Luckwell Primary School

Luckwell Primary School Luckwell Road, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 3ET

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including governors, have not tackled the school’s identified weaknesses with the urgency required. The school’s performance has declined since the previous inspection. Capacity for improvement is weak.  Governors do not challenge leaders to make the rapid improvements required. They have failed to hold leaders to account for falling standards.  Leaders and governors have not secured an effective safeguarding culture. Leadership of health and safety is weak, including of the safe use of the school site. Leaders do not insist that concerns about pupils are consistently acted upon or recorded systematically.  Subject leaders have not received the training they need to accurately check the school’s work. The impact of their actions to improve the quality of teaching is limited.  The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to deepen and extend their knowledge. As a result, they do not make the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not use information about what pupils already know, can do and understand to plan effectively for pupils’ next steps in learning. Teaching does not consistently support middle- and lower- attaining pupils to make good progress.  Weak teaching, learning and assessment over time has resulted in pupils in Years 1 to 6 failing to achieve as well as they should. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes are inadequate in writing and mathematics.  Teachers do not demand high-quality work. Too many pupils do not take pride when completing tasks or show the determination needed to make good progress.  The teaching of spelling is weak. Errors in the basic skills of spelling, grammar and punctuation are not routinely picked up. This restricts pupils’ progress.  Leaders do not provide effective guidance and support to enable staff to improve the quality of their teaching.  Leaders and managers do not set firm rules for

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

playground behaviour. They have not ensured that staff fully understand what constitutes safe and acceptable play. As a result, poor behaviour and derogatory language go unchecked.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children make good progress in the early years. They have positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive appropriately targeted support. As a result, their learning needs are met.  Opportunities for developing pupils’ spiritual and cultural development are promoted well through the curriculum. The local area is used effectively as a learning resource.  As a result of leaders’ actions, pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently address the weaknesses in the school’s system for ensuring pupils’ safety and well-being by: – ensuring that all pupils can use the school site safely and securely – producing high-quality risk assessments for any activity which might compromise pupils’ safety – making sure that child protection records and incidents involving poor behaviour are logged and include a chronological order of events and actions taken by leaders with recorded resolutions – ensuring that leaders carefully monitor pupils that are potentially at risk of harm.  Urgently take action to improve pupils’ outcomes in mathematics and writing, by improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in Years 1 to 6 by: – ensuring that teachers accurately check pupils’ understanding of what they know, understand and can do so that they fully grasp concepts before they move onto new work – providing effective support for middle- and lower-attaining pupils

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that the most able pupils have the challenge they need to deepen and extend their thinking – raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve and helping pupils to take a greater pride in the quality of their work – insisting that teachers routinely check that pupils’ spelling is accurate and misconceptions are corrected swiftly.  Improve leadership, management and governance by ensuring that: – leaders establish clear systems for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – leaders provide training and guidance for staff to improve the quality of teaching rapidly – subject leaders receive the training they need to be able to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively – governors hold the school and its leaders to account rigorously to ensure that pupils’ outcomes improve rapidly.  Improve aspects of personal development, behaviour and welfare to ensure that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– leaders take responsibility for developing positive behaviour at breaktimes – leaders provide training for supervisory staff so that pupils understand what constitutes safe play and behave accordingly – leaders support pupils fully to stop using derogatory language to one another and to understand why it is unacceptable – staff provide the support pupils require to come to school ready to learn and to show the determination required to make good progress. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and governors do not provide an acceptable quality of education. They are failing to lead the school effectively and do not promote a culture of high expectations. This is reflected in inadequate teaching, learning and pupils’ outcomes and a weak culture of safeguarding. Pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Senior leaders demonstrate limited capacity to meet the school’s statutory duties to safeguard pupils. Leadership of health and safety is weak. Systems and processes are not clear and essential documentation, such as risk assessments for activities, is missing or incomplete. This compromises pupils’ safety.  Leaders have not taken the rapid action needed to tackle the underperformance of pupils. They have not successfully addressed the actions required by the previous inspection. There has been no tangible improvement to pupils’ outcomes in mathematics in key stage 2. As a result, academic outcomes remain low, with little sign

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

of improvement.  The school’s self-evaluation of its effectiveness is inaccurate. It does not reflect the inadequacies in the leadership and management of the school and the inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning.  Leaders have not ensured that teachers have the skills they need to assess pupils’ work accurately. As a result, weak assessment practices have been allowed to continue and teachers’ assessments, particularly in writing, are inaccurate.  Senior leaders do not provide consistently clear direction to staff. This hinders their ability to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. The high rate of staff absence has inhibited improvement. Consequently, the school’s capacity for improvement is weak.  Some senior leaders, including those with the responsibility for subject leadership, have not received training to help them accurately monitor the school’s work. Checks on the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

quality of teaching and learning have not led to consistent improvements. As a result, leaders have not secured and sustained the necessary improvements to the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes in mathematics and writing.  Training for the English leader has had a positive impact on results in the phonics screening check in Years 1 and 2. However, the lack of investment in professional development opportunities limits the capacity of staff to improve, and particularly those new to teaching and those who are eager to develop their career.  The school’s planned curriculum provides coverage of all the national curriculum subjects and enhances pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils make good use of the rich local environment to improve their learning. For instance, work planned to learn about Brunel made good use of the nearby Bristol Temple Meads railway station and the SS Great Britain. This brought learning alive.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The school receives support from the local authority. However, the impact of local authority officers’ work to improve the school over time is not effective.  Leaders and governors track the use of pupil premium funding to improve provision and outcomes for the small group of disadvantaged pupils. This money is used to fund additional resources and to provide personalised support for pupils experiencing social and emotional difficulties. However, this group of pupils underachieves in line with others in the school.  Sports premium funding is used well to provide a wide range of after-school clubs, including football, netball, hockey and cross-country. Pupils also enjoy opportunities to attend choir, guitar and dance clubs. Many parents who responded to Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, said that they ‘feel most positive about all the extra activities available’.  Additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

used effectively. As a result, pupils’ learning needs are met and their progress is secure.  The school’s personal, social, and health education curriculum, well supported by class discussions and assemblies, focuses on developing pupils’ personal qualities. Pupils are provided with a range of opportunities to develop their citizenship skills. The annual ‘money week’, where the school is transformed into Luckwell Town, provides opportunities for the pupils to work on projects which involve making financial decisions. However, because leaders and other adults do not always challenge and record anti-social incidents, pupils are less well prepared socially and morally for life in modern Britain.  Although most parents are very happy with the school, some raised concerns about its leadership. In particular, parents noted the high staff turnover and inconsistencies in how leaders resolve parental concerns when they arise.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body has been too slow to tackle the endemic weaknesses in the school. For some time, they have recognised that pupils’ outcomes have not been improving but have been too accepting of the headteacher’s explanations. They do not hold senior leaders to account effectively. As a result, the school’s performance has declined since the previous inspection.  The governing body has not taken enough effective action to drive improvements. Staff have not received the training they need to develop their skills, particularly those who are new to the profession and those who wish to progress in their career. This has limited the school’s capacity to improve.  Governors have not checked rigorously that the information they receive from the headteacher is accurate. As a result, performance management is not effective in bringing about the improvements needed to improve teaching and pupils’ outcomes.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  The culture of safeguarding is weak. Leaders, including governors, do not ensure that pupils are kept safe and secure on the school site.  Leaders do not monitor behaviour and bullying incidents. They fail to maintain comprehensive records of poor behaviour. As a result, they are unable to provide details of the specific support given and whether issues have been resolved.  All staff know that if they have a concern about a child, they must quickly inform one of the nominated safeguarding leads. However, incidents or identified concerns are not systematically recorded and children potentially at risk are not always carefully monitored.  Although staff and governors receive regular training on statutory safeguarding guidance, leaders do not ensure that it is systematically implemented.  All necessary checks are carried out to ensure that staff meet the statutory

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Safeguarding

requirements which relate to their suitability to work with children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The leadership of teaching, learning and assessment is ineffective. As a result, pupils do not make sufficient progress in mathematics and writing. Teaching is too variable and does not sufficiently challenge pupils in their learning. Consequently, outcomes for pupils are inadequate.  Too many teachers do not assess pupils’ work accurately. Consequently, the work they plan does not build on what pupils already know, can do and understand. As a result, middle- and lower-attaining pupils in particular are not given the help they need to support their learning. For example, pupils move on in their learning too quickly before they have secured new concepts. This limits the progress that these pupils make.  The most able pupils in some classes are not consistently challenged. Teaching does not deepen their learning and understanding. As a result, these pupils do not achieve the highest standards of which they are capable.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The teaching of mathematics is not good enough. Teachers do not have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. For example, often work is too easy. Teachers do not consistently check the accuracy of pupils’ understanding and rely too heavily on pupils checking the accuracy of their own mathematics work, so it is not always clear when the pupils have grasped the concepts taught. Furthermore, pupils are not routinely provided with the resources they need to support or deepen their mathematical understanding. As a result, pupils’ progress slows and their learning falters.  Teachers do not accurately assess pupils’ writing. The teaching of English has not secured pupils’ basic skills in spelling and grammar across the school. Staff do not correct spellings routinely. Consequently, this does not support the development of pupils’ writing skills and hampers their ability to write with accuracy and depth.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers accept untidy presentation of work, including scribbling over books, without challenge. Consequently, too many pupils do not take enough pride in their work.  Although some classrooms are untidy, pupils’ work is thoughtfully displayed around the school. Displays also provide support for pupils to improve their work, although there is limited evidence of this actually having the desired impact.  Relationships between teaching staff and pupils are positive. Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support individuals and groups of pupils.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with educational, health and care plans, are supported appropriately in their learning. A balance of teaching on an individual basis, in small groups and supporting pupils in the classroom enables pupils to make progress in their learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Leaders have not taken appropriate steps to ensure the safety of pupils. There are areas on the school site where pupils know that they will not be seen by adults. Consequently, not all pupils feel safe in school. They report that their playing field is littered with rubbish. Despite this, they enjoy coming to school to meet their friends. However, too often pupils take insufficient pride in their work and arrive unprepared for learning.  Most pupils know that if they have any worries or concerns, there are adults in school who will help them. Pastoral support is offered to respond to the emotional and social needs of individuals.  Pupils are clear about keeping safe when using the internet and explain confidently what they would do if something inappropriate appeared on the screen.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. During lessons, most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning and listen carefully to each other. However, they do not consistently demonstrate determination or resilience to make good progress in their work.  Pupils are polite and courteous as they move around the school. For example, they open doors for adults and are respectful to visitors.  Pupils attend regularly and arrive punctually for school. Staff follow up pupils’ absences and help those pupils who are frequently absent to value good attendance and return to school as soon as possible.  Leaders have not insisted that the school community fully understand the expectations for good behaviour. Pupils are not clear about the boundaries set for them. Consequently, they do not always behave well or appropriately.  Pupils have a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong. However,

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Behaviour

leaders do not ensure that the playground is supervised safely. Consequently, older pupils do not act as good role models for younger ones and there is some unsafe play at breaktimes. At times, when pupils behave inappropriately it goes unchecked by adults.  Incidents of anti-social behaviour, including the use of racist and homophobic language, are not consistently dealt with or recorded.  The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View, the online inspection survey, reported that they felt that pupils behave well in school. However, there were a few parents who raised concerns about pupils’ behaviour and bullying incidents.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils do not make sufficient progress across a range of subjects. This is the result of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across year groups in mathematics and writing. Work in books demonstrates that teachers do not challenge pupils sufficiently to enable them to make good progress from their starting points. In particular, key stage 2 pupils underachieve considerably and are not academically ready for the next stage of their education. This includes the small group of pupils who are disadvantaged.  The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged, so they do not achieve the high standards of which they are capable.  Outcomes in mathematics have not improved since the previous inspection. Recent Year 6 national tests for mathematics indicate a further decline in pupils’ outcomes when compared to the previous year. Although a few more pupils than last year achieved the higher standard, nonetheless, over time, the progress made by the

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

middle- and lower-attaining pupils in mathematics is too slow.  In contrast, the school’s records of the recent Year 2 national tests for mathematics indicates that there has been an improvement in pupils’ outcomes. This is also reflected in pupils’ work over time and is a result of effective teaching in this year group. However, the quality of teaching in other year groups is inconsistent and results in overall outcomes that are too variable.  Pupils are not making the progress that they are capable of in writing. The most recent Year 2 statutory assessments indicate that less than half the pupils are working at the standard expected for their age. In 2016, fewer than 70% of this cohort met the expected phonics standard in Year 1 and, although all these pupils have now met the expected standard, their spelling remains poor. This reflects insufficient progress through Years 1 and 2.  Teachers’ assessments at the end of Year 6 indicate that writing standards have

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

improved from last year. However, this is not demonstrated in pupils’ work over time. It is also not reflected in the most recent results for the statutory English, grammar, punctuation and spelling test, which indicate that less than two-thirds of pupils met the standard expected for their age. This is because insufficient attention is given to the teaching of spelling. It is a consistent weakness throughout the school.  Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check have improved considerably since last year. This is because the subject leader has received training and is supporting key stage 1 staff to improve their teaching.  There is only a very small number of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding. Their outcomes mirror those of their peers.  Reading outcomes meet the expected standards at the end of Years 2 and 6. A higher than average proportion of pupils in Years 2 and 6 read with greater depth. Pupils

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

enjoy sharing books in class with their teacher but are not enthused about reading on their own.  Support with speech and language and social and emotional needs, coupled with tailored support plans, helps pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to make secure progress.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 The early years provision is a strength of the school. However, it is judged inadequate overall because senior leaders and managers fail to keep children and pupils safe and secure across the whole school.  Leaders and staff in Reception provide a warm and welcoming environment. The most recent assessments at the end of Reception indicate that three-quarters of the children have reached a good level of development. Consequently, they make good progress during their first year in school and are well prepared for Year 1.  Most children benefit from nursery education prior to starting Reception. Consequently, the majority of children start with knowledge, skills and abilities that are typical for their age. A small proportion of children have weaknesses in their personal and emotional development and lack the skills to speak clearly and with confidence. They are given high-quality support to help them catch up with their peers.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 The Reception class provides a stimulating and well-resourced learning area which engages and stimulates inquisitive young learners. They happily work and play with each other, demonstrating good levels of concentration and strong commitment to their activities. Parents report that the Reception teaching staff ‘do a superb job welcoming and settling’ the children into school.  The strong focus on teaching early reading skills, including phonics, supports children well. Most children have developed a secure understanding of how to form a sentence and confidently use their writing skills for a purpose. For example, recently children carefully wrote invitations to their parents, asking them to come to their nursery rhyme performance.  Early mathematics skills are taught well through practical, fun experiences, such as estimating the number of sweets in a jar.  Teaching staff monitor children’s progress closely and record accurately. They use

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Early years provision Inadequate

assessment information to inform their planning and tailor their teaching to meet individual needs. Teaching staff have an accurate picture of each child’s ability and their specific learning needs.

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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

Email address luckwell.p@bristol-schools.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16–17 January 2013

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Information about this school

 The school’s website meets requirements on the publication of specified information.  This is a slightly smaller than average primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support funded by the pupil premium is well below average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups, and the proportion who speak English as an additional language, are both well below average.  In 2016, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school is part of the South West Co-operative Learning Trust, known locally as BS3 Schools Trust. This is a collective group of schools and local partners who work together.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors, together with senior leaders, observed learning in all classes.  Inspectors looked at a range of English, mathematics and topic books.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors, the vice-chair of governors and the governor with responsibility for safeguarding. The lead inspector also had a telephone conversation with another governor.  The lead inspector met with a local authority school improvement officer.  Inspectors took account of the 49 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire and the written comments that were submitted. Responses from 17 staff questionnaires were also considered.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plans. They examined information on pupils’ current progress and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding procedures.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about school life.

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Inspection team

Lorna Brackstone, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

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 children looked after, 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

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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