Churchfields Primary School

Churchfields Primary and Nursery School Churchfields Road, Beckenham, BR3 4QY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 Require improvement 3

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

 Achievement is not good enough over time, particularly in mathematics and in Key Stage 2, despite some very recent improvements to rates of progress because teaching has been inconsistent.  Progress among the pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is uneven and they are not making consistently good progress across all years and subjects.  Teaching is not consistently good in all year groups because the pace of lessons and the work given to more able pupils are not consistently challenging in all classes.  Teachers do not always use opportunities in different subjects to assess and give precise guidance for pupils to develop good writing skills.  Work is regularly marked but not in consistent detail in all subjects so that pupils do not always have clear ideas about how to reach the next level nor enough time to record their responses to marking  The wider leadership team are not checking pupil progress carefully enough to identify

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

groups that may be falling behind their targets quickly enough to arrange effective ways to help them.

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The school has the following strengths

 In the special unit for pupils with complex and severe learning difficulties, pupils make good progress across all areas of learning as a result of good teaching.  Progress in Key Stage 1 in reading is also good because the teaching of phonics (the linking of sounds to letters) is generally well focused.  Governors and leaders now set and check targets for more rapid pupil progress.  Behaviour is good. Pupils enjoy school and their families are confident that they are happy and feel safe.  Provision in the school for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong, with high levels of enjoyment of music and special events.

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Information about this inspection

 Three inspectors observed 19 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 16 teachers. Additional activities included observations at breakfast club, break time, lunchtime and an assembly.  Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher. An inspector also made visits, including one with the deputy headteacher, to a series of parts of lessons to observe the support given to pupils in receipt of the pupil premium grant.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body, school leaders and subject leaders. A telephone discussion was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 104 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as views communicated during informal discussions with parents. The views of the staff were gathered through meetings and 26 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and examined the work in pupils’ books.

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Information about this inspection

 The school’s own attainment records for the current as well as previous academic years were checked in addition to published information on pupil achievement. Planning and documents checking aspects of the school’s effectiveness, records relating to pupil safety and welfare, including the school’s single central record of checks on staff, and attendance records were also examined.

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Inspection team

Patricia MacLachlan, Lead inspector Additional inspector Christopher Gray Additional inspector Lynne Thorogood Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Churchfields Primary and Nursery School is larger than the average-sized primary school. It also provides 20 places in a special unit for pupils with complex and severe learning difficulties.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is provided in a Nursery and two Reception classes.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium (extra money provided by the government for pupils, including those eligible for free school meals) is in line with the national average.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage but the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average, with Mixed White and Caribbean, Other White and other Mixed heritage groups making up a sizeable proportion of the school. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school

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Information about this school

action is well below the national average. However, the proportion of pupils supported through a statement or at school action plus is twice the national average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the standards for attainment expected by the government.  The school, since the last inspection, has experienced some changes of senior staff. The deputy headteacher was appointed since the last inspection and oversees provision for pupils in the school with special educational needs as well as that for English across the school. The early years leader was newly appointed this academic year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that all is at least good by:  involving pupils regularly in checking their own progress and allowing them enough time to respond to teachers’ marking and to record improvements to their answers in their books  setting tasks that are more precisely matched to the needs of pupils, especially in mathematics, so that support is given to those who need it and so that the more able pupils have longer-term challenges that require independent investigations, deeper thinking and more detailed explanations  making it clear to pupils how, in subjects other than English, they can write answers that meet personal literacy targets.  Raise attainment and increase the rate of progress, particularly in mathematics, by:  checking pupils’ progress more frequently and adjusting the work and support more quickly for any groups, including the pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding, who are falling

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

behind their target levels of achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement is inconsistent across different year groups because teaching has not been consistently good enough to secure good progress. Progress by the end of Year 6 has improved in recent years, especially in reading, but this is not yet matched by consistently good progress in writing and mathematics. Pupils currently in Key Stage 2 made good progress in reading in all year groups but only a minority made good progress in mathematics. The current Year 4 made better progress in writing than pupils in other year groups. Pupils in minority ethnic groups and those for whom English is an additional language achieve in line with their peers.  More able pupils do not always do as well as they might because the work planned for them does not regularly include independent investigations or promote deeper thinking and more detailed explanations. As a result, performance for more able pupils has also been below the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

national average in recent years, and no Level 6 scores have been attained in mathematics or English.  By the end of Key Stage 1 the gap between pupils’ attainment and their peers nationally is narrowing, although the proportions attaining expected levels and above remain below the national average for reading. However, there are recent signs of more rapid progress. In 2013 Year 1 pupils attained better scores in the phonics screening check than did six-year-olds nationally.  Systems have been strengthened for checking teacher assessments. Progress information on all pupils is now checked regularly by the leadership team, although not yet frequently enough to provide timely and effective support for pupils who are falling behind in order to accelerate their progress.  Achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage is sound because activities are interesting and children enjoy learning. As a result, most children who join the school with skills that are in line

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

with age-related expectations leave the Reception classes with levels of communication, language and literacy that are in line with, or above, the national average.  The extra money provided under the pupil premium initiative is used for a range of additional support sessions for pupils in the target group. As a result, those in Year 4 have narrowed the gap between their English and mathematics scores and those of their classmates and pupils in receipt of the premium in Year 6 last year outperformed their classmates . However, the impact is not consistent because pupils in Years 5 and 6 are currently six to twelve months behind their peers in English, although they attain in line with their peers in mathematics. Pupils in younger years are about six months behind in both English and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs currently on roll make good progress towards their targets, and some with complex needs in the unit make remarkable progress,

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

given their starting points, because the system of checking their support and progress has been strengthened.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it has not promoted consistently good progress, especially in mathematics and among more able pupils, as a result of historic weaknesses in planning and assessment.  The school’s own evaluation of the quality of teaching shows that some in the past has had a negative impact on pupil performance. Teaching has now improved and this is improving pupils’ achievement, but pupils are not yet making good progress over time in all years and subjects.  When teachers’ subject knowledge is strong and their plans build upon pupils’ strengths, the result is sustained engagement. For example, in a Year 6 lesson pupils wrote high-quality scientific reports in their literacy lesson because they had been thoroughly briefed to use specialist vocabulary accurately and were expected to develop their arguments using a clear framework. Because the teacher questioned them individually, pupils were able to make rapid

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

progress and evaluate their own work. However, not all teachers link writing to other subjects as rigorously and some pupils consequently do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Teaching assistants help pupils who find the work difficult but the tasks that they are set could sometimes be better matched to their abilities. The more able pupils are often set tasks that are not hard enough nor linked precisely enough to the criteria for higher attainment levels.  Marking is generally thorough, with some useful written advice from teachers in some years and subjects. However, some pupils need to be given more time to revise their work properly. Other pupils correct their work but are nonetheless unclear about how to reach the next level because they are not encouraged to check their targets. Marking in subjects other than English does not help pupils to check their progress towards their targets for writing.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in the special unit is good. Adults skilfully exploit the pupils’ interests and help them to demonstrate their answers in writing or using illustrations, ensuring that all can participate and remain engaged.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They value the recognition and ‘golden globe’ rewards that come from behaving well. Pupils of all ages work cooperatively with each other. Behaviour is good rather than outstanding because pupils’ attitudes to learning are not exemplary across all classes.  Pupils feel well looked after by the adults around them and say that they enjoy taking on responsibilities like messenger duties or helping the younger classes to look after their animals. Courteous behaviour is typical because the pupils want to live up to the school’s values of polite and respectful conduct.  Pupils understand what bullying means, believe that the number of incidents has declined and speak of the help from adults if there is any unkind behaviour.  Pupils have a good awareness of personal safety, including cyber safety, because it is well covered in lessons and assemblies.  A good range of well-attended sports teams, including netball and football, helps to promote a

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

healthy lifestyle.  Attendance has improved because effective strategies are now persistently used to reduce absences in families that find it difficult to maintain good attendance.  Parents and carers believe that the school provides a safe and caring environment, and inspectors agree. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are very pleased with the activities and clubs that have been provided for them.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management are not good because, despite setting more ambitious targets and steering improvements in the quality of teaching, leaders have not yet fully reversed weaknesses in achievement, particularly in Key Stage 2.  The headteacher and his committed leadership team have begun to raise the standard of teaching. This has had some recent and positive impact on pupils’ progress but, as the team’s own checks show, not yet consistently across the school.  Subject leaders have also been instrumental in recent improvements by observing lessons and checking pupils’ books. However, whole-school checks on attainment are currently made at intervals that do not lead to the rapid intervention needed to ensure that groups of pupils do not fall behind.  The deputy headteacher and other subject leaders are helping colleagues to increase their expertise in assessment. However, pupils are not yet always clear about the precise steps

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The leadership and management require improvement

necessary to improve their work and this hinders the rate of progress they are able to make.  The school’s self-evaluation shows that leaders have accurately identified the areas requiring improvement, indicating the school’s capacity to improve.  The system for checking performance makes sure that only those teachers who meet required standards now move up the salary scale. The headteacher has not shied away from difficult conversations about teaching performance when necessary.  Strong encouragement of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is planned in the curriculum. Pupils have time for reflection in assemblies and express moral viewpoints in lessons. Singing is a strength of collective worship and builds upon the very good teaching in music lessons. Opportunities to take responsibilities around the school develop social confidence, as do the well-attended clubs and eagerly anticipated residential visits. Well-planned art, drama and

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The leadership and management require improvement

music events widen cultural horizons.  The special unit is well managed because provision is integrated with the mainstream school. There is strong liaison with the pupils’ homes and good collaboration with a range of other professionals to support the pupils’ good progress.  Safeguarding systems meet statutory requirements and policies are systematically reviewed. Leaders promote equal opportunities and are assiduous in tackling any discrimination that may arise.  Coherent plans have been made to use the additional government sports funding to promote healthy lifestyles by purchasing new equipment for team games and training staff to coach pupils.  The local authority assists the school with governor training. Appropriate advice and joint observations with school leaders have been arranged with literacy, numeracy, special needs and early years consultants.  The governance of the school  The committed governing body has organised training since the previous inspection in order to

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The leadership and management require improvement

better understand and check the standards of achievement and teaching in the school. Governors have an understanding of how pupils are performing compared with national standards because they use the ‘data dashboard’ reports and have organised training from the local authority in checking pupil progress in the school compared with national figures. Governors understand the link between teachers’ pay progression and their pupils’ progress because they have revised the appraisal policy and receive summaries of teachers’ performance from the headteacher. Checks are made that the pupil premium funds are spent on the intended groups and the school leadership reports on the impact on attainment made by the funds. Oversight of safeguarding is systematic and the governing body takes a strategic role by checking the school development plans drawn up by the school leaders. Some individual governors, such as the one linked to provision for pupils who are disabled or who

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The leadership and management require improvement

have special educational needs, make regular visits to help with activities.

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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 101589 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 425529

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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 362 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sara Jeffrey Headteacher Tom Hyndley Date of previous school inspection 3–4 October 2011 Telephone number 020 8650 5247 Fax number 020 8663 3383 Email address admin@churchfields.bromley.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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