Bournes Green Junior School

Inspection of Bournes Green Junior School Ladram Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 3PX

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is David Denchfield. This school is part of Southend Community Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ben Stickley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Riz Malik. 1 and 2 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are polite. Pupils understand the behaviour steps and the opportunities for praise. They respond well to the clear routines. During play times, pupils further develop their social skills. They have opportunities to be active on a wide range of equipment. Pupils have fun and get on well together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to the high expectations of their teachers. They appreciate having opportunities to develop their interests and characters. Pupils have chances to improve their leadership skills. They share ideas and listen to each other well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the new experiences offered through the school’s ‘University of Bournes Green’. They are offered a range of opportunities to learn new skills, such as lifesaving, DJing and sewing. These activities help to broaden their talents and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their understanding of the wider world. They benefit from a variety of activities to learn about different countries and cultures. Pupils show tolerance and respect. They develop positive relationships with each other and with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff teach pupils about staying safe. This includes when pupils are online. Pupils have support for their concerns and issues. They know they can use the online ‘worry box’ outside of the school’s usual hours.

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better?

The school is reviewing its curriculum. Leaders are carefully considering how it will meet the needs of all pupils effectively. However, there is still some work to do. A few subjects are in the early stages of development. In these subjects, the school is deciding on the precise knowledge that it wants pupils to learn and by when.

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better?

The school values reading. All staff receive frequent training to deliver the school’s phonics scheme effectively. Staff accurately identify pupils’ reading needs. Reading lessons are well planned. Pupils who need extra support receive it promptly. The school selects a wide variety of books and authors. This adds to pupils’ understanding of diversity and enriches their cultural knowledge. Older pupils read with increasing fluency across a range of topics. This helps to improve their vocabulary and increase their interest in other subjects.

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better?

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Staff use many ways to support pupils with SEND effectively. The school adapts the curriculum, where appropriate, or provides extra resources. Pupils with SEND work well alongside their peers. They know they can ask for extra support if needed. Many pupils with SEND are achieving well. Pupils’ behaviour reflects a culture of high expectations. They have positive attitudes to school and to their learning. There is very little low-level disruption. Therefore, lessons run smoothly and with little interruption. Pupils share confident, positive 1 and 2 November 2023

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relationships with each other. Many enjoy coming to school and have high attendance.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider personal development well. Pupils can recall what they learn in their personal, social, health and economic education lessons. Pupils learn about and practise democracy by voting for various school leadership positions. They understand the importance of discussion through assembly time and debates. Visitors enrich learning experiences, such as when pupils learned about Christingle from the local reverend. Pupils take part in opportunities to share their own cultures. These include different national dances and traditional dress.

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The trust and the academy committee work to promote continuous school improvement. Trust leaders use their ‘ranking’ to define the most important areas of development. However, the academy committee does not yet fully understand or operate its changed responsibilities in the new structure. This impacts on the effectiveness of support and challenge offered to the school. Individual governors undertake appropriate training.

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Staff say they are well supported by school and trust leaders. Their workload and well-being are well considered. Communication is a strength. Staff welcome the opportunities to work with other schools. They benefit professionally from the different training courses that are offered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects are not yet fully developed. The knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn, and by when, is not precisely set out. It is therefore unclear what pupils are learning and how well they are progressing. The school should ensure that the few remaining subjects consistently set out precisely what pupils need to know and remember.  The academy committee does not yet fully understand its new roles and responsibilities. Consequently, some of its duties are not being fulfilled effectively. Opportunities to support school leaders are being missed. The trust should ensure that the academy committee understands its roles and responsibilities and carries out its duties effectively. This will enable the committee to provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders. 1 and 2 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 1 and 2 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 and 22 June 2010

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Information about this school

 Bournes Green Junior School converted to an academy in August 2017. The school joined Southend East Community Academy Trust (SECAT).

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, French, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, considered curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning, and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. Other 1 and 2 November 2023

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aspects of the curriculum were also scrutinised to provide further evidence for the quality of education.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to staff. They also spoke with pupils about their reading.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school. They met with groups of pupils to seek their views. They also spoke to pupils informally in class, around the school and at breaktimes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors held meetings with various senior leaders, including the leader for SEND. The lead inspector met the chair and vice chair of the academy committee and with the chief executive officer of SECAT.

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 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including curriculum plans, headteacher reports, minutes of academy committee meetings and school development plans.  Inspectors considered the views of parents. They considered 86 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and 70 free-text responses.  Inspectors spoke with different groups of staff and pupils to gather their views, including about their workload and well-being. They considered 20 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 33 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Pamela Finch, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bridget Harrison His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 2023

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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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