Bournes Green Infant School

Inspection of Bournes Green Infant School Burlescoombe Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 3PS

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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 David Denchfield. This school is part of Southend East 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 (CEO), Ben Stickley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Riz Malik.

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 16 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. 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. 5 and 6 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bournes Green Infants is a happy and welcoming place for children to learn. Pupils learn to live by the school ‘learning powers’, which include curiosity, perseverance and effort. These values run through every aspect of the life of the school and are celebrated in weekly assemblies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils always try to do their best. This can be seen in their behaviour and their work. This is because the school staff and leaders have high expectations for all pupils. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe because they know that adults listen to them and care about them. Around the school and at breaktimes, pupils are kind and considerate. Older pupils eagerly volunteer to be play buddies to ensure that nobody is without a friend on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about other people’s beliefs, experiences and perspectives and then reflect on their own, for example through activities linked to Black History Month. Pupils understand the need to treat everyone equally and to value each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the range of opportunities that they have in school to broaden their interests. These include sports clubs, such as for multi-sports and football, and visits around the local area and to activity centres. The school works hard to ensure that all pupils can participate in these activities.

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better?

The school has developed a curriculum that is ambitious for pupils, including those children in early years. Where the curriculum is more effective, plans set out the most important knowledge that leaders want pupils to acquire. They also clearly identify the small steps of learning that pupils need to take in order to be prepared for the next stage of their education. For example, in physical education and games, pupils are coached on individual gymnastic moves before independently combining these into a flowing sequence.

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better?

In some areas, however, the curriculum is not as well developed. In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the specific ideas and vocabulary that pupils need to learn as they pass through the school from the beginning of early years. As result, pupils’ knowledge in these areas is not as strong.

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better?

Pupils develop a mature regard for books and learn to read well. Children make a strong start in early years, supported through a carefully structured phonics and reading programme. Teachers check that pupils can remember new sounds in lessons and provide additional teaching if required. This helps pupils to catch up quickly. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors and 5 and 6 December 2023

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enjoy listening to their teachers read to them every day. Whole-class reading books are carefully selected to help promote pupils’ understanding of those who may come from different backgrounds or families to themselves.

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Teachers are confident about the subjects they teach. Leaders support them with training where this is needed. Teachers present information clearly and revisit learning often. They understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use assessment well to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They then adapt lessons to ensure that pupils are supported through the use of practical resources and prompts. This means that all pupils are able to access and enjoy a full curriculum.

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Leaders have developed a systematic and consistent approach to behaviour that helps to ensure that pupils learn without interruption. The school is a calm and orderly place to be. Children in early years successfully settle to the routines and expectations of the school quickly. They are engaged and well behaved in assemblies and play happily with older pupils on the playground.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development effectively. The curriculum is well designed to ensure that pupils to have strong understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and maintain positive relationships. This is supported by a comprehensive programme of assemblies and lessons. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being lunchtime helpers or eco-councillors. They are very proud to take on these responsibilities. Pupils serve as good role models for each other. Their learning is enriched through a range of educational trips to the local area and wildlife centres.

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Staff, including early career teachers, say that they feel valued as members of the school community. They develop their practice effectively through a personalised programme of training and support. They know that leaders, including the local academy committee and trustees, care about their well-being and work–life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum, in a small number of subjects, is not outlined precisely enough to build pupils’ understanding sufficiently. Because of this, in these subjects, teachers are not able to organise the learning well enough to ensure that pupils are able complete tasks successfully. Leaders should continue to refine the curriculum plans in these areas and develop the curriculum expertise of staff to ensure that pupils, including children in early years, secure essential knowledge and achieve well. 5 and 6 December 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). 5 and 6 December 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is one of six schools in Southend East Community Academy Trust.  The school joined the trust on 6 September 2016.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 December 2023

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 The lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website as well as published information about the school’s performance.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in: early reading, mathematics, physical education and geography. 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. The inspection team considered plans and books from design and technology and other subject areas during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with members of the local academy committee and the CEO and the chair of the trust.  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.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in the classrooms, around the school and on the playground.  Inspectors spoke to teaching and support staff about their training and support.  Inspectors considered the 66 responses to Ofsted Parent View and 28 free-text comments from parents and carers.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils through their responses to their respective questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Michael Thomas, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nina Kemp Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 December 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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