 February 2012 Lead inspector Chris Grove

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 285 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Keith Tulley Headteacher Louise Swann Date of previous school inspection 9–10 July 2009 School address Buckingham Road Shoreham-on-Sea West Sussex BN43 5UD Telephone number 01273 453515 Fax number 01273 441772 Email address office@buckinghampark.w-sussex.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. Inspectors observed 15 lessons taught by 11 teachers. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, a group of parents and carers, members of the school’s staff and the Chair and another member of the Governing Body. There were no responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) which inspectors could take account of in planning the inspection. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at analyses of pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s development planning and documents relating to monitoring, safeguarding and the curriculum. Inspectors analysed inspection questionnaires returned by 100 parents and carers, as well as those completed by 116 pupils, and 18 members of the school staff.

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Information about the school

Buckingham Park Primary is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are White British, and the rest come from a mixture of other ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, principally speech, language and communication needs, is also broadly average. The number of pupils on roll has increased since September 2011, after a period of sharp decline following the amalgamation of a first and a middle school to form the present primary school from September 2008. As a consequence of the reduction in pupil numbers, the school’s staffing complement has also reduced. The school has gained a range of accreditations, including the International Schools (Intermediate) and the Eco Schools (Bronze) awards, and has Healthy School status. The school meets the current floor standard, whereby the government

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Information about the school

sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. The strong relationships between adults and pupils are testimony to the caring ethos and very positive climate for learning. Pupils enjoy school because they are looked after well. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard.  In the Reception year, children get off to a good start in their learning and progress well. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2 to reach above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment by the end of Year 6 has risen from well below average to broadly average, but is higher in reading and mathematics than in writing. Pupils’ progress in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory, and is improving.  The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with a growing proportion of good teaching. Where teaching is less strong, the tasks set for pupils, and the questions they are asked, are not consistently well matched to their needs.

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Key findings

Marking and target setting do not always help them as much as they could. Teachers and learning support assistants do not always apply the best strategies to support disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Pupils’ behaviour and attendance have improved. Their attentiveness and involvement in lessons are good and contribute well to learning. Pupils feel very safe in school. They say that there are few instances of bullying, and that bullying is effectively handled by the staff.  Staff and governors share the headteacher’s ambitious vision for the future of the school. Effective systems to track pupils’ progress and to monitor the quality of teaching are helping to accelerate pupils’ progress.  The curriculum ensures that most pupils’ needs are adequately met, though there are currently insufficient opportunities for pupils to write at length in a variety of subjects.  The rise in attainment, pupils’ improved behaviour, attendance and personal

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Key findings

development, attest to the capacity of the leadership to continue to improve the school.

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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 pupils’ attainment and accelerate their progress in writing in Key Stage 2, by:  increasing opportunities for pupils to write more extensively in a range of subjects  providing a consistently good match of questions and tasks to the different groups of pupils in each class  raising teachers’ expectations about the accuracy of pupils’ grammar and spelling.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make more consistent use of guidance for pupils about improving their work, so that they develop a clearer understanding of the next steps in their learning in writing and mathematics by:  making sure that feedback from marking has a greater impact  sharpening target-setting arrangements to enable teachers to indicate more precisely to pupils the improvements necessary to reach higher levels of attainment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide better support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, in order to raise their achievement, by:  improving the professional development of all staff in relation to the needs of pupils with particular difficulties  clarifying the strategies that the learning support assistants can best use to help these pupils make faster progress.

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Achievement of pupils

When pupils enter the school, their attainment is variable, but is typically broadly average. Children in Reception make good progress in their learning, especially in acquiring basic skills in reading, writing and counting. They enjoy the many practical activities available, such as measuring their feet in a ‘shoe shop’ and recording their different sizes, or playing with melting ice and discussing its properties with their teaching assistant.

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Achievement of pupils

In Years 1 and 2, pupils’ attainment has improved recently to above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Current school data indicate good progress in all three subjects. Pupils in a Year 1 class demonstrated their success in learning how to write their own examples of alliteration, which they also presented to the class. In Year 2, pupils showed their capacity to estimate accurately, making correct use of appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Pupils learn to read well. For example, one hesitant reader applied his knowledge of linking sounds to letters to good effect to sound out unfamiliar words. Other pupils showed good comprehension of the stories in their current reading books. Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress as other pupils in Years 1 and 2 because they are well supported.

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Achievement of pupils

In Years 3 to 6, the overall progress of pupils, including those who are disabled or have special educational needs, is satisfactory. Progress is more rapid in reading and mathematics than in writing. Attainment in reading is broadly average in Year 6. In some lessons, progress is good. In a mathematics lesson about dividing two-digit numbers mentally, for instance, pupils in Years 5 and 6 developed the confidence to employ a new method by using the opportunities provided to explain their thinking to one another, and to demonstrate the method practically using apparatus. In an English lesson about the use of adjectives and similes, pupils in Year 3 made good progress because they had well-judged opportunities to develop their understanding before they completed the written work.

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Achievement of pupils

Sometimes, however, tasks for pupils are not well matched to their learning needs, for example when lower-attaining pupils are expected to undertake a reading or writing task which has not been well enough adapted to enable them to succeed. In addition, more-able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently by teachers’ questions to demonstrate their powers of explanation or reasoning.

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Achievement of pupils

Most parents and carers believe that their children make good progress. Inspectors agree that progress is good in Reception and in Years 1 and 2. Despite strong signs of improvement, it is not yet consistently good in Key Stage 2, especially in writing.

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Quality of teaching

The good relationships between teachers and pupils lead to the very positive ethos and supportive climate for learning. Teachers successfully communicate high expectations about behaviour and moral development. As a result, they seldom need to set boundaries in managing pupils’ behaviour. The best teaching is characterised by good planning, including the well-judged match of tasks to pupils of different abilities, and by a lively pace and pupils’ close involvement in the learning. In a good lesson in mathematics, for example, the teacher organised extensive use of ‘talk partners’, encouraging pupils to explain their reasoning to another pupil. She also frequently assessed the extent of pupils’ understanding of new learning. Both questions and tasks were matched to pupils’ different attainment levels, ensuring appropriate challenge to their thinking.

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Quality of teaching

However, not all lessons include a good match of work to pupils’ differing ability levels. There are instances where pupils with particular disabilities or needs are not well supported. Arrangements to identify pupils who have special educational needs work effectively. However, teachers and learning support assistants are not always sufficiently knowledgeable about the most appropriate strategies to provide well for pupils with some additional needs.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers’ use of marking and target setting to raise pupils’ achievement is not consistent. Some marking of pupils’ work is thorough and encouraging, indicating clearly what pupils could do to improve further. However, there are also instances where marking includes too little guidance about necessary improvements. In addition, errors in spelling and weak sentence construction are sometimes overlooked. Although teachers set targets for pupils in writing and mathematics, their impact is limited because pupils, including those in Year 6, are unsure how the targets set can help them to reach higher levels of attainment.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers consider that teaching is good. Inspectors found that, although some teaching is good, its overall impact is satisfactory because it is not yet leading to consistently good progress in Years 3 to 6.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are courteous to adults and welcoming to visitors. Their behaviour around school is good. The calm and caring ethos, very good relationships between staff and pupils, together with the high expectations about conduct, are reflected in their mature behaviour. In the Reception classes, children behave especially well. Pupils demonstrate a good readiness to learn in lessons, and are well behaved in assemblies. In the playground, they cooperate sensibly, making good use of the school’s equipment. They feel safe, and are confident to talk to an adult if they should ever feel unsafe. They say that the school helps them to be safe, for instance through discussions in assemblies and through lessons about exercising care over internet use, and the possible danger that strangers might represent.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The great majority of respondents to the parental questionnaire agreed that their children feel safe in school. Most also judged that there is a good standard of behaviour in school, although a few believe that lessons are disrupted by bad behaviour. In their observations in class and around the school, and in discussion with a group of pupils about typical behaviour, inspectors heard little evidence of poor conduct. Where misbehaviour occurs, pupils say that members of staff address the problem effectively.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school’s midday supervisors note few incidents of bullying. From responses to the questionnaire, most pupils felt that the school deals well with all types of bullying. Most responses from parents and carers were also positive about the school’s handling of incidents, although a very small minority expressed dissatisfaction about the treatment of bullying issues. School records show that there have been no racist incidents in recent years, and a low level of reported incidents of bullying. Concerted action has been effective in raising pupils’ attendance to above average, and has reduced rates of persistent absence. The breakfast and after- school clubs offer a safe and secure environment for those who attend.

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Leadership and management

Detailed planning for improvement, and thorough self-evaluation, indicate leaders’ ambitious vision for the school. With good support from other senior members of staff, the headteacher has provided a strong lead in building the positive ethos and in the drive for further improvement. Leaders have been notably successful in helping parents and carers to support their children’s learning. Parents and carers are appreciative of the leadership’s positive impact. One, for example, praised the ‘hands-on approach of the head and deputy’.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors know how to provide appropriate challenge for improvement through adopting the role of ‘critical friend’. Since the last inspection, senior leaders have developed strong systems to track pupils’ progress and to hold teachers to account for their pupils’ progress, so as to promote more effectively equality of opportunity. The role of middle leaders in improving the quality of provision has been clarified. Monitoring arrangements and professional development have had a good impact on the quality of teaching and learning in Reception and in Years 1 and 2, where attainment has risen, though there is more to be done to improve pupils’ progress in other years.

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Leadership and management

The satisfactory curriculum is broad and balanced, although there are not enough opportunities at present for pupils to undertake extensive pieces of writing in different subjects. An innovative element known as ‘independent learning’ enables pupils to take personal responsibility for consolidating and extending their own learning. Older pupils, for example, pursue topics which they research and diligently record in bound books of high quality. The curriculum does much to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their spiritual and cultural development is enhanced, in particular, through the experience of ‘independent learning’, and participation in the good range of extra-curricular activities on offer. Pupils’ moral and social development is effectively encouraged by high expectations for behaviour.

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Leadership and management

The school’s capacity for sustained improvement is demonstrated through the rise in attainment. Pupils’ good behaviour, heightened readiness to learn, and attendance that has improved to above average, also attest to the effective impact of the leadership. Middle leaders play positive roles. Leaders have also ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are rigorous and effective.

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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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BN43 5UD

Thanks to all of you for your help during the inspection. We enjoyed seeing you in your classrooms and talking to you at breaktimes and lunchtimes. We especially thank those of you who filled in the pupils’ questionnaire. Inspectors judge that you go to a satisfactory school.

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BN43 5UD

These are the main things that we found out about your school.  You have very good relationships with teachers and other adults.  Your behaviour at school is good, and you cooperate well with other pupils.  You feel very safe in school.  The teaching and the curriculum in your school are satisfactory.  The headteacher and the other leaders know what to do to continue to improve your school.  Most of your parents and carers would recommend the school to others.  Your attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is broadly average, and your progress across the school is satisfactory.

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BN43 5UD

We have asked the headteacher and the governing body to make the school even better by doing these things:  Raising your attainment and improving your progress in writing, by giving you more opportunities to do longer pieces of work, and helping you to be more accurate in your spelling and use of English.  Helping you to understand more about what you can do to improve your writing and your mathematics work, through better marking and target setting.  Supporting more effectively those of you with disabilities, or who find learning difficult, so that you make better progress.

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BN43 5UD

You can help by continuing to work hard so that the school can improve even more. We wish you every success in the future.

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BN43 5UD

Chris Grove 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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