Springfield Primary School

Inspection of Springfield Primary School Orchard Street, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK42 7LJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Positive relationships flourish at Springfield Primary School. Pupils are polite, friendly and show respect towards one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend well. They are valued, listened to, and seen as individuals. The positive relationships between adults and pupils mean that pupils behave well. Pupils enjoy learning in a calm and orderly environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe, and adults teach them to stay safe when they are outside school. Older pupils know the risks they face when online, and the steps they can take to stay safe. Bullying is very rare. Pupils have faith that adults will help them if they have a problem. If a pupil shares a worry with an adult, they know that it will be taken seriously and sorted out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to take part in activities outside lessons. Many clubs are on offer, including for drama, street dance, ballet, science and art. Pupils’ physical and mental health is given a high priority.

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better?

Leaders have clearly designed a curriculum that lays out the important knowledge pupils need to learn. Adults provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They make careful adaptions to activities where these are needed. This is because adults are well trained to meet pupils’ needs.

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better?

Teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach. Pupils remember a great deal about what they have learned. This is because teachers explain concepts and ideas clearly. They provide pupils with suitable activities that help pupils to regularly practise the new information they have been taught.

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better?

Children begin to learn to read from starting in Reception. Adults skilfully teach reading and provide help for pupils who find reading more difficult. As they become older, pupils develop a real love of books. They are excited to receive a book from the school’s book-vending machine. The carefully designed reading curriculum is taught well. Pupils become confident, accurate and fluent readers.

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better?

In a few subjects, pupils are not developing their knowledge and understanding as well as they could. This is because the curriculum in those subjects is still relatively new and in the early stages of implementation. Pupils have not secured the depth of knowledge they need.

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better?

Pupils behave extremely well in and around the school. Lessons are rarely disturbed. This is because senior leaders have created a culture of high expectations, and pupils live up to these expectations. 14 and 15 June 2022

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Leaders prepare pupils to be responsible citizens. Pupils know about the differences between themselves and others. They are clear that everyone should be treated equally no matter their background, culture or beliefs. The recent work by the school parliament to install ‘pavement buddies’ to prevent drivers parking their cars outside the school has helped make crossing the road safer for pupils.

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Children in Reception learn the knowledge and skills they need. They are ready to move to Year 1. Adults provide opportunities to help them learn and practise new vocabulary. They help children explain to other people how they feel. Children’s social and emotional needs are well met.

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Until very recently, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have directly led many aspects of the school. They have not been able to provide opportunities for other staff to take on additional leadership responsibility. Along with trust leaders, they have now put in place comprehensive programme of training. This is helping teachers who are new to leading, for example by being responsible for a curriculum subject.

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School leaders, trust leaders and the members of the local governing body work well together. They have a shared and accurate view of the strengths of the school and what needs to improve. The local governing body does not stand still. It regularly reflects on its own practice. Where they find areas to improve, governors look at ways to recruit new governors with the skills they need.

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Teachers enjoy working at Springfield Primary School. They are part of a supportive team and value the training they receive from senior leaders and the trust. Teachers new to the profession are very well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is at the centre of everything adults do in school. They are well trained and vigilant, and act quickly if they have a concern. Leaders follow up concerns quickly. They provide support to pupils and their families if needed, and appropriately involve external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Adults know the risks that pupils face in the local area. Adults teach pupils how to minimise these risks as they grow older. Governors regularly check that leaders are doing all they can to keep pupils safe. Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, pupils do not develop the same depth of knowledge and understanding as they do in most other subjects. Leaders should ensure that they 14 and 15 June 2022

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support teachers to fully implement and teach the curriculum to ensure that pupils develop the detailed knowledge they need in order to do well.  Senior and trust leaders should ensure that they continue to provide the necessary training and support for new leaders. This is so that these new leaders can carry out their roles effectively to sustain and further improve the quality of education pupils receive.

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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. 14 and 15 June 2022

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School details

Website www.springfieldprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Springfield Primary School converted to become an academy in November 2017. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to require improvement.  The school was initially part of Challenger Multi Academy Trust. This trust is no longer operating. The school joined Chiltern Learning Trust on 1 May 2022. The school and trust have worked together informally since September 2021.  The school has appointed two new assistant headteachers and a substantive special educational needs coordinator to start in September 2022.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history, science and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at 14 and 15 June 2022

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors evaluated curriculum plans and spoke to leaders and pupils about a number of other subjects.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and teachers. The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer, the deputy director of education and five members of the local governing body.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors reviewed safeguarding paperwork and systems, and spoke with leaders, teachers, support staff, governors and pupils.  Inspectors considered the 51 responses and free-text comments to Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View, along with speaking to parents in the playground.  There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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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