Summerfield School

Inspection of a good school: Summerfield School Downley Avenue, Bradwell Common, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK13 8PG

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Outcome

Summerfield School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Summerfield is a happy, inclusive and nurturing school. The school’s vision, ‘The Best You Can Be – Everyone, Every Day’, runs throughout the building. Pupils speak highly about the help that they receive from the staff. Parents and carers are supportive of the school. One parent said: ‘I am very happy with the school. The teachers are very kind. They help my child in everything.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations for the pupils. They are relentless in their determination that all pupils should flourish. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. Behaviour in the classroom and around the school is strong. Staff are good at helping those pupils who need extra help or guidance to behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The relationships between staff and pupils are respectful. On the playground, pupils play together well. They say that they feel safe in school and parents agree. Pupils say that bullying is rare. However, they are confident that staff would deal with it immediately if it happened.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school grounds enable pupils to enjoy the open spaces, including the adventure playground. Pupils have access to a range of activities at breaktimes. Pupils say they enjoy their learning and attending various clubs.

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

Pupils experience a broad and engaging curriculum. It highlights the content and knowledge pupils need to learn. Precisely what staff intend pupils to learn is defined particularly clearly in English and mathematics. However, this is not consistently the case across all subjects. Leaders recognise the need to strengthen pupils’ skills and knowledge across the curriculum so that pupils make stronger links in their learning between subjects. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning. However, some need more support to know how their previous work can help them understand their new learning. 7 and 8 June 2022

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Leaders swiftly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have the same high aspirations for these pupils as for any other child. Staff receive well-chosen training to support pupils with SEND. Pupils’ progress is monitored carefully and regularly reviewed. Leaders provide a wide range of effective support for pupils with social and emotional needs.

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Leaders ensure that reading is a top priority. Teachers promote a love of reading. There is a consistent and effective approach to the teaching of phonics. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained. Children in the early years get off to a great start with their phonics and reading. Teachers emphasise the enjoyment of reading through regular story times, visits to the library and World Book Day. Pupils’ reading is checked regularly. If any pupils fall behind, staff quickly ensure that they receive extra help so that they can catch up. Pupils with SEND receive well-planned and precise help. Pupils say that they enjoy reading.

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The mathematics curriculum is taught in a logical order and broken down into small steps. Teachers have good subject knowledge. Staff support pupils effectively by giving them the correct help. Pupils work hard, with great determination. Children in the early years benefit from the wide range of well-considered learning opportunities. They play games such as doubling numbers by rolling a dice. Pupils speak very highly about their mathematics lessons. Following the disruption caused by COVID-19, leaders reviewed carefully the gaps in pupils’ understanding. They identified gaps in pupils’ quick recall of number facts. Teachers now provide extra arithmetic lessons for pupils to improve their instant recall of numbers.

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Pupils benefit from carefully chosen personal development opportunities. They take on leadership roles, for example library monitors and school councillors. Pupils have many opportunities that include music, sports and community events. Pupils enjoyed taking part in the Young Voices music concert. They have opportunities to meet local professionals to learn about different careers. The police visit the school to support pupils’ understanding of behaving as responsible citizens. Pupils learn about democracy through the school council and visiting the Houses of Parliament. They enjoy helping to look after the school chickens and learning about the outdoor environment in the allotment and nature area. Pupils learn how to manage their emotions and respond positively in different situations.

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Leaders and governors have high expectations. Governors know the school well. They challenge school leaders and hold them to account to ensure that pupils do well in school. Leaders have created a positive staff team who feel well supported and proud to work at the school. Staff value the support from leaders regarding their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is the school’s main priority. Staff are vigilant and know that checking pupils’ safety and well-being is their first responsibility. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular and updated training. They work effectively with other agencies to make sure that pupils and their families get the correct help they need. Leaders ensure that safer recruitment procedures are carefully followed. 7 and 8 June 2022

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Leaders make sure that the curriculum helps pupils understand how to keep safe. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They know who to go to if they have concerns or worries.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum highlights the important content and knowledge pupils need to learn, but this is not broken down precisely and clearly in all subjects. This means that pupils do not always learn the key knowledge that they require. Leaders should consider all the detailed knowledge and skills that pupils, including those with SEND, need so they progress well in all subjects.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2013.

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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. 7 and 8 June 2022

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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 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211339 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 1 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2018.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has a breakfast and after-school club operating on the site, which is managed by the school.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. He spoke with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 7 and 8 June 2022

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also examined curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and free-text comments were considered. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. The pupil survey was available to the school but there were no responses.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements in the school, the inspector spoke to members of staff and pupils. He met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the school’s policies and procedures. During these meetings, records were scrutinised, including those relating to the safer recruitment of staff. The inspector also spoke with a range of pupils and staff to evaluate the school’s

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Inspection team

Darren Aisthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 June 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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