Bowlee Park Community Primary School

Inspection of Bowlee Park Community Primary School Windermere Road, Langley, Manchester M24 4LA

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2010. 15 and 16 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in the supportive environment that this school provides. They feel included, loved and respected by staff. In turn, they demonstrate these qualities to each other. Pupils are happy and safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment they join Bowlee Park, pupils experience an exceptional education. The school ensures that there are no barriers to what they can achieve. Pupils strive to meet these high expectations each day. They excel in their learning. Pupils of all ages, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve the best possible outcomes. Pupils in Year 6 are more than ready for their transition to high school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ conduct in lessons and around the school is exemplary. They live and breathe the school’s values and routines. Pupils form strong, caring relationships with their peers and with staff. Many pupils told inspectors that they choose to behave well out of consideration for each other’s feelings.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils spoke excitedly of the enrichment opportunities on offer. For example, they compete in sports, learn to play musical instruments and embrace positions of responsibility, such as well-being ambassadors. These experiences encourage pupils to discover a diverse range of new interests and talents. The school ensures that nobody is left out.

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better?

Governors, leaders and staff are united in their vision for the school. They have made certain that all pupils benefit from a curriculum that connects ambitious knowledge with rich social and cultural experiences. Across the entire curriculum, including in the early years, leaders’ attention to detail is meticulous. Staff know precisely what pupils must learn, by when and why. Nothing is left to chance.

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better?

Regardless of their starting points, pupils achieve exceptionally well. They are enthralled by their learning. Expert staff take every opportunity to check and consolidate pupils’ knowledge. Their guidance ensures that pupils gain an in-depth understanding of the topics and subjects that they study. They are extremely well prepared for the next steps in their education.

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better?

The school has ensured that reading and language development sit at the heart of the curriculum. Children in the early years enjoy a rich variety of songs, stories and rhymes. This gets their early language skills off to a strong start. Staff skilfully help them to develop their awareness of sounds and letters so that they are well- equipped to learn phonics quickly and securely. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know. This ensures that pupils can build up their reading knowledge gradually step by step. As a result, pupils read accurately and fluently by the end of key stage 1. Staff ensure that pupils who find reading more difficult 15 and 16 November 2023

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receive frequent individual help for as long as they need it. This ensures that they can catch up to their peers.

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Older pupils enjoy reading and read often. The school ensures that they are immersed in high-quality texts throughout the curriculum. Over time, this helps pupils to develop an impressive vocabulary, which they use to confidently articulate what they have learned.

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Staff are adept at identifying the needs of pupils with SEND. This begins in the Nursery Year with clear communication between the school, parents and carers and a wide range of professionals. This ensures that children with SEND get the support that they need as early as possible. Pupils who join the school later have their needs identified equally swiftly. In all key stages, pupils with SEND flourish. With very few exceptions, the support that they receive enables them to achieve as well as their classmates.

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Pupils are highly enthusiastic about their learning. They take pride in their work and behave exceptionally well. From the very beginning of the Nursery Year, staff help children to develop positive learning behaviours. For example, they learn to listen, take turns and to persevere when a task is difficult. Pupils build on this strong start as they grow older. Their polite and responsible behaviour contributes to the calm, purposeful atmosphere around the school.

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The school’s support for pupils’ personal development is praiseworthy. Staff have woven together a broad, rich set of opportunities into their ‘experience passports’. These are set out with the same careful thought as the academic curriculum. For instance, children in the Reception Year write and post a letter to Father Christmas, while pupils in key stage 2 recently succeeded in lobbying local councillors to improve pedestrian safety around the school. These experiences, and many more besides, ensure that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern society.

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The school considers the workload and well-being of staff when making decisions. Staff value the emphasis given to their professional development. Many told us that leaders ensure that they are given enough time to fulfil their roles. They are tremendously proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 15 and 16 November 2023

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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 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). 15 and 16 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 March 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school has more than doubled in size since the previous inspection, when there were 412 pupils on roll.  A very small number of pupils with SEND who attend this school have significantly more profound and complex needs than those typically found in a mainstream school.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 November 2023

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 Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, history, art and design and physical education. They met with subject leaders, visited some lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke with teachers and pupils. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in several other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. They spoke to the headteacher and senior leaders throughout the inspection. An inspector also met with the SEND coordinator.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Ben Hill, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lenford White Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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