Winterbourne Boys' Academy

Inspection of a good school: Winterbourne Boys’ Academy Winterbourne Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7QT

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Outcome

Winterbourne Boys’ Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this school are well looked after. They are kept safe, because as they pointed out: ‘We are always surrounded by adults we can trust.’ Leaders and teachers are ambitious for all pupils. They check what pupils’ needs are and make sure that these are addressed effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have clear and high expectations of pupils. Pupils typically achieve well, and classrooms are filled with a buzz of learning. Pupils across the school behave well, in and out of lessons. They are thoughtful, polite and courteous. In lessons, pupils participate enthusiastically in discussions and collaborate well with their classmates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that while bullying sometimes happens, they are confident that they can approach any adult in school if they have worries or concerns. Adults deal promptly with any issues that arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the school, and in particular of how approachable leaders and staff are. They also appreciate the regular communication from leaders and staff, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, pupils and staff share a genuine sense of community. This can be seen at the start of each school day, where everyone comes together for a 10-minute fitness workout. A comment from one staff member was echoed in the views of many others: ‘This is a helping school. No one focuses just on themselves.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil in this school to be a confident and enthusiastic reader. As soon as pupils join the school, teachers check how well they are reading. Those who are not yet fluent readers follow a well-planned phonics programme. These pupils are supported by skilled staff who are trained to deliver the phonics programme effectively. Staff also give pupils reading books which match the sounds that they have been taught. All of this means that these pupils achieve well and catch up quickly. In a very small number of cases, younger pupils’ reading books contain one or two sounds 2 and 3 March 2022

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that they know less well. When this happens, it decreases pupils’ confidence to apply their knowledge of phonics.

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Leaders have designed a rich, well-thought-out curriculum. It covers a wide range of subjects which matches the ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders have made sure that as pupils move up the school, they typically gain the knowledge they need to be successful at the next stage of their education. For example, in geography, younger pupils practise using maps to locate continents, countries and major cities. By Year 6, pupils can use six-figure grid references on Ordnance Survey maps.

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Teachers present subject content clearly. They teach the curriculum in the way leaders have planned it. In all subjects, leaders have identified the key aspects of knowledge they want pupils to learn, and teaching typically focuses well on developing this knowledge. Leaders and teachers also typically use assessments well. They regularly check what pupils know and remember of the subjects they are studying. They use the information from these checks to prioritise essential elements of the curriculum. Leaders and staff have also made effective adaptations to fill gaps in pupils’ learning that arose because of the COVID-19 disruptions. Occasionally, however, teaching does not ensure that pupils fully understand all of the key elements of knowledge needed to complete a more complex task.

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Across the school, pupils’ behaviour helps to create a positive learning environment. Low- level disruption is rare.

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Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as early as possible. To do this, before pupils start school, leaders work closely with parents to find out about pupils’ barriers to learning. Leaders also work closely with their feeder infant schools to understand and plan for the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders support teachers to choose resources and strategies that enable pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum effectively.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ wider development. For example, they create experiences which aim to develop pupils’ leadership skills. Pupils experience democracy by electing their prefects, councillors, and anti-bullying ambassadors. Leaders also organise opportunities for pupils to develop their interests and talents beyond the taught curriculum, including in music. For instance, pupils can have weekly music tuition in school, with additional classes on a Saturday so that they can pursue their interest further.

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Staff appreciate how leaders look after their well-being. Staff are encouraged to make suggestions about how leaders can make workload more manageable. Leaders support these suggestions, and typically act on them promptly. 2 and 3 March 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including trustees, care deeply for pupils. Staff at all levels know pupils and their families well. They are quick to spot any change in pupils’ circumstances or demeanour. Staff report concerns swiftly, and leaders act on these with urgency. Leaders work effectively with external agencies. They make sure that pupils who are at risk and those who are most vulnerable receive immediate support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe at home, at school and online. They are taught how to stay safe when using the internet and social media, for example. Leaders also organise visits from the local police, which provide pupils with information on topics such as road safety and stranger danger.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Very occasionally, younger pupils find their reading books too hard. This is because they have not fully secured all of the phonics knowledge required to read these books with fluency and confidence. Leaders should ensure that, in all cases, the books these pupils receive precisely match the sounds that they already know.  In a few instances, teachers do not consider the underlying knowledge that pupils need in order to tackle new learning. This reduces pupils’ readiness to succeed in the more complex tasks that teachers have planned for them. Teachers should make sure that pupils know and understand securely the essential knowledge needed to make sense of their new learning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2017. 2 and 3 March 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212359 Type of school Junior

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February and 1 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is an all-boys school.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the chief executive officer, the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. He also met with the trust’s school improvement adviser.  The inspector also met with members of the board of trustees, including the chair.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and mathematics. For each deep dive, he spoke to subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons jointly with leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their 2 and 3 March 2022

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learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  The inspector also spoke to a wide range of staff, including support staff, those with specific responsibilities for safeguarding and those working with pupils with SEND.  In inspecting safeguarding, the inspector spoke to parents and pupils, to a wide range of staff and to the relevant personnel who lead safeguarding arrangements in school. He also carried out a scrutiny of the school’s single central record and observed pupils during playtimes.  The inspector also considered the opportunities for pupils to develop more broadly beyond the formal curriculum. He did this by looking at school documentation, talking to staff and holding discussions with pupils.

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Inspection team

Edison David, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 2022

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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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