May Park Primary School

Inspection of May Park Primary School Coombe Road, Eastville, Bristol BS5 6LE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The principal of this school is Gina De N’Yeurt. This school is part of Excalibur Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Nicky Edmondson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Toby Watson. 8 and 9 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, inclusive and welcoming school at the heart of the diverse community it serves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects all pupils to do well. This expectation is realised in early years, where children learn well. However, until recently, the school has not provided pupils in key stages 1 and 2 with a demanding curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge securely. As a result, many pupils do not achieve well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff care deeply about pupils’ well-being. They forge supportive relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils feel safe and trust staff to look after them. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers are happy with the school’s caring, nurturing atmosphere and supportive staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school teaches pupils to be respectful, responsible and safe. Pupils say that bullying is not tolerated. They are confident that staff usually sort out any problems. Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning and behave well.

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better?

The school has begun to improve the content of the curriculum and teaching. Its actions have been hindered by challenges, such as changes to leadership and staffing. The school has recently designed a more ambitious curriculum. Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills they expect pupils to learn. However, the new curriculum is in its infancy, and assessment is still being developed. As a result, many pupils have gaps in their learning and do not achieve as well as they should. The school has not checked on the impact of the new curriculum well enough.

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better?

By contrast, the curriculum in early years is demanding and captures children’s interest. Activities spark children’s curiosity and develop their knowledge and skills well. For example, children develop their fine motor skills effectively through activities such as separating rice and peas with tongs.

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better?

The school works closely with parents and specialist advisers to adapt teaching and pastoral provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the curriculum is being developed to better meet pupils’ needs, including pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND.

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better?

The school prioritises reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. The school has recently implemented a systematic phonics programme. Pupils regularly practise reading to develop their fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Pupils choose from a wide selection of books. They enjoy listening to stories that adults read to them. The school provides extra teaching for pupils who need to catch up. This is having some impact. Those pupils who receive support are improving their confidence and accuracy. However, phonics teaching does not ensure 8 and 9 November 2023

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that all pupils’ learning is sharply matched to what they know and can do. As a result, some pupils do not develop secure knowledge.

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Since joining the trust, the school has considerably improved pupils’ behaviour and pupils’ attitudes towards learning. Leaders sensitively support pupils with complex needs to manage their behaviour appropriately. Pupils want to learn. They listen carefully and follow instructions well. There is usually a calm, purposeful atmosphere around the school. Low-level disruption is rare.

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The school works closely with parents to emphasise the importance of regular attendance. Despite this, several pupils do not attend school regularly and are missing out on their education.

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The school thoughtfully plans opportunities to enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils enjoy author visits and trips to the beach. Pupils’ learning is enhanced through visits to museums and historical sites. Pupils learn about different beliefs and religions. For example, they create rangoli patterns and diva lamps to mark Diwali. Pupils enjoy learning about different cultures. They enjoy learning Somali dancing and Gypsy and Roma cookery.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils think of others when they contribute items to the food bank and raise money for charity. Children in early years paint poppies to commemorate Remembrance Day. Pupils understand the important contribution that some people have made to society in the past. Pupils are taught to be kind and to value each other’s differences. They are proud that their work on reducing racism was published in a book.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not acted swiftly to implement an ambitious curriculum. Improvements are in their early stages. This includes the implementation of the early reading curriculum. As a result, pupils, including pupils with SEND, have gaps in their learning and do not achieve well. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively so that pupils’ knowledge and understanding are secure.  The school has not checked on the impact of the new curriculum effectively. Assessment is not used effectively to check on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This means that staff do not have a secure understanding of how well pupils are achieving. The school must routinely assess the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning and adapt the curriculum as needed to ensure that pupils learn successfully. 8 and 9 November 2023

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 Despite the school’s determined efforts, some pupils do not attend school regularly. As a result, pupils miss out on their education and fall behind in their learning. The school must work closely with parents to help to remove barriers to attendance so that pupils benefit from all that the school has to offer.

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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). 8 and 9 November 2023

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined Excalibur Academies Trust in September 2019.  The school has an interim principal, who was appointed to the role in May 2023.  The school provides specially resourced provision for 23 pupils with autism and/or speech, language and communication needs. This has been in place since February 2023.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.  The school uses two alternative provisions. One is registered and one is unregistered.

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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. 8 and 9 November 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had 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 met with leaders, including the principal, the special educational needs coordinator and other leaders from the school and the trust.  All inspectors visited the specially resourced provision and the early years foundation stage provision.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography, music and science. For each deep dive, they 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.  An inspector also discussed the school’s curriculum in history, spoke to pupils and reviewed a sample of pupils’ books. An inspector also reviewed a sample of

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pupils’ writing across the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the school’s 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 observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including during breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views. They reviewed 92 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Hester Millsop Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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