Three Bridges Primary School

School report Three Bridges Primary School

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Gales Place, Three Bridges, Crawley, RH10 1QG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress, especially in reading and writing.  By the end of Year 6 pupils attain standards which are broadly average and a growing proportion achieve above expected levels.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to school life because of good teaching in an attractive and stimulating environment.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress in early reading and speaking skills, which gives them a firm foundation for learning in all subjects.  A strong focus by senior leaders on improving the quality of teaching, together with higher expectations of what pupils can achieve, has resulted in current pupils making good progress.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the progress made by all groups of pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour is almost always good across the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

whole school. They are well cared for and feel safe.  Relationships within the school are excellent. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly strong.  School leaders provide clear and determined leadership. They are well supported by a committed governing body. As a result, pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching in the school and in the specialist speech and language centre have rapidly improved.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although much improved, standards in mathematics are not as high as in reading and writing. This is because pupils do not have enough opportunities to apply their mathematical skills across a range of other subjects.  Occasionally, the work set in mathematics does not fully challenge or motivate the most-able pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. They visited 22 full or part lessons and observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and around school. Eleven observations were made jointly with senior leaders.  The inspection team talked with pupils about their learning experiences at school and listened to pupils read. They examined work in pupils’ exercise books in a range of subjects and on classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspection team held meetings with senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and five other members, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including plans for its future development, the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe and pupils’ attendance records. They reviewed minutes from governing body meetings, records of how the quality of teaching is checked and records of how pupils’ learning is checked and tracked.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of parents were taken into account through taking note of the 24 responses to the online Parent View survey and discussions with parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Gianni Bianchi, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fiona Robinson Additional Inspector Deborah Gordon Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 An infant school and junior school merged in September 2013 to become Three Bridges Primary School.  The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  It has provision for a Nursery and three classes in each of Reception and Year 1. There are two classes in Year 2 to Year 6.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above that seen nationally.  Approximately half the pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds which is significantly above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below that seen nationally.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and who are looked after) is below the national average.  The headteacher from the infant school took over the headship of the new primary school.

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Information about this school

 There is no published national data for the new school. However, provisional results from the 2014 national tests show that the school meets the current floor standards, the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has a specialist speech and language centre for pupils with additional speech and language difficulties. This centre, which is run by the local authority, currently has 17 pupils on roll although there are 22 places for pupils aged between four and eleven.  Pupils from the unit are fully integrated into mainstream classes and attend the unit for specialist teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement, particularly in mathematics, by:  making sure the most able pupils are consistently given tasks which challenge and motivate them to make rapid progress  ensuring pupils are given more opportunities to apply their mathematical skills across a range of other subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the new school opened there has been rapid improvement in the pupils’ progress and standards of teaching. This is because the headteacher has created a culture of high expectations of both staff and pupils. Committed senior leaders have responded quickly and their relentless focus on improving the quality of teaching has resulted in standards rapidly rising. The school has a good capacity for further improvement.  Senior and middle leaders have a clear understanding about what is going well and what needs to improve. They know that more needs to be done to secure the highest standards in mathematics and have suitable plans to improve things.  The long-term plans for improvement are helpful and all staff are involved in checking, at regular points during the year, that the school is on track to reach the challenging targets they have set.  Senior leaders regularly check the quality of teaching, focusing on how well it enables pupils to learn.

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The leadership and management are good

They set teachers challenging targets and give precise feedback so that it is clear what they need to do to improve. Arrangements to manage the performance of teachers are robust. There are clear procedures whereby good performance can be rewarded and underachievement tackled appropriately. Teachers and other staff are well supported by a range of further training opportunities. Middle leaders make an active and successful contribution to school improvement.  The school has improved the way it tracks pupils’ progress. Leaders quickly identify how well different groups of pupils or individuals are achieving. Regular meetings between teachers and leaders focus on any underachievement by pupils including those pupils who speak English as an additional language and those entitled to additional funding. This ensures the school promotes equality of opportunity effectively. There is no discrimination.  The subjects that pupils are taught are interesting and contribute strongly to pupils’ good and improving

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The leadership and management are good

achievement. Their learning is enriched with trips, for example to a local farm, and out-of-school clubs and activities that widen pupils’ experience. Through assemblies and a good range of opportunities in religious education, history and geography, pupils learn about cultures other than their own, and how to reflect on spiritual and moral viewpoints of the world around them. The curriculum promotes tolerance and respect and pupils develop strong social skills through the many opportunities to share learning in this diverse and multicultural community. As a result their development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is good and prepares the pupils well for their life in modern Britain.  The primary school sports funding is used effectively to employ teachers to teach physical education, give training to staff and promote active engagement in sports. Pupils’ participation in sport is increasing and

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The leadership and management are good

the many activities on offer at lunchtimes have contributed to this.  The local authority and a National Leader in Education have provided effective support to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement. The school benefits from sharing expertise with surrounding local schools.  Parents are generally very satisfied with the school’s work, including the leadership of the specialist speech and language unit. They feel fully consulted in their children’s education and that their children are happy and secure.  The school ensures that current safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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The governance of the school:

 Governors are active in the life of the school and are confident in challenging leaders about provision and results that need to be improved. They have a direct impact on the school’s drive for improvement and they are knowledgeable about the school’s performance and how it compares to other schools. They have an accurate overview of the quality of teaching and set the headteacher challenging targets that focus directly on school improvement. Governors ensure the efficient management of financial resources, including the use of the additional funding and its impact on pupils’ achievement. They are fully aware of the links between salary progression and teachers’ performance and ensure the school meets all its statutory safeguarding requirements.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Lunchtimes and breaks are friendly social occasions. Pupils have many sporting and other activities which support their social development.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning in lessons are generally positive. They listen well and respond to teachers’ instructions. However, pupils sometimes lose concentration during lessons, particularly when the work set for them is not hard enough. On these occasions, their attention wanders and their progress slows.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils behaving well towards each other and in showing consideration and respect. They set a good example to pupils in the calm way they conduct their lessons and in their supervision at break times. Consequently, all groups of pupils play and work together well and keep the school environment clean and tidy.  The school is successful in helping pupils to manage their own behaviour. The good work of teaching

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

assistants and other support staff, in close collaboration with parents, ensures pupils settle quickly in lessons and make good progress.  The school's work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe and their parents agree.  Poor behaviour, including bullying and racist incidents, is rare. Discrimination is not tolerated and there are rigorous procedures to record and address any concerns. School records show that behaviour has improved over time and there have been no recent exclusions. Both parents and pupils feel that on the few occasions unacceptable behaviour occurs it is managed well by the staff.  Pupils have a good knowledge of different types of bullying, including how to keep safe on the internet. They undertake projects on how to use information and communication technology safely.  Pupils’ attendance has improved over time and is now above average. The school rigorously measures and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

analyses all aspects of attendance and punctuality and has effective procedures to reduce absence.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is now consistently good as a result of the school’s successful work to improve its quality in the last 12 months since the school opened. This has had a significant impact on the rapid improvement in standards.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They use effective questioning to check and develop pupils’ understanding and adapt activities skilfully to improve pupils’ learning. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, the teacher quickly picked up and addressed pupils’ grammatical errors where they were confusing ‘were’ and ‘are’. This allowed pupils to successfully get on with their task and make good progress.  The most able pupils achieve better in reading and writing than they do in mathematics because attention to the needs of the more able is inconsistent in mathematics throughout the school. On occasion, more able pupils are not given work that is difficult enough to stretch them sufficiently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of displays around the school and good relationships between adults and pupils creates a purposeful atmosphere for learning. Teaching assistants provide a good balance of support and guidance for pupils who need it. As a result, pupils gain confidence in their ability as they move through the school.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked and they get time to act upon the constructive feedback which teachers give them. Pupils were able to explain how this helped them improve their work and make better progress. School leaders have created detailed plans to improve this area of teaching further.  Teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy is generally good. Writing is promoted well within the school and pupils have many opportunities to write at length and apply these skills in the topics they study. As a result, standards in writing have improved. However, pupils are not given enough

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The quality of teaching is good

opportunities to develop and apply their mathematical skills in other subjects.  The presentation of pupils’ work in their books is of a high standard and pupils take an obvious pride in their work.  The majority of parents who offered an opinion agree that their children, including those who attend the specalist speech and language unit, are taught well.

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is good

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6 achieve well from their starting points. Provisional results from the 2014 national tests show that Year 6 pupils make good progress in reading, particularly good progress in writing, but slightly slower progress in mathematics. Although much improved since the school opened, the standards pupils attained are broadly average in reading and writing and slightly lower in mathematics.  Consistent improvements in the quality of teaching have resulted in a greater proportion of pupils currently on roll making faster progress. As a result, they are attaining standards above those expected for their age.  The school recognises that occasionally in mathematics lessons, the most able pupils do not make enough progress as the work set is too easy and does not motivate or challenge them enough. As a result, a few do not reach the standards of which they are capable in mathematics.  Daily phonics (the sounds that letters make) sessions are taught well. The number of pupils who

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is good

achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was above the national average in 2014. Those pupils who do not achieve the expected level in the check receive good support in Year 2 which allows them to catch up. Pupils across the school demonstrate fluent and expressive reading and good understanding.  The high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. This is because of the excellent support they receive. For example, bilingual pupils act as young interpreters to help similar pupils with their language development and a specialist teaching assistant works with pupils and families to improve their spoken English.  There is no comparative data for Year 6 pupils eligible for additional funding. However, provisional results from the 2014 tests show a small gap in attainment. They were about eight months behind in English and four in mathematics compared to pupils in the school who did not receive funding and to

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is good

pupils in Year 6 nationally. The pupils with additional funding, however, made progress at similar rates as other pupils in the school.  School data show that, currently, pupils who receive additional funding are making the same good progress as their peers and that the gap in attainment is narrowing. The school uses the additional funding effectively to provide extra teaching and pastoral support for pupils.  The work of pupils who attend the specialist speech and language support centre is carefully monitored by dedicated staff and pupils make good progress in their learning. This is a result of school leaders’ high expectations and improved teaching.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have made rapid progress across the school. This is because the school identifies and meets their individual needs well. Teaching assistants provide excellent support for these pupils, who then gain considerable confidence in their ability as they

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is good

move through the school.  Pupils’ typically good achievement means that they are well prepared for secondary education.

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is good

 Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills which are generally below those typical for their age. Good teaching ensures they make good progress in all areas of learning. In particular, the early stages of reading, writing and communication are speedily established and provide a strong basis for later learning.  Teaching meets children’s needs well and makes good use of the stimulating outside environment as well as indoors. Children of all backgrounds and abilities happily participate in a wide range of activities because they feel valued and secure.  Children are inquisitive, work well together and are keen to learn. As a result, children rapidly develop into confident learners. Teachers and teaching assistants make accurate checks on children’s learning. They use this information to plan further activities to ensure that children are making the progress expected of them.  Expectations of good behaviour are established as soon as children start school. Routines are quickly

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is good

established; children behave well and are polite and courteous. The know how to keep themselves safe.  The Early Years Foundation Stage leader knows what is working well and has a clear vision for what needs to be improved. He manages his highly motivated team well and has set ambitious targets for the year.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 125901 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 443565

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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 518 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dennis Cockerton Headteacher Linda Pothecary Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01293 524076 Fax number 01273 538078 Email address head@threebridgesprimaryschool.co.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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