Cutenhoe Hill Primary School

Surrey Street Primary School Cutenhoe Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 3NJ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Under the skilled leadership of the headteacher and senior leaders, staff have created an ethos of high expectations since the previous inspection.  Leaders continue to be ambitious about eliminating underperformance and providing the best teaching, outcomes and experiences for all pupils. They translate this ambition into action, so the school continues to improve.  As a result of consistently good teaching and assessment, pupils learn quickly and are beginning to apply their skills across all subjects. Teachers are skilled at supporting pupils’ progress in learning, especially in English and mathematics.  Outcomes for current pupils are good. Pupils make strong progress from their individual starting points across a range of subjects.  Governors provide effective support and challenge. They ensure that the school provides value for money and check leaders’ effectiveness regularly.  Leaders embrace the exceptionally high level of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

mobility. They have effective plans for pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who join the school. As a result, these pupils make a strong start to their time at the school.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, because of the effective support they receive.  Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to adults and have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils’ conduct around the school is good.  Middle leaders demonstrate good subject knowledge. They have received support from senior leaders to undertake their roles. While their plans for improvement are appropriate, these are yet to be fully implemented.  Pupils experience a broad curriculum. However, in subjects such as science, teachers do not plan effectively to build on what pupils already know and can do.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress in acquiring mathematical skills and knowledge. However, they do not have enough opportunities to use these skills in other subjects.  Increasing proportions of most-able pupils are attaining standards that are higher than expected for their age. However, variance remains in some subjects, including in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – continuing to strengthen and develop middle leaders to ensure that they hold their colleagues to account for outcomes in their areas of responsibilities – implementing plans to develop the curriculum further, so that progression in pupils’ knowledge and skills is carefully planned, in particular for science.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – developing pupils’ skills in mathematical reasoning and providing more opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge and skills in different contexts – further developing teaching to ensure that teachers adapt pupils’ work swiftly in response to their needs, in particular for the most able pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have been unwavering in their determination to secure a good standard of education for pupils. The senior team and governing body have worked successfully to eliminate underperformance, improve the quality of teaching and strengthen pupils’ progress. Areas that required improvement at the time of the previous inspection have been addressed effectively.  Senior leaders have an accurate view of what the school does well, because of regular, detailed evaluation of the school’s performance. Leaders have clear priorities for areas that require further improvement. They are relentless in their pursuit of excellence, communicating a sense of drive and urgency to continue to move forward quickly.  The school has benefited from support from local authority professionals and neighbouring schools. Support has assisted senior leaders and governors in establishing a more rigorous system for monitoring and evaluating the school’s work,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

as well as in carrying out training in line with the school improvement plan priorities. Senior leaders have adopted a proactive attitude to the support they received and have developed a strong capacity to secure further improvements as a result.  Procedures to check the quality of teaching are effective and involve middle leaders as well as the senior leadership team. Senior leaders are skilful in ensuring that their analysis and interpretation of information about pupils’ progress lead to actions that address any areas of concern. Teachers meet regularly to discuss individual pupils’ ‘flight paths’ and, as a result, have a good understanding of where pupils need to be and how they will get them there.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is woven seamlessly through the curriculum. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities, for example as well-being warriors and class and house captains.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders use pupil premium funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Over time, the progress made by disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics has improved. The current pupil premium strategy is detailed and focuses precisely on individual pupils’ needs. Consequently, the disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are making good progress from their starting points.  Leaders embrace the high levels of pupil mobility at the school. They have thorough plans to support new pupils and their families. Staff support pupils who speak English as an additional language through the school’s ‘Welcome Class’ where such pupils learn English quickly so that they can have access to the curriculum sooner. Pupils with SEND have access to the school’s two ‘Flamingo Bay’ resource bases, where they receive specialist support to meet their needs. Consequently, these pupils make a strong start to their time at Surrey Street.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The leader for physical education (PE) and sport premium has a wide range of expertise to help him to carry out his role. The leader uses the relevant funding well to make a positive contribution to pupils’ interest and participation in games, sports and physical activity. Staff have developed their skills in teaching PE by working closely with the sports coaches.  Parents and carers who spoke informally with inspectors were positive about the school’s work. One parent stated: ‘I cannot imagine sending children anywhere else’ and noted: ‘the dedication that the teachers show is inspiring’. Many parents that inspectors spoke to on the school playground concurred with this view.  Leaders have a very clear vision of the knowledge and skills they wish to promote through the school’s broad and balanced curriculum, beyond English and mathematics. Pupils learn a range of engaging topics in the school which are supported well by

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

opportunities to learn off site too. Visits to local farms, wildlife parks and historical museums support pupils’ learning effectively and are well received by the pupils. However, while there are pockets of strong practice across the curriculum, in particular in PE, evident within pupils’ books and class displays, practice is not yet consistent across the school. Progression in pupils’ knowledge and skills is not carefully planned for, especially in science. Leaders are aware of this inconsistency, and middle leaders have developed curriculum plans with neighbouring schools to address it, which will be implemented soon.  Some middle leaders are new to their posts. They are enthusiastic in their roles and they share the senior leaders’ views of what needs to improve. Senior leaders have sought highly effective training for middle leaders to develop their leadership skills. As a result, their actions are already starting to improve current pupils’ outcomes across

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the curriculum. However, their skills in evaluating the difference that these improvements are making are not fully developed.

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Governance of the school

 Governors bring a range of appropriate professional skills and experience to the school that enhances their impact on school improvement. Audits of their skills and knowledge lead to effective training in order to enhance their effectiveness further. They share the passion and commitment of senior leaders and have effectively managed school improvement. Governors’ regular meetings allow them to question school leaders and hold them to account for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, as well as for pupils’ outcomes.  Governors make it their business to know about the work of the school and have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have ensured, along with the senior leaders, that the school’s priorities are intrinsically embedded in the performance management of all adults. Governors participate in monitoring activities alongside senior leaders, such as by attending meetings about pupils’ progress and

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff have been trained appropriately and have received up-to-date advice on safeguarding issues. They know how to communicate any concerns promptly to staff responsible for safeguarding, both in person and through the school system for logging concerns. Appropriate risk assessments have been carried out. Leaders have established effective procedures for investigating concerns and following up issues. Leaders are tenacious in their work with external agencies and ensure that appropriate actions support and safeguard pupils and their families.  The school maintains a thorough central record of the recruitment checks carried out before staff are appointed. The procedures for ensuring safe recruitment are robust and comply with statutory requirements.  Pupils say that they feel safe and they trust adults at the school to support them if they have a concern. Parents also say that their children feel safe at the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the school was previously inspected and continues to improve. The impact of teaching on learning is reflected in the strong progress current pupils now make in each year group. The impact of actions introduced to improve teaching, especially of mathematics, further is yet to be fully seen given the short time that these strategies have been in place.  Teachers plan learning effectively, with tasks that engage the majority of pupils and address the needs of particular groups of pupils. Teachers build in regular opportunities for pupils to consolidate and secure their learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils well and plan and intervene accordingly. Pupils with SEND receive group and individual support that enables them to engage more fully with their learning and catch up with their peers. Pupils and parents value this support, which is having a positive impact on progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders introduced a new writing scheme, which is used consistently across the school. Pupils use writing frames and picture clues to remember key phrases and features of different genres. As a result, the teaching of writing is a strength of the school, and pupils make strong progress from the time they start at the school.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and stick closely to the school’s behaviour policy. They address the very occasional incidence of low-level disruption quickly and effectively. This disruption usually results from the occasional slowing of learning, when pupils can lose concentration and complete less work than usual.  Work is usually pitched well according to pupils’ abilities, and teachers are skilled at adapting and changing their plans, based on ongoing daily assessments of how well pupils grasp learning. Teachers are not yet adept at assessing subject-specific skills

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

across all curriculum subjects.  Pupils’ presentation of their work is good and reflects the high expectations that teachers have. Pupils are proud of their work and have positive attitudes to learning.  Teachers have secure subject knowledge that they use to build pupils’ understanding in mathematics and their reading and writing skills in English. Teachers and teaching assistants have developed pupils’ reading abilities with increasing success in recent years, with consistent improvement in the numbers reaching the required standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Pupils we listened to used decoding strategies to help them understand less-familiar words, although some less-able pupils remain less fluent.  Teachers set up clear routines to encourage positive learning behaviour, and, as a result, pupils are quick to settle to tasks. Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils to remember key definitions. Teachers use effective questioning to probe pupils’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

knowledge, understanding and skills. For example, in a Year 4 class, such questioning helped pupils to understand the difference between acute and obtuse angles.  Teachers use a range of effective strategies to help pupils to understand concepts in practical ways. In mathematics, pupils regularly use practical resources with number blocks and grids to explore mathematical ideas, before engaging with questions in more abstract ways in their books. Pupils respond well to these approaches, which help them to understand and visualise mathematical ideas. However, leaders acknowledge that the teaching of reasoning skills is not yet fully embedded across the school and pupils do not have regular opportunities to use mathematical knowledge in different contexts.  The most able pupils are often stretched through additional challenges in mathematics and with more in-depth explorations of texts in English. However, while teachers are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

building increasing challenge into the curriculum, the most able pupils do not consistently have opportunities to work at greater depth.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic, understand the importance of education and are motivated to make progress.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development permeates the school’s work. Staff celebrate diversity and give pupils many opportunities to reflect on their beliefs and those of others.  Pupils are welcoming to visitors and interested in them. Pupils are happy to talk about their learning and keen to share their work.  Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. The well-being team and family support workers are available to help pupils who may require any emotional or social guidance.  Pupils have a very good understanding of bullying and the different forms it can take. They are adamant that instances of bullying are extremely rare and that adults rectify any disagreements swiftly and fairly.

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Personal development and welfare

 Leaders have created a ‘Welcome Class’ for pupils who speak English as an additional language. This resource is proving to be big success, and pupils that attend it are well cared for and develop English quickly. One parent commented that her child has been supported well, despite only recently joining the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils respond well to the high expectations of staff. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and conduct around the school are excellent. Pupils are not easily distracted from their learning, and low-level disruption is extremely rare.  Pupils conduct themselves sensibly. They carry out additional classroom responsibilities in a mature manner and contribute well to the school’s positive climate. For example, Year 6 pupils deliver milk and fruit to the younger year groups as well as having the opportunity to be ‘well-being warriors’ and ‘class leaders’.  Pupils are proud of their school and their community. Pupils welcome visitors to their classroom and are keen to share their achievements. One pupil stated that: ‘We all get on well together’. When asked to grade their school, those interviewed all said: ‘10 out of 10!’  Attendance has a high profile in the school, and staff regularly celebrate pupils’ good

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Behaviour

attendance with a range of differing strategies, from ‘lucky dips’ to certificates and prizes. This has brought about improvements in attendance levels for disadvantaged pupils and for those pupils whose absence levels were too high.  Playtimes are happy, lively occasions. Staff reassure any pupils who need support and encourage them to join in with others. At lunchtime, the behaviour of a small group of older pupils can become over boisterous and they engage in activities where they may hurt themselves. When this takes place, adults are not always quick to intervene.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ progress and attainment in key stage 2 have shown strong improvement since the school was previously inspected. Published data has improved year on year. Current pupils are also making strong progress in a wide range of subjects from their starting points.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have introduced new approaches to writing and mathematics. Leaders are working well to improve these areas of the curriculum, but the new approaches are not fully established in all year groups, especially within mathematics. Work in current pupils’ books shows that the opportunities for reasoning have increased, but reasoning is not yet fully and consistently embedded across the school.  The progress of pupils with SEND is good. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is experienced in her role and ensures that pupils’ needs are accurately identified. She liaises closely with teachers and teaching assistants to provide targeted

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Outcomes for pupils Good

support or interventions. This is particularly evident in the school’s two ‘Flamingo Bay’ resource areas.  The majority of pupils acquire the phonics knowledge and skills that they need by the end of Year 1. This is because the effective teaching of phonics starts as soon as pupils join the school. Pupils enjoy reading and are well supported both in the school and by parents at home to develop their reading skills. Pupils use different strategies to read difficult words, including the use of their phonic knowledge, context and/or picture clues.  Teachers are quick to identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Teachers then make effective provision for them, within the class, in small groups or individually. By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for secondary school, both in terms of their achievement and in their knowledge of how to be a successful learner.  Leaders are committed to ensuring that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is in line

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Outcomes for pupils Good

with that of their peers nationally. The school’s current assessment information and pupils’ work seen during the inspection show that disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their different starting points. Records indicate that the difference between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils nationally is also diminishing.  Pupils are now making consistently strong progress across Years 1 and 2 in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics. The proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who are working at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics continues to increase. However, expectations for the most able pupils, including for the most able disadvantaged, are too low and they are not achieving as well as they could. Activities do not take account of what these pupils already know, can do and understand.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years leader has a strong understanding of the developmental needs of young children. Planning is tailored accordingly and ensures that there is good coverage of the early years curriculum and a clear progression in children’s learning. As a result, children flourish and make good progress from their starting points.  Adults accurately identify barriers to learning. Many children join the early years with poor communication and language skills. Well-trained adults, working alongside the early years leader, help children to begin to express themselves confidently, using full sentences.  In Nursery and Reception classes, children are encouraged to listen attentively to stories and sounds in the environment. Staff are skilled in their teaching of phonics. They have high expectations of the children. Phonics sessions include opportunities for pupils to consolidate existing knowledge and learn new sounds for reading and

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Early years provision Good

spelling. Reception children are making stronger progress this year. Staff are determined to ensure that children leave Reception ready for the new challenges in Year 1.  The well-organised environments in both Nursery and Reception have a wide range of high-quality resources. Children learn and play calmly and purposefully together. They enjoy the activities and show good levels of concentration.  Children behave well and are respectful of each other and their environment. This is because adults consistently model the behaviour they want to see and are highly skilled in managing those children who are at an earlier stage of personal and social development. Children are extremely happy and well looked after.  The provision for those children with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language is effective. They make good, and often very good, progress from their starting points, because of the work of the staff, supported effectively by the

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Early years provision Good

school’s SENCo.  Parents reported that they value the service they and their children receive from the early years team. They spoke warmly about how staff always make themselves available to talk about their children.  Children play together well and are happy and enjoy learning about their environment. Older children enable the youngest children to settle quickly into the school. All children are encouraged to be respectful of one another and of the world around them. Children enjoy looking after the school chickens and were observed talking to each other about how best to care for the seeds that they were growing.

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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 admin@surreystreetprimary.net

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3–4 May 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school experiences an exceptionally high level of pupil mobility.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is significantly above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is significantly above that found nationally.  The school has received support from the local authority to develop the quality of teaching and learning.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is significantly above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is similar to that found nationally.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning in a range of lessons and part lessons across the school. The deputy headteacher joined the inspectors for some of these visits.  Meetings were held with a range of school leaders. This included the deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, the SENCo, leaders for early years, English, mathematics and a group of middle leaders. Inspectors also met a representative from the local authority and four members of the school’s governing body.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times throughout the day was observed by the inspectors. They reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Eight pupils in total from Year 2 and Year 6 read their reading books to the inspectors. They discussed how the school supports their reading development and other aspects of the school. At lunchtime and playtime, the inspector also considered pupils’ views of

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Information about this inspection

the school. An inspector also met a group of class captains from a range of different year groups.  The inspectors took account of the nine responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey Parent View and six free-text responses from parents. The inspector met with a number of parents at the beginning of the school day. The inspection team took account of the 38 responses to the staff survey and 33 responses from the pupil survey.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plans. They reviewed records of behaviour and attendance, and information relating to safeguarding. The inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work in their books across a wide range of curriculum areas.

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Inspection team

Joseph Figg, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Capper 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

Parent View 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

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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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