Henbury Court Primary School

Henbury Court Primary School Inspection report

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131497 Unique Reference Number Bristol, City of Local Authority 328601 Inspection number 19–20 January 2009 Inspection dates Ian Hancock Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 267 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Carolyn Hancock Chair Sue Anstey Headteacher 6 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Trevelyan Walk School address Henbury Bristol BS10 7NY 01173 772196 Telephone number 01173 772187 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 19–20 January 2009 Inspection dates 328601 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average-sized primary school with a Hearing Impaired Resource Base and a Children's Centre on site. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) into the Nursery. Most children are from White British backgrounds and there is an increase in the proportion from minority ethnic families. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average. There have been some changes to staff over recent years, including senior leaders. The present headteacher joined the school in September 2006. Extensive refurbishment has taken place during the last year and the school moved into the new building in the week of the inspection. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools Award and Sportsmark Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009

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Grade: 3

The school's overall effectiveness is satisfactory. Much has been achieved since the last inspection, endorsed by parents' comments such as, 'Henbury Court has improved greatly over the past few years. My children have been coming to the school for the past 12 years and my faith in the school continues to grow.' Strengths in pastoral care, moral and social development, and the capacity for working effectively with others contribute much to pupils' good personal development and well-being. The outcomes are seen in happy pupils who behave well, feel safe and get on well together. They enjoy exercise and have a good understanding of how to lead a healthy life. A more creative curriculum, with a wide variety of enrichment activities, stimulates pupils' interests and enjoyment of learning. Pupils' academic achievement is satisfactory. Children enter school in the EYFS with skills below those expected for children of a similar age. They settle quickly and make good progress,

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Grade: 3

especially in their personal and social development, taking full advantage of the opportunities offered to them, including excellent outdoor provision. As a result of new initiatives, including more emphasis on developing basic skills, standards are improving, although they are below average in English, mathematics and science in the current Year 6, because they are still catching up on past underachievement. Pupils' achievement is beginning to improve as a result of more focused support, such as intervention programmes to improve pupils' skills and confidence. However, expectations are still not high enough, particularly for boys, to ensure that they make the best possible progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities benefit from the help given by teachers and support staff and make satisfactory progress. Pupils in the Hearing Impaired Resource Base achieve well, particularly in their language development, because

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Grade: 3

experienced staff support them very well. Teaching and learning are satisfactory but variable, with the result that pupils' progress is inconsistent as they go through the school. Although there is much good teaching, lessons are not consistently well planned to match work to individual needs. As a result, many pupils are not reaching the highest possible standards in English, mathematics and science. The strong and effective leadership of the headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher, are a major feature in the school's satisfactory leadership and management. The role of subject leaders in English, mathematics and science has been appropriately identified as a key area for further development, so that they are more actively involved in self-assessment and school improvement. With the more settled leadership, the completion of the extensive building work, the increasing involvement of subject leaders and governors, and the gradual success of recent

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Grade: 3

actions, the school can demonstrate it is in a satisfactory position to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Children are given a good start in the EYFS, where there is strong focus on raising attainment, especially in writing, communication and literacy. They come to school with skill levels below those expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy, and their personal and social skills. High priority is given to children's welfare and especially to their personal, social and emotional needs. As a result, they make outstanding progress in their personal and social development. By the time they begin Year 1, most children reach the expected level in their personal and social development but are below in other aspects of their learning. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009 Good teaching and interesting and stimulating activities focus closely on developing learning skills and building children's self-confidence. Children thoroughly enjoy their lessons, and work

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Grade: 2

and play together well. The curriculum is well planned and exciting. Children enthusiastically participated in role play and talked about going to the stars in a rocket. Excellent use is made of outdoor facilities and the environment, where children were seen thoroughly enjoying activities in the rain, dressed in wellington boots, waterproof clothing and umbrellas. The new EYFS leader has established a strong partnership with the Children's Centre and positive links with parents. She has developed effective assessment systems to carefully monitor children's progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Carefully track individual progress and provide appropriate activities in lessons, particularly for boys, to ensure all pupils reach their full potential in English, mathematics and science. ■ Ensure the consistency of teaching and learning so that pupils make good or better progress in every lesson. ■ Make sure subject leaders in English, mathematics and science play a full part in monitoring the school's performance to bring about improvement. A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before the next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory overall, but as they move through the school, variations in the quality of teaching result in different rates of progress. Some work is not sufficiently well matched to pupils' needs, so pupils do not always achieve as well as they should. Standards at the end of Year 2 are slightly below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Nevertheless, they are improving due to the successful introduction of new intervention programmes, particularly for higher attaining pupils. Standards are also below average in the present Year 6 because these pupils have yet to make up for lost ground in the past, particularly the boys. Strategies, such as small group support, the introduction of individual targets and high emphasis on basic skills, such as reading and calculation, are beginning to have a positive impact on standards and achievement. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make

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Grade: 3

satisfactory progress, as individual education plans are appropriate to their specific needs. Pupils in the Hearing Impaired Resource Base make good progress. By the time these pupils leave the school, most have caught up on their language skills and attain the levels expected for their age.

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Grade: 2

Relationships are strong and pupils' behaviour in lessons is good, particularly when teaching retains their interest. Pupils are enthusiastic to take on responsibility around the school. They have started recycling and formed a new eco-council. Members of the school council feel their ideas directed improvements to new toilets and football pitch and the installation of a disability lift. Pupils' contributions to the local community include taking part in the flower festival, dance and music shows in the local theatre and raising funds for local charities. Their good understanding of safe practices and healthy lifestyle is reflected in national awards. Indeed, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009 pupils thoroughly enjoy participating in various sporting opportunities. They demonstrate a good understanding of healthy lifestyles and how to keep safe. Pupils' positive approach to

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Grade: 2

learning and satisfactory academic achievement means their life skills are developing well for their future education. The school has worked hard to improve attendance since the last inspection. Consequently, it is now satisfactory. Pupils say they like coming to school. They particularly enjoy their learning when they can actively take part, although they report that they are sometimes bored when work is too easy. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, with particular strengths in moral and social development. However, the school recognises the need to improve pupils' understanding of living in a multicultural society.

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Grade: 3

Although there is much good teaching and learning, the quality is uneven, with a small proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. This inconsistency has resulted in variations in how well pupils learn from year to year. Teachers use a variety of teaching styles and this contributes well to the good personal development of pupils. However, many teachers lack confidence using the technology of interactive whiteboards to explain new concepts and bring learning alive. Activities build successfully on prior learning, but work does not always match the needs of all pupils. In some lessons, the pace is slow, time is not used efficiently and expectations are too low. When these features are present, it has a negative impact on pupils' attitudes, particularly boys, and progress is too slow. Well trained learning support assistants generally give good support when working with groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and those from the

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Grade: 3

Unit. As a result, these pupils make at least satisfactory, and often good, progress over time. Although there is evidence of good marking, which helps pupils know how to improve their work, advice of this kind is not yet routine.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has significantly improved since the last inspection. A creative and innovative curriculum put into place recently is beginning to have an impact on capturing pupils' imagination, including boys. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their 'creative curriculum week' and worked effectively with a local artist creating a mural in the corridor. The additional provision for developing basic skills is beginning to have a positive impact on improving pupils' reading and calculation skills. The wide range of extra-curricular clubs is popular with pupils, and the regular visits they make to local places are planned well to ensure that they enrich classroom learning. Hearing impaired pupils gain full access to all aspects of the curriculum, in addition to the specialist provision designed to improve all aspects of language.

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Grade: 2

Children are well cared for in the safe and supportive environment. Pupils with specific social, emotional or educational needs receive sensitive support, with external agencies consulted where necessary. Pupils in the Unit are particularly well supported by highly experienced staff, who ensure that their inclusion into mainstream classes is seamless. Child protection, health, safety and safeguarding procedures are all robust. The tracking of pupils' progress has 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009 significantly improved since the last inspection and is developing well. Data are used to track individual pupils' progress and identify those needing additional support. However, this information is not always used effectively to ensure that work is matched closely to pupils' needs.

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Grade: 3

The significant changes in the leadership over the last few years have now settled down to enable the school to get a firm grip on improvement. The strong leadership of the new headteacher drives the work of the school. She has high expectations of pupils' achievement, their enjoyment of learning and safety in school. She and the deputy headteacher continually explore ways to improve the quality of education, working effectively as a team. The majority of parents recognise and appreciate the school improvement, although some are concerned about remaining inconsistencies in progress. Monitoring is largely undertaken by the headteacher and provides an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Plans are now in place to extend monitoring responsibilities more widely to include subject leaders for English, mathematics and science. In particular, it is planned that they check teaching and learning and analyse data for their subject so that they

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Grade: 3

can highlight precisely where and how improvements can be made. Governance has significantly improved since the last inspection, under the guidance of the new chair. Governors have been very supportive during the disruption caused by the recent building work. Many are new to their responsibilities, but already have a satisfactory understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses. They are also attending training so that they can play a full part in monitoring the school's progress. The school's promotion of community cohesion is satisfactory. Although the school has established some effective links with schools in India to help pupils to value diversity, the school acknowledges that there are not enough opportunities for contacts beyond the local community. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

22 January 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Henbury Court Primary School, Bristol BS10 7NY. Thank you very much for making us feel welcome when we came to your school. We enjoyed talking to you very much and thought you were friendly and polite.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school provides you with a satisfactory education and we were pleased to hear that you enjoy your education. These are some of the things we found out about your school: ■ Children in the Nursery, Reception and Hearing Impaired Base achieve well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and look after each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a good understanding of how important it is to eat healthy food and you enjoy taking regular exercise. ■ You like the clubs you attend and visits outside school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teachers and staff look after you well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All the staff and governors are working hard to make your school better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

These are the things we asked the school to do to make it even better than it is now:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Track your progress very carefully and make sure that you are given the right level of work, so that you all make good progress in English, mathematics and science, particularly boys. ■ Make sure that the teaching is good or better, so that you do well in every lesson.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that those members of staff who are in charge of English, mathematics and science are more involved in checking how well you are doing, to help your school get even better. You can help by continuing to behave well, working hard and listening carefully to your teachers. Best wishes for the future. Yours faithfully Ian Hancock Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Henbury Court Primary School, 19–20 January 2009

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