Berewood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Berewood Primary School Kentidge Way, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 3BE

p.1

Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

p.1

Outcome

Berewood Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Berewood Primary School is a happy and welcoming place. Pupils are proud to be part of the Berewood community. They come to school in the morning excited to learn. Pupils know that their teachers want the very best for them and rise to the challenge. Pupils feel safe in school. They learn about keeping safe when online and what to do if they have a concern. Pupils understand what bullying is and the different forms it can take. They confirm that bullying rarely happens and they trust the adults in school to look after them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and courteous. They behave well and move sensibly around the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. The school’s ‘Berewood Bonds’ of being, ‘kind and helpful, respectful and safe, resilient and hardworking’ are known and understood by all pupils. These values are threaded through the wider curriculum and help pupils when making decisions and understanding any consequences.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils engage in many opportunities and activities that promote their personal development. The curriculum in all years is enhanced further through enrichment days, trips and visits. These experiences have been carefully planned to bring the curriculum to life and include African drumming days, palaeontology, evacuation workshops and visits to farms.

p.1

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

Pupils enjoy reading. They talk excitedly about stories their teachers have read to them that have captured their imagination. Leaders prioritise learning to read right from the start of early years. Leaders have recently introduced a new, highly structured phonics scheme. All adults receive regular training to teach this effectively. However, there is some variability in the teaching of phonics. Some staff are not wholly confident in how best to support pupils to learn to read as effectively as they could. Leaders closely monitor the consistency of phonics teaching and provide additional support for these staff. Leaders check regularly how well pupils are learning to read. Appropriate support is in place to help pupils catch up if needed. The books pupils read are largely matched well to the phonic sounds they know. This helps pupils to become fluent and confident readers. 24 and 25 January 2023

p.1

2

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders want the curriculum to be ‘just right’ for their school. They have considered carefully what pupils need to learn and remember in each subject from early years through to Year 6. In mathematics, the curriculum allows pupils to revisit prior learning regularly in order to build fluency. For example, in Reception, children enjoy independent activities that reinforce the number and shape work they learn in whole-class sessions.

p.2

2

Teachers are highly skilled, with strong subject knowledge. They deliver the curriculum confidently and make sure that resources suit pupils’ needs. Teachers adapt their lessons carefully so that pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum. The needs of pupils with SEND are carefully assessed by staff and leaders at regular points during the year to ensure that they are included fully in learning. Mostly, teachers check for misunderstandings regularly. However, there is some variability in how quickly teachers address pupils’ misconceptions. Leaders have rightly identified this as a priority to develop across the school.

p.2

2

In many subjects, curriculum leaders provide strong leadership. They offer suitable support for staff to deliver the curriculum well and identify where additional training is needed quickly. Any curriculum leaders new to their roles receive trust-wide support in developing their subject as well as their own leadership skills.

p.2

2

Everyone understands the behaviour policy. Staff use it consistently, and learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils are motivated by the ‘golden-time’ rewards system. Pupils work hard in lessons and are keen to discuss their learning. For example, one pupil was excited to share their class’s learning in history about Thomas Edison and how they had then designed their own electrical circuit to power a lightbulb in science.

p.2

2

Trust leaders and governors know the school well. They work closely with school leaders to continue to improve the school, providing effective support and challenge. Leaders regularly consider staff workload. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the professional support they receive from leaders and the trust. They are proud to work at the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding and care at the school. Staff receive regular training and can recognise the signs that suggest a pupil may need help or support. Staff help pupils to feel safe. Pupils are taught about physical and online risks and what to do to keep themselves safe.

p.2

Safeguarding

Staff know the pupils well and pass on any concerns quickly. Leaders keep detailed records and act swiftly on information received. Leaders work closely with outside agencies to ensure that pupils receive the right support. Governors and the trust play a pivotal role in monitoring safeguarding processes and recruitment checks in the school. 24 and 25 January 2023

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variability in the teaching of phonics. Where this is the case, pupils are not supported to learn to read as well as they could be. Leaders should ensure that they continue to provide regular training and coaching so that all staff teach phonics effectively.  Sometimes, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough. As a result, they do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions as quickly as they might. Leaders should ensure that all teachers know how to support pupils effectively to know and remember more over time.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 24 and 25 January 2023

p.3

Date of previous inspection

11 and 12 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has had two headteachers. The current headteacher was appointed in January 2023.  The school is part of the University of Chichester Academy Trust.  The school has had an acting chair of governors since October 2022.  The school currently uses one registered alternative provision.

p.4

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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the acting deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  Deep dives were carried out in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke 24 and 25 January 2023

p.4

5

with teachers, talked with pupils about their learning and sampled pupils’ work. The inspector also observed some pupils reading to a member of staff.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in science.  A range of documents was reviewed, including leaders’ evaluation of the school, priorities for improvement, external reviews, academy improvement partner visits, minutes of governor body meetings and documentation relating to attendance and behaviour.  The inspector met with representatives from the governing body and the multi- academy trust, including the chief executive officer of the trust.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through both formal and informal discussions.  The views of staff and parents and carers were considered through their responses and confidential free-text comments to Ofsted’s surveys. The inspector also spoke to parents at the start of the school day to gather their views.

p.5

5

 To inspect the school’s safeguarding arrangements, the inspector talked with pupils and staff and reviewed the school’s policies, documents and procedures, including the single central record. The inspector also met with the school’s designated safeguarding leads.

p.5

Inspection team

Vicky Matthews, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 January 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6