William Byrd Primary Academy

Inspection of William Byrd Primary Academy Victoria Lane, Harlington, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 5EW

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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 Not previously inspected 5–6 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. There is a positive atmosphere. Pupils are encouraged to raise money for charities like Children in Need. Leaders organise visitors who help pupils develop their debating skills. Pupils have the opportunity to go on a trip to France to enrich their study of languages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and conduct themselves well most of the time. However, some pupils find it hard to remain focused on their learning. This is usually when staff have not made sure that what they plan meets the needs of all pupils. Some staff do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can learn. This means that pupils are not prepared for their next stage of learning. Leaders know that pupils have gaps in their knowledge and have a plan to help all pupils to improve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they know who to speak to if they are worried and that they are taught how to keep safe. They know that sometimes other pupils do not behave well and they want staff to help them to behave better. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying appropriately.

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better?

The quality of education in the school is not good enough. However, leaders, including governors, are taking appropriate action to make the improvements that are needed.

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better?

Leaders’ expectations of what pupils need to learn are low. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could, especially in reading and mathematics. Leaders do not plan clearly enough what pupils need to remember and build on from lesson to lesson and as they move up the school. Leaders have not provided teachers with the right information and training about the teaching of reading. This means that teachers do not all have the expertise they need to teach pupils to read well. Teachers’ knowledge and confidence in some subjects such as geography, mathematics and science are not strong enough to help pupils achieve well.

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better?

In the early years, children learn and explore in a bright and positive atmosphere. They have access to a range of activities which help them to learn. For example, we saw children being ‘detectives’, using torches to reveal different letters so they could practise their phonics. Leaders have clear plans for what pupils will learn in the early years, but do not ensure that there are clear links to pupils’ work in Year 1. For example, pupils’ reading in Year 1 does not build on what they already know. Some pupils do not receive the help they need to fill any gaps in their learning.

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better?

Leaders have begun making improvements in these areas. They have brought in experts to help develop teachers’ subject knowledge and planning. Leaders have started to improve their approach to the teaching of reading and mathematics. Where the quality of planning is stronger, pupils’ achievement is improving. In some 5–6 December 2019

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subjects, such as design and technology (DT) leaders’ plans remain underdeveloped, and pupils do not achieve well.

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Pupils are keen to learn. Sometimes, the behaviour of a few pupils is not good, and this affects the learning of others. This is usually in classes where learning is not well planned or teachers’ expectations are not clear. Leaders are prioritising improvement in this area of school life.

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Some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive extra help to catch up with others. They told us they do not like missing some subject lessons while they are receiving this additional support. Leaders are considering ways they can ensure that these pupils cover the same work as everyone else.

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Pupils attend a range of after-school clubs and activities, for example sports, arts and crafts, and film critic club. Pupils learn about healthy eating and how to keep fit as part of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme. However, pupils’ skills and understanding are limited because their learning in PSHE is not linked to that in other subjects such as science. Leaders are developing their PSHE plans so that links to other subjects are clear.

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Leaders are supporting staff to develop their expertise and confidence in different subjects. Staff value all the training and support they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, meet their statutory duties to safeguard pupils. They are developing a strong safeguarding culture and robust procedures. Staff are trained so that they understand how to keep children safe and in local risks and signs to look out for to keep children safe. Staff record and report their concerns. Pupils are taught ways to keep safe in their community and online. They are able to talk about what it means to keep safe because of learning in their PSHE sessions.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not thought out carefully how reading should be taught from the early years to the end of Year 6. Leaders do not ensure that staff have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading. This means that pupils do not do well in reading. Leaders should make sure that all teachers gain expertise in the teaching of reading so that they enable pupils to learn and develop essential knowledge and skills in this subject. Teachers need to help pupils build on and deepen their prior learning so that pupils understand what they have read and are prepared well for their next stage in education. 5–6 December 2019

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 Leaders have not provided enough support for teachers to systematically deepen their subject knowledge in some subjects, including mathematics. In these subjects, leaders have not developed well-sequenced plans to help teachers deliver a progressive curriculum from which pupils develop skills and knowledge from the early years onwards. This means that in some subjects pupils, including those with SEND, do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should develop the plans they have started and provide the support that identified teachers need.  Leaders have not made clear the high expectations they have for pupils. Leaders have not developed a shared understanding of what it means to be a good learner with positive behaviours for learning. This means that some pupils are not taking pride in their work or disrupt the learning of others. Leaders should ensure that all teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement are

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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. 5–6 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10128876 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Sarah Roberts (head of school), Tracey Hemming (chief executive officer)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 William Byrd Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 September 2017. When its predecessor school, William Byrd School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.  The school is a large, three-form-entry primary school.  The school runs a nursery, which children attend either part-time or full-time.

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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

 We held meetings with: the head of school; chief executive officer; senior leaders; governors; curriculum leaders; teachers; support staff; the special educational needs coordinator; and members of the trust.  To inspect safeguarding, we met with the designated safeguarding lead. Documentation was scrutinised, including information on training, safer 5–6 December 2019

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recruitment and use of external agencies. We also spoke to parents and pupils.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, geography, and design and technology, as part of this inspection. This involved visiting lessons with leaders, looking at pupils’ work and talking to teachers and pupils. We listened to children read and spoke to them about their learning and other school activities.  We scrutinised a range of school documentation. We spent time listening to pupils talking about their experiences of the school.

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Inspection team

Jennese Alozie, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sahreen Siddiqui Ofsted Inspector 5–6 December 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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