Westbourne Primary School

Westbourne Primary School Skinner Lane , Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7PL

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is low in all subjects.  Not enough pupils are reaching the higher levels in their work because activities in some lessons are too easy, especially for the more able.  Teaching is not consistently good across all year groups and is not leading to pupils achieving as well as they should over time.  Governors do not receive enough clear information to challenge school leaders and hold them to account.  There are weaknesses in how accurately leaders identify what needs to be done to improve the school.  The monitoring of teaching by school leaders does not give enough detail on how well pupils and groups of pupils achieve in lessons.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to their life in school because they settle quickly and are taught well.  Teaching assistants and other adults provide effective support in classes, especially for pupils who find learning difficult.  Pupils’ positive attitudes and typically good behaviour fostered by the school make a strong contribution to their learning.  The school takes great care of its pupils. There are strong and supportive relationships which help pupils to feel safe and secure.  Pupils in receipt of pupil premium make good progress from their starting points.  Parents and carers are supportive of the school and appreciate the opportunities provided to them to get involved with their children’s learning.  Well planned enrichment activities mean that pupils have a wide range of opportunities to express themselves in art, music and sports.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors held meetings with senior leaders and staff, groups of pupils, governors, a representative of the local authority and listened to some pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of evidence including: the school improvement planning; the tracking of pupils’ progress; the work pupils do in their books and the documents relating to safeguarding and attendance.  The inspectors undertook 27 lesson observations across all classes in the school. A small number of these were carried out jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors spoke to pupils during the course of lessons and around the school.  There were not enough responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View) to generate a report. Inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day and received other communications from parents. Inspectors took into account the school’s own survey of parents’

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Inspection team

Jonathan Brown, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Stephen Isherwood Her Majesty’s Inspector Sandy Dixie Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Westbourne is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives extra funding from the government through pupil premium is above average.  The vast majority of pupils are from a Pakistani background. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is significantly higher than the national average.  In 2012, the school met the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of children supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school is in the process of consulting on changing status to become a cooperative trust.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in order to raise pupils’ achievement to good by:  building on the good start children make in the Early Years Foundation Stage by accelerating their progress across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2  increasing the numbers of pupils reaching higher levels in their work and making sure that higher-ability pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 reach their expected levels  providing opportunities for independent work and using assessment information more accurately to plan lessons matched more effectively to pupils needs, especially the more-able pupils  raising pupils’ attainment in Year 2 and Year 6 at a faster rate than seen nationally so that more pupils are well equipped for their next stage of education  increasing the proportion of teaching that is consistently good and better  increasing teachers’ expectations of the progress pupils should make.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by:  improving the monitoring of teaching by placing a clearer focus on the effectiveness of the learning opportunities provided and the progress pupils make in lessons  sharpening how the school leadership team identifies what needs to improve, and ensuring this directly informs school planning and performance management processes  ensuring that governors have better quality information by which to hold the school leaders and staff to account and know how well the school is performing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement is not yet good because pupils’ attainment is consistently low at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in all subjects. Those attaining at higher levels is particularly low. The progress pupils make, although in line with that seen nationally, is not rapid enough to make up ground and help enough pupils be fully ready for their next steps in education.  Children make a good start to their education in the school. They make good progress across the Nursery and Reception classes. They come into school well below the levels seen nationally. They enter Year 1 below expected levels but the gaps have begun to close. This is because the quality of teaching and the provision made for children is good and sometimes outstanding.  There have been some encouraging signs in recent years that pupils have made expected progress at a rate better than that seen in similar schools and some pupils have made better

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

than expected progress. This rate of progress has not been kept up. Currently, progress by the time the pupils leave in Year 6 is broadly that which is seen nationally. The school’s own information suggests that the rate of progress across current year groups and subjects is inconsistent. This reflects the pattern of teaching in the school.  The number of pupils reaching expected levels in reading by the time they leave the school has improved each year over the last three years and at a faster rate than seen elsewhere. This is because school promotes an enjoyment of reading. Reading is encouraged across the school and pupils demonstrate an enthusiasm for books. Despite these improvements, still not enough pupils are reaching the required standard, especially at the higher level.  Pupils are doing well in using their knowledge of the sounds letters make to help them with their reading. By the end of Year 1, pupils are using these skills to a standard just above that seen

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

nationally. This is because teachers provide clear and consistent approaches and teach this aspect well.  In all subjects, the level of work set and the progress made across year groups are too inconsistent. This is because the quality of teaching varies and the challenge for more-able pupils is not evident in a significant proportion of lessons.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make progress at a rate similar to other children in the school. This is in line with other pupils nationally but is still not rapid enough to help them catch up.  Pupils for whom the school receives additional funding, including those on free school meals, are doing well when compared to other children in the school. This is a strength of the school. These pupils make better progress in reading and are catching up on all other pupils nationally. This is due to the school targeting these children for additional support regardless of their ability.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The proportion of teaching that requires improvement is too high. There is no inadequate teaching and the majority of teaching is good or better, but not consistently so. The quality of teaching is not good enough to help pupils make the rapid progress they need to reach the same standard as seen nationally. The high turnover of teaching staff has hindered the leadership of the school in securing sustainable improvements in teaching.  The tracking and assessment of what pupils can and cannot do is secure and is used to inform the next steps pupils need for their learning. The ability of teachers to use this information effectively to plan lessons is variable. Where it is effective, pupils receive learning opportunities that match their needs and speed up their progress. In other lessons this is not successfully used, especially for more-able pupils. Pupils commented that sometimes work was ‘too easy’ and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

sometimes ‘too hard’. This is because work is not always planned to meet the differing needs of all pupils well enough and teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do is not always high enough.  Where teaching was good or better, teachers used questioning skills to deepen learning and challenge pupils’ thinking, pupils’ independent learning opportunities were also more evident. In some cases teachers did not develop this aspect well enough and were overly concerned with directing pupils’ learning and limiting opportunities for thinking time.  Work in books is marked regularly. Feedback and next steps for pupils are evident. Evidence of different activities for pupils with different needs is variable, especially for those pupils requiring harder work. Presentation of pupils’ work was a key issue at the last inspection. It is still variable and not always of a standard expected.  Teaching in the Nursery and Reception class is good and sometimes outstanding. This is because

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

staff know their children well, plan to meet the needs of children well and work as a team to provide exciting language-rich learning opportunities. As a result, children make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ typically good behaviour and positive attitudes make a strong contribution to their learning. They feel safe in school and are well supported by staff. They show good social skills in their ability to work together in pairs and small groups. Pupils are polite and courteous in and around the school. This is because the school works hard to promote a calm and ordered atmosphere with high expectations of pupils’ politeness and respect for others.  The behaviour and safety of pupils are not yet outstanding because questionnaires and interviews with pupils indicate that staff, parents and pupils are not unreservedly positive about behaviour. While pupil behaviours around school are good they are not exemplary.  Behaviour in lessons is good with pupils eager to learn. Where learning is not challenging enough some pupils lose interest and become distracted.  When pupils were asked to express their views on the school, all were happy to recommend it as

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

a good place to learn and a safe place to be. Some said they were ‘proud’ to come to the school. None of the pupils that inspectors talked to was unhappy in school. They believe behaviour is good but not perfect and some had concerns about minor incidents at playtimes.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of different forms of bullying including homophobic and racist bullying. Pupils are confident that adults in school are swift to act if there are any issues. Both the pupils and school incident log suggest bullying is rare and any behaviour issues are low level and dealt with promptly.  Attendance is below national averages but the school is taking firm action to address the issue.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement overall because the achievement of pupils and the quality of teaching require further work. The systems for tracking how well pupils are doing, how well teachers are teaching and what the teachers and school needs to do to improve are not joined together well enough.  Senior leaders including governors are committed to raising standards. Some targets for improvement are, however, set too low, especially for the more able. Expectations are not always high enough and do not take enough account of the rate of improvements seen nationally.  Good leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage contributes to good outcomes for children in the early years. Good systems for tracking pupils’ progress and a good team understanding of roles and responsibilities all contribute to high quality provision.  Teachers’ performance targets and training needs are now linked closely to school priorities and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teachers pay. Teachers targets relate to school priorities but do not always link to how well individuals or groups of pupils do in their own class. This is because systems that check how well pupils are doing and how well teachers are teaching have not yet been fully aligned.  Senior leaders check regularly on the quality of teaching. Their judgements are accurate and inform the next steps to help teachers improve. The focus, however, is too much on the actions of the teacher and not enough on the learning and progress made by pupils in lessons. This has limited the information that leaders have to improve teaching rapidly enough.  Middle leaders are becoming sharper in their ability to support colleagues. Further improvements are required to increase their skills in, and sharpen their focus on observing and evaluating classroom practice in their given area of responsibility.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and has some strengths. The use of visits and visitors,

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The leadership and management requires improvement

additional activities after and outside school enhance the learning experience that pupils receive, notably in music and the arts. The school has used additional funding for sport activities to provide opportunities for pupils to engage in a range of physical activities. The school also identifies good opportunities for pupils to develop social, moral and cultural awareness.  The curriculum is not strong in the promotion of pupils’ independent learning skills and in meeting the needs of all learners because some pupils are not achieving as well as they could.  Parents and carers are very positive about the school and the opportunities they have to get involved. Some information on the website is difficult to find but the school works hard to keep parents informed through strong community links and a programme of regular meetings.  The school has secure safeguarding arrangements in place which meet requirements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority provides ‘light touch’ monitoring and support to the school. It has recently been involved with a review of teaching and achievement across the school and supporting leaders to develop plans.  The governance of the school:  Governors have recently raised their level of challenge to school leaders. They supported the headteacher’s commissioning of a mini review of provision through the local authority as they wanted to establish a clear and accurate view of teaching and achievement across the school. Some evaluations and information have been provided by school leaders to governors but these are not sufficiently focused, or presented in a way that allows them to challenge or question as much as they could. Governors have put in place a review of their own effectiveness and a plan to address the issues identified but some planned actions have not taken place. Governors use pupil premium funding well to raising standards and have a

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The leadership and management requires improvement

reasonable knowledge of the impact of the spending.

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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 107300 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 427319

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 471 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Huddleston Headteacher Belinda Wardle Date of previous school inspection 8 February 2011 Telephone number 01274 483138 Fax number 01274 773328 Email address office@westbourne.bradford.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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