Upper Horfield Primary School

Inspection of Upper Horfield Community School Sheridan Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0PU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 27–28 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not yet get a good education at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and are safe in school. They say that bullying rarely happens but when it does, teachers deal with it. They say that adults are kind to them and care about them. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the residential and whole-school trips. There are lots of clubs for pupils to attend after school. The school also offers before-school care, which is popular with parents and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils are motivated and say that they enjoy learning. However, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and learning are not high enough in some year groups. When teachers do not match learning to the pupils’ needs, pupils lose interest and switch off. Pupils told inspectors that there are times when other pupils’ behaviour stops them from getting on with their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have prioritised working closely with parents. This work has been successful in the Nursery and Reception classes but there is more to do across other year groups. Currently, too many pupils do not attend school regularly and this hampers their learning.

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better?

Leaders have an ambition for the school to improve. They have the necessary subject knowledge to make this happen. Leaders know that the quality of education is not good enough. Learning is not well sequenced in most subjects. However, leaders do not communicate their ambitions explicitly. They have been too slow to act. Many plans for improvement are in the early stages.

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better?

Leaders have promoted reading well for key stage 2 pupils, through the use of a dedicated reading scheme. Pupils enjoy reading and have improved their fluency as a result. New plans for the teaching of reading have just started. However, teachers’ subject knowledge of phonics in key stage 1 is variable. Some teachers’ subject knowledge in phonics is weak. Teachers do not provide pupils who are behind in phonics with the support they need to allow them to catch up quickly.

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better?

The mathematics leader has provided support for teachers to help them plan learning that will have a clearer sequence. Although teachers assess pupils’ learning, they do not always use this information to plan their next steps well enough. This is because teachers’ knowledge is not always secure to enable them to plan learning that meets the needs of all pupils, particularly those who are most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

The quality of the curriculum across the school is varied. In science, pupils enjoy the opportunities for investigations. However, pupils say that these are few in number. Therefore, pupils’ understanding of aspects such as fair testing and gathering results is limited. The leader of personal, social and health education (PSHE) is enthusiastic 27–28 November 2019

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to promote the wide variety of social, moral and cultural learning which pupils are exposed to. However, some teachers do not adapt the schemes of work to meet pupils’ abilities. When this happens, pupils lack interest and their behaviour deteriorates.

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One area of success is writing. The subject leader has devised a detailed structure for the teaching of writing across the school. Pupils are taught key knowledge and apply this to their writing. For example, pupils in Year 3 were taught and now use fronted adverbials in their writing. However, in some year groups, pupils struggle to recall and apply what they have learned previously. Teachers do not give these pupils the help they need to be successful. Some teachers’ low expectations and their lack of guidance is hampering pupils’ progress.

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Leaders are building the foundations for success with the acquisition of the Nursery. Children are getting off to a great start. Leaders and staff make sure that children in the Nursery learn well. The expectations of adults in the Nursery are consistently high. Therefore, teaching in the Nursery helps children to make strong progress. However, this is not the case in the Reception class. Children in Reception enjoy the activities on offer, particularly story-telling. They like to learn outside. Most children stay focused and busy. However, staff expectations of the children are not as high as in the Nursery. Consequently, not all children are as well prepared for their move into Year 1.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils are safe from harm. The designated leaders for safeguarding, along with the safeguarding governor, make sure that all staff are well trained. Staff know their roles and responsibilities and how to record any concerns they have. All leaders and staff are vigilant. Leaders seek and follow advice from other specialist professionals if they spot something more serious or if they are unsure. Leaders have raised issues with managers within the social care system if they have not been satisfied with the help that children receive.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ vision for developing subjects is not widely shared with everyone in school. Plans are in their early stages. Consequently, teaching is inconsistent. Pupils do not develop the knowledge and understanding they should in some subject areas. Leaders need to ensure that their vision and plans are clearly understood and implemented by staff.  Some of the leaders are new to post. They have good subject knowledge but do not convey their expectations clearly enough. Senior leaders need to provide these leaders with the guidance they need to support teaching staff in 27–28 November 2019

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implementing their plans well.  Leaders are working determinedly to improve the school’s partnership with parents. Where it is working well, pupils’ attendance has improved. Leaders should extend the strong partnership with parents in the early years to the rest of the school.  The quality of education is inconsistent because not all teachers’ and teaching assistants’ knowledge is secure enough. Teacher’s varied expectations of pupils do not aid pupils’ attitudes. As a result, some pupils switch off learning and lack a pride in their work. Leaders need to make sure that teachers have strong subject knowledge. This will help teachers to plan activities that build on what pupils can already understand and know in subjects across the curriculum.  The pupils who need additional support to catch up with their peers in phonics do not always receive learning that is well matched to their needs. The teaching of

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phonics, especially for those pupils who struggle to learn sounds, is not good enough. Too few pupils in key stage 1 read fluently enough or make the correct spelling choices when they write. Leaders need to make sure that staff subject knowledge in phonics is strong so that pupils and can apply their phonic knowledge accurately in reading and writing.  Teaching in Reception is not building fully on the strong practice in the Nursery. Leaders are not ensuring that the provision is of the same high quality. Teachers do not give children activities that truly build on what they can do and already know. Leaders need to ensure that teachers’ expectations are equally as strong in Reception as they are in Nursery. Teachers need to provide children with more challenging activities that will allow children to achieve what they are capable of, particularly the most able.

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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. 27–28 November 2019

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.upperhorfield.bristol.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2–3 July 2015

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Information about this school

 There is one class per year group in the school, which is a smaller than average- sized primary school.  The school operates a nursery for children aged two years and upwards.  The school operates before- and after-school care provision for children and pupils.

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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

 Inspectors did deep dives in: reading, writing, mathematics, science and PSHE.  Inspectors conducted lesson visits, met with senior leaders and curriculum leaders, spoke to teachers, looked at pupils’ workbooks and met with pupils.  The lead inspector met with the leader of special educational needs. He also analysed attendance information, behaviour logs and exclusion records. The inspectors also met with leaders to discuss the school’s work to support pupils’ personal development. 27–28 November 2019

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 The lead inspector met with and spoke on the telephone to members of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with the designated leader for safeguarding. He also scrutinized the school’s single central record.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Parent View, and spoke to some parents. There were no responses from the staff or pupil survey. However, inspectors sought the views of pupils when inspecting individual subjects and those of the staff.

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Inspection team

Paul Smith, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Hester Millsop Ofsted Inspector 27–28 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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