Easthampstead Park Community School

Inspection of Easthampstead Park Community School Ringmead, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 8FS

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to their happy and inclusive school. There is a strong ethos of mutual respect, courtesy and care for others. Sixth-form students play an active role in school life. They enjoy leadership responsibilities, such as supporting younger pupils with their reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They know that there is always someone to go to if they have any worries. Should any bullying or harassment occur, pupils trust that staff will listen and deal with it quickly. Parents and carers particularly value how well staff support pupils and promote their well-being. One parent said, ‘Our children thrive here because teachers always go the extra mile.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Overall, pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They value the educational opportunities that they receive and want to succeed. Knowing their teachers have high expectations and want the very best for them encourages pupils to take pride in their work. Pupils confidently ask for help when they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the wide range of interesting and exciting extra-curricular clubs on offer. These include sports, drama, music, debating and maths gym. They have a well-rounded understanding of issues linked to equality and diversity.

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better?

Leaders and governors are ambitious for all pupils. The curriculum is broad and balanced. However, the number of pupils studying a modern foreign language (MFL) at key stage 4 has remained relatively low over the past three years, particularly compared to the high number of pupils who study geography and history at GCSE. Leaders are taking steps to increase the proportion of pupils opting for languages so that more pupils study all of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects.

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better?

Reading is a top priority. Leaders are ambitious that all pupils should develop a love of reading. Pupils read daily and appreciate visiting the well-stocked library. They enjoy listening to and discussing the books staff read with them in lessons. Weaker readers’ needs are identified accurately. Staff skilfully support these pupils to address any gaps and help them improve. This has a positive impact on these pupils’ reading and learning across subjects.

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better?

Leaders have worked hard to ensure the curriculum is well defined. Across subjects, the important knowledge pupils should learn, and the order in which they should learn it, is clearly set out. This helps teachers know exactly what pupils need to learn and remember well. The effective sixth-form curriculum supports students in their academic subjects and wider experiences. Students achieve well, and they go on to their choice of either apprenticeship, work or study at a range of universities.

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better?

Overall, teachers use their strong subject knowledge to present information clearly. Teachers engage and challenge pupils to learn and remember more. However, at 10 and 11 November 2021

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times, some teachers do not check carefully enough how well pupils understand what they have learned. They introduce new ideas too quickly. This means that some pupils do not learn as effectively as they could. Leaders are addressing this.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified appropriately. Leaders work efficiently with staff to make sure that they have the training and knowledge to support these pupils effectively. While pupils with SEND often achieve well, sometimes teachers do not enable these pupils to learn as well as they could.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Everyone is clear about the rules. Pupils listen and follow their teachers’ instructions with thought and care. Consequently, learning is rarely disrupted by low-level behaviour issues.

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Leaders carefully consider the personal development of pupils. Staff bring the curriculum to life through a range of interesting experiences. For instance, pupils visit the coast, organise litter picks in the local area and go on trips to places such as Belgium. Pupils and students in the sixth form are provided with regular, unbiased careers advice. This means they are well informed about different career pathways and future study options.

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Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They challenge leaders about the impact of their actions, for example leaders’ plans to continue to improve the proportions of pupils choosing to study a modern foreign language at GCSE. Staff feel valued and appreciate that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a culture where the well-being and safety of pupils are given the highest importance. Leaders have a strong awareness of the safeguarding risks specific to their locality, which they take proactive action to minimise. Staff are vigilant in their care for pupils. Well-trained staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s welfare. Leaders follow up any concerns swiftly. They work well with other agencies to keep pupils safe. Pupils and sixth-form students can confidently explain what they need to do to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The proportion of key stage 4 pupils who are entered for EBacc subjects has been lower than the national average over the past three years. Too few pupils study languages at GCSE. Leaders need to continue to increase the proportion of pupils who study MFL to make sure that the EBacc is at the heart of the curriculum. 10 and 11 November 2021

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 Some teachers do not check what pupils know and understand carefully enough before introducing new information. When this happens, pupils, including those with SEND, struggle to make links in their learning. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers consistently assess pupils’ knowledge accurately in order to make good decisions about what to teach next. This will ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they should in the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 .

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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 and 11 November 2021

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is currently using four alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, pupils, five governors, including the chair of the governing body, and had a telephone discussion with a representative from Bracknell Forest local authority. 10 and 11 November 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, art, MFL and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. Inspectors also heard a selection of pupils read.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors checked the single central record of recruitment checks and talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding. Inspectors also talked to a range of staff and pupils informally.  Inspectors considered the responses to the confidential staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and additional free-text responses.  Inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and

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talked to pupils informally during social times and in lessons. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupils’ survey.

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Inspection team

Louise Walker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Cartwright Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 November 2021

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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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