Stoke Lodge Primary School

Stoke Lodge Primary School School Close, Bourton Avenue, Patchway, Bristol BS34 6DW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Changes to the staff team during the past two years have affected the school’s improvement journey. Consequently, not all actions taken to improve the school’s performance have been implemented effectively or consistently.  Pupils’ progress is variable between year groups and subjects, particularly in mathematics. Standards at the end of Year 6, although improving, are not high enough.  Work planned in mathematics often lacks challenge, especially for the most able pupils. Not enough pupils reach the higher standards in this subject.  Pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to apply their calculation skills to solve problems.  Not all teachers question pupils effectively to extend their thinking and learning.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not yet consistently good across the school. Teachers do not always demand enough of pupils in lessons across the curriculum.  Teachers, and especially those new to the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school, do not use information about individual pupils’ progress consistently to ensure that the tasks set challenge and extend pupils’ learning.  Not all subject leaders have the skills to check the impact of their actions rigorously, to improve pupils’ learning and progress.  The planned curriculum does not support all pupils, including the most able, to learn sufficiently well. The quality of work in pupils’ books is not of a consistently high quality.  The school’s marking and feedback policy is not implemented consistently by staff. The school has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have an in-depth understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The staff team is now stable. As a result, plans in place are beginning to have a positive impact on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning and progress.  Pupils achieve consistently strong outcomes in the Year 1 phonics check.  Leadership in the early years foundation stage is effective. Children make good progress. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development is consistently above the national average as a result of good teaching.  Safeguarding is a priority. Pupils say they are well looked after and trust their teachers. As a result, they behave well and show respect to each other.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to enable more pupils to make consistently good progress and achieve well, by ensuring that: – teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve – teachers plan work that challenges all pupils, and particularly the most able, to extend their learning – teachers use the information they keep on pupils’ learning and progress to plan work which challenges them to achieve higher standards – the school’s marking and feedback policy is effectively and consistently implemented to quicken pupils’ progress – teachers provide pupils with opportunities to apply their mathematical and writing skills in a range of different subjects – teachers implement the planned opportunities to develop high-quality questioning skills that encourage pupils to think more deeply and extend their learning.  Improve pupils’ progress and achievement in mathematics by ensuring that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– work planned is well matched to pupils’ abilities and provides appropriate challenge for the most able – teachers check pupils’ understanding in lessons and move them on at an appropriate pace – pupils use their calculation skills to solve problems and develop their mathematical understanding, reasoning and fluency in number.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – leaders’ plans to raise pupils’ achievement and accelerate progress are consistently implemented by all staff – subject leaders receive the training they need to be able to take greater responsibility for checking pupils’ learning and progress – the curriculum supports all pupils, including the most able, to learn successfully across a range of subjects – the Olympus Academy Trust Board of Directors, who have recently taken on responsibility for the school, use their experience and skills to rigorously challenge

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

school leaders and check the impact their actions are having on pupils’ achievement and progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school has experienced a number of changes in staffing in the last two years. Although this situation has now been successfully resolved, it has slowed the school’s improvement journey. In addition, it has made it difficult to establish a culture where all pupils can flourish academically. Recent actions taken to improve teaching, learning and assessment are having an impact. The quality of teaching is improving. However, these actions have not yet led to pupils making consistently good progress across the school, particularly in mathematics.  Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school’s improvement plans tackle the immediate priorities appropriately. For example, leaders introduced specific ‘non-negotiables’ to improve the quality of teaching in the last academic year. However, these expectations are not being implemented effectively by all staff, particularly those new to the school. This is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

resulting in pupils making inconsistent progress.  Senior leaders check the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They know where teaching is strong and where improvements are required. In addition, they provide constructive feedback to support teachers to develop their practice further. However, work in books from the previous academic year confirms variability in the quality of pupils’ work and in their learning and progress in English and mathematics. However, in contrast, more recent work shows leaders’ actions are taking hold and beginning to have a stronger impact on raising standards.  Subject leaders are taking a greater role in leading improvement in their subject areas. Nonetheless, they do not yet support staff effectively to implement the demands and expectations of the new curriculum, particularly in mathematics. Not all leaders have the skills and knowledge they need to carry out their role effectively. As a result, they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

have not tackled the areas for improvement identified with the rigour required. This has slowed the pace of improvement.  Leaders have effective systems in place to check pupils’ learning and track their progress. Nonetheless, not all staff are confident in using this information when planning work for their pupils. As a result, these systems are not having sufficient impact on raising standards.  The curriculum is planned to include an appropriately broad range of subjects. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities and to go on trips and residential visits. These activities build their confidence and support their learning. However, leaders confirm that the curriculum is not engaging and exciting all pupils sufficiently well to ensure that they learn successfully. In addition, there is a lack of challenge for the most able pupils. Consequently, pupils do not always make good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

progress in some subjects. This was evident in pupils’ science and religious education work.  School leaders ensure that the funding the school receives for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. They quickly identify dips in achievement and ensure that intervention is immediately put in place. As a result, these pupils make good progress in most year groups. In addition, leaders ensure that the most able disadvantaged pupils are given additional responsibilities to develop their self-esteem and critical thinking. For example, they act as ‘learning detectives’ to evaluate the quality of learning across the school. This group of pupils achieve in line with all pupils nationally and often above in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders have systems in place to manage staff performance. They have not shied away from taking tough decisions. As a result, the staff team is now stable and in a good position to bring about the improvements set out by the headteacher and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

associate headteacher. However, the impact of these systems is not yet fully evident in ensuring that all teaching and learning is consistently good.  The school successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils demonstrate respect and tolerance towards each other and those of other cultures. High-quality displays throughout the school support pupils in understanding British values. In discussions, pupils spoke confidently about other religions and their customs, demonstrating tolerance of other faiths and those with no faith.  The primary sports funding is used effectively to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities and after-school clubs. A greater proportion of pupils are now involved in sport and take part in local competitions with success. Sport is used well in this school to develop pupils’ sporting skills, and to build confidence and self-esteem.

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Governance of the school

 The school is currently in a period of transition following the directors’ decision to join The Olympus Academy Trust on 1 September 2016. This decision was made to provide the strategic direction that will take the school forward as well as to provide access to the expertise available within the trust. At this point in time, it is too early to evaluate the impact this decision will have on improving the school’s future performance.  Directors of the previous Cosmos Academy Trust were knowledgeable about the strengths of the school and areas for development. They knew that standards in mathematics have not been good enough. They decisively actioned the move to The Olympus Academy Trust to gain further expertise to support the school’s ongoing improvement and strengthen the staff team.  The directors and the headteacher have managed the difficulties in staffing with determination and careful planning. As a result, a stable staff team, including the

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Governance of the school

appointment of an experienced associate headteacher, is now in place across the school to drive school improvement. Directors have ensured that the school’s capacity for future improvement is strong. All parents who responded to the online questionnaire say that the school is well led and managed.  Directors visit the school regularly to check the impact of actions taken for themselves. They meet with subject leaders and check that leaders are implementing safeguarding policies and procedures effectively. They ensure that staff are recruited safely. However, minutes of meetings have not always accurately reflected the challenge they provide to leaders for continued improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The headteacher takes the lead on safeguarding and works tirelessly to ensure that pupils are kept safe at this school. Staff are recruited safely. They receive appropriate training in child protection and know what to do if concerns arise. Records kept are of a high quality and demonstrate the involvement of external agencies when required. The headteacher has robustly tackled attendance issues, not being afraid to agree to penalty notices if needed. All staff and governors have received training on preventing radicalisation and relevant issues such as child sexual exploitation. There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistently good. Some teaching is strong, particularly where teachers have high expectations for their pupils and they challenge them to achieve their potential. Nonetheless, this is not the case across all classes and subjects. This lack of consistency is preventing teaching and the outcomes pupils achieve from being good overall.  Too few pupils make good progress and reach the higher standards in mathematics. This is because teaching does not build on what pupils already know, understand and can do. Work in books shows that pupils learn to calculate with numbers as they move up through the school. However, they are given few opportunities to apply these skills to solving problems and develop deeper mathematical thinking and understanding. As a result, pupils, and particularly the most able, do not achieve as well as they could at the end of Year 6 in this subject.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The most able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently in a range of other subjects across the curriculum. For example, pupils in science are not routinely challenged to undertake their own scientific investigations. Much of the work set does not sufficiently require them to think for themselves. As a result, they make slower progress than they are capable of. Furthermore, they are not being prepared well to tackle the demands of the secondary school science curriculum.  Not all teachers check pupils’ learning effectively. During the inspection, inspectors found some pupils who were ready to be moved on to the next challenge in mathematics. In English, teachers did not correct pupils’ misunderstandings in spelling. On these occasions, pupils’ learning was hindered in writing and mathematics.  Work in pupils’ project books confirms that pupils do not write at length or practise their mathematical skills in other subjects. This prevents them from developing their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

skills and understanding in different contexts and in practical situations.  Teachers and teaching assistants in the Reception classes skilfully use questioning to develop children’s thinking and extend their learning. However, this is not being consistently implemented in all classes, limiting opportunities to extend pupils’ learning further.  Some teachers provide pupils with helpful and focused next steps, to improve their work. Where this happens, work in pupils’ books shows that they make accelerated progress. However, this approach, which was adopted by the school in February, is not being applied consistently and effectively across the school. This is limiting the progress pupils make.  The teaching of phonics in the early years and in Year 1 is effective, leading to positive outcomes. Pupils learn to read for enjoyment as they move up through the school and enjoy choosing books from the school library. Strong links with families ensure that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

pupils read at home to support their learning at school. In addition, leaders ensure that those pupils who do not read at home, including disadvantaged pupils, receive the support they need to quicken their progress in reading.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Staff receive appropriate training so that they can swiftly recognise and act on signs of risk or harm. Records confirm that they act quickly if they have concerns regarding pupils’ safety or welfare.  Pupils say that they feel well cared for and looked after. Parents agree and are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school. Almost all parents who responded to the online questionnaire would recommend this school to others.  Pupils are taught to stay safe and learn to manage risk. The outdoor learning curriculum is planned to enable pupils to learn and be challenged in a safe and controlled environment. In addition, pupils learn to stay safe when using the internet. This work is continually highlighted in lessons and there are displays in the corridor to remind pupils of the potential dangers of being online.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils know who to turn to if they are bullied or have concerns. They feel listened to and trust adults who work with them. Information in the playground helps pupils to understand that bullying is not tolerated at Stoke Lodge.  The special educational needs leader and parent support manager provide good advice to families. This is an inclusive school. As a result, the school is successful in ensuring that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need to be able to learn. Parents value this support and say that their children are well cared for.  Leaders have successfully reduced the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school. In particular, support is given to parents with children who have complex medical needs to ensure that they receive their education entitlement. As a result, attendance is improving.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are polite and courteous and behave well in lessons and at break and lunchtimes. Inspectors observed staff setting out new routines for the start of the new school year. Consequently, pupils line up quickly and quietly and walk sensibly around the school. Nearly all parents say that the school makes sure that pupils are well behaved.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally positive. They listen respectfully to the teacher and mostly work hard and try their best. On occasion, pupils lose focus if the work is too easy or too hard. However, no incidences of poor behaviour were observed during the inspection.  Relationships between the staff and pupils are strong. There is clearly respect for each other that leads to a close and harmonious community where pupils feel valued. The staff questionnaire confirms that teachers enjoy working at the school.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Children start Reception Year with skills that are typically just below those expected for their age, especially in relation to their personal and social development and communication and language skills.  At the end of the early years foundation stage, a higher proportion of pupils than average achieve a good level of development. By the end of Year 2, outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are broadly average. However, fewer pupils in key stage 1 achieved the highest standards in writing and mathematics when compared to national averages. Consequently, progress is not yet good.  Progress of current pupils is too inconsistent because the quality of teaching is not yet good in all classes. Although variable, progress in English across the school is stronger than in mathematics in most year groups. This is borne out in pupils’ writing in their books. Nonetheless, the school’s records confirm that progress in spelling is weakest in

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

Years 4 to 6. This is having a negative impact on the quality of writing and the progress pupils make in English.  Progress in mathematics is inconsistent because pupils are not able to apply the skills they have learned. This does not enable them to achieve well and make good progress. Outcomes in mathematics were below the national average for Year 6 in 2015. However, although improving, pupils’ achievement and progress in this subject continues to require improvement.  Work in pupils’ books confirms that the most able pupils make variable progress in subjects across the curriculum. Tasks set do not always build on pupils’ previous learning or challenge them to do even better. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment in 2015 at the end of Year 6 was below the national average in mathematics, reading, writing, grammar and spelling.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points. These pupils’

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

achievement at least matched the national average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in 2015. In 2016, pupils’ outcomes in the Year 1 phonics check were above the national average. Progress in Year 2 was insufficient in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in Years 3 to 6, pupils made better progress to achieve improved outcomes in reading, spelling, grammar and writing.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in lessons as a result of strong support from teaching assistants. However, systems to accurately record and measure progress for these pupils are not yet in place.  Progress in reading is good in most year groups. As a result of the good teaching in phonics, standards are rising. Nonetheless, the most able disadvantaged pupils in Years 3 to 6 have less experience of reading at home. The school is looking to support these pupils more effectively to enable them to make rapid progress.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years foundation stage provides a high-quality education. Children achieve well as a result of consistently good teaching, learning and assessment.  Children settle quickly when they start school because of the strong links that teachers make with families before their children join the school. Inspectors observed children on their third full day already engaging with learning activities, smiling and happy to be in school.  The Reception team work together effectively to plan exciting and engaging learning opportunities. The classrooms and outdoor area are well resourced, vibrant and set up to support all the areas of learning effectively. Children quickly learn to develop their imagination, independence and curiosity.  Leadership of the early years is good. Teachers observe and assess children’s individual needs effectively and plan activities to develop both their strengths and areas of need.

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Early years provision Good

For example, during the inspection, teachers planned focused work to develop children’s social skills and language skills. Using the story, ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’, pupils learned the key vocabulary, ‘over’, ‘under’ and ‘through’ in an imaginative and active way.  Children make good progress in all areas of learning. The proportion achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has been above that found nationally for the past three years. Although boys achieve less well than girls in reading, writing and number, teachers plan activities to appeal to the boys. Consequently, they make good progress from their starting points.  Teachers focus on developing children’s social skills and language skills when they start school. They plan a successful balance of activities, which include those to be led by the teacher as well as by the children. During the inspection, children worked together

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Early years provision Good

to build homes for dinosaurs, discussing their ideas and learning to listen to each other. Teachers intervened sensitively, using high-quality questioning to successfully develop their thinking and support them to speak in full sentences.  Children learn their letters and sounds quickly. The writing area invites children to practise their skills independently and to record their ideas. Children were observed choosing books and using the pictures to help them understand the story.  Parents support their children effectively and are pleased with the education their children receive. This is making a positive contribution to the good progress their children make.  Children behave well in the Reception class. They already understand the classroom routines and expectations for good behaviour. Teachers are skilled in helping children understand how to behave and why this is important. As a result, children quickly learn

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Early years provision Good

to play well with others and become successful independent learners. This ensures that children are ready for Year 1.  Adults provide high-quality support for children who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These children make good progress from their starting points, particularly with their personal and social skills.  The leader of the early years is developing closer links with the Year 1 staff, to ensure that no time is lost when planning children’s next steps at the end of their Reception year. This work is not yet fully completed.  Teachers have created a safe and secure learning environment. All adults are trained to keep children safe and are vigilant in this important work.

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School details

Unique reference number 140259 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 10019430

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair To be appointed Headteacher Associate Headteacher Richard Clark Sharon Bishop Telephone number 01454 866 772

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School details

Email address enquiries@stokelodgeschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.  Stoke Lodge Primary School converted to be an academy on 1 October 2013 as part of a multi-academy trust (Cosmos) with one other local school. When its predecessor school, Stoke Lodge Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall. On 1 September 2016, Stoke Lodge Primary School joined The Olympus Academy Trust.  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 is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Children in the Reception Year attend full time.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who are

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Information about this school

supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after) is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is average.  In September 2016, an associate headteacher joined the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited lessons or parts of lessons during the inspection, most of which were jointly observed with the headteacher. The inspectors also observed the teaching of phonics.  The inspectors spoke to pupils throughout the inspection, including at break and lunchtimes.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ work in their books together with the associate headteacher, to establish the current quality of their work and progress over time.  Inspectors heard groups of pupils read from different year groups. In addition, an inspector spoke with a group of pupils to determine their views of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team, the English and mathematics subject leaders, teachers and teaching assistants. In addition, the inspector met with the chief executive officer of The Olympus Academy Trust, and other leaders in the trust, including those from the

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Information about this inspection

Cosmos Trust.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plans, the management of staff performance, information on pupils’ progress and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safety. The lead inspector looked at minutes from recent governing body meetings and the school’s records for monitoring teaching and learning.  The lead inspector took account of 40 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. In addition, responses to the Parent View free-text service were analysed.  Questionnaires were returned and analysed from 17 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Catherine Leahy, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Violet McLaren Ofsted Inspector Rebecca Carson Ofsted Inspector Nick Sheppard 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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