Bude Junior School

Bude Junior School Broadclose, Bude, Cornwall EX23 8DR

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders lack the capacity to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school quickly enough. The executive headteacher and her senior colleagues also lead the neighbouring infant school. They have not had a sufficient impact on improving the junior school.  School leaders are not effectively addressing weaknesses in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They do not monitor teaching with sufficient robustness. As a result, where there is weak teaching, it is not addressed effectively.  The executive headteacher is not managing the performance of teachers effectively.  Middle leaders are not effective in improving the quality of English and mathematics. This is because they are not given the necessary time and resources to have an impact.  Leaders do not have sufficiently clear oversight of the reading curriculum. As a result, pupils do not make consistently good progress in all year

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

groups.  In some classes, pupils do not make as much progress as they should because teachers do not give them enough work that challenges them and allows them to reach the highest standards.  The most able pupils are not routinely stretched and do not achieve the greater depth of understanding in English and mathematics of which they are capable.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are not given the additional support with their learning that they need to make good progress.  The curriculum is too narrow. It does not prepare pupils sufficiently for the next stage of their education. The mathematics curriculum is not well balanced. Teachers do not challenge pupils to really think about problems or to apply reasoning enough. Pupils spend too long completing basic number work exercises that do not extend their understanding.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Standards in 2017 at the end of key stage 2 were in line with those in other schools. This was largely the result of effective teaching in Year 6.  School leaders are successfully improving the behaviour of pupils, particularly those who have social, emotional or mental health issues. There is a good breadth of support in place for these pupils.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: – urgently reviewing the leadership capacity of the school so that leaders can meet the strategic and operational challenges of rapidly improving the school – monitoring the quality of teaching, learning and assessment rigorously, ensuring that the quality of teaching is consistently good across all year groups and subjects – ensuring that the performance management of teachers is completed rigorously and that it supports teachers’ development – ensuring that disadvantaged pupils receive the help and support they need with their learning so that they do not fall behind – ensuring that strategic plans are focused on what needs to be improved and there is clarity in the degree of improvement expected – increasing the capacity of middle leaders and ensuring that they have the skills and resources to ensure that English and mathematics are developed across the school

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– ensuring that the curriculum, particularly in science, provides opportunities for pupils to develop their skills across the age range, and so make sure that pupils are ready for secondary school by the age of 11.  Improve teaching, learning and assessment by: – ensuring that the teaching of reading is consistently good across all year groups so that pupils demonstrate a clear understanding of what they read – insisting that pupils use and apply their writing skills so that they write with increasing complexity and depth for their age – ensuring that problem-solving and reasoning activities and approaches are routinely embedded within the mathematics curriculum – ensuring that teachers assess what pupils know, understand and can do accurately and that they use that information to match learning activities to pupils’ needs – raising expectations of what the middle-attaining and most able pupils can do so

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

that they can achieve a greater depth of understanding in their work – ensuring that teachers provide pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities with work that meets their needs – embedding strategies to support the progress of disadvantaged pupils across the school.  Improve personal development, behaviour and welfare by improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils. External reviews of governance and of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken to improve these aspects of leadership and management.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders lack the capacity to rapidly improve the quality of teaching across the school. They are not focused on improving teaching with the rapidity required to eliminate weaknesses in teaching, nor do they challenge mediocre teaching. As a result, pupils do not make good progress throughout the school.  Leaders have not created a culture of high expectations and progress. While they have identified priorities for improvement, they have not been sufficiently clear and precise about the improvements they expect to see. They have not clearly communicated their ambitions and plans to staff, pupils or parents effectively. Consequently, there is little momentum for improvement across the school.  Leaders took too long to address the issues the school faced when it first federated with the infant school. They secured improved outcomes in 2017, but they have not built on these with sufficient vigour.  Leaders do not routinely monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching across the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

school. As a result, they do not have a detailed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching and are therefore unable to intervene where there are problems. Consequently, the quality of teaching varies significantly from one class to another. Too often, when teachers are monitored, they do not receive the clear feedback they need to help them improve.  Leaders have not implemented the performance management system fully. As a result, they have not ensured that each member of staff benefits from the support they need to improve their work. Leaders have put a programme of training opportunities in place for teachers. However, the impact of the training is not monitored effectively and so the effect on pupils’ progress is too inconsistent. For example, leaders have asked teachers to focus particularly on techniques to develop pupils’ writing skills. This is working well in some classrooms, leading to significant improvements, but is less

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

effective in others.  The middle leaders who are responsible for English and mathematics are not effective in ensuring that teachers can deliver uniformly high-quality teaching in these subjects. They do not have the opportunity to check teaching across the school or to support their colleagues to improve their teaching. As a result, teachers have not updated their teaching and it sometimes does not meet the needs of the national curriculum.  Leaders have used pupil premium funding to put in place a wealth of pastoral support and interventions for disadvantaged pupils. These have been successful in improving the attendance and readiness to learn of these pupils. However, there is no clear strategy to support the learning of these pupils when they are in their classes. The result is that a significant proportion of these pupils are not catching up.  Leaders have ensured that the funding available to support pupils who have SEN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

and/or disabilities is used to provide an appropriate level of care and support. However, there is insufficient oversight of the progress that these pupils make. For example, pupils’ work is not checked by leaders over time. As a result, leaders are unaware when these pupils cannot access their learning or resources fail to meet pupils’ needs. Teaching assistants are too often deployed to ensure that pupils are calm and ready to learn rather than in supporting pupils’ academic development.  The funding available to support physical education (PE) is used well. Leaders have ensured that the programme in place has increased rates of participation in extra- curricular games and activities and has contributed to boosting the personal development of pupils.  The senior leadership team has been restructured in the last four months. Some senior leaders have been in post for a very limited time. There is now an increasing emphasis

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

on improving teaching, learning and assessment. However, this is too little, too late. As a result, pupils’ progress is not consistently good.  The recent appointment of a part-time senior leader to oversee pastoral care and behaviour is beginning to have a positive impact. Parents, pupils and staff report that behaviour is improving gradually. There are a significant number of pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs. Provision for these pupils is improving.  Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum develops all the skills that pupils will need when they go on to secondary school. The science curriculum does not develop the enquiry skills necessary in science. Year 6 pupils were very positive in discussing their history lessons with inspectors. Their work encourages them to research topics and develop their thinking about world events. However, this is not the case in all year

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

groups. In other classes, many of the foundation subjects receive little attention and standards are low.  Recent changes to the leadership of the area resource base (ARB) have brought about greater focus on pupils’ learning. As a result, teaching is more closely matched to pupils’ needs. Leadership systems are being refined and teachers’ expectations are rising. However, this work is very recent. Leaders know that there is more to do.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are committed to the success of the school since its federation. However, they have been too accepting of the extended period of time it has taken to stabilise the organisation. Consequently, they have not been successful in ensuring that leaders have the capacity to make the necessary improvements to teaching, learning and assessment.  While governors challenge leaders appropriately and ask uncomfortable questions when poor performance is reported to them, they have not been successful in pursuing those concerns until they are satisfied. As a result, issues that they have raised have not been resolved quickly enough.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Governors, leaders and members of staff are united in a commitment to keep pupils safe. There is a strong culture of supporting pupils and minimising their risk of harm.  Leaders’ commitment to ensuring that vulnerable pupils are protected and able to thrive in school is very clear. School leaders work closely with external agencies and with parents to ensure that there is an effective safety net for vulnerable pupils.  Leaders ensure that all the appropriate record-keeping systems are in place to check on staff and other adults who come into contact with pupils. Staff are suitably trained and act appropriately when a pupil discloses a concern to them.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching varies too much between year groups. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils should know, understand and be able to do are often too low. This results in pupils making slower progress than they should. Pupils are regularly given tasks to do that do not stretch them or make them think more deeply about their learning. On the occasions when pupils are given a challenge, they respond well and make good progress.  Teachers do not assess what their pupils can do with sufficient accuracy. This results in them sometimes giving pupils tasks that are incorrectly pitched. The most able pupils are regularly given work that does not challenge them to analyse and reason. Lower- attaining pupils are sometimes moved on before they have absorbed the knowledge and practised skills they need. A recently introduced new assessment system is helping to improve teachers’ ability to more accurately judge the quality of pupils’ work, subject

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

knowledge and understanding.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are not receiving the support they need to help them learn. Sometimes the work they are given does not meet their needs. They are helped by teaching assistants and other adults, but this support focuses on caring for them rather than developing their learning. Teaching assistants do not have sufficient subject knowledge to help pupils develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics effectively. As a result, these pupils cannot make good progress with the work they are given.  Teachers do not provide the extra attention and focus in lessons that disadvantaged pupils require if they are to catch up with their peers. This contrasts with the high degree of pastoral and therapeutic support they receive to help them overcome the other difficulties they face.  Teaching is stronger in Year 6, which is why pupils reach a standard comparable with

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

other schools by the end of the key stage. Teachers understand the standards that are required and plan learning accordingly. Pupils respond positively when work is well targeted and they make better progress. Even so, too few pupils reach the highest standards.  Teachers have recently received additional training in the teaching of writing. This has led to some improvement in the quality of teaching in this area. As a result of this work, pupils are able to discuss their writing with each other and redraft and edit their work to improve it. However, this improvement in the quality of teaching is not evident in all classes. In some, the quality of pupils’ writing remains poor.  The quality of teaching of mathematics is too inconsistent. In some classes, pupils are challenged to analyse and use reasoning to improve their understanding of mathematics. Consequently, pupils enjoy their work and make good progress. This

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

approach is less well embedded in other classes. Teachers in all year groups focus on improving the fluency of pupils’ mental arithmetic and written number work and this is improving these aspects of mathematics. However, most teachers do not routinely ask pupils to use these skills to solve problems or extend their thinking, and so opportunities to deepen pupils’ understanding are lost.  The quality of teaching of science and foundation subjects is too variable. There are examples of well-planned work in history, for example, which both increase pupils’ knowledge of the world around them and provide opportunities to empathise with the experience of people in previous generations. Teachers also use these opportunities well to further develop pupils’ reading, comprehension and writing skills. However, in some year groups, there is an insufficient emphasis on these aspects of the national curriculum and so coverage is thin and standards low. Teaching in science regularly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

focuses on pupils recalling facts, but it often fails to teach scientific skills or to enable pupils to think in a scientific way.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are dependent on the quality of teaching they experience. When teaching is well targeted to their needs, pupils respond positively and are keen to do well. When teaching is weaker, pupils are less enthusiastic. Some become disengaged and drift off of the tasks they have been given. Some pupils engage in low- level disruption, which slows the pace of learning in the classroom.  Pupils report that there are some instances of bullying. This is reinforced by parents who say that their children have experienced bullying in the past. However, pupils say that when they report incidents, they are usually dealt with well by teachers and leaders.  Leaders place an emphasis on providing a safe and caring environment for all pupils. They are generally successful. There is a wide range of pastoral support in place for

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Personal development and welfare

pupils when they need it and a variety of interventions and therapies available to vulnerable pupils who need particular, targeted support. As a result of the work leaders put in, a number of pupils with significant challenges in their lives are able to take part in the life of the school successfully. Pupils who attend the ARB on the school site gain a great deal from this support structure and their personal development benefits considerably.  Pupils understand how to stay safe in both the real and virtual worlds. They benefit from visitors from the local police force, who come in and work with them about personal safety and looking after themselves.  Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values. Older pupils are able to discuss democracy and the importance of tolerance in our society.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  The vast majority of pupils conduct themselves in a calm and sensible manner as they move around the school site. They are generally polite and work together well. However, at breaks and lunchtimes a minority of pupils are over-boisterous, and other pupils are affected by this.  Historically, poor behaviour has been a concern for parents, pupils and school leaders. Leaders have recently reviewed how behaviour is addressed, and a senior leader now has a clear focus on ensuring that it improves. In recent weeks, there have been clear signs of impact. While exclusions remain too high, parents, pupils and staff recognise that there is an improvement. This is largely because leaders have ensured that provision for those pupils facing challenges in their lives is effective. These pupils are benefiting from a good balance of higher expectations and a strong safety net of

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Behaviour

support. This encourages them to improve their behaviour and take a positive part in lessons.  Most pupils attend school regularly. Rates of attendance overall are broadly in line with rates in other schools. Disadvantaged pupils are absent too often. However, this is slowly improving as a result of the effective work that school leaders and staff are doing with pupils and their families.  Punctuality is poor. Too many pupils arrive late to school. This prevents teachers from getting a prompt start to the day and so interferes with learning.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress is not consistently good throughout the school. Overall, pupils make progress that is broadly in line with that of pupils in other schools by the end of key stage 2 because they catch up in Year 6. However, there is too much variation in progress between year groups.  In 2016, standards in the end of key stage tests were very low. As a result, leaders and Year 6 teachers focused on some key improvements and they improved outcomes in 2017 to match those seen typically nationally. However, this improvement is not evident elsewhere in the school.  Pupils in some of the younger year groups do not typically make the progress they should. When they first join the school, standards are low and pupils do not get off to the strong start that they should. Progress is sometimes pedestrian because teachers are not assessing pupils accurately and then setting suitably challenging work. There

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

are examples of pupils making good progress from their starting points and reaching high standards, particularly in Year 4, but these examples are far from universal.  There has been some improvement in the standards pupils reach in writing over the last year. However, there remains too much inconsistency between year groups. Older pupils tend to make better progress overall. Pupils are generally reaching the expected standards in reading by the end of the key stage.  Pupils do not make good progress in mathematics. This is because teachers focus on number fluency at the cost of other parts of the curriculum. As a result, pupils can calculate effectively, both mentally and using formal written methods, but they are less comfortable using these methods to solve problems or applying reasoning to investigate questions in depth.  Pupils do not make good progress in reading in Years 3 and 4. This is because teaching

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

does not build on what pupils already know and insufficient attention is given to some aspects of the national curriculum. As a result, too few pupils are exposed to teaching that focuses on pupils’ understanding of the texts they read. For some middle- and low-attaining pupils, a lack of rigour in the reading curriculum results in them failing to develop their skills as rapidly as they should.  Disadvantaged pupils are making slower progress than other pupils. This is because although they are given significant pastoral support to overcome the barriers they face and to help them arrive to lessons in a positive state of mind, teachers do not address their learning needs effectively.  The most able pupils do not always secure the greater depth in their learning that they should. Sometimes, when teachers provide them with stimulating work that challenges them, they show what they are capable of. However, they are often asked to complete

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

tasks which are too easy for them. Consequently, their progress is more limited.  Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities do not make good progress. They are well cared for, but their academic progress is not monitored sufficiently. Too often, teachers do not make sure that the work they set meets pupils’ individual needs.  Pupils in the ARB are making good progress from their starting points. Teachers are setting appropriate targets for them and they are developing their social skills alongside their reading and writing skills.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address secretary@bude-jnr.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 November 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than average for a primary school.  The school met the government’s current floor targets in 2017, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress for reading, writing and mathematics.  The school federated with the neighbouring infant school in September 2016. The two schools share a senior leadership team and governing body.  The school hosts an area resource base (ARB) for pupils who have special educational needs. Currently there are six places in the ARB, but only two are filled by pupils on the roll of the junior school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is higher than the national average.  Less than 10% of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is well above average.

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Information about this school

 A very small number of pupils attend alternative provision at the North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning across a full range of age groups and subjects. They scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ written work. Some of the observations and work scrutinies were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including minutes of governors’ meetings, development plans, analysis of pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour data, safeguarding documents and the school’s review of its own performance.  Meetings were held with governors, the executive headteacher, senior and middle leaders, teachers and groups of pupils. An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 57 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They also took into account the nine responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Andrew Lovett, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington Her Majesty’s 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

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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

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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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