Bungay Primary School

Inspection of Bungay Primary School Wingfield Street, Bungay, Suffolk NR35 1HA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have not achieved well enough for a very long time because the quality of education has been weak. Adults’ expectations of what pupils can learn have been too low. Pupils have not been able to gain a good grasp of the basics in reading, writing and mathematics. They have not achieved well in any national tests. Pupils have a great deal of ground to make up.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years classes are happy and well cared for. They are starting to make better gains in their learning than in the past, especially in reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils want to learn and behave well. However, some pupils talk over the teacher and this disrupts the learning of their classmates. This is often because the learning activities are not well chosen to meet pupils’ needs and capabilities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

On the playground, a few pupils are too boisterous and other pupils do not like this. There have been incidents of bullying. Pupils say that there are fewer incidents than there used to be. Adults deal with issues when they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy trips to local places, such Bungay Castle. Pupils appreciate participating in the choir, music and sporting activities as well as the many after-school clubs on offer. They take part in more sporting competitions than previously and are often very successful.

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better?

Pupils have not received an adequate quality of education. There are many deep- seated inadequacies across the curriculum. Pupils have not achieved well enough in any key stage. Pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 have achieved significantly below the national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics in each of the past three years. This is because leaders’ and teachers’ expectations have not been high enough. The curriculum has not been planned and implemented well enough to meet pupils’ needs.

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better?

The newly formed leadership team, governors and the trust recognise the amount of work that is still needed to provide pupils with a better education. Staff are positive about the many changes that have already happened. Staff feel valued and involved. They welcome the training and professional opportunities that their new leaders provide for them.

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better?

Leaders have identified the topics that pupils will study over a two-year period. Yet, staff do not understand the expectations of different subjects well enough. They have low expectations of what pupils of different ages should know and do. Too often teachers in subjects such as history and geography give pupils work to complete that does not increase in difficulty from key stage 1 to key stage 2. Older pupils do not deepen their understanding of subjects or topics and are ill prepared 10–11 March 2020

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for secondary school. Many pupils are not able to talk about their learning as well as they should.

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Leaders have not provided staff with the training and expertise to implement the full curriculum in a way that helps pupils to catch up. Teachers do not consider the previous gaps in pupils’ learning well enough when they plan activities in class. There is a heavy reliance on providing additional support outside the classroom for pupils who need to catch up. Staff are currently receiving additional training to improve the quality of teaching in mathematics.

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Teachers do not adapt the learning well enough for different groups of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not receive work that is well matched to their needs, therefore their progress is slow. Equally, teachers do not provide enough help for those pupils who need to catch up due to poor or disrupted teaching.

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This academic year, staff have received training in the teaching of phonics. Now there is one system for the teaching of reading. Children in the early years are better taught. Leaders have recently bought new reading books that are better matched to children’s reading abilities.

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Staff have improved the curriculum for children in both Nursery and Reception. There are more thoughtfully planned learning activities. Children enjoy their activities and are gaining knowledge and skills across many areas of learning. However, staff do not provide enough opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of mathematics.

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Leaders have designed a curriculum that provides a broad experience for pupils. Pupils enjoy community events in the local area to boost their learning and social skills. However, for too long, pupils have moved to secondary school without the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

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Pupils’ attendance is too low. Leaders and other staff are increasingly rigorous in providing support and challenge to families. Some pupils have not built up good habits of attending in the past. They still do not attend frequently enough.

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The trust, governors and leaders have a clear grasp of where things are weak. They know what needs to improve and how best to make improvements. Leaders continue to receive extensive and effective support from the trust and other providers. They ensure that leaders have the capacity to make the necessary improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are suitably trained and use the school’s reporting systems well to record any concerns they may have. Leaders have improved their record keeping for vulnerable 10–11 March 2020

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pupils over the last year. Adults work well with different professionals to make sure that pupils who need additional support receive the care and advice that is needed.

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Pupils are taught about keeping themselves safe when using the internet and other forms of social media. When there are potential child protection issues, such as county lines or pupils at risk of becoming part of gangs, leaders handle these seriously and sensitively.

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Leaders make sure all staff recruitment checks are carried out appropriately.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils have not achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics for a number of years. Teachers do not plan or change what is taught to ensure pupils can catch up and make more secure progress. Leaders should make sure that adults plan the curriculum effectively so that it focuses on reducing previous gaps in pupils’ learning where needed and supports pupils’ future good progress and attainment.  Teachers are not clear enough about the expectations in the foundation subjects. This means that pupils do not build on what they already know or should have learned in previous years. Pupils complete activities of a similar demand irrespective of key stage. Leaders must ensure that teachers: have a better understanding of what pupils should know and be able to do by the end of each key stage; and use this information to plan more suitable and progressive learning.  The leadership of foundation subjects is in very early stages. Many subjects have

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

not had adequate leadership in the past. The trust and senior leaders should make sure that curriculum leaders have the best knowledge and skills they need to do their job effectively.  Pupils’ attendance is low. Leaders should continue to use their new systems and procedures to work with families to reduce persistent absenteeism and increase pupils’ attendance.

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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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 10–11 March 2020

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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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10133412 Type of school Primary

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School details

Chair of trust Professor J H West-Burnham

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected as an academy

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Information about this school

 Bungay Primary School is part of Asset Education multi-academy trust (the trust). There are 14 schools in the trust.  The school joined the trust in 2017. This is the first section 5 inspection since its conversion to an academy.  The executive headteacher also leads Edgar Sewter Primary School. The executive headteacher started in May 2019.  The school is slightly smaller than the average sized primary school.

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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

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform. 10–11 March 2020

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 We met with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, teachers, support staff, governors, the chief executive officer and other representatives of the trust and spoke with groups of pupils.  We did deep dives in reading, writing, mathematics and history. We visited lessons, discussed the curriculum with leaders and teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at their work.  We took account of 28 responses to Parent View and parents’ comments using the free-text service. We analysed 16 responses to the staff questionnaire. We spoke with parents at the start of the school day.  We evaluated a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plans, local governing body minutes of meetings, school policies and procedures and statutory information on the school website.  To determine the effectiveness of safeguarding we reviewed school policies, met

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with designated safeguarding leaders, spoke with pupils, parents, teachers and support staff. We reviewed the school records of safeguarding checks carried out of adults working at the school. We considered the actions leaders take when a pupil needs extra support.  Pupils’ behaviour and welfare were considered at different times of the school day by speaking with pupils and reviewing a wide range of documentation.

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Inspection team

Kim Hall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanna Pedlow Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 2020

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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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