Bulford St Leonard's C of E (VA) Primary School

Bulford St Leonard’s C of E (VA) Primary School John French Way, Bulford Village, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 9HP

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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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Early years provision 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

 Until recently, leaders have not made the needed improvements to ensure that teaching is good. This has resulted in pupils underachieving, particularly the most and least able.  Leaders do not have an accurate enough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have not identified where some aspects require improvement.  Middle leadership is not effective across the school. Leaders’ actions to improve this have not yet had a significant impact on outcomes or the quality of teaching.  Until recently, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have not received the support they need.  Weak teaching across the curriculum has hampered pupils’ progress. Pupils do not have a secure understanding of what they have been learning in some lessons.  Most teachers do not check accurately what pupils know and can do. As a result, they do not have high enough expectations of the most

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

able pupils.  Teachers have not ensured that pupils can spell and use punctuation well enough to write effectively. Many pupils, particularly those in key stage 2, are not working at the standard they should be.  Staff do not provide a wide enough range of activities to enable children in the Reception Year to progress well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Recent initiatives to promote reading have resulted in an increase in the number of pupils who read for pleasure.  Pupils behave well in and out of class. New pupils are welcomed and quickly make friends.  Pupils who demonstrate challenging behaviour are well supported and make good progress.  Leaders’ efforts to increase attendance have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of pupils who are regularly absent.  Parents and carers value the attention and care that school staff give to individual pupils.  Teachers in the early years and key stage 1 make regular checks on pupils’ learning in phonics. As a result, pupils make strong progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership by ensuring that: – leaders at all levels are effective in bringing about improvement in their areas of responsibility so that teaching, learning and assessment are consistently good. – all leaders use robust monitoring, including information about pupils’ progress, to identify where the school’s strengths and weaknesses are – the school’s curriculum enables pupils to make strong progress in all subjects from their starting points.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning across the school by ensuring that: – teachers have consistently high expectations in all subjects – across the curriculum, teachers use assessment information more effectively to provide activities that match closely pupils’ emerging needs, particularly for most and least able pupils – gaps in pupils’ writing skills, particularly in key stage 2, are rapidly addressed so a greater proportion of pupils are working at expectations for their age.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of the early years by providing opportunities that enable Reception children to make good progress from their starting points, in all areas of learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that the school has improved rapidly enough to be good. As a result, standards have not risen sufficiently. Not enough pupils are reaching the levels they are capable of in all subjects, especially those who are most or least able.  Middle leadership is not yet effective enough across the school. Senior leaders have taken some action to address this and now hold middle leaders to account. There are some signs that this work is starting to pay off.  Leaders have not acted swiftly enough to ensure that pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. In some year groups, teaching does not match the requirements of the national curriculum. This has resulted in pupils having gaps in their understanding. Leaders have recently put plans in place to make sure that pupils do not miss out on any learning. This is not yet having an impact on pupils’ achievement.  Since arriving in March 2018, the principal has set high expectations for pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

behaviour and attendance. The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent has reduced significantly. Pupils with challenging behaviour have received very effective support. Pupils are in school and ready to learn.  Leaders’ actions to hold middle leaders to account more have led to improvements in some areas. In phonics and mathematics, middle leaders have successfully worked with teachers to improve standards. The deputy principal, who took up the post in April, has already taken action to ensure that pupils read widely and often, which is paying off.  Leadership of provision for pupils with SEND has been limited until recently. The support given to these pupils has not enabled them to make good progress. Leaders have not held teachers to account for the progress of those pupils. The newly appointed part time special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has introduced some appropriate changes. However, it is too early to see the impact of these actions.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders are making more effective use of pupil premium funding. They have ensured that there is additional time for staff to monitor and challenge the attendance of disadvantaged pupils, which is making a difference. There is a focus on increasing disadvantaged pupils’ emotional resilience so they can persevere with their learning. Pupils could talk about how the support had given them a more positive attitude towards learning.  The sports premium funding is rightly used to promote pupils’ wider participation in physical activities including competitive sport. However, leaders recognise that they could enable more pupils to participate in extra-curricular clubs.  Senior leaders now have accurate evidence of what pupils know, can do and understand in reading and mathematics. Recent changes to the assessment process have enabled leaders to collect more precise information. Work in books shows that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

teachers now have higher expectations of what pupils can do in mathematics.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has improved. The themes covered in collective worship and RE lessons are developing an increasing awareness in pupils about how to become responsible citizens.  Parents are positive about the school and the vast majority of parents would recommend the school to others.

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Governance of the school

 Until recently, the multi-academy trust (MAT) had not challenged leaders sufficiently. Minutes of meetings show that members of the academy advisory board (AAB) recognised that standards were not high enough. However, they did not assure themselves that school leaders’ actions were having the expected impact. The appointment of new members has strengthened the board. Members now come into school on a regular basis and check the accuracy of leaders’ improvement reports.  The AAB ensures that it fulfils its statutory duties, it reviews policies on an ongoing basis. The board member responsible for safeguarding reviews the school’s records and procedures each term.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Well-established systems ensure that staff understand how to report any concerns. Leaders take swift action to secure support for vulnerable pupils.  Arrangements for staff training are robust. Staff have had training on specific concerns such as Prevent. Leaders regularly revisit aspects of safeguarding training to ensure that staff have a secure understanding, providing further advice if necessary. Staff value this ongoing training as it helps them have a greater understanding of the risks to pupils.  Leaders have ensured that pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe, including when using technology. Pupils understand what to do if they are concerned.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers’ assessments of what pupils know and can do are not accurate enough. They do not have high enough expectations because they underestimate pupils’ achievement. Consequently, learning is not challenging for the most able and these pupils are not progressing as well as they could.  Teachers are not doing enough to ensure that pupils can write effectively. They are not consistently addressing the gaps in pupils’ understanding of basic spelling and punctuation. As a result, pupils repeat errors over time.  Teachers do not provide pupils with suitable comprehension tasks. Often, the questions are too easy for pupils. This means pupils that are not able to reach the higher standards they are capable of.  Teaching in other subjects, particularly science and humanities, does not sufficiently enable pupils to develop secure knowledge and understanding. Pupils do not learn about the different subjects in depth.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The teaching of phonics in early years and key stage 1 is a strength. Teachers consistently go over what pupils have learned to ensure that they have secure knowledge of letters and sounds. Teachers assess pupils’ understanding regularly, which enables them to identify pupils who need additional support. Teachers support individual pupils in lessons to make sure they catch up.  The recent introduction of appealing books into the classrooms and a reading reward system has motivated pupils to read more frequently. Pupils report that they now want to read and are enjoying reading.  The work of teaching assistants is effective. They ensure that pupils know what to do and help them when they have difficulty with learning activities. Consistent help from skilled staff enables anxious newly-arrived pupils to adjust to school routines well. Pupils spoke highly of the support they receive.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are encouraged to contribute to the success of the school. Members of the school council are confident and self-assured in their roles. They take an active lead in discussions about school life and feel that staff listen to their suggestions.  The school responds well to the needs of the high number of pupils who join the school other than at the usual times. One new parent said that their children were ‘welcomed and settled in perfectly’. Many other parents commented on the effective way school staff helped their children when they started.  Pupils are knowledgeable about the school’s values. They can explain how other pupils demonstrate these values by helping each other when they are hurt or need a friend. One pupil said, ‘All the pupils in the school look after each other well.’  Pupils’ understanding of other religions and cultures is limited. They are unable to

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Personal development and welfare

remember what they have been taught in previous years. This reduces their ability to understand the views and beliefs of others.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The behaviour of pupils has improved since the arrival of the current principal. Staff apply sanctions consistently and a reward system motivates pupils to behave well. Pupils said that there is no bullying because the principal does not allow it to happen.  Leaders have made sure that staff have the knowledge and skills to manage challenging behaviour effectively. The school’s behaviour records show that, over time, individual pupils’ behaviour improves. One pupil talked positively about the support she had received to enable her to focus more in lessons.  Teachers have developed good relationships with pupils and set expectations for classroom behaviour well. As a result, there is no disruption to pupil’s learning across the school. Pupils persevere with their learning and respond quickly to teachers’ instructions. Little time is lost when pupils move from one activity to another.

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Behaviour

 Staff ensure that pupils treat each other with respect. Pupils are confident to express their views and ideas because other pupils listen to them carefully.  Leaders have improved the procedures for monitoring attendance. They make sure that every day they know why any pupil is absent. Leaders strongly encourage parents to send their children to school regularly and, as a result, attendance has risen.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Outcomes require improvement because pupils are not making sufficient progress across all subjects, particularly the most and least able.  Pupils make more progress in upper key stage 2. However, these pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to weaknesses in previous teaching. Consequently, pupils are not achieving as well as they could.  In key stage 1, most pupils are reaching the expectations for their age. However, very few of the most able pupils are reaching the standards they are capable of.  Progress in reading at the end of key stage two last year was below average. Across key stage 2, pupils’ progress is too slow as teachers are not ensuring that pupils develop secure comprehension skills.  A large proportion of key stage 2 pupils have weaknesses in their application of spelling, punctuation and vocabulary. This is preventing many of them from working at expectations for their age in writing. Too few pupils are working at the higher levels.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils are not making sufficient progress in other subjects such as science and geography. They do not have opportunities to use and apply what they have learned. As a result, they do not remember what they have been taught.  Outcomes for phonics are improving. Last year, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics was not high enough. Many current pupils are now reaching the standards expected for their age, due to improvements in the way phonics is taught. In Nursery, some pupils are achieving very well.  Current pupils are achieving well in mathematics. A structured programme has ensured that most pupils are reaching the expectations for their age.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the different quality of provision across the early years. Children’s achievement is better in the Nursery than the Reception Year.  Some teachers’ use of assessment is not accurate enough. They do not consistently take into account children’s starting points when planning activities for the Reception class. Although some of the most able children are making good progress in writing, this is not the case for other areas of learning.  Reception staff do not ensure that children can understand and use a wide vocabulary. They provide opportunities to extend children’s knowledge but do not make sure that it is having an impact.  Leaders do not do enough to check that all children learn how to form letters accurately. When children are encouraged to practise their letter formation, some staff do not ensure that children learn to write them properly. Over time, some children

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Early years provision Requires improvement

have not made consistent progress in this aspect of writing.  There are not enough opportunities for Reception children to extend and deepen their understanding across the areas of learning. In the outdoor area, a lack of space limits the range of activities that are on offer.  Children get off to a good start in the nursery because of good-quality provision. Many children join the school with skills and abilities below that expected for their age. They make good progress across the areas of learning.  Staff establish clear routines in the Nursery and these are followed through well into Reception. Children quickly follow adults’ instructions and tidy up very well when asked.  Nursery children persevere to complete tasks because adults give them activities that engage their interest. For example, one boy spent a large part of the morning using glue to construct a complex junk model. As a result, children achieve well in the

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Early years provision Requires improvement

Nursery.  The early years team work with parents to enable them to support their children’s learning at home. A phonics workshop held during the inspection was well attended by parents. Parents spoke very positively about the session.

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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

Email address principal@bulfordstleonards.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average-sized primary school. Some pupils are taught in mixed- age classes.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by an education, health and care plan is above average.  Service children make up a large proportion of the pupils who attend the school. Many pupils join at times other than at the start of the academic year, mostly due to service families being posted to the local camp.  The school operates a breakfast club for its pupils.  The school is designated as a Church of England primary school. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in February 2019.  Shortly after the school became an academy, an interim principal was brought in to replace the headteacher when she left. The current principal took up the post in

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Information about this school

January 2018. The deputy principal joined the school in April 2019.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils learning in lessons or parts of lessons across a range of subjects and year groups. They observed some lessons jointly with senior leaders in the school. Inspectors looked at the pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, subject leaders, designated safeguarding leads, one member of the AAB, two members of the trust board and the chief executive.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including information available on the school’s website and records relating to attendance. They looked at information on governance, including minutes of academy advisory board meetings.  Inspectors spoke with parents during the inspection and considered the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online parent survey, including 37 free-text comments.  Inspectors took into account the views of the 27 staff who submitted a survey and 37 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors listened to pupils read and spoke with pupils in lessons and around the school. They also met formally with groups of pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, before school, around the school, during breakfast club, and during breaktimes.

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Inspection team

Susan Watts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Horsnell 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

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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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