Upshire Primary Foundation School

Inspection of Upshire Primary Foundation School Upshire Road, Upshire, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 3PX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 13–14 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Celebrating what pupils do well is central to the work of Upshire Primary Foundation School. Pupils choose the work that they are proud of and display it around the school. They regularly choose to show work to adults elsewhere in the school to share success. Leaders reward achievements through the whole curriculum in assemblies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly show the badges they receive for their achievement and good attendance. As they move through the school, they take on increased responsibilities. For example, pupils take on the roles of house captains, prefects and play leaders. They also help care for the school tortoise. Year 6 pupils earn additional privileges for being good role models. They are aware that these may be lost as well as earned. Pupils wear badges showing their ‘VIP status’ with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have recently improved the curriculum, particularly in history, geography and science. Pupils are very interested in the current history topics and have a detailed knowledge of what they have learned. They appreciate the money leaders have spent on buying good-quality reading books. Pupils say they particularly enjoy the non-fiction books linked to their topics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play well together with the wide range of equipment and apparatus available outside. There are very few bullying or significant behavioural incidents. Where these do occur, staff deal with them quickly.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. Following several years of poor key stage 2 reading outcomes, they undertook a full curriculum review. Staff, governors and pupils know what the school’s priorities are and what is being done to further improve the school.

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better?

There has been success in increasing the proportion of Year 6 pupils attaining the expected standard in reading. Leaders know there is work to do to make sure that more pupils reach the higher standard. Leaders have brought more challenging books and non-fiction books that pupils say they particularly enjoy reading. Leaders’ aim is to increase the challenge of what pupils read and develop them from liking to loving reading. A ‘reading stop’ with teachers every Wednesday for families is popular.

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better?

Reading comprehension is taught using a common approach across the school. All pupils are supported to access high-quality texts. This focus on the texts pupils read links to how writing is taught. Pupils look at structure, plan out story maps and then change these to create their own work.

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better?

Pupils achieve in line with national averages in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. For each new sound, pupils spend time reading words with that letter 13–14 November 2019

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pattern and then, later, spend time practising writing it. However, teachers do not always develop the links between the sounds that letters make and what they look like when written.

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In mathematics, pupils are supported where needed and given challenge. Some pupils receive extra teaching before a topic to help them access the lessons. Where modelling is used, for example, using pictures, this helps pupils understand. Some teachers do not always make good use of these and this is also the case in some other subjects.

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At the time of the inspection, most topics were centred around history. The history curriculum has had a recent review. Pupils are positive about these lessons. They know lots of historical information and understand the relevant vocabulary. Teachers make the teaching come to life, for example a day experiencing a ‘Victorian classroom’.

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Physical education (PE), looked at in depth in the inspection, is taught well. Teachers have received training which has made them more confident in delivering the subject.

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Behaviour is good. Most pupils are motivated and want to do well. Developing pupils’ resilience, ‘self-regulation of behaviour’ and desire to learn is important. This is developed through a well-planned personal, social, health and emotional education programme. There are rewards for pupils doing well, and successes are shared widely.

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Children in the early years make a good start to their education. Parents and carers are positive about the experience their children have. There is a warm relationship between the adults and children. There are plenty of opportunities for children to both learn and play.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and her team of support assistants work well to meet the varying needs of the pupils. Staff across the school receive specific training to enhance practice further.

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The school is well led. Leaders are reflective and aware of what they need to do to further improve pupils’ progress. They have taken effective action over the last few years to start this process, with reported achievement outcomes in 2019 being at national averages or above across the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are kept safe. They say they feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe online. Parents who responded to the online survey, Parent View, agreed. Virtually all parents would recommend the school. 13–14 November 2019

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Any concerns about pupils from staff are dealt with rapidly. The school’s systems enable excellent communication between staff in knowing, where appropriate, information that helps them support individuals. Regular training keeps staff aware of local safeguarding issues that may put pupils at risk.

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Those responsible for attendance work hard to make sure that pupils attend school every day. They support families needing help to do this well.

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Governors and leaders ensure that all appropriate checks are made on adults in the school to make sure that they are suitable to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is a clearly understood approach to teaching phonics but not enough emphasis on the links between the sounds and what the letter form looks like. Teachers need to further develop this link.  Although attainment in reading at the end of key stage 2 has significantly improved, there is still work needed to challenge the most able readers and further raise their attainment. Leaders know that pupils like reading, but not enough pupils yet have a love of reading. Teachers need to develop pupils’ interest in books, making sure that the most able are adequately challenged.  Sometimes, there are occasions across the curriculum where teachers could support the learning of pupils better by modelling more clearly what they are expecting from them.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 13–14 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110245 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8–9 July 2015

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Information about this school

 Upshire is a foundation school under the control of the governing body. Some of the governing body are also governors of Fledglings Pre-School, which shares the school site.  Fledglings Pre-School is separately registered. It provides breakfast and after- school provision for pupils from this school.  The school is a one-form entry school, except for one year group – currently Year 2 – where an extra class was created to meet local demand for places.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 As part of this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, SENCo, senior teacher and subject leaders. They also met with groups of teachers and pupils. They met the chair of the governing body. An inspector spoke to both the current and previous local authority representatives.  Reading, mathematics, history and PE were considered in depth as part of this inspection. Inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, undertook work 13–14 November 2019

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scrutinies and met with teachers and pupils to help them understand the quality of education.  To inspect the school’s safeguarding arrangements, inspectors spoke to the designated safeguarding lead, members of staff, parents, the chair of governors and pupils. They checked the single central record and a sample of safeguarding records.  Inspectors observed playtimes and lunchtimes.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman Ofsted Inspector 13–14 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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