Bourne Primary School

Melbourne Rd, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 8BD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  The quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement have declined since the previous inspection because leadership and management are inadequate. Recent instability in the leadership team has hindered improvement.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are too low at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils in Year 6 are not well prepared for secondary education.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make inadequate progress from their starting points in all subjects. Most make better progress from Year 3 to Year 6 in reading and writing but not in mathematics.  Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make slower progress and attain standards that are much lower those of other pupils.  Many pupils rely too much on the help of adults and are not taught how to manage their own behaviour or work independently.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough, so work is not

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

set at the right level. Many teachers do not encourage pupils to present their work neatly.  Teachers do not check often enough how pupils are doing during lessons. As a result, too many pupils waste time because they are stuck or they finish quickly because work is too easy.  Teachers do not mark pupils’ work in enough detail to help pupils to know what they have done well and what they need to improve. Pupils do not get enough time to correct their mistakes.  Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. Attendance is in the bottom 20% of all schools.  Governors want the school to do well but do not have the skills to challenge school leaders to eradicate poor teaching and underachievement.

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The school has the following strengths

 The school provides a welcoming, caring, and safe environment for all pupils.  Pupils successfully take advantage of the many opportunities to develop their skills in sport and the performing arts.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 18 parts of lessons, 13 of which were observed jointly with the executive headteacher and assistant headteachers. They also observed some small group work and made other short visits to classes. Inspectors listened to pupils read, looked at the work in pupils’ books, held discussions with pupils and spoke to them informally in the playground.  Inspectors examined a variety of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, development plans, minutes of the governing body’s meetings and reports from the local authority. They also looked at information on pupils’ achievement, records relating to behaviour incidents, attendance and safeguarding.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and members of the Governing Body, including the Chair. A telephone call was held with a representative from the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also visited the out-of-hours provision managed by the school.  Inspectors took account of the 22 responses to Parent View, the analysis of a recent survey undertaken by the school, and the 17 responses to the staff questionnaire

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Inspection team

Penny Spencer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Clementina Aina Additional Inspector Robin Gaff Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Full report

The school should not appoint newly qualified teachers. //

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Information about this school

 Bourne Primary is much larger than the average primary school.  Two thirds of pupils are from a wide variety of minority ethnic backgrounds. Many of these are of other White heritage. There are over 38 different languages spoken at the school. Some pupils are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school during the school year is higher than typically found.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funds for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children looked after by the local authority or children from service families) is higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs supported at school action is twice the national average. The proportion of those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is three times the national average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school was led by an acting headteacher for two terms from September 2012. An executive headteacher was appointed at the end of April to work for two and a half days a week. Both have been supported by two assistant headteachers.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to at least good and so raise pupils’ achievement, especially for those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, by making sure that:  teachers have higher expectations of what pupils of all abilities can achieve, and challenge them to work hard  teachers spend more time in lessons checking that pupils are making enough progress and adapting their teaching accordingly  teachers mark books regularly and in a way that allows pupils to understand what they need to do to make their work better and give pupils time to respond to the marking  teachers plan work that pupils can do without relying too much on adult help  teachers plan tasks and activities in a range of subjects that encourage pupils to use and practise what they already know and can do, especially in mathematics  teachers expect pupils to present their work neatly and to take pride in their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance for all pupils to at least average by:  closely monitoring the effectiveness of current initiatives to see whether they are working and amending them if they are not having sufficient impact  making sure parents are fully aware of the consequences of poor attendance.  Improve leadership and management by:  ensuring that teachers whose practice is not good enough quickly receive high quality support to improve  ensuring development plans include more detailed and specific targets that are easy to measure  analysing information about pupils’ attainment and progress more rigorously to ensure pupils in every class are making at least good progress and holding teachers more firmly to account if this is not happening  ensuring the governing body holds school leaders robustly to account for improvements in pupil outcomes  undertaking an external review of governance to assess how this aspect of leadership and

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Weak teaching over time in Key Stage 1 means pupils make poor progress. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are significantly below average.  Standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics have been significantly below the national average for several years, and in 2012 the gap widened, particularly in mathematics. Pupils’ attainment was in the lowest 20% of all schools nationally.  Pupils enter the Nursery with skills and understanding well below those expected for their age in all areas of learning. Most children make good progress because good teaching in the Reception classes allows them to catch up quickly from a slow start, but they still enter Year 1 with knowledge and understanding below national expectations. This is especially the case in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve better than other pupils in

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

the school and their standards at the end of Year 6 are in line with similar pupils nationally. This is because support, especially for the older pupils, is more carefully planned to meet their needs.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make similar inadequate progress to that of their peers.  In 2012, test results for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals showed they were 18 months behind other pupils in writing and mathematics and a year behind in reading. They also made slower progress than other pupils.  Assessment information for current pupils indicates that attainment at the end of Year 2 is likely to be lower than that seen in 2012. There is no indication that test results are likely to improve for pupils in Year 6.  There is evidence that some initiatives introduced recently to accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics are having a positive impact. However, this is not yet showing in pupils’ current

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Weak teaching over time has resulted in pupils not making enough progress, especially in Key Stage 1, and has led to very low levels of attainment. In too many lessons, teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can do and how much they should do. As a result, pupils are not making the good progress that is needed to close the gap with standards expected nationally.  Teachers’ lesson planning is not precise enough and pupils of different ability often do the same work, despite it being either too hard or too easy for them. Pupils often have to rely too much on adults to support them in order to tackle the work.  Pupils do not learn well enough in lessons because teachers do not regularly check progress often enough and tasks are not altered to meet their needs. As a result, some pupils lose concentration and do not complete enough work or they make mistakes that are not corrected.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The quality of marking in books varies too much. In the best examples, comments are clear and identify what needs to be done next. However, too much use is made of stamps that make general comments such as ‘well done’ or ‘good work’, even when work is of a poor standard.  Opportunities for pupils to respond to the marking are limited. A recently introduced initiative to mark specific pieces of work in more depth and to give pupils more time to respond is having a limited impact because not all teachers are following this approach.  In the Nursery, teachers do not provide activities that interest children sufficiently well to ensure they persevere with them for long enough.  Teaching in the Reception classes is good overall and provision has improved since the last inspection, especially in the use of the outside area. Children make good progress from a low start because all adults encourage and enthuse them. Assessments of what children can do

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

already are not always used well to help plan activities that would enable children to make even better progress.  Older, more confident readers showed good skills and were enthusiastic about the books they were reading when they read to inspectors. Younger pupils used their knowledge of linking sounds to letters accurately when reading unfamiliar words but were not able to talk with any confidence about the meaning of the story. Recent work with parents to improve the number of times pupils read at home is having considerable impact on progress in some, but not all, classes.  Specialist teachers teach those learning to speak English as an additional language effectively. However, the work set by class teachers does not take sufficient account of these pupils’ language needs to allow them to make steady progress on their own. Pupils who arrive in school during the year are helped to settle in and good use is made of pupils and staff from the same

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

background to support their learning.  Teaching assistants provide individual support to many pupils, especially those identified as having challenging behaviour. While this does prevent some lessons from being disrupted, these pupils are not being taught how to manage their own behaviour and work independently. Many classes have significant numbers of extra adults in every lesson.  Teaching assistants who support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs by providing extra group lessons and booster classes have a positive impact on learning. These pupils are making better progress than their peers and standards are improving.  Training for staff and the introduction of new methods of teaching mathematics are having some success in improving rates of progress, especially in Key Stage 1.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

 Too few pupils attend school regularly. Attendance is below average and has not improved since the last inspection. Current attendance figures indicate a further decline. The school is rigorous in pursuing parents of pupils who are persistently absent. However, too many parents keep their children away from school for minor medical or personal reasons, or take extended holidays.  Recent measures to improve attendance such as the introduction of a reward scheme for pupils have been positively received by pupils but have not yet led to an overall improvement.  Pupils do not take sufficient pride in their work, and the books examined by inspectors were often scruffy and poorly kept.  Pupils cooperate well with each other and children from different cultures and backgrounds get on well together. However, a small minority of pupils have difficulties in managing their own behaviour.  Pupils who spoke to inspectors and some staff who responded to the survey reported instances

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

of lessons being disrupted by poor behaviour. Records kept by the school confirm this to be the case, although the frequency is slowly declining. Inspectors saw no incidents of this type during the inspection. The school has some well-documented evidence of pupils who have changed their behaviours due to the intervention and support they receive.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and have a good understanding of how to keep safe, including when they are using the internet. Pupils and parents reported that bullying does happen occasionally but most felt that teachers dealt with it quickly and resolved the problem. Records kept by the school of any incidents are detailed and parents are fully informed.  Responses to the online survey (Parent View) and the school’s own survey indicate that most parents feel that the school keeps their children safe. Pupils agree with this view, which was

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

endorsed by the inspection team. The quality of pastoral care, especially for pupils who may be experiencing difficulties in their home life, is excellent.  The number of days of education lost by pupils who are temporarily excluded has decreased, but the proportion of pupils who are excluded remains too high.  Pupils who attend the school’s breakfast and after-school clubs are well cared for. Staff ensure they eat well and provide a range of activities to interest most pupils. Parents are very appreciative of this provision.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The pace of change has been too slow and standards are not rising quickly enough. Senior leaders have not demonstrated the necessary capacity to bring about lasting improvements. The capacity of leaders and mangers is restricted because they are either new to their responsibilities, or are appointed temporarily. Nevertheless, new leaders have a good understanding of the areas that need improving and are starting to address them.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that the quality of teaching is good enough in every class to enable all pupils to make rapid progress. Observations of lessons have not been frequent and observers have focused too much on what the teacher is doing during the lesson rather than on the impact of teaching on the progress of pupils. Teachers are not held to account sufficiently for pupils’ progress.  Leaders do not analyse assessment data in enough detail to track the progress of individual

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The leadership and management are inadequate

pupils or groups of pupils sufficiently well. Intervention programmes are not monitored closely to see if they are working. The newly appointed acting assistant headteacher is beginning to track progress more consistently but the impact of this is yet to be seen.  Procedures to monitor teachers’ performance are in place but targets set for teachers are not precise and, as a result, it is hard to evaluate whether they have been met. They are not closely linked to improvements in pupils’ learning nor do they inform teachers’ salary progression.  Planning for improvement is similarly imprecise and difficult for leaders to evaluate effectively. This restricts the ability of school leaders, including governors, to know how successful they have been in bringing about improvements.  Training opportunities have been few as a result of the leadership changes. The local authority has provided training and support for mathematics teaching and for teachers in the Reception

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The leadership and management are inadequate

classes. Recently introduced policies, including for marking, are having a limited impact because not all teachers follow them.  The curriculum has recently been redesigned to make links between different subjects. This is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ writing, because there are more opportunities for them to write at length.  The range of extra-curricular activities is wide and pupils represent their school in many sporting and musical events with considerable success. The annual concert production in a local theatre is extremely successful and a highlight of the school year.  The school is proud of its diversity and pupils from all backgrounds and cultures work and play harmoniously together. It promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development well. However, it is not promoting equality of opportunity well enough because the achievement of most groups of pupils is inadequate.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school has not used the extra funds provided through the pupil premium successfully to improve outcomes for the pupils for whom it is intended. The funding has been used in part to recruit extra staff, provide training, buy resources, and fund extra-curricular activities. However, leaders have not rigorously monitored or evaluated the impact of these measures against the progress of pupils.  The local authority has recently provided extra support for leadership, at the school’s own request. However, this is in its early stages and has yet to show a positive impact.  The governance of the school:  Governors broadly understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school but are over-reliant on the accuracy of the information provided by the school’s leaders. They lack the skills and understanding to be able to question this information and then challenge the school’s leaders to make rapid improvements. Key issues from the last inspection, especially in relation to

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The leadership and management are inadequate

attendance, remain. The governing body has not been rigorous in ensuring the pupil premium is spent effectively to secure improvements in achievement for the pupils supported by it. Governors have ensured that procedures to manage the performance of staff are in place but they have not made sure that staff salaries are closely linked to improvements in teaching. Training opportunities are planned to ensure their skills are improved. Governors have been very diligent in their search for a new headteacher and have taken time to ensure the best possible candidate is recruited. They have ensured all safeguarding requirements are met in full.

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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 114473 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 412150

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 486 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Goude Executive Headteacher Paul Shefford Date of previous school inspection 10−11 November 2009 Telephone number 01323 724729 Fax number 01323 411638 Email address office@bourne.e-sussex.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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