Bournemouth Park Primary School

Bournemouth Park Primary School Bournemouth Park Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 5JN

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The school is improving. Since the previous inspection, leaders and governors have successfully tackled key areas for improvement.  Pupils’ outcomes are improving. From their starting points, most pupils make good progress over time. They do best of all in mathematics and can apply this well to other areas of learning.  Pupils enjoy the interesting tasks teachers set and are motivated to work hard. Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Guidance from teachers makes clear how pupils can improve their work.  Children in the early years provision are taught well. They enjoy a range of exciting learning activities.  The curriculum is broad and exciting. It develops pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills well. Gaps in learning arising from weaker teaching in the past are successfully being overcome.  Since the last inspection, the headteacher has made new appointments to key leadership positions in the school, which have improved

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This is a good school

teaching and learning across the school.  Pupils respond well to staff expectations and are focused during lessons.  Governors hold the school’s leaders to account effectively and help to drive the school to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In some classes, pupils are not challenged sufficiently strongly to achieve their best.  British values are not taught well enough across the school.  Senior leaders do not make full use of good- quality information provided by middle leaders to fully evaluate the impact of initiatives.  The most-able pupils are not always challenged in their work to reach the highest standards of attainment.  Leaders have not made sure that handwriting is taught consistently throughout the school to enable pupils to develop fluent handwriting.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes further by: raising expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly the most able continuing to monitor pupils’ attainment closely, to ensure that more pupils are able to attain at national standards developing a consistently neat and joined-up handwriting style across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of the senior leaders, so that: when evaluating information that the year leaders produce, the final whole-school documentation has more precision, identifies trends and shows specific impact.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance so that it is more in line with national standards.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Implement a system to promote pupils’ understanding of British values in Key Stages 1 and 2.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders and governors have established a firm and determined drive to improve the school since the previous inspection. School leaders evaluate the school’s strengths and areas of improvement effectively and this has helped all staff focus on the priorities to become a good school.  The headteacher and governors have reviewed the staffing structure and made significant changes across the school, including establishing a new middle leadership which includes extremely effective year-group leaders.  The year-group leaders have worked closely to monitor the quality of teaching and to hold teachers to account for the progress that pupils are making. Their strategies are effective, and they work together to ensure a consistent approach to learning. The quality of teaching, assessment and behaviour and the progress made by pupils have improved. Pupils say that they feel their role is to do ‘all the stuff around

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the edges so that our teachers can just teach’. Knowledgeable subject leaders of English and mathematics have played a key role in improving outcomes for pupils.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and links subjects effectively. Writing, mathematical and science skills can be explored and applied within them. The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. However, the promotion of British values is not yet implemented as effectively in Key Stages 1 and 2.  Newcomers to the school are welcomed and helped to settle quickly. The school is committed to providing every pupil, including pupils with special educational needs or disability and those who speak English as an additional language, with the ingredients for success. Extra help is provided for those who need it and pupil premium funding is used effectively to help disadvantaged pupils to do well in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

academic and personal achievement.  Effective use of the primary sports funding has led to increased participation for all pupils in the extensive range of sports clubs that run throughout the day and the development of staff expertise in the teaching of physical education lessons.  Working with the local authority, the senior team and governors have successfully tackled the areas identified in the previous inspection report as needing improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school Governance is good and has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Governors have acted quickly upon guidance and training to improve their effectiveness. They are now fully involved in determining the strategic direction for the school and monitoring the quality of its work. They have reorganised their working practice and they confidently ask relevant questions to hold the school to account. Governors closely monitor the performance management of staff and hold the headteacher to account. They are fully aware of the quality of teaching, how it affects pupils’ outcomes, and how that influences decisions on teachers’ pay. They analyse information about pupils’ progress and know how effectively the pupil premium funding is used. Governors carry out their responsibilities well.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Records are detailed and leaders follow up any

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

concerns. Leaders make sure that staff have up-to-date training, and staff know the school’s procedures and what action to take should they have any safeguarding concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The year-group leaders, with a clear focus on improving the quality of teaching, have had a significant impact on successfully raising achievement. Teaching is now consistently good throughout the school, standards are rising and the learning and good progress were evident in pupils’ books. Teaching in the past has not been as effective and has left a legacy of underachievement. However, consistently good teaching last year and during this academic year is helping to close gaps and is enabling all groups of pupils to catch up.  Good relationships exist between staff and pupils. Teachers are particularly skilful in using questioning to help pupils move their learning on quickly.  Teachers mark work in line with the school’s policy, providing clear next steps, which help pupils improve their work.  Pupils enjoy the way in which cross-curricular topics are taught and they are given good opportunities to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

apply writing, reading and mathematical skills across the curriculum. Teachers provide interesting and often practical tasks, which motivate learning and engage pupils well. For example, during the inspection, pupils in a Year 1 class demonstrated high standards of writing. They watched a clip of the moon landing, took part in drama as space explorers and used this new knowledge and experience to write with very good use of description.  The teaching of reading and phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) has improved and is now good. The pupils around the school shared that they enjoyed reading, ‘because we want to learn and find things out’ and ‘books can widen our imaginations’. The new library is motivating pupils to read more often and is providing a valuable place to go and relax during breaktimes.  The pupils write at length with confidence and apply their phonics, grammar and spelling skills well.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 School leaders have not developed the teaching of a consistent, joined writing style across the school.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what the most-able pupils can achieve so they do not always fulfil their potential to the same extent as middle and lower attainers.  Pupils’ personal and learning needs are identified quickly and accurately and addressed through teaching by teachers and support staff. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs or disability is effective. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive regular support to develop their fluency and understanding of the language, so that they can participate fully in class.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The curriculum contributes to pupils’ respectfulness and sense of responsibility. Pupils are very clear about how to stay safe on the internet, when crossing the road and when playing on the playground.  Pupils know that staying safe includes taking decisive action against bullying. They know that bullying is wrong and that bullies need help too. Pupils understand prejudice-based bullying, the forms it can take and that people are picked on because of jealousy or because they are different in some way. They know that children grow up in different types of families and that everybody is equal.  Pupils enjoy and see the benefit of the sport and exercise that they do in school.  When referrals have to be made to the appropriate authorities for child protection, staff act quickly and thoroughly.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  During the inspection, pupils behaved well in lessons, around the school, in the lunch hall, at breakfast club and in the playground. The very large majority of children are respectful, kind and look out for one another, quickly helping others when needed. For example, a child in the Reception class said, ‘walk don’t run, you know the rules’.  Occasionally, when work is not stimulating, there may be some low-level disruption and pupils’ concentration wanders.  Behaviour of a very few children is still not good enough. There have been some high-profile incidents in which these pupils have been involved. The pupils and staff understand procedures to keep everyone safe if any of these rare incidents occur. Pupils say that behaviour has improved in lessons and around the school, and that they feel safe.  Attendance remains below the national average, particularly in relation to persistent absenteeism. While

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Behaviour

the school is aware that this remains a constant challenge, leaders and support staff work hard to tackle absence, including providing specific and bold initiatives to encourage pupils to attend school regularly.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils’ outcomes are good. Standards have risen since the last inspection. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  The school’s assessment information and work in pupils’ books show that all groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points. Progress across the school in all subjects has improved, although the most-able pupils are not always given the degree of challenge that would enable them to achieve even more.  The improved achievement was very evident in lessons observed during the inspection. The quality of learning that inspectors observed, often jointly with members of the leadership team, accurately matched the school’s own records of the learning that had been monitored over a longer period.  The few pupils who are at the very early stages of learning English benefit from particularly well- organised English-speaking and vocabulary-building sessions.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Almost all parents who were spoken to during the inspection, or who completed the online survey, Parent View, spoke highly of the progress their children were making. A small number feel that the school has not addressed their child’s learning needs. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils’ needs are being well met in whole-class teaching and in support sessions during the school day, and after school in the homework club.  Children enter the Nursery at a level that is lower than that regarded as typical for their age.  The most recent phonics check results in Year 1 were just below the national expected level.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with national averages.  Year 6 outcomes for 2015 were an improvement on the previous year. The proportion of pupils making expected progress was above national averages, as was the proportion making better than expected

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress for all groups except higher attaining pupils. Although overall attainment was below national averages, the standards pupils reached were good based on their starting points.

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Early years provision is good

 The Nursery and Reception classes provide children with a delightful start to their education. The children learn and explore new ideas in a safe, caring and nurturing environment both inside the classroom and outside. A strong aspect of the provision is the outstanding new outdoor learning environment, which is used extremely well by Nursery staff, but not quite as effectively by Reception classes.  Good planning uses the skilled practitioners’ good-quality interactions to draw out the children’s knowledge and build on it. The practitioners use their understanding of learning from the child’s perspective and are skilled at knowing when to intervene and when to stand back and observe. They ask questions which effectively extend the children’s language and deepen their thinking. For example, during a painting session, the teacher developed children’s language skills well by talking to them about how

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Early years provision is good

they were painting and encouraging experimentation and exploration. The Nursery children, many of whom have limited access to outside space when not at school, benefit from spending much good-quality learning time in the new outdoor facility.  From starting points that are typically well below those seen nationally, children made good progress because they are taught well. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the time they leave Reception has risen considerably, but is still below the national level. Children are now better prepared for Year 1 than previously.  Across the early years classes, adults rightly place a high priority on the development of children’s communication skills. Adults are good role models for speaking and listening. They ask questions effectively to extend language and deepen thinking.  Pupil premium funding is being used effectively to support improvements in attendance, and thereby raise

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Early years provision is good

standards. Staff are working with families to ensure that the importance of good attendance at school is established from the outset.  Children usually behave well, listen to adults and follow instructions carefully. Occasional upsets are quickly and effectively diffused and resolved by adults.  Effective relationships have been built with parents and they are strongly encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning.  Safeguarding is effective. All staff know how to respond to any concerns that might be raised about any child’s well-being.  The provision is well led by the early years leader, who has had a good impact on improving the quality of teaching and the quality of assessment since the last inspection. She supports staff well in tracking the progress of individuals and in targeting provision to fill any gaps in learning. Children’s learning journeys chart progress well and any child who needs support has a learning ladder to identify areas for

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Early years provision is good

development. The early years leader also mentors and coaches staff to ensure continuous improvement in provision, and she provides a role model of best teaching practice.

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School details

Unique reference number 133771 Local authority Southend-on-Sea Inspection number 10001882

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School details

This inspection 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 554 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Father James McCluskey Headteacher Mrs Angela Hutchinson Telephone number 01702 468046 Website www.bournemouthpark.co.uk Email address office@bournemouthpark.southend.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2–3 December 2013

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Information about this school

 Bournemouth Park is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  More than half of the pupils are supported through the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority). This proportion is above average.  The school runs its own breakfast club.  The proportion of pupils whose first language is not believed to be English is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs or disability is below the national average.  The school does meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed parts of 18 lessons and visited other sessions briefly. Joint observations were carried out with leaders.  Inspectors carried out walks around the school and visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors observed pupils arriving at school, during their breaktimes, at lunchtime and while they moved around the school building.  Inspectors met with governors, a representative from the local authority and held meetings with middle leaders.  Inspectors considered a range of school documentation with subject leaders, year-group leaders, governors and the headteacher. Documents seen included the school’s improvement plan and self- evaluation, a range of the school’s internal assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress, minutes from governors’ meetings and the school’s tracking records of the quality of teaching.  Two meetings were held with groups of pupils.  The inspectors spoke with pupils informally around school and listened to some pupils read.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors looked at pupils’ work in their books whilst visiting classrooms and also selected a sample of books for more detailed scrutiny.  The inspectors spoke with a number of parents during the inspection and analysed the 80 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  The inspectors took account of the 39 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Cassandra Williams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Deborah Estcourt Ofsted Inspector Stewart Caplan Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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