William Bellamy Primary School

School report William Bellamy Primary School Frizlands Lane, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7HX

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Since the last inspection, leaders have been very successful in improving the quality of teaching. This is resulting in pupils now making good, and often faster, progress in English and mathematics.  Despite a large turnover of staff and the size of the school, leaders have communicated a vision which everyone understands and is working towards. As a result, practice is much improved and consistent.  The school involves parents and carers very well and they are very supportive and involved in what the school is doing.  Leaders show a high level of care to all pupils, many of whom have circumstances that might make them vulnerable. Behaviour is good within a very harmonious school community.  Procedures for keeping pupils safe and secure are outstanding.  Teachers value the support they are given to become even better teachers. They are highly motivated and eager to improve their teaching.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors know the school well. This enables them to identify what the school still needs to do to improve and contributes well to plans for the future. They are effective in holding the school to account and supporting leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some of the most able pupils do not always make as much progress as they could because, at times, their work is too easy.  Not enough teaching is outstanding. Leaders, particularly those in middle leadership roles, have tended to concentrate on ensuring that teaching is consistently good rather than outstanding.  While pupils develop and apply their language and number skills in English and mathematics, insufficient opportunities are offered in other subjects. This stops pupils deepening and extending their learning as much as they could.  Marking in mathematics in some classes does always identify precisely enough how pupils can improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons, of which 16 were joint observations with members of the senior leadership team. In addition, inspectors made a number of other short visits to lessons. They also looked at pupils’ books and observed other aspects of the school’s work including a Key Stage 2 assembly.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and other members, teachers and school leaders. Inspectors also met with a representative of the local authority.  Pupils took inspectors on a tour of the school. The inspectors also listened to pupils read and spoke with them about their reading and their work. They visited the two breakfast clubs and spent time in the dining halls and on the school playgrounds where they also spoke to pupils.  Inspectors took account of the 106 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) for the current school year. Inspectors also spoke to parents and carers at the school gate and met with

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Information about this inspection

a group of parents. Inspectors reviewed 49 questionnaire responses from staff.  A variety of documents were looked at. These included the school’s own information relating to pupils’ achievement, the school’s self-evaluation summary and plan of action, records relating to behaviour and attendance and checks on teaching and documents relating to safeguarding. The inspectors also evaluated the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Martin Marsh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sue Cox Additional Inspector Ruth Hill Additional Inspector Kate Robertson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  Over half of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium. This is additional government funding which supports pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children or children of service families. It is well above average. In this school, the eligible pupils are entitled to free school meals or are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion on school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also average.  Nearly two thirds of pupils belong to ethnic groups other than White British; over half of these do not have English as their first language. A third of pupils are of Black African heritage.  The school runs two breakfast clubs, one in the infant and one in the junior part of the school.

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Information about this school

There is also an extensive range of after-school clubs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  At the last inspection, the school had been an all-through primary school for six months, following the amalagamation of the junior school and the adjacent infant school in April 2012. Since that time, over a third of the teaching staff have left the school. Five teachers new to the profession were appointed in September 2013. The school restructured its leadership team in September 2013, redefining roles and responsibilities of leaders at all levels.  Provision for pupils with behavioural, social and emotional special needs is due to open at the school in September 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the rate of progress in English and mathematics so that a greater proportion of pupils make outstanding progress by:  making sure that the work set for more able pupils is not too easy  improving what is taught in subjects other than English and mathematics so that more opportunities are offered for pupils to apply their language and number skills in different contexts  making sure that teachers’ marking helps pupils to understand more precisely how they can improve in mathematics  developing the role of leaders, particularly middle leaders, so they play a greater role in improving teaching so that more is outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Significant improvements in the quality of teaching and the rigorous checking of progress by leaders are now ensuring that pupils make consistently good progress across the school. Although attainment in English and mathematics by the time pupils leave Year 6 is below those achieved by pupils nationally, this is due to their lower starting points. Inspection evidence indicates that attainment is improving quickly. Pupils enter the school in Nursery and Reception with skills well below what is typical for their age.  A well planned programme in Reception and Key Stage 1 to teach pupils letters and the sounds they make (phonics) is resulting in pupils making a good start in learning to read. The school is successfully continuing these programmes into Years 3 and 4 to enable those pupils who are less confident readers to become fluent. The school promotes reading very well, and there are inviting ‘Book Nooks’ in every classroom where pupils can enjoy a book. By the time pupils leave

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The achievement of pupils is good

Year 6 they have developed a good interest in reading and an enjoyment of books.  In mathematics, pupils apply their skills well to a range of problems and make good progress as a result. Pupils are taught to develop their mental calculation skills well and are confidently able to work out answers using a range of approaches. A typical example is that one Year 6 pupil was able to explain how she could find how much money she had left from £15.90. This was after she had bought two articles for £1.95 each and one for £8.50. By rounding the £1.95 to £2 she was able to calculate and adjust her answer.  More able pupils make similar progress to their peers, but sometimes spend too long doing work that is too easy or practising skills they already have. Consequently, some are restricted from making faster progress and achieving higher levels of attainment. However, this is not always the case. A good example was in a Year 2 lesson where more able pupils were writing about

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The achievement of pupils is good

skunks following a piece of research they had done. They were being taught how to use a wide range of technical vocabulary, grammar and punctuation and were thinking hard about how this improved their writing. As a result they made rapid progress. Pupils were able to explain in detail how a skunk defended itself using its scent glands.  The school effectively uses a significant proportion of its additional funding for the pupil premium to pay for specialist teachers in English, mathematics, reading and early years and to offset salary costs. The results of the 2013 Key Stage 2 assessments indicate that in reading, writing and mathematics eligible pupils are eight months behind their peers in the school. Nevertheless, their progress is at least in line with similar pupils nationally. Inspection evidence confirms that they are now progressing even faster and the gap between them and other pupils is closing quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs make similar progress to their peers. This is because the support they receive is well focused on overcoming the specific barriers to their learning. One parent, reflecting the views of a variety of others, commented that ‘if they (pupils) need something to help them learn the school will provide it’. Nurture provision in the school gives pupils who have difficulty managing their behaviour particularly strong support. Their progress is often rapid because of the well-trained adults who work with them to improve their behaviour alongside their learning.  The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. This is benefiting all pupils especially those whose first language is not English, those who come from Black African backgrounds and the wide range of other ethnic communities represented in the school. As a result, all groups of pupils make similar progress; this shows that the school is

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The achievement of pupils is good

successful in its consideration of equality of opportunity for learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan closely together and expertise is shared well in year teams. This results in interesting work which involves most pupils and ensures that they are keen to learn and work hard. With the exception of a small minority of occasions where work is not challenging enough for the more able, the vast majority of activities are suitable for the range of different groups of pupils. This enables pupils to learn effectively. Teachers have good relationships with pupils. There is a high level of mutual respect, both between teachers and pupils and among the pupils, so they are able to learn from each other as well as from their teachers.  The school places great value on the quality of the learning environment. Every classroom has interesting displays which celebrate pupils’ work or which are used during lessons to support learning. One display was of models of pupils’ sculptures which were part of a competition to

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The quality of teaching is good

design something to be built by a professional artist and installed at the front of the school.  Marking of pupils’ work is thorough. In writing, teachers give pupils clear feedback about how they can improve their work. Feedback is not as precise in mathematics and so pupils are sometimes not clear how they can make their work better. Pupils value the comments on their work and nearly always make a written response to it. Pupils regularly mark each other’s work and give helpful written comments about what is good and how it can be improved.  Classroom assistants provide good support for pupils. They are deployed well by teachers and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning.  The Nursery and Reception areas are well resourced, both inside and outside the classroom. Staff are benefiting from the intensive training they have received to help them assess each individual child’s stage of development. They plan activities well using this information and their

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The quality of teaching is good

knowledge of the child’s interests. This, together with the establishment of good routines and adults’ good questioning of pupils to deepen their learning, ensures progress is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are polite and courteous. They were keen to tell inspectors about their work. ‘We tell our friends about how good the school is and then they want to come here,’ one pupil told inspectors. The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to Parent View, or who were spoken to by the inspectors, said their children were happy and the school ensured pupils were well behaved.  Pupils work hard in lessons and their attitudes to learning are good. Pupils look smart in their uniforms. Members of the school council wear their colourful ties proudly. All pupils strive to ‘stay on green’, in both their behaviour and their learning.  The school provides many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, to which they readily respond. The school council is particularly active. Members meet with school leaders about what works well in school. They have met with the catering service about school dinners and made a

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

‘friendship bench’ for pupils who were sad at lunch times. Councillors successfully ran a campaign to reduce the amount of litter in school. Inspectors did not notice any litter anywhere during the inspection. In small ways, all children take responsibility for each other, looking out for others and helping out when necessary.  A significant number of pupils find managing their own behaviour difficult. This is dealt with extremely well so that it does not interfere with pupils’ learning in any way. Adults show a high level of care and respect for pupils, and rewards and sanctions are applied consistently across the school. The few incidents of inappropriate behaviour are being systematically reduced.  Attendance is average. Pupils are typically punctual for school. Punctuality has improved with the introduction of ‘Wake and Shake’, which parents and teachers regularly join in with.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Procedures to ensure the site is

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

safe and secure are rigorous. Senior leaders are responsible for health and safety in different parts of the school and check weekly. Pupils feel they are very safe in school and well looked after; parents and carers agree.  Pupils understand the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and are well versed in how to keep safe when using electronic media. Bullying incidents do occasionally occur, but the pupils are confident that school staff will quickly deal with any problems. Pupils respect each other’s cultures and beliefs and there are few racist or other prejudice-based incidents. This shows that the school is effective in fostering good relations and tackling discrimination.  Pupils understand the importance of healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle. They participate fully in the extensive aerobic activities offered at lunchtimes and after school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection the school has successfully made rapid improvements despite significant changes of staffing and dealing with the effects of the school’s amalgamation. The drive, passion and inspiration of the headteacher, together with a highly skilled and committed senior leadership team, are significant factors in bringing this about. The headteacher has communicated a vision which is fully supported and understood by the harmonious school community. This has brought about a clear and consistent approach in the school, particularly in teaching and in how behaviour is managed. Pupils are now making good progress in English and mathematics as a result.  The school’s focus on improving teaching has been relentless. Middle leaders work closely with teachers to develop their skills through modelling good practice, working on planning and setting clear goals to bring about improvement. As a consequence, teaching is now good, with elements

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The leadership and management are good

that are outstanding. The school has identified as a target that more teachers should aspire to be outstanding practitioners. This is to enable pupils to make even faster progress. Developing the role middle leaders play in supporting this is a priority of school planning.  All teachers value the support they are given to learn from each other and take part in training. Those teachers new to the profession are very positive about the help they have been given at an early stage in their career. ‘We feel valued and very much part of a big family,’ was a typical comment to inspectors. The motivation of teachers, inspired by leaders, is part of the reason for the much improved quality of teaching.  Systems to check the progress of pupils are robust and rigorous. Teachers are held strongly to account for the performance of pupils through regular meetings with senior leaders to discuss progress as part of the appraisal process. If pupils are falling behind, steps are quickly taken to

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The leadership and management are good

help them catch up.  The school has correctly focused its work since the last inspection on developing approaches to the curriculum in English, mathematics and in Reception. Pupils are now making good progress in these areas as a result. However, occasionally, opportunities are missed for pupils to apply and extend their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects which slows down their progress. Pupils’ learning is well supported by a wide range of visits and visitors to school and special events such as ‘No Pens Day’ and Black History Month. The curriculum provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This contributes significantly to the good attitudes to learning and the way pupils relate to each other and accept each other’s differences.  The appointment of a physical education specialist is having a significant impact on the opportunities pupils have to participate in sport and the quality of what is provided. Additional

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The leadership and management are good

government sports funding is being used effectively to employ a specialist trainer to support teachers to become better at teaching physical education. This has resulted in the setting up an athletics club in the summer term, extra coaching for talented pupils and improvements to the range and quality of sporting equipment. The specialist teacher has also made good links with local sports clubs and obtained additional funding so that the school can take part in more inter- school competitive sport.  The school is successful in reaching out to its diverse parent community. Close links with the adjacent children’s centre help parents know about the school’s work before their children start at the school. The family support team works closely with parents especially those whose circumstances might make them vulnerable. This ensures that children attend school and know about what is going on. Parents commented on how well the school communicates with them.

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The leadership and management are good

Senior leaders are at the school gate every morning prepared to answer questions, discuss concerns or just greet parents and their children.  The school’s two breakfast clubs are well attended and, in addition to providing something to eat, give pupils an opportunity to participate in a range of worthwhile activities before school starts. The school uses the pupil premium funding to enable eligible pupils to attend.  The local authority has supported the school very well through regular visits, support with reviews of teaching and training for key personnel.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school very well and visit regularly. They have a good understanding of the school’s pupil performance information and how it compares with other schools nationally. Governors are aware of what still needs to be done and are totally committed to supporting the school to make it happen. They are fully involved in the school’s evaluation of its

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The leadership and management are good

performance, including the quality of teaching, and so can make valuable contributions to its plans for the future. They also contribute significantly to the outstanding safety in the school and in meeting statutory requirements for safeguarding and the recruitment of staff.  The governors know how the pupil premium funding is being used to provide specialist support for teaching and the how the gap in attainment is closing. They have taken considerable interest in how the additional sports funding is being used and its impact on pupils’ participation. Governors also know how teachers are rewarded for performance through the school’s appraisal process.  Governors take advantage of every opportunity the school or external agencies provide to improve their skills and enable them to support leaders and hold them to account even more effectively.

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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 442110 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 101226

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1002 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kathy Dee Headteacher Joanne Preston Date of previous school inspection 13–14 November 2012 Telephone number 020 8270 6506 Fax number 020 8270 6504 Email address office@w-bellamy.bardaglea.org.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 and 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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