Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School

Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School Lower Queen's Road, , Buckhurst Hill, IG9 6DS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Achievement is good. All groups of pupils make good progress from their average starting points on entry to the school. Standards at the end of Year 6 are above national averages, and significantly above in mathematics.  Teaching is good overall, with some that is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and work. Pupils’ interest in their learning and their general levels of motivation are high.  Pupils relationships with teachers and other pupils across the school are excellent.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ achievement.  Pupils’ outstanding behaviour and excellent attitudes to learning contribute considerably to their achievement. They feel safe and enjoy coming to school, as reflected in their above- average attendance.  Effective leadership from the acting headteacher, well supported by other leaders, has ensured that the good teaching and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

achievement seen in the last inspection have both been maintained.  Governors play an effective role in supporting school development and in holding leaders to account for pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always plan and set work that ensures pupils make really impressive progress, especially in the case of the more- able pupils.  Not all teachers use their marking to give pupils clear guidance on how to improve their work to move their learning on.  The Guided Reading sessions in use in the school do not always succeed in deepening pupils’ understanding of different styles of writing effectively.  Some subject leaders are new and only just beginning to develop their skills in monitoring teaching and learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 18 lessons, two of which were joint lesson observations with the headteacher. In addition, they made a number of other short visits to lessons and learning areas. The inspectors also listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 reading to them.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of staff, the vice-chair of the Governing Body and two other members, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of 113 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), and 26 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ books and at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current attainment and progress, the school’s evaluation of its performance, school improvement planning, documentation relating to teachers’ performance over time and records relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Tusharkana Chakraborti, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Ann Short Additional Inspector Christopher Birtles Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is in line with the national average and the proportion speaking English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is well below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average and the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 There have been significant changes in staffing, including to the senior leadership team, over the past year. The previous headteacher retired in July 2013 and the deputy headteacher was appointed in the post of acting headteacher in September 2013. Five new teachers have joined the school at the same time and some of the subject leaders are new to their posts.  The school is a member of the local schools consortium, which includes several primary schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching to accelerate pupils’ progress and raise achievement further by:  ensuring that tasks set in lessons build upon what teachers’ assessments tell them their pupils already know and understand, and are better able to stretch all groups of pupils  making sure that marking consistently provides pupils with clear advice about how to make their work better  using the Guided Reading sessions consistently and effectively to deepen pupils’ understanding of different styles of writing, especially in the case of more able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership by developing the capacity of new subject leaders to check teaching and learning in their areas accurately and effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s knowledge and skills when they start in Reception are in line with those typically seen at their age, although there are some fluctuations from year to year. The school’s well-planned programme of learning and teachers’ careful monitoring ensure children make good progress and, by the end of Reception, most achieve a good standard in all areas of learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly in mathematics. Results in national assessments at the end of Year 2 and 6 are consistently above average. In mathematics, pupils’ attainment was significantly higher than the national average in both key stages in recent years, including at the higher levels. The school’s data on current pupils’ progress and targets for 2014, supported by the work seen in their books and in lessons, suggest that that these high levels of attainment are likely to be sustained.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in reading although their progress, including that of the more able, is not as strong as in other subjects. The school has identified this as an area for further development and it is now improving rapidly. Pupils write well for different purposes and have developed good handwriting and presentation skills. The results of the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2013 were above average, a significant improvement over the 2012 results.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Mathematics has been a particular focus for the school over the past three years. Teaching programmes for mathematics have been reviewed to ensure that pupils are able to build on their prior learning consistently. Pupils are developing good calculation and problem-solving skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make consistently good progress from their starting points because the school provides well-targeted support for them. Good support for pupils who receive additional help promotes equality of opportunity and helps tackle discrimination. This is also reflected in the achievement of pupils from minority ethnic families, or those who speak English as a second language who make equally good progress as their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding make good progress, attaining as well as the others in English and mathematics. The additional funding has been spent on staff who give carefully planned support for individuals or small groups of pupils to ensure that they do not fall behind in their learning. However, because of the small numbers of pupils in each year group, attainment varies considerably from year-to-year. In 2013 pupils, the gap between these pupils’ attainment and others in the school was, on average, nearly five terms in reading, writing and mathematics. The number of pupils was, however, small. There was no gap in attainment between these pupils and their peers in 2012.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching ensures that pupils of all abilities make good progress. Teachers treat pupils with respect and are interested in what they have to say. As a result, pupils are actively engaged in lessons and know that teachers are interested in their views and ideas. Pupils are eager to learn and respond readily to tasks with interest and enthusiasm.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In Reception, high expectations and lively teaching contribute to children’s good progress. Children consequently work cooperatively, engage well with their reading and develop good language skills for their age. This was seen in a session, where children discussed about ‘past events’, sharing their experience of the use of different transport on their journey to different places.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding and challenge them to think more deeply about issues and to build on what they already know. For example in a Year 2 lesson, pupils were encouraged to write a paragraph explaining the water cycle. This meant that they had to think hard about the process and build upon their learning in the previous science lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is good. Pupils read a range of stories in the Guided Reading sessions but these sessions are not always used effectively, particularly with more able pupils, to deepen pupils’ understanding of different styles of texts or to analyse events and characters.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work is usually pitched at just the right level for all groups of pupils. Joint planning between teachers and skilful teaching assistants enables the latter to offer pupils good support and reinforce their concentration and commitment to their work. However, teachers do not always use assessment information effectively to ensure that all groups, particularly the more able, are stretched to reach the standards of which they are capable.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work regularly but not all of them provide the clear guidance for improvement that pupils need in order to get to a higher level in their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are courteous, show consideration for others and support each other in lessons and in the playground. They have excellent attitudes to learning and show a high level of engagement in their lessons. Pupils in Year 6 are very well-prepared for the next stage in their education.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils play a very active role in the life of the school and have a keen sense of their personal responsibility for making sure that the school is a safe and enjoyable place for everyone. This is clearly evident in the way older pupils support younger ones, particularly the children in the Reception classes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. It promotes pupils’ safety, personal development and academic achievement very effectively. Procedures for adults to manage pupils’ behaviour are comprehensive and applied consistently. As a result, pupils display high levels of self-discipline in and out of the classroom and respond very well to the school’s highly inclusive ethos. Almost all the parents who responded to the questionnaires agreed that their children feel safe at school at all times.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have a thorough understanding of the different types of bullying. They are also very aware of the dangers of the misuse of the internet and social networking sites. They report that bullying of any kind is extremely rare and when it does happen the school responds very quickly, ensuring that pupils feel totally safe and secure.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have clear understanding of the risks they face in their everyday lives; for example, they are well aware of cyber-bullying and know what to do if they should encounter it. They demonstrate good understanding of issues relating to the personal safety, such as use of drugs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility through their commitment to school council work and various fundraising activities. For example, they raise funds for charities such as the local hospice and the World Wild Life Fund to support the safety of endangered animals.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons and their attendance is well above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The acting headteacher, supported by the other staff and the governors, consistently communicates high expectations and has been successful in sustaining good and better standards in all areas of the school’s work since taking up her post. Together, they have established a harmonious and welcoming environment where pupils grow up as confident learners. Accurate self-evaluation successfully informs the school’s choice of priorities for improvement, and these have a clear focus on raising achievement further.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders carry out their roles conscientiously and enthusiastically, but some are new to post and have yet to develop fully their role in monitoring teaching and pupils’ achievement across the school. The leadership of Early Years Foundation Stage is effective and ensures children are able to settle quickly and make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The quality of teaching is monitored effectively and set against challenging individual annual performance targets for staff which are linked to teachers’ professional development. This process is also used effectively to supports the professional development of leaders, particularly those new to their posts.

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The leadership and management are good

 A range of clubs, musical instrument tuition and visits to places of interest, such as operas and theatres ensure pupils’ learning is colourful and appealing at all times. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. Assemblies and religious studies provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on teachings from the Bible and other religions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is using the new primary sports funding to support a range of initiatives and events that are designed to increase pupils’ involvement and also to provide training for teachers so that they can teach high quality physical education lessons. As a result, pupil participation is now high and pupils enjoy a range of inter-school competitions. The school came second in a recent inter-school tag-rugby tournament.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided effective support that reflects the school’s good performance. Membership of the consortium of local schools also helps to share and develop good practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors play an active part in the school’s development. They ensure they are well informed about the quality of teaching and pupils’ performance. They do this through their own monitoring visits and reports from the headteacher and the local authority adviser. They understand data provided for them about pupils’ achievement and know how the school’s results compare with other schools nationally. They use this evidence to support and challenge leaders about how underperformance is tackled to raise achievement. Governors know how funding is used, including the pupil premium and sports funding, and are well informed about how well these are supporting pupils’ achievement. They have clear understanding of the school’s performance management system and hold the headteacher to account for ensuring that teachers’ salaries and performance are closely linked. Governors ensure that the

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The leadership and management are good

procedures for safeguarding pupils are robust and meet statutory requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

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

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Grade Judgement Description

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

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School details

Unique reference number 115052 Local authority Essex Inspection number 431248

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 360 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Minoletti Headteacher Sally Elliot (Acting Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 2 February 2009 Telephone number 020 8505 7300 Fax number 020 8505 7300 Email address admin@buckhursthill.essex.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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