Uplands Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Uplands Primary School and Nursery Albion Road, Sandhurst, Berkshire GU47 9BP

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 January 2023

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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 Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 17 and 18 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in Uplands are confident, polite and caring. They are happy in their school and feel safe here. Pupils are proud to belong to this vibrant community. Determined that everyone is treated equally, pupils show high levels of respect for people who are different to them. One pupil said, ‘We treat others as we would like to be treated.’ Leaders make sure that pupils are taught about different faiths and cultures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying hardly ever happens. They know that the strong pastoral team will help them resolve any friendship problems. Pupils focus well on their learning and nearly all pupils achieve well. Staff have high expectations of behaviour, and the school is calm and orderly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and interests. They enjoy a range of clubs such as darts, cookery and construction. Older pupils are expected to take on leadership roles. They contribute to the community feel of the school by volunteering to be a buddy to the youngest pupils or an anti-bullying ambassador. They describe these roles as helpful and important. Pupils develop their citizenship skills well by singing in the choir, including in a nearby residential home, and litter picking in the local area.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, such as mathematics, leaders have put in place a well-sequenced curriculum, and pupils build on their learning effectively. Pupils are confident mathematicians and achieve well. Here, teaching focuses on acquiring knowledge and vocabulary. As a result, pupils remember the key ideas well. However, in some areas, the curriculum is not planned clearly enough. This means that staff do not understand the precise knowledge that should be taught to pupils.

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better?

Staff assess effectively that pupils have understood and adapt their teaching accordingly. In some other areas though, pupils are not able to recall what they have been taught as readily. Checks on learning by staff in these areas are less effective.

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better?

Staff have strong subject knowledge and use resources well to help children learn. However, support for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is not as effective as it could be. Some staff’s understanding of the best approaches to use is not developed well enough.

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better?

Children begin to learn to read right away. In Nursery, they begin to identify some important sounds and then learn phonics from the start of Reception. Leaders identify children who have fallen behind in reading and provide extra help. Leaders ensure that reading is a priority across the school. Pupils say that reading is really 17 and 18 January 2023

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important, and most love reading. They choose challenging books from the well- stocked library and discuss them enthusiastically.

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Leaders are committed to the inclusion of all children in enrichment activities, particularly those pupils who otherwise might not get involved. For example, all pupils, including those with SEND and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, are encouraged to take part in competitive sports.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain because leaders teach them about democracy and equality. Children in nursery and early years learn that families can come in different shapes and sizes. They begin to appreciate different cultures and ethnicities because teachers choose a wide range of books and resources. As a result, pupils develop mature attitudes and well-considered views. Attendance has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. A minority of children are absent too often, meaning that they miss vital learning. Leaders are developing plans to improve attendance.

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As a result of changes in staffing, leadership capacity was reduced for a period of time. New leaders understand school priorities and are putting in place appropriate plans. Staff, including teachers who are new to the profession, are wholly positive about working in the school. They endorse the work of senior leaders and are pleased that leaders prioritise their well-being. Governors are skilled and understand their role and statutory duties well. They take into account staff workload and ensure that new leaders receive support.

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Parents and carers value the school and the work of staff. The comment of one parent, ‘My child is thriving at the school,’ was typical of the views of many parents who submitted comments to the inspection survey. A small minority of parents, nonetheless, think the school could provide parents with more information about their child’s learning and progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of vigilance around safeguarding in the school. Staff know children and their families well. The safeguarding team ensures that any concerns about children’s safety and well-being are followed up. Leaders work effectively with external partners to get help for children who may need this. However, there have been occasions when leaders’ actions around safeguarding were not logged in a timely manner. Current leaders have recognised this and have taken action to improve it. Recruitment checks for new staff and volunteers are thorough. Staff, including new joiners, are trained effectively. Leaders ensure that pupils are taught about potential risks, including online risks. 17 and 18 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all subject curriculums are as well developed as the strongest. In a few subjects, leaders have not organised knowledge, skills and vocabulary well enough. Consequently, pupils do not build on their learning as effectively as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that subject content is organised well in all areas of the curriculum.  Staff’s strategies are not effective enough in supporting weaker readers and pupils with SEND in class. This means that pupils needing extra help do not catch up as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that all staff are trained in the most effective strategies to support pupils with SEND.

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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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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. 17 and 18 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Andy Batty and Libby May (Co-Chairs)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 June 2009

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Information about this school

 Uplands Primary School and Nursery sits within Bracknell Forest local authority.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2022.  Currently, the school does not use alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club and uses an external provider to run an after- school club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held a range of meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, and teaching and support staff. 17 and 18 January 2023

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 The lead inspector met with four members of the governing body.  The lead inspector talked to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector heard pupils read aloud to a known adult.  Inspectors checked a range of policies and documents, including the school’s single central record. They also reviewed the school’s website and other records regarding the welfare of pupils.  Inspectors gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour and the school’s wider curriculum.  Inspectors talked to pupils and staff throughout the inspection to gain their views about the school. This included the views of pupils and staff submitted via

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Ofsted’s confidential surveys.  Inspectors talked with parents at the start of the school day and considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted’s parent survey.

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Inspection team

Maria Roberts, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Magliocco Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 January 2023

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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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