Broadwater Down Primary School

Broadwater Down Primary School Broadwater Lane, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5RP

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Inspection dates 31 January 2013 – 1 February 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well. They reach or exceed the standards expected in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 and their attainment is still improving. Teaching and learning have improved since the last inspection.  The quality of teaching is good and lessons consistently engage pupils. Teachers systematically build pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills within stimulating lessons. The quality of marking is much improved.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They have positive attitudes to learning and make every effort to improve.  Pupils at risk of not doing well make good progress because they are given well-judged support to develop basic skills.  The school’s leaders have improved the quality of teaching by supporting colleagues through appropriate training and robust checking of their work.  The strong leadership and management of the acting headteacher and governors have been

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the main reasons for the rapid but secure improvement in achievement and teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 The progress of a few less able pupils is hindered in reading and writing due to a lack of confidence in applying phonics (the links between letters and sounds).  Occasionally, the reading texts used in lesson introductions are too hard for the lowest- attaining pupils.  A few pupils do not spell accurately because not enough is done to reinforce these skills.  A few pupils attend irregularly.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine lessons, including five joint observations with the acting headteacher. All teachers were observed.  The inspector heard pupils read, talked with pupils, looked at a wide range of their work, and examined the school’s data on their attainment and progress.  Meetings were held with representatives of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body, senior leaders and teachers in charge of subjects and a local authority representative. Meetings were also held with consultant senior leaders who are national leaders in education of a local school. National leaders in education are leaders of outstanding schools.  Account was taken of the 30 responses to the online Parent View survey, the few parents’ and carers’ letters to the inspector and the staff’s responses to questionnaires.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a broad selection of documents,

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Information about this inspection

including plans for improvement, safeguarding arrangements, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and records of school leaders’ evaluations of teaching in lessons.

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Inspection team

Eileen Chadwick, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Broadwater Down is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British, although over a third are from minority ethnic groups which is above the national average. The two main groups originate from Eastern Europe and Asia. Approximately one third speak English as an additional language, a higher proportion than in most schools.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding, additional government funding, is well above average.  The number of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the normal time is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The substantive headteacher has been absent from school since July 2012. The deputy headteacher took up post 15 months ago and is currently acting headteacher. Last term she shared this role with a senior leader from the National Leader in Education (NLE) school who was temporarily seconded as acting headteacher.  The school provides a daily breakfast club for its pupils. The school shares its site with a children’s centre but this is separately managed and was not part of this inspection. The inspection report can be found on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of all teaching to good or outstanding by making sure all teachers:  consistently encourage pupils to apply phonics skills when reading and spelling  ensure texts used in lesson introductions are not too hard for lower-attaining pupils  ensure reading records show parents and carers their children’s phonics targets where appropriate.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in literacy by:  strengthening lower-attaining pupils’ ability to apply their phonics skills when tackling words new to them  ensuring pupils improve their spelling, especially their consistent application of phonics when spelling.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the attendance of those pupils with irregular attendance by:  working more closely with parents and carers to ensure they understand the importance of coming to school regularly  setting pupils individual attendance targets so they can take a stronger part in improving their attendance.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s knowledge and skills are often well below the levels expected for their age when they start school. They make good progress although their attainment remains below average on entry to Year 1.  Pupils’ good progress in Years 1 and 2 results in average attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Pupils do particularly well in learning phonics across the ability range and, in the national Year 1 phonics screening checks last year, pupils did better than those in most schools. Arrangements for teaching phonics in ability groups are improving pupils’ skills.  Good progress in phonics lessons is because activities are well matched to previous attainment and teachers ensure pupils have plenty of opportunities to pronounce new sounds, as well as applying them to read and write new words.  Pupils’ improving performance means they now enter Year 3 with attainment that is around

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The achievement of pupils is good

average. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6 they are broadly average, with evidence pointing to rising standards among current pupils in Years 3 to 6.  Scrutiny of work, lesson observations, hearing pupils read and the school’s data show the current Year 6 pupils’ attainment is average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points as the current Year 6 pupils entered Key Stage 2 with below average attainment.  By Year 6, most pupils are fluent readers. When the inspector listened to pupils read it was evident that, in other years, a few lower-attaining pupils lacked confidence in using phonics when reading new words.  Pupils make good progress in writing and by Year 6 pupils write competently in a range of subjects. However, spelling is a relatively weaker aspect of writing for a few pupils. Pupils’ progress in mathematics has accelerated due to the school’s strong focus on improving

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics teaching and pupils’ ability to use mathematics in a range of other lessons.  Well-focused, individual support for new pupils who arrive during the year, sometimes with gaps in their knowledge and skills, disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those from minority ethnic groups, including those learning English as an additional language, promotes good progress.  The pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding make good progress. In last year’s tests, all Year 6 pupils in receipt of pupil premium achieved well and attained the expected standards in English and mathematics. Their attainment was in line with their national counterparts and other pupils in school as shown by their average point scores. Inspection shows the achievement of these pupils is continuing to improve because the proportion attaining higher levels is better this year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good and has improved over the last year because of effective staff training. Also, teachers’ work has been checked more robustly to hold them to account for pupils’ progress.  Relationships between pupils and adults are of a high standard and this helps to create a positive learning situation where pupils thrive and learn well.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn in an attractive and stimulating environment. Teachers and support staff are quick to seize opportunities to develop children’s communication and personal skills. Good use is made of the outdoor area to enhance learning.  The school has focused on improving pupils’ mental skills and all lessons now have starters to sharpen pupils’ mental arithmetic skills in enjoyable contexts. In a good lesson for Year 5 and 6, the teacher’s use of a game ‘Guess the number’ enabled pupils to understand well how to

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The quality of teaching is good

change decimals to fractions. Teachers enable pupils to apply their mental skills well to practical problem solving.  Writing is generally well taught. Teachers often use good quality literature to underpin the development of pupils’ story writing. For example, Year 2 pupils’ ability to write interesting story introductions was enhanced through reading a well known story. Systematic teaching of sentence structure and handwriting is greatly improving the quality of pupils’ writing.  However, teachers occasionally miss opportunities to enable pupils to apply their phonics skills to perfect their spelling during writing lessons.  Very occasionally during class lesson introductions, reading texts are hard for the lowest- attaining pupils. Teachers keep a careful track of pupils’ phonics skills but pupils’ home-school reading records do not include enough information about key phonics skills which limits parents

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The quality of teaching is good

in helping their children.  The quality of marking of pupils’ work in English and mathematics has improved tremendously over this last year. Pupils are now clear what aspects of their work are good and how they need to improve.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well taught. Support staff make a contribution to how well these pupils achieve academically as well as building up their confidence, self-esteem and readiness to contribute in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in and around the school is good. The school has implemented an effective system for managing behaviour and pupils respond well to the calm, supportive ethos. They are proud of their accomplishments. However, very occasionally, pupils lose concentration in lessons when work is not fully matched to their needs.  Parents and carers are very pleased with behaviour at school and feel their children are safe. Inspectors agree. Pupils say they feel safe in school. They are taught about different forms of bullying and how to deal with it, should it occur. Pupils know how to stay safe on the internet and when they are out in their locality and have a good understanding of managing risk. Pupils are correct in their view that bullying of all types is extremely rare and that staff deal effectively with any problems.  The school has a high proportion of pupils whose circumstances make them more vulnerable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Some of these have considerable social or emotional needs. All staff attend sensitively to such pupils and as a result disruption is rare and they are able to make good progress.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and say ‘learning is fun’. The breakfast club provides a happy and caring start to the school day, getting pupils ready to learn.  Attendance procedures have been tightened and attendance is improving. The number of persistent absentees has fallen considerably and punctuality has improved. However, attendance remains below average. Pupils enjoy school, are keen to attend and most attend regularly. However, a minority do not because their parents and carers take their children out of school for too many odd days or visits to relatives.  There is more work to do to strengthen communication to ensure all parents and carers realise the importance of regular attendance for their children’s future. The school has recently forged

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

closer links with the Education Welfare Officer and is about to appoint a home-school liaison officer. Pupils do not yet have individual attendance targets.

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The leadership and management are good

 The acting headteacher is raising standards, building on the work she started as the deputy headteacher and governors over the previous year. She is well supported by the senior leadership team and governors. She has raised the expectations of teachers and pupils and given good support, often through coaching. Staff share leaders’ determination to provide the best for all pupils and to ensure there is no discrimination.  Effective systems check on how well pupils are doing and their progress. Leaders ensure that teaching and learning are focused on meeting individual needs.  The school has good arrangements for setting targets for teachers to help them improve their work. Teachers are held accountable for their pupils’ progress but are given good support and training to help them develop the quality of their teaching. The training provided by the NLE school has strengthened these procedures.  Teachers with subject responsibilities are taking an increasingly prominent role in raising

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The leadership and management are good

standards by guiding colleagues, rigorously checking marking and starting to observe teaching across the school.  The acting headteacher overhauled subject plans last year to enable teachers to progressively teach the basics and help pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects. Lessons successfully stimulate pupils’ learning and personal development and make a very worthwhile contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development.  The school promotes equality of opportunity by enabling all groups of pupils to achieve well. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The local authority has helped the school to improve the quality of teaching, including funding for the NLE school to work with the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school well, what is good and what needs to improve. They have held the substantive headteacher to account and share the acting headteacher’s and senior team’s

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The leadership and management are good

desire to improve the school. They are well informed about setting targets to improve teachers’ performance. They check senior leaders’ and teachers’ performance and ensure that the salary structure is closely linked to pupils’ progress. Governors ensure that the school’s finances are managed effectively and make sure that pupil premium funding is properly used to impact on pupils’ progress. Governors regularly attend training courses to broaden their knowledge and expertise and ensure that all safeguarding procedures and policies meet statutory requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 118566 Local authority Kent Inspection number 405785

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 109 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Penny Kift Headteacher Emily Lightbody Date of previous school inspection 22 March 2011 Telephone number 01892 527588 Fax number 01892 535591 Email address headteacher@broadwater-down.kent.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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