Bourne Primary School

Inspection of Bourne Primary School Melbourne Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 8BD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Bourne Primary School. They say that it is a ‘happy and diverse’ school. Pupils like the way that many different languages are spoken here. Older pupils talk confidently about the school’s ‘NICE’ values of nurture, innovate, collaborate and empathise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well supported. They know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Bullying happens only very occasionally. Most pupils agree that staff deal with bullying well. Most of the time, pupils behave well but there are some who struggle to manage their emotions. Sometimes, they disrupt the learning of other pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want pupils ‘to be the best that they can be’. Leaders are making many sensible changes to make their aspirations a reality. Recent improvements in reading are helping younger pupils learn to read more quickly than in the past. However, in some other subjects, learning is not as effective because the curriculum is not well planned and implemented. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not always get the support they need.

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better?

The headteacher is determined that pupils will achieve well. She has an accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness and is making many necessary changes to improve the school. Recently appointed senior leaders are starting to get to grips with their role. Staff know there is much work to do. Although their workload is heavy, most say that leaders support them well and care about their well-being. Governors also check on staff workload and well-being.

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better?

Leaders are currently introducing a new systematic approach to teaching reading. Staff are receiving helpful training and support to enable them to confidently follow this new approach. Teachers know exactly which sounds pupils need to learn and in which order, week by week. Teachers regularly check that pupils are keeping up. Leaders have bought new books that are matched well to pupils’ developing phonic skills.

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better?

Curriculum development is still in its infancy. Wisely, leaders have prioritised improving English and mathematics. Plans in these subjects are well designed. These set out in a logical sequence what pupils need to learn. Art is also well planned. However, this is not the case in all subjects. In many subjects, the curriculum is not organised coherently from the early years through to Year 6. Published schemes are often used as a helpful overall structure. However, in some subjects, such as history and physical education, leaders have not adapted these well for the pupils at Bourne. Teachers do not have a precise enough understanding of what pupils already know and can do. Teaching activities are not always effective 7 and 8 December 2021

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in helping pupils to remember important knowledge and skills. Consequently, over time, pupils are not building their knowledge securely.

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Several subject leaders are relatively new in post. They are still establishing their strategic leadership roles. Leaders’ monitoring and oversight of the curriculum, including for pupils with SEND, is not yet focused sharply enough on what needs to improve.

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Leaders have accurately recognised that pupils with SEND do not consistently get the support that they need. However, while their improvement plans are starting to make a difference, there is still much to do. Leaders have not ensured that pupils’ needs are accurately identified. The curriculum is not always adapted precisely enough to ensure that pupils learn essential knowledge and skills.

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Pupils want to be at school. They know that when they are absent from school they are missing out on their education. Leaders provide highly effective support to families to encourage regular attendance. As a result, the school’s attendance rates are now better than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Leaders’ expectations for pupils’ positive behaviour are clear. Most lessons are calm. However, some pupils, especially younger pupils who had their education disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, find it difficult to regulate their emotions. Sometimes, this prevents other pupils from learning.

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Leaders and staff work effectively to promote pupils’ personal development. Pupils enjoy the regular lessons when they get to learn outdoors. These provide helpful opportunities for pupils to explore, collaborate and build resilience. One pupil explained, ‘This is a wonderful way to connect with nature’. Pupils are taught mindfulness techniques and encouraged to run a ‘daily mile’. In art, pupils study influences from various cultures, linking well to the school’s culturally diverse community. Leaders carefully promote equality and anti-discrimination.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Although this is a large school, staff know pupils well. Relationships between staff and families are strong. Staff swiftly spot if something does not seem right and know precisely what action to take. Leaders respond quickly and rigorously to any concerns that may arise. Leaders work closely with relevant external agencies to help pupils get the right support. Leaders and governors ensure that relevant safeguarding checks are completed for staff and visitors.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in different situations. Pupils understand some of the risks they may face when they are not at school. 7 and 8 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in foundation subjects is not well planned or sequenced. Leaders have not considered precisely what pupils must know in each subject from the early years through to Year 6. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders understand how to create an effective curriculum. Curriculum plans must show what is essential for pupils to learn and in what order, so that pupils know more and remember more.  Teachers do not always use assessment effectively to check what pupils know and can do. As a result, they do not reliably know what to teach next. Leaders should ensure that they strengthen assessment practice. Assessment needs to be more precise so that teaching and learning activities take account of what pupils already know and can remember.  Pupils with SEND are not reliably supported well. Pupils’ special educational needs are not always identified precisely to enable them to get the right help. The

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

curriculum is not adapted well enough to meet these pupils’ individual needs. Leaders should ensure that effective systems are in place to identify pupils’ needs accurately so that staff plan precise, effective support. Leaders should monitor how well the curriculum is adapted for pupils with SEND.  Some pupils struggle to regulate their emotions and behaviour. At times, their behaviour disrupts the learning for other pupils. Leaders should ensure that pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs are supported well and are helped to regulate their behaviour successfully.

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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. 7 and 8 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200212 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 11 and 12 October 2016

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes of staff, including the headteacher and senior leaders. The headteacher took up her substantive post in September 2020.  The school has a Nursery class which caters for three- and four-year-old children.  The school runs a breakfast and an after-school club.  This is a larger-than-average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average, including those with an education, health and care plan.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 7 and 8 December 2021

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and took that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, school business manager, special educational needs coordinator and curriculum leaders. The inspectors met with members of the teaching staff and with teaching support staff. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors undertook deep dives into the following subjects: reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.

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 The lead inspector checked documents relating to safeguarding on the school’s online recording system. Inspectors looked at safeguarding policies and procedures. Inspectors talked to staff about how they keep pupils safe. Inspectors talked to pupils about how they learn to stay safe.  Inspectors observed breaktimes and spoke to pupils from all year groups throughout the inspection.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss the training they have received, how leaders support them and how their workload is managed.  Inspectors took account of the 56 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors considered the 24 responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey.

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Inspection team

Claire Prince, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Matt Batchelor Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 December 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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