Boringdon Primary School

Inspection of Boringdon Primary School Courtland Crescent, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon PL7 4HJ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 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

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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 Sarah King who is responsible for this school and one other. This school is part of Westcountry Schools Trust which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Rob Haring, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Iain Grafton.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Boringdon Primary School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, 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 graded inspection of the predecessor school. 21–22 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their learning. They are positive about their work and learn well. This positivity starts in Reception where children quickly develop confidence and independence. They sustain interest in activities well, which sets them up with the stamina needed for key stage 1. Throughout the school, pupils listen well to one another. They take turns and collaborate well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful. They know the rules and understand that their actions have consequences. Pupils feel that adults use the new behaviour policy consistently and fairly. If there are incidents that worry them, they trust adults to sort them out effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships are strong. Pupils and parents value the pastoral support from the school. Robust management of attendance ensures that pupils come to school regularly so that they do not miss important learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in a wide range of clubs and activities that broaden their interests. They know how being active helps their physical and mental health. They are proud of the charitable work they do. This contributes to their development as responsible citizens.

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better?

The school and the trust are ambitious for every pupil, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This vision has driven recent changes within the school. The trust has robustly challenged and supported the school. As a result of this, new leadership has brought about rapid improvements.

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better?

In partnership with the trust, the school accurately evaluates the quality of the curriculum. It uses these evaluations to reshape the curriculum where necessary. As a result, many subjects are well developed. The school has identified and sequenced the knowledge it wants pupils to learn. This is also the case in the early years where the curriculum is carefully sequenced to prepare children well for key stage 1.

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better?

The school has also identified concepts it wants pupils to understand. For example, in history, pupils learn about the use of technology in each time period studied. As a result, they understand the impact human inventions have had from the stone age to modern times. Pupils make good links across subjects. This is because the school has aligned many subjects so that the content is coherent. Where the curriculum is more developed, the school has a precise understanding of how well pupils learn. In a few subjects, these links across subjects are not as precise, and the knowledge is not as clearly broken down. In these subjects pupils do not learn as well.

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better?

Following the pandemic, the school has prioritised pupils’ mastery of fundamental knowledge in mathematics and English. Pupils know what they call the ‘nuts and 21–22 November 2023

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bolts’ of writing and understand how using these makes their writing better. They are proud of the improvements to their writing. They write well in a range of genres. The focus on pupils’ fluency in number means children in Reception and beyond enjoy success when reasoning or solving problems.

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Pupils learn to read well. Children get off to a flying start with phonics when they join in Reception. They quickly begin to blend sounds to read simple words. Staff use their strong subject knowledge to help pupils to read with accuracy and fluency. This includes pupils with SEND and those who need further support. Effective teaching of decoding skills and vocabulary sets pupils up well for more complex reading beyond the phonics programme. Pupils enjoy the books they read.

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Staff benefit from effective training. They value the school-based and trust-wide collaboration and training. This develops their subject knowledge and skills. Staff use effective ways for pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum alongside their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few curriculum subjects are not as developed as others. Where they are less developed, pupils do not learn as well. The school must ensure that all subjects are securely developed and embedded so that pupils know more and remember more across the curriculum.

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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 21–22 November 2023

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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). 21–22 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The new executive headteacher was appointed in September 2022.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Boringdon Primary School converted to become an academy in June 2016. When its predecessor school, Boringdon Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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: English, including early reading, mathematics, geography and history. For each deep dive, inspectors 21–22 November 2023

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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 held meetings with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teaching and support staff, the chair of the trust board and the trust’s school improvement leaders.  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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, they met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.

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 Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation form.

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Inspection team

Angela Folland, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Barton Ofsted Inspector 21–22 November 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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