Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy Sandown Drive, Elsea Park, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 0WP

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2022

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Outcome

Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are respectful of themselves, others and the environment, as embodied in the school’s ‘3Rs’. They are safe and happy. They care for each other. Typically, an older pupil said, ‘It is a safe place to make mistakes!’ Pupils and staff live the school’s values daily.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils are polite and welcoming. They behave well. They focus on their learning. The school’s atmosphere is calm and purposeful. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They are confident that staff would deal with bullying, if it were to occur. They know to share any worries with their ‘safe hands’ trusted adult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Opportunities for pupils’ personal development are exceptional. Pastoral care is strong. Leaders successfully focus on pupils’ character education. Staff provide opportunities that enable pupils to flourish. Staff nurture pupils to become independent, resilient and confident. Pupils speak passionately about many extra-curricular opportunities, including the residential visit to Whitby. They have positive experiences that create lasting memories.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers value the school. Typically, a parent commented: ‘The staff care so much and ensure that children’s well-being is looked after. This is a special school.’

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

Leaders lead with a strong moral purpose. They set out high expectations of staff and pupils. Staff embrace and promote the school’s values. They have developed a strong sense of belonging across the school.

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

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is broad in its scope for all pupils, from Reception to the end of Year 6. This extends beyond the expectations of the national curriculum. For 30 November and 1 December 2022

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example, younger pupils learn Spanish. Leaders have developed ambitious curriculums in many subjects. The English, mathematics and science curriculums are particularly aspirational. Subject leaders and teachers set high, yet realistic, expectations. Teachers enable pupils to revisit and build learning over time. For example, pupils develop sophisticated mathematical learning of shape and geometry across the years. However, leaders have not ensured that all subject curriculums are ambitious enough. For example, teachers are not aspirational enough in design and technology and in art.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They enable pupils to learn key knowledge and skills. Teachers check pupils’ learning. Through effective questioning, they probe and extend pupils’ understanding. Teachers address errors and misconceptions. They make sure that pupils know and remember more over time. Teachers refine their teaching through well-planned training.

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Teachers make sure that the curriculum is suitably demanding for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff support these pupils to learn well. Many parents recognise the positive provision for pupils with SEND.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They ensure that pupils at an early stage of reading learn to read confidently. Staff are trained to use phonics resources well. Leaders make sure that children in the early years get off to a swift start in learning to read. Staff assess pupils regularly. They support those pupils who require it to help them to keep up with their reading. All pupils engage in reading daily. Pupils read for pleasure. They develop a love of reading.

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Children in Reception get off to a great start. Staff provide rich experiences that promote children’s personal, social and emotional development. Staff develop early literacy and mathematics well. Children adopt positive habits and attitudes. They play, explore, learn and think creatively. Staff care for pupils very well.

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Staff provide extensive opportunities that promote pupils’ personal development. They foster pupils’ deep understanding of diversity, equality and respect. Pupils develop a mature understanding of the protected characteristics. Staff provide pupils with leadership opportunities. For example, pupils can be e-safety champions, play leaders, Unicef ambassadors, student councillors and active volunteers, among other roles. Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders ensure that the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum is well thought through. They flexibly adapt PSHE to address potential local risks. They give pupils structured opportunities to learn about physical and mental health. Pupils learn about age-appropriate relationships and sex education. Staff promote pupils’ moral development well. Pupils learn to debate and know right from wrong. They learn to appreciate cultural diversity. They learn about different religions and faiths. Pupils cherish the links with a partner school in Kenya.

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Trustees and governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They support and challenge leaders appropriately. They ensure collaboration with other schools in the trust. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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Staff value the support and guidance that leaders provide. They recognise that leaders are mindful of their workload and well-being. They are proud to be part of, and enjoy working at, the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed a strong culture of safeguarding. They understand their responsibilities. They act swiftly when they identify concerns related to pupils’ welfare. Leaders work with other agencies to provide support. They readily challenge other professionals, when needed. Leaders maintain thorough safeguarding records.

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Safeguarding

Staff know that ‘safeguarding trumps everything!’ They understand the importance of safeguarding. They know what signs to look for. They follow the school’s policy. Staff help pupils know how to keep safe in the community and when online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete all pre-employment checks before adults start working with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some foundation subject curriculums are not as ambitious as others. There is some inconsistency in the expectations for pupils in these subjects. As a result, pupils do not have the opportunities to gain knowledge and skills fully in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that all subject curriculums, in terms of curriculum intent and implementation, are ambitious and reflect high learning expectations. This will help all pupils to meet higher expectations, and to know and remember more 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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2017. 30 November and 1 December 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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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. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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School details

Headteacher Sarah Moore (Executive Headteacher) Rachael Skidmore (Head of School) Website www.bourneelseaparkprimary.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 April 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Abbey Academies Trust. The trust delegates some of its governance responsibility to the local governing body.  The school is a Church of England school with a Christian ethos. It received its Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection in June 2017. The next SIAMS inspection is not overdue.  The current head of school took up the position at the start of this academic year. There have been many changes in the senior leadership team since the previous inspection.  The school does not use the services of any 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 leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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 The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and senior leaders. He met with three trustees and three members of the local governing body. He met with trust officers.  The inspector met with a diocesan officer, remotely.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. He listened to some pupils read.  In addition, the inspector considered other subjects, including history, geography, art, PSHE, Spanish, design and technology and music. He sampled pupils’ work, reviewed curriculum planning and spoke with pupils.  The inspector met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and the early years leader.  The inspector met with safeguarding leaders. He reviewed the single central record,

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the safeguarding policy and related documents.  The inspector met with staff and pupils to discuss different aspects of school life. He observed pupils during breaktimes. He spoke with pupils informally.  The inspector visited the school’s gathering for collective worship.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents. These included behaviour records and various policies. He reviewed information published on the school’s website.  The inspector considered the views of parents who completed the Ofsted survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. He reviewed responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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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