E-ACT Bannerman Road Community Academy

School report Bannerman Road Community Academy

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All Hallows Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 0HR

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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

 This is a school where parents can send their children with great confidence. Adults place pupils' well-being at the centre of their work and this makes the school a happy place to be.  Determined leadership by the headteacher, with strong support from her senior and subject leaders, is moving the school forward rapidly. Staff morale is high and everyone is focused on raising standards.  All groups of pupils make good progress in their reading and mathematics as they pass through the school. Their gains in writing are outstanding.  Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 6 is broadly average, and rising.  There is very little difference between the progress made by the wide range of learners at Bannerman Road.  Pupils behave well, feel safe and enjoy their learning. They have a clear understanding of the school’s high expectations of behaviour.  The school has completely eliminated the gaps in performance between disadvantaged pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

supported by additional funding and others.  Highly effective liaison between the school and the children’s centre ensures that children settle into the Nursery classes quickly. They are keen to learn, play together well and are well behaved. The early years provision is good.  The quality of teaching across the school is good. Teaching is improving and most is demanding and helps pupils learn well.  Leaders, managers and governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths. They have taken decisive and effective action to improve the quality of teaching and to raise achievement.  Bannerman Road continues to make prompt progress on its journey to excellence.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The progress of pupils in all year groups and subjects is not consistently rapid because not enough teaching is yet outstanding.  There is sometimes insufficient challenge for the more-able pupils.  Teachers do not always make sure that pupils respond to what has been asked of them when their work is marked.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ learning was observed in all the classes and in total 19 observations across a range of subjects were conducted; more than half of these observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher and senior staff.  Inspectors visited classrooms with senior staff to look at how well disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are learning. Inspectors also visited a wide range of lessons with senior staff to look at pupils’ progress in mathematics, English and a range of other subjects.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the special educational needs leader and teachers responsible for literacy and numeracy across the school. They spoke to groups of pupils and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors took account of a wide range of documentation including: the school’s improvement plan, self- evaluation and information about the progress and attainment of individual pupils and specific groups.

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Information about this inspection

They considered the school’s documents regarding the targets for teachers and other staff and leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching. They looked at attendance records, safeguarding information, the sports premium action plan, records of behaviour, minutes of governing body meetings and the school’s checks on how well it is doing.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural life of the school and reviewed school displays.  Pupils’ work from a range of subjects, including homework, was scrutinised and inspectors spoke to pupils in their lessons and during their free time.  Inspectors observed the teaching of phonics (letter patterns and the sounds they represent) and heard pupils from Year 1 and Year 2 read.  There were too few responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) for inspectors to take into account. Parents’ and pupils’ responses to the school’s own recent surveys were considered by inspectors.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also analysed the responses to inspection questionnaires returned by 28 staff.

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Inspection team

Michael Merchant, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school became part of One World Learning Trust in January 2013. This is a multi-academy trust made up of The City Academy and Bannerman Road Community Academy.  This is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The very large majority of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic groups.  A high proportion, over eight out of 10 pupils, speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is above average. Pupil premium is additional funding from the government for some groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals.  Nearly one in seven pupils are supported at school action because they are disabled or have special educational needs. This is above the national average. Over one in 10 pupils have a statement of special educational needs or are supported at school action plus, which is also above average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.  The school shares a common campus with a children’s centre which is subject to a separate inspection report.  The school provides part-time early years provision for children in Nursery and full-time provision for children in Reception.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils make consistently rapid progress in all year groups and attainment rises further, by making sure that:  all teachers plan tasks that get the most out of the more-able pupils in their class  all pupils can regularly make amendments and improvements to their work following feedback from teachers and other adults.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has led marked improvement of the school. Her strong leadership has galvanised the senior leadership and those with subject responsibilities. They perform their roles with passion and enthusiasm. This is the key factor in the school’s success and evidence of its strong capacity to sustain further improvement.  Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the school, recognising both its strengths and weaknesses. Their determination to improve pupils’ standards and learning is shared by all staff. Staff responding to inspection questionnaires are unanimously positive. They are proud to work at Bannerman Road and morale is high. Most parents would recommend this school to other families.  Good systems are in place to check the quality of teaching and the overall progress of groups of pupils. Leaders rigorously check how well every pupil is doing. They act swiftly to put actions in place to tackle

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The leadership and management are good

any underachievement. Clear feedback, coupled with appropriate advice and training, is offered to teachers whose performance falls short of the mark. In this way, the quality of teaching is going from strength to strength.  Procedures to manage teachers’ performance have been improved. Teachers are fully accountable for the progress made by their pupils. Goals are set for individual teachers and progress against these is checked closely by leaders. As a result, rates of progress for most pupils are improving quickly.  Middle leaders are knowledgeable about individual pupils’ progress. They check the progress that pupils are making termly and this provides them with a clear focus on who is at risk of falling behind. Pupils’ work in books is scrutinised regularly to make sure that standards are continuing to improve.  Pupils benefit from a wide range of well-planned and interesting opportunities to develop their literacy and

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The leadership and management are good

number skills across a range of subjects. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well through a range of trips and activities that broadens their understanding of the world. Pupils are eager to represent the school and take on responsibilities such as being members of the school council. This is preparing them well for life in modern Britain.  The primary sport fund is used effectively to develop teachers’ expertise and so give more opportunities for pupils to participate in sport. Increasing numbers of pupils are involved in after-school sports, clubs and competitions.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and make good progress. This is because the additional funding has been used precisely and imaginatively. For example, eligible pupils in Years 5 and 6 were provided with weekly small-group sessions to improve their reading, writing and number skills. As a result, the school

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The leadership and management are good

was successful in completely eliminating the attainment gap in these subjects by the end of Year 6 in 2014.  The staff do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, ensuring that all pupils have an equal chance to benefit from all the school has to offer. Pupils are prepared well for starting their next schools.  This strongly improving school has received minimal support from it’s academy sponsor, One World Learning Trust.  Safeguarding procedures meet current requirements.  Leadership is not yet outstanding because the drive of leaders to ensure excellence has not yet resulted in outstanding teaching. Consequently, although pupils’ progress is good, few make the rapid progress expected over time across all year groups and subjects.  The governance of the school:  Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and visit it regularly. They have received training in understanding data and safeguarding and fully support the headteacher’s drive to improve the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching. Governors have a clear idea on how well pupils are achieving when compared to pupils nationally and are able to analyse the progress of groups of pupils, especially those who are eligible for additional funding. They know the achievement of these pupils is good.  Governors understand the impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement and are involved in making decisions about teachers’ pay. Governors ensure that teachers’ pay is aligned to their performance. They are fully involved in the school’s self-evaluation process and setting the school’s action plan for improvement.  Governors are knowledgeable about how additional funding is being spent and they check carefully that it is making a positive difference to pupils’ progress. They ensure statutory requirements relating to safeguarding are fully in place.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and friendly towards each other, to staff and to visitors. They are proud of their school and enjoy it greatly.  The atmosphere in the school is warm and welcoming and this encourages vulnerable pupils to feel secure. Individuals speak with great feeling about how the school has helped them to overcome barriers to their lives and improve their learning.  The great majority of pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and respond well to the effective systems the school uses to manage behaviour. Most are keen to learn, work hard in lessons, listen attentively and show great eagerness when working in any situation. They are particularly adept at searching out information and solving problems for themselves.  Strong provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in lessons, in enrichment activities and in assemblies, contributes to their consistently good behaviour seen around the school. They

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Behaviour

develop very well as articulate, courteous and considerate young people, well aware of how to lead safe and healthy lives.  Pupils from different cultural and religious backgrounds get on very well together and appreciate the harmonious and tolerant climate created in the school.  Pupils are eager to learn in lessons and accept the challenges they are given. However, on occasion the work is not fully challenging for all pupils, especially the most-able. Sometimes they lose concentration and do not make the progress they should. Consequently, behaviour is not yet outstanding.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school and if they have a problem, they know they can talk to an adult who will help them solve it.  Leaders and other staff diligently address any concerns expressed by parents or pupils and make sure that all pupils can work and be in the school without fear of discrimination or unkindness from others.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying and say that the use of racist or unkind language is extremely rare. If it does occur, pupils are confident that it will be challenged and dealt with successfully by staff. The school actively encourages all pupils to express their individuality and appreciate that people are different.  Leaders have taken firm and effective action to improve attendance. As a result, attendance has risen and is now above the national average. Children arrive on time in the morning and smartly dressed in their

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Safety

school uniform. This helps foster a real sense of pride in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s relentless focus on improving the quality of teaching has resulted in teaching that is now typically good over time. This is having a direct impact on raising standards and the good progress seen across the school.  Leaders provide good support and guidance on how teachers can improve. As a result, teachers set high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and for their achievement. Effective teaching is enabling pupils to make good progress and develop their knowledge and skills, in a wide range of subjects.  Most pupils show great enthusiasm and excitement for their learning and try hard when faced with difficult problems using a wide range of methods suggested by their teachers. They relish sharing information and helping each other to learn.  Teachers make sure work given to pupils is set at the correct level. This ensures that they are able to make good progress and achieve well. Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils, especially

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The quality of teaching is good

those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs.  All teachers regard themselves as teachers of English as an additional language. They, and other adults, play an important role in supporting pupils to make good progress at gaining the language skills they need to enable them to learn well in all subjects.  The school makes exceptionally good use of its extensive outdoor, wooded area to develop imaginative ways to encourage pupils to learn. Excellent learning was seen as Years 3 and 4 pupils were prompted to use technical language as they searched for mini-bugs that they later wrote about. Years 1 and 2 pupils greatly extended their speaking and writing skills as they discussed and searched for materials they would use to build their ‘Gruffalo House’.  Teachers check on pupils’ progress regularly and adapt the work when necessary to speed up the learning. However, pupils’ progress, particularly for the most able, slows and lesson time is wasted as they

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The quality of teaching is good

sometimes wait for others in the class to catch up with them. Occasionally, they are given extra work when they complete a task, but this does little to extend their thinking or strengthen their skills.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and provide very constructive feedback to pupils. Not all teachers make sure that pupils follow up this advice by applying it in further work and showing their teachers that they have understood.

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is good

 The achievement of all groups of pupils as they progress through the school is good. This includes those from the wide range of different heritages, those who speak English as an additional language and those whose circumstances make them vulnerable. It reflects the success of the school’s determination that all pupils should have an equal opportunity to succeed.  By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment, overall, is broadly average, and is getting better year on year. Many pupils make particularly impressive gains in writing as they pass through Years 3 to 6. The school’s information shows that most pupils’ writing skills are, on average, a term ahead of where most pupils typically are nationally. This means their progress is outstanding.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is improving quickly. Most have reached the standards expected of them in reading and mathematics, although their writing skills are weaker. This represents

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is good

good progress given pupils’ low starting points when they join Year 1.  The school has been particularly successful at improving pupils’ phonic (the sound that letters make) skills. In the national check in 2013, less than half of all pupils met the required standard, while in 2014 over three quarters did so.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs across the school make good progress from their starting points. Teaching assistants support these pupils well and ensure they are included in all activities.  Across the school, teachers are very aware of the need to develop reading, writing and speaking skills, particularly of pupils that enter the school speaking English as an additional language. They plan carefully to practise these skills in lessons. Very well considered and effective reading support starts in Year 1. As a result, pupils read, write and speak with increasing confidence as they move through the school.

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is good

 Pupils who are eligible for additional funding benefit from well-judged, extra support and are making good progress. This is because the school has provided individual help and guidance, additional tuition and financial support to enable them to participate in out-of-school activities and courses.  Focused support has effectively eliminated the attainment gap between pupils entitled to free school meals and those who are not. As a result, they reach similar and often higher standards to other pupils in the school. In the 2013 tests, Year 6 pupils entitled to free school meals made better progress in reading, writing and mathematics than their classmates and other pupils nationally.  Good teaching is supporting the most-able to achieve well. However, teachers do not always challenge these pupils sufficiently by moving them on to harder work when they demonstrate their secure understanding. As a result, they do not make the rapid progress they are capable of.

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is good

 Effective leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures that this area is a growing strength of the school. Very effective partnership working with the children’s centre is having a strong impact on providing children with a good start to school.  Children generally join the Nursery classes with skills and knowledge which are below those typical for their age. Many have particularly weak language skills and poorly developed ideas of number.  Over the past two years most children have made good progress as they pass through Nursery and Reception. This includes those speaking English as an additional language, those from minority ethnic groups and disabled children and those with special educational needs.  The youngest children follow instructions carefully and greatly enjoy working and playing together. Children’s attitudes are characterised by their determination to persevere and succeed and to share

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is good

equipment and ideas.  Good routines agreed across the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure that children understand what is expected of them from an early age. The classrooms and the outside area are well organised and stimulating that provide a wide range of activities. Children choose activities which interest them and they cooperate extremely well together. This enables children to develop their physical and social skills at a fast rate.  High quality teaching ensures that precise attention is paid to children’s ability to blend sounds and letters into words (phonics). As a result, children make rapid progress in developing and using their language skills when communicating with others.  Good teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures an increasing number of children attain a good level of development. By the time they leave Reception, the children are well prepared to start Key Stage 1.

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is good

 Provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. It is not outstanding because most children make good rather than rapid progress at acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to be fully successful learners in Year 1.

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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 139050 Local authority City of Bristol Inspection number 447821

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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 All-through School category Academy Converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 354 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bob Acheson Headteacher Paula Shore Date of previous school inspection 20 September 2012 Telephone number 0117 3772080 Email address info@bannerman.rd.p@bristol.gov.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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