Bangabandhu Primary School

Inspection of Bangabandhu Primary School Wessex Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 0LB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for pupils. Leaders’ expectations of pupils’ academic achievement and behaviour are high. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils take part in a range of quality extracurricular activities, and pupils are happy and safe. The school’s motto, aim high, take part and have fun, guides all that staff and pupils do here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave consistently sensibly. Leaders foster a positive and respectful school culture that encourages pupils to build strong, positive and professional relationships with staff. Pupils follow routines tightly. For example, children in the Nursery selected, assembled and cut up safely their own breaktime snack.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a uniquely varied and high-quality set of personal development experiences for pupils. Leaders have planned personal development lessons very carefully so that they guide pupils to become empathic, responsible adults who keep themselves safe. All pupils in Years 4 to 6 go on residential trips each year so that they can experience environments outside of the city.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils have several in-school responsibilities. For example, pupils are lunchtime leaders, school gardeners, learning detectives and office assistants that contribute to the school community and learn about the world of work.

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better?

In many subjects, leaders have thought in detail about what pupils will learn over time. This is reflected in published academic outcomes in 2022 where many pupils made significant progress in reading, writing and mathematics. For example, in mathematics, learning is sequenced carefully and teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit their learning so that they do not forget important learning. In geography, the sequences of learning and vocabulary that pupils learn have been outlined precisely.

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better?

In the early years, leaders’ curriculum-thinking is particularly strong. Leaders know exactly what they want children to know, in order to be able to do preparation for Year 1, across all subjects.

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better?

Typically, subject leaders have excellent knowledge. They support teachers to explain new information clearly to pupils. During class, pupils are provided time to memorise knowledge and refine their skills before they move on to their next learning step. 18 and 19 July 2023

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Teachers regularly check that pupils know and remember what they have learned. In many subjects, teachers check pupils’ learning thoroughly. Here, teachers quickly identify and re-teach any learning that pupils have not grasped fully. Pupils’ work is of high quality and they know and remember important knowledge.

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Leaders are early reading experts. They identify and overcome any barriers that may prevent pupils from learning to read fluently. Leaders work closely with families from the beginning of the early years to ensure that children develop good reading habits at home and at school. Leaders also develop pupils’ love of reading effectively. They choose books by classic and contemporary authors that are rich in vocabulary, across a range of genres. Leaders provide training for staff so that they deliver the reading curriculum consistently. Pupils who require help to build their reading fluency receive regular, high-quality support to help them catch up.

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Teachers support pupils with SEND in mainstream classes to access the full curriculum. Typically, teachers know the support that pupils with SEND require and they provide this for them.

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The curriculum for pupils with SEND in the additionally resourced provision is less securely embedded than in the rest of the school. Leaders have recently identified that pupils require a detailed curriculum closely tailored to pupils’ needs. They are at the early stages of organising and implementing this new and improved curriculum.

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Staff consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy. Pupils listen attentively and work hard in lessons. Behaviour does not disrupt learning and pupils are keen to earn rewards for meeting teachers’ expectations. Leaders continue to support pupils to attend school regularly.

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The personal development curriculum is boosted by philosophy-for-children lessons. During these classes, pupils learn what it means to be an active citizen and how to state their views. As part of this, leaders have thought carefully about the vocabulary that pupils will learn so that they can express their opinions clearly. Each class has an ambassador who informs pupils of their rights and responsibilities. Pupils play a very active role throughout the school, including as school librarians, assistants, eco-ambassadors, assembly ushers and attendance advocates.

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Staff are happy and proud to work at this school. They said that they are motivated to work hard by the efficient and effective senior leaders. Leaders take account of staff’s wellbeing. Those responsible for governance support senior leaders to continually drive school improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture at the school. They provide regular safeguarding information for staff every week. All staff feel responsible for 18 and 19 July 2023

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keeping children safe. They identify and report any sign that a pupil may be at risk from harm. Leaders have strong, professional relationships with external partners and they ensure that pupils receive all the support that they may need. Teachers support pupils to keep safe though the personal development programme that includes assemblies and visits from professionals. Pupils know that they can talk to members of staff if they have a problem.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for pupils with complex needs in the resourced provision is not embedded securely and consistently. The school has not identified with sufficient clarity what pupils with SEND should know and be able to do over time. Support for all pupils in the resourced provision is not therefore equally strong. Leaders should embed plans to ensure that the intended learning is consistently clear for all pupils with complex needs so that these pupils receive the best support possible.

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How can I feed back my views?

You can use to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school, 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. 18 and 19 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10227089 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.bangabandhu.towerhamlets.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision providers.  The school is informally federated with Globe Primary School. The executive headteacher leads both schools. Each school is governed by its own governing body.  The school has specially resourced provision for up to 16 pupils with SEND and caters for a variety of needs. Pupils in this provision do not typically attend mainstream classes.

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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 that into account in their evaluation of the school. 18 and 19 July 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the governing body, headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, personal, social and health education, behaviour, early reading and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, history, early reading and design and technology.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding. Inspectors looked at documentation related to safeguarding, including the school’s record of pre-employment checks.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Farrow Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 July 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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