Raglan Primary School

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Good 2

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

 Since the academy opened, in September 2013, there have been significant turbulence and changes in staffing. This has constrained the work to establish consistently good teaching and progress for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2.  Pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics is not consistently good. Although this has improved, not all pupils have caught up from previous underachievement. This is particularly the case for lower attaining pupils, and those with disabilities and special educational needs who attend the main school.  Steps taken to improve teaching and bring about improvement have not been operating long enough to eradicate historical underachievement, particularly in mathematics.  Teaching requires improvement because of inconsistencies in practice. Teachers do not always provide sufficient challenge to ensure lower attaining pupils make good progress across the curriculum.  In mathematics, pupils do not always have the

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

correct equipment to support their learning.  Some parents do not have a clear understanding of how their children are progressing at school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Although pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching require improvement overall, this is a rapidly improving school. The interim headteacher, senior leaders and governors have resolutely addressed a number of weaknesses.  Leaders, including subject leaders and governors, contribute well to checking and improving the school’s effectiveness. The governing body has a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  Pupils enjoy school. Behaviour in classrooms and conduct around school are harmonious and friendly. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are good.  Pupils who attend the speech and language disorder resourced provision make good progress from their individual starting points.  Pupils feel safe at school. They say they are well looked after and parents agree.  Incidents of bullying are now very rare and dealt with swiftly. Pupils have a good understanding of discrimination.

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The school has the following strengths

 Disadvantaged pupils are making good progress. Many are doing better than their peers in school and nationally.  Pupils are making better progress in their writing because they have good opportunities to write across a range of subjects.  Teaching in the early years provision has improved rapidly due to high quality leadership and consistently good teaching. Children make good progress from their starting points.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of learning activities across all classes in the school.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ written work from across the curriculum. Some of this scrutiny was done jointly with the interim headteacher. They listened to some pupils reading from Years 1 and 2.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of Governors and two other governors, the senior and subject leaders and a representative from the academy trust. A meeting was held with teachers who had joined the school this year, the leader of the speech and language disorder resourced provision, newly qualified teachers and their mentor.  Inspectors took account of the 32 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 126 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also looked at the school’s own survey of staff views from this academic year.  Inspectors talked with pupils about behaviour, their learning and their understanding of issues related to

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Information about this inspection

safety.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including plans for improvement, records of the school’s checks on teaching, governing body records, information relating to safeguarding, behaviour and pupils’ progress information.

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Inspection team

David Storrie, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Raglan Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. Around one in five pupils are from a diverse range of ethnic heritage.  Approximately one in five pupils speak English as an additional language, although very few are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is well above the national average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The school has a resourced provision for 24 pupils with speech and language disorder in early years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is well below average. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local

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Information about this school

authority.  In the early years provision all children in Reception attend full time.  The school offers a daily breakfast club. This was visited during the inspection.  Raglan day nursery shares the school site. It is run by the governing body, but it is inspected separately by Ofsted. It was last inspected in May 2014 when it was graded good.  The school has experienced significant instability in teaching staff, including at a senior level since the academy opened in September 2013. The deputy headteacher left the school in August 2014 and the headteacher left in December 2014. The interim headteacher took up her post in November 2014 and the interim deputy headteacher took up post in January 2015. Seven classes have changed teacher this academic year.  A new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed for September 2015.  Raglan Primary School converted to become an academy in September 2013. It works under the umbrella

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Information about this school

trust of Academy Learning Collaborative (ALC), together with eight other local primary schools. When its predecessor, Raglan Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve teaching so that it is consistently good over time, in order to further accelerate pupils’ progress by:  ensuring that the significant improvements in teaching this academic year are maintained, and so address fully pupils’ past underperformance in reading and mathematics  providing lower attaining pupils with consistent challenge in their learning across all subjects  ensuring lower attaining pupils can use a range of appropriate equipment when calculating mathematically  teachers setting high quality homework tasks which further encourage pupils’ love of learning and deepen their knowledge, skills and thinking  teachers only accepting work from pupils that demonstrates the highest quality of presentation they are capable of.  Further improve leadership and management by:  ensuring all parents know how their children are progressing academically at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The interim headteacher, senior leaders and governors have shown a tenacious determination to improve the school during a period of considerable change. Leaders have ensured that teaching and achievement have continued to improve. The school’s improvement this academic year is a testament to the culture of shared endeavour that has been forged by the interim leaders.  New staff have quickly settled into the school and risen to leaders’ high expectations. All teachers have benefited from the regular checks on their teaching and the effective opportunities to develop their skills and expertise. Although some inconsistencies in teaching remain, this has increased the amount of good teaching over time and rates of progress for most pupils.  Middle leadership has been strengthened. Middle leaders have conducted regular reviews of their areas of responsibility. They have used this evidence and information to plan improvements. This has helped to

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The leadership and management are good

secure good teaching of writing, high quality physical education and more effective feedback from teachers to improve pupils’ learning in mathematics and reading. Middle leaders have worked with the newly qualified teacher mentor to support new staff and help ensure pupils in their classes receive good teaching.  Leaders have successfully ensured good achievement for disadvantaged pupils and those who attend the resource provision for pupils with speech and language disorders.  Teaching and achievement are not consistently good due to the high turnover in staff and the instability the school has experienced since the academy opened. Leaders at all levels have now stabilised the school and secured rapid improvements, particularly in behaviour and the teaching of writing.  Performance management now sets high expectations for teaching and those with leadership responsibilities. Effective training, support and coaching for staff are well matched to the needs of staff

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The leadership and management are good

and school improvement priorities. This has held staff accountable for their performance and helped quickly drive improvements identified in the school’s improvement plan.  The school has begun implementing the new National Curriculum. It is broad and balanced and provides pupils with a rounded education. There has been an increased emphasis on reading and writing this year and this has helped improve pupils’ progress. Leaders have robust plans to continue tackling the aspects of teaching that require improvement and are already taking action to address them.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils have opportunities to reflect on the beliefs and values of others, both in lessons and in assemblies. Discrimination is not accepted and the school has improved its curriculum to teach pupils about tolerance. Equality is at the heart of this work, but work for lower attaining pupils requires further challenge to ensure they have

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The leadership and management are good

equality of opportunity to succeed in their learning.  Pupils have a good understanding of the rule of law and British democracy. They understand, at a basic level, what being British means and are proud to be a citizen of this country. This, alongside their understanding of tolerance and diversity, prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. Leaders and governors have ensured that all staff are trained. They have good knowledge of the current requirements for keeping children safe. The school’s well-embedded systems ensure staff have responded well to issues raised internally and by members of the school community.  Leaders have introduced a new system of assessment following national changes to checking on the attainment of pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2. Governors held a workshop for parents recently. However, around one in three parents who responded to Parent View reported they did not get sufficient

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The leadership and management are good

information about their child’s progress at school.  The school’s sport funding has been well used to increase participation in hockey, tennis, cycling, cross country running and football for boys and girls. The funding has been used to provide professional development for staff in teaching gymnastics and games. The money is well accounted for and the middle leader reviews the impact of funding by considering the impact on pupils’ learning.  The academy trust has provided excellent support for the school during a period of considerable change. It has helped to appoint the senior leadership that has effectively secured improvements this year. The external consultant who visits regularly has an accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness. She provides effective challenge to leaders and governors, ensuring improvements are on track. Leaders have benefited from support in assessment of pupils, and moderation work has helped to ensure the accuracy

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The leadership and management are good

of the school’s end of key stage data at early years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The trust is now providing support to further improve mathematics with the subject leader.  The school’s leadership has shown it has a proven capacity to bring about quick improvements in the quality of teaching and achievement. This can be seen from the range of improvements delivered this academic year. The high level of challenge and accurate understanding of development areas from the academy trust and governors further support this capacity. Middle leaders are driving improvements and, together with governors and the academy trust, provide an excellent driver for the new headteacher to complete the rapid improvements already underway.  The governance of the school:  Governors support and challenge the school well. They make regular checks on the impact of pupil premium and primary sport funding. Governors know how these funds are being used to improve the

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The leadership and management are good

education of pupils and they hold leaders to account for its effectiveness. The governing body has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors have a firm hand on monitoring the performance management of staff and have only rewarded staff whose performance meets their annual objectives. The academy trust provides effective support for the governing body to ensure the headteacher’s performance management is linked to the school’s development needs. Governors have a secure understanding of how the school’s performance compares to other schools nationally, as a result of the regular detailed reports from leaders. Governors visit the school and have, this year, been proactive in checking information gathered on visits corresponds to evidence gained in their meetings. This has ensured meetings have a sharper focus on challenging leaders about the work of the school and its effectiveness for all pupils. Governors know what aspects of the school’s work need

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The leadership and management are good

to improve and have high expectations for how and when this will be achieved. This is demonstrated by their careful checks that school improvement priorities are on track and being delivered.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. There have been no exclusions since the academy opened two years ago. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare.  Behaviour logs are reviewed regularly and analysed to ensure there are no emerging patterns of concern. The very few incidents of concern are dealt with quickly and parents are informed where necessary.  The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View and all staff who responded to the inspection questionnaire agree that behaviour at the school is good.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good; pupils are enthusiastic and keen to do well. However, behaviour is not outstanding as pupils do not always take care and pride in how they present their work.  The atmosphere in classrooms is positive and pupils are eager to learn. Their pride in learning is developing and shown by their willingness to improve work when they are expected to act on feedback

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Behaviour

from staff.  Pupils are polite, friendly and proud of their school. They look after their school site and this is evident from the tidy lunch hall and lack of litter on the school site. Pupils are keen to talk about their work and share their achievements. This can also be seen on the school’s website, where pupils regularly produce their own ‘Raglan Newsround’. Pupils talk with confidence about developments in school and the sporting exploits of school teams.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe in a range of situations, including their use of the internet and social media. The curriculum has helped them to understand the dangers of smoking and fire in their homes and other places.  Attendance is above the national average for all groups of pupils. School leaders have successfully reduced the small number of pupils who are regularly absent from school. As a result, persistent absence is well below the national average.  Pupils have a secure understanding of what constitutes bullying and how to deal with this, should it affect them. They understand the different forms of bullying and talked with eloquence about ‘put downs’. They explained to inspectors that it was wrong to use language that would affect the feelings of others or use discriminatory language. One pupil commented, ‘You should not use the word gay as a put down. We are

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Safety

all different in some way and we need to respect each other for our differences.’ Pupils said learning this in their curriculum had ‘stopped people using language like this in our school’. School records confirmed a significant reduction in bullying over time, with very few instances of racist or homophobic language.  Pupils, including children in the early years, are confident in systems to keep them safe in school. They know who to speak to if they have concerns and are confident issues are resolutely resolved. The school’s own records confirm that the school deals well with concerns about welfare and follows up issues in a timely manner. Parent View and those spoken to during the inspection confirmed their children feel safe at school.  Staff, including those in the early years, are well trained in a range of safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation and identifying neglect. They have a good understanding of their responsibilities and the

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Safety

school’s arrangements for dealing with concerns about the welfare of pupils and children.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not consistently challenge lower attaining pupils to make as much progress as their peers.  Although the quality of teaching has improved rapidly over time, it is not consistently good in all subject areas, particularly in mathematics.  In mathematics, lower attaining pupils are not routinely provided with the correct equipment that would deepen their ability to calculate mathematically. Other pupils are making better progress in mathematics because teachers now ask them how and why they have conducted calculations. Higher ability pupils are given opportunities to explore work which is more abstract. This work is improving their learning and their depth of understanding about mathematics. This is increasing the rate of progress they make.  Pupils are given a range of homework. Some of this is of a high quality, for example when they build models or complete projects. However, homework for mathematics and writing does not support pupils’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

progress in their learning. Too often, it is a low quality worksheet which does not challenge or support pupils’ learning in class.  The teaching of writing is good as pupils are encouraged to write imaginatively. Leaders have developed a culture where inspiration is taken from a range of books. Progress has been further helped by the school’s focus on opportunities to write at length across different subject areas. Poetry is a developing strength across the school. Pupils write with expression and maturity.  Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is taught well, including in the early years. Pupils confidently sound out new words and use letter patterns to help them with their spelling. They are able to find letters in the classroom environment if they get stuck in accurately forming an individual letter, or letter pattern linked to a specific sound.  The teaching of physical education, music, art and religious education is good. For example, pupils have

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

opportunities to study famous artists, such as Vincent Van Gogh. This work is used to inspire, learn artistic techniques and use different media. Pupils’ responses to religious education are reflective and show maturity.  Teaching assistants are well deployed in classrooms. They are focused on supporting learning and provide good questions to extend pupils thinking. For example, in the early years, inspectors observed a teaching assistant questioning boys about a castle they had built out of building blocks in free play. ‘What shape is this? How do you know that is a square and that is a rectangle?’

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2014, pupils reached average standards in national tests at Key Stages 1 and 2 for reading, writing and mathematics. Progress was in line with the national average in all areas of learning. However, in the main school, lower attaining pupils and those with disabilities and special educational needs do not always make as much progress as they should. Inspection evidence shows that these pupils are now making better progress. However, this is not as rapid as for other pupils in the school.  Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, a large majority of pupils, of all abilities and ethnicities, now make at least expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Most pupils across the school, particularly in early years and Key Stage 2, are making better progress, with many pupils making better than expected progress this year. This is a direct result of the leadership and management of the school and the thorough, improved checks on teaching, pupils’ books and pupil

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

feedback. These improvements are not fully established through the school and, as a result, progress is not consistently good.  Although good leadership has secured these improvements, it has not yet ensured all pupils are making good progress. This is due to inconsistencies in teaching over time and historical underachievement caused by the high level of staff changes.  The progress of boys was considered by inspectors. Boys have previously made less progress than girls. However, leaders identified this issue and have closed gaps in attainment and progress between boys and girls for all year groups, other than in Year 1 where the gap is narrowing rapidly.  Pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic groups, and those who speak English as an additional language achieve equally well with their peers in school.  Disadvantaged pupils, who receive additional support from the pupil premium, are effectively supported.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Gaps in the attainment of these pupils compared to their peers in school have narrowed over time and many pupils are now outperforming their peers. Where individuals are performing less well than their peers, they are now less than a term behind their peers. In 2014 and 2015, there were too few disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 to evaluate their achievement against others nationally, without identifying individuals. During the inspection, this group of pupils was seen to be making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils who attend the specialist provision for speech and language disorder make good progress, from their individual starting points, both in lessons and across the year groups as a result of well-targeted interventions.  The most-able pupils achieve at a similar level to their peers nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Increasingly, they are making better progress in school because they are being given more

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

challenging work. For example, pupils in mathematics regularly receive opportunities to deepen their skills by tackling problems in an unfamiliar context.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching in the Reception classes has improved rapidly since the academy opened, particularly this academic year, due to effective and experienced leadership. Outcomes in the early years have improved more quickly than in the rest of the school.  Most children enter Reception with skill levels typical for their age. However, a large minority has skills below this across all areas of their learning. Good teaching ensures children make good progress in all areas of their learning. The proportion of children with a good level of development is expected to be well above the national average this year. Around four in every five children have attained this level in 2015, which is a significant improvement from the previous year. This level of achievement is well above the national average.  There is a firm focus on developing children’s basic skills in reading, writing and number. The learning environment provides opportunities to explore these skills and develop an early love of learning. Children

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The early years provision is good

have positive attitudes to learning as a result. They engage well in activities and can sustain their concentration.  Children are encouraged to read often, both in school and at home. Books are changed regularly and children enjoy reading. One child told inspectors, ‘I love books. I like the pictures and the stories we get at school.’  Staff know individual children well. They complete detailed, regular observations which provide accurate information about children’s progress and skill development. This helps them plan children’s learning with precision and helps them make good progress.  Staff are well trained to ensure children’s welfare and safety. Children are aware of how to stay safe, for example when in the outdoor space and using equipment and resources.

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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 140088 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 450363

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 440 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Woollins Headteacher Annabelle Birleanu (Interim) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 020 8460 6558 Fax number 020 8466 1479 Email address admin@raglan.bromley.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 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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