Bournemouth Park Primary School

Bournemouth Park Primary School Bournemouth Park Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 5JN

p.1

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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

p.1

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

 Pupils’ achievement has been too varied since the previous inspection and not enough pupils have made better than expected progress, especially in reading and writing.  In 2013, attainment at the end of Year 6 was well below average in reading and below average in writing.  Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length in English or to apply their writing skills in other subjects.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve and the amount of work they are expected to produce are not always high enough.  Learning tasks are not always pitched at the right level for the differing abilities of pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6. This hinders their progress.  Teaching strategies to stimulate pupils’ good writing skills such as using visual stimuli, drama and by demonstration and modelling are underused.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour are not consistently good in all classes, and at

p.1

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

times this adversely affects their progress.  Leaders’ actions to close the gap in achievement between different groups such as disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium, has not been effective enough.  Governors are not provided with sufficient information about pupils’ achievement, particularly gaps, and how these affect the school’s overall effectiveness.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Pupils’ achieve well in Years 1 and 2 from their low starting point.  Leaders, staff and governors have taken positive action to raise attainment by the end of Year 2 which is now average, and to accelerate pupils’ progress in reading.  There are examples of good teaching in all year groups.  The breakfast club is having a positive impact on punctuality and attendance.  There is a good range of clubs, particularly for sport that enhance pupils’ social skills and well- being.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for by adults.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 22 lessons. Some of these were seen jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, and a representative from the local authority, governors, parents and pupils.  The inspectors took account of the 116 responses to the online survey (Parent View).  Pupils were heard to read and discussions were held with them about their reading.  Questionnaires from 13 members of staff were analysed.  The inspectors examined school policies, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, teachers’ plans, pupils’ work, safeguarding procedures and the school’s development planning.

p.2

Inspection team

Derek Watts, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Judith Payne Additional Inspector Pauline MacMillan Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is much larger than average-sized primary school.  Over two thirds of the pupils are White British. Other pupils come from a range of different ethnic heritages including other White backgrounds, Bangladeshi, African and Caribbean.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  Over half of the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups. The proportion supported by pupil premium is well above average.  The school meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is at least good in all classes so that all groups of pupils make consistently good or better progress, particularly in reading and writing by  making sure that all teachers expect pupils to do their very best in their learning and behaviour  ensuring that teachers always set tasks at the right level of difficulty for individual pupils and groups, particularly the more able  ensuring that the teaching of reading including of phonics, (letters and the sounds they make) is good in all classes and individual support is provided for anyone falling behind with their reading  using a range of strategies to generate ideas for writing such as role-play, visual stimuli, and teacher-demonstration and giving pupils enough time to write at length and complete their tasks  Using marking to improve grammar, punctuation and spelling.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ progress and raise attainment to at least average levels especially in reading and writing at the end of Year 6 by  ensuring that the teaching of reading skills is consistently good in all classes  extending opportunities for pupils to apply reading skills in a range of subjects and topics  improving pupils’ handwriting and presentation  Making sure that there are frequent opportunities for pupils to write extended pieces in English lessons and in other subjects.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership, management and governance by:  taking action to accelerate the progress of different groups and close gaps in attainment  rigorously checking the impact of improvement initiatives and strategies  undertaking a robust review of the use and impact of the pupil premium funding  Ensuring that behaviour policies are consistently implemented by all staff.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Year 6 test results in 2013 showed that standards were well below average in reading, below average in writing but closer to average in mathematics. Many groups of pupils made insufficient progress from their starting points in reading, including those supported by the pupil premium.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils write for a range of audiences and purposes. However, in Years 3 to 6 pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write extended pieces in English lessons. Furthermore, opportunities are being missed for pupils to apply their writing skills in a range of subjects and topics and to practice their punctuation and grammar use.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The proportion of pupils who reach the higher levels is below average, particularly in reading and writing. The most-able pupils are not always provided with sufficiently demanding tasks in lessons and this hampers their learning.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2013, the Year 6 test results showed that pupils supported by pupil premium attained lower standards than the other pupils in English and mathematics. These pupils were about 12 months behind the others in reading, nine months behind in mathematics and writing and 10 months behind in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school is using a range of strategies to raise achievement of these pupils including one to one tuition in all aspects and small group teaching of reading. While there is demonstrable improvement in some pupils’ progress, reflected in work in books and in assessments, this is not yet consistent in all year groups.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is uneven because their specific needs are not being consistently addressed. Pupils learning English as an addition language receive appropriate support and build confident language skills. Their overall progress is similar to others in the class.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter Nursery with knowledge, understanding and skills much lower than those typically expected for their age. A lower proportion of children supported by the pupil premium than seen nationally reach a good level of development by the end of Reception. The gap in attainment between the children supported by pupil premium and the others is not closing fast enough.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Leaders and staff are taking positive steps to raise pupils’ achievement, particularly in reading in Year 3 to 6 and assessments show that last year’s underachievement has been eradicated. Reading materials and texts have been extended and teachers have received further training in the teaching of reading which is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils’ progress in reading is improving but it is not yet good in all classes.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 has improved since the previous inspection. Standards overall are better than they were. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is average in reading writing and mathematics. Pupils in Year 2 wrote clear and interesting descriptions of a setting from a familiar story. In topic work, they wrote imaginative diary entries as an ‘eye witness’ to the Great Fire of London.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 has been better than that in reading and writing. In a successful Year 6 lesson pupils made good progress in multiplying and dividing numbers by 10. They swiftly moved on to multiplying numbers with decimals. Pupils were able to choose and explain their preferred method in solving problems quickly and accurately.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There are good examples of pupils’ acquiring and applying investigative skills in science. For example, pupils in Year 4 make good progress in designing and testing model parachutes. They confidently make predications, take accurate measurements and show a good understanding of air resistance.

p.5

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are developing healthy lifestyles and physical fitness through the school’s physical education programme and the additional range of sporting activities on offer before, during and after school.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not been good enough over time to ensure that all groups of pupils make good progress, especially in reading and writing, and maximise their achievement.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve and how much work they should produce are not consistently high in all classes. As a result, in some lessons the pace of learning is too slow and pupils’ produce insufficient work of a good quality.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not always plan tasks at the right level of difficulty for different groups. In particular, the work is not sufficiently demanding to fully extend the most-able.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching of reading is improving and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress. Some good one to one work is taking place to help slow readers catch up with others. However, some inconsistencies remain. The teaching of phonics is not yet good enough in all years and reading areas in the Early Years Foundation Stage are cramped with little role-modelling by adults of reading for enjoyment. Opportunities for pupils to apply their reading skills in a range of subjects are being extended.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Methods and strategies to inspire pupils’ to write and to help them generate ideas for writing are variable. Drama, role-play and visual stimuli are used to good effect in some years but under used in others. Not all teachers take full advantage of demonstrating or modelling good writing for pupils.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Approaches to teaching handwriting and expectations about how well pupils are expected to present their work are inconsistent. As a result, some pupils have poorly formed letters and untidy presentation. Teachers’ making of pupils’ work is mainly helpful and constructive but errors in punctuation and spelling are not always corrected.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The school has relatively few learning support assistants and these are used mainly to support pupils with specific needs. Learning support assistants are making a useful contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly in one-to-one tuition and small teaching groups.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers effectively share the purpose of the lesson with the class and so pupils understand what they are expected to learn. Pupils are usually provided with clear guidance and indicators to help them succeed in their learning.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Most teachers create a positive classroom climate for learning. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. As a result, pupils learn well with other pupils, in pairs or in small groups.  In all year groups there are examples of good teaching and this forms a basis for the sharing of good practice. Where teaching is good, teachers expect pupils to do their best. Learning activities are interesting and well matched to pupils’ abilities and needs. Pupils are challenged and engaged and they make good progress. Skilful questioning encourages the pupils’ to think and enables teachers’ to check the depth of pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In an effective Year 2 lesson, pupils made good progress in acquiring and applying reading skills. Skilful questioning by the teacher enabled pupils to make dedications and inferences from the text. Pupils were engaged and highly motivated. In their writing they successfully retold a story using pictures as a stimulus.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour are not consistently good in all lessons. When these are less than good, pupils’ learning is hampered. Inappropriate behaviour such as moving noisily around the school or running indoors is not always corrected quickly by staff.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Parents and carers who completed the online survey are very positive that their children are well looked after in school. A few parents were less positive about pupils’ behaviour. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe at school.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Records of incidents show that appropriate and effective steps are taken to deal with any unacceptable behaviour. Parents are involved and kept informed where necessary.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 When teaching is engaging and tasks are set at the right level for pupils, they show enthusiasm for learning and participate well in the activities provided. Most pupils relate well to adults and to their fellow pupils and enjoy learning and working collaboratively. For example, pupils worked well together in a Year 3 class as they investigated changing the components in an electric circuit. They shared resources and listened to other pupils’ ideas.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 In discussions with inspectors, pupils showed a good understanding of bullying and the different forms it can take, including persistent name calling, physical bullying and cyber bullying. They defined bullying as, ‘being unpleasant several times and on purpose’. They know the actions to take should bullying occur. They say that there is very little bullying in their school. They added that should it occur, they are certain that the staff will quickly sort it out.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils are considerate, friendly and responsible members of the school community. They show care and respect for others. Through their studies pupils have acquired a good understanding of different faiths and an appreciation of various cultures.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance has been below average but more recently it is showing signs of improvement due to leaders’ effective actions. For example, the breakfast club is having a positive impact on pupils’ punctuality and attendance.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress and achievement is not good enough. Since the last inspection, attainment has risen at the end of Year 2 but not at the end of Year 6. While most pupils are well behaved, not all staff are consistently implementing the school’s behaviour polices.

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders’ analysis and checking of the school’s performance is not robust enough. The progress of different groups and the actions to accelerate the progress of pupils falling behind has not been effective enough to promote good progress and to close gaps in attainment. The gap between those supported by pupil premium and the others is not closing fast enough in some year groups and some disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make insufficient progress.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders have been under the impression that the school’s overall effectiveness is better than it is. A new leadership team has recently been formed to guide future improvement. Staff report positively about the new leadership structure and are rising to new challenges. Teachers have attended training on successful teaching and learning, there has been training in the teaching of reading and learning resources have been improved. These changes are beginning to have an impact on raising pupils’ achievement.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Some subjects leaders are new to their post and bring with them drive and challenge for moving things forward. Positive action is being taken to accelerate pupils’ progress with a key emphasis on reading. The quality of teaching is regularly checked and helpful feedback is given to staff. Teachers new to the profession are supported by an experienced senior member of staff.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is regularly looked at by senior leaders and the local authority. There are appropriate procedures for checking the performance of staff. Targets to improve teachers’ practice and skills are linked well to the school’s priorities for improvement. Staff promotion and salary increases are correctly based on responsibilities, performance and the progress that pupils make.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has recently reviewed the school’s performance. This has provided an accurate and clear overview of the school’s effectiveness. Local authority support is well linked to improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils’ achievement. A Support Partner and a Local Leader of Education have already been allocated to support the school.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 There is an appropriate range of subjects and topics to promote pupils’ effective learning. The many additional clubs, visits and sporting opportunities are much appreciated by the pupils. The sports grant is used to employ an extra coach and to train school staff in physical education. The school breakfast club is a success with over 125 pupils attending each day and is supporting the improvement attendance and punctuality well.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils learn and develop in a caring and safe environment. All have equal access to the full range of learning opportunities provided. There are no signs of discrimination in the school.

p.7

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body bring enthusiasm and a range of experience to the school. Governors are aware of the pressing need to raise achievement but are not fully informed of the impact of under-achievement on the school’s overall effectiveness. Governors are kept up to date about the quality of teaching and understand recent requirements relating to the management of staff performance and the importance of promotion and salary increases being linked to pupil progress. They know how the pupil premium is spent but have been less effective in questioning the progress and attainment of pupils who receive the funding. Governors have attended a range of courses to improve their effectiveness. They have ensured that all safeguarding procedures meet requirements.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 133771 Local authority Southend-on-Sea Inspection number 425305

p.9

School details

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

p.9

School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 525 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Michael Dedman Headteacher Angela Hutchinson Date of previous school inspection 27 September 2011 Telephone number 01702 468046 Fax number 01702 603184 Email address office@bournemouthpark.southend.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10