Bovingdon Primary Academy

Inspection of Bovingdon Primary Academy Bovingdon Primary Academy, High Street, Bovingdon, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP3 0HL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding 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 principal of this school is Shereen Breslin. This school is part of Aspire 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, Vicky Parsey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Elizabetta Camilleri.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Bovingdon Primary Academy 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. 5 and 6 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and friendly school. They understand and try to live up to ‘The BPA Way’. It emphasises belonging, possibilities and achievement. Pupils are confident learners who are proud to be part of the school community. They feel happy and are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well behaved in class. They listen well to adults and their peers. Staff have high expectations. Pupils know this and the vast majority follow the rules and routines well. Pupils enjoy learning and work hard. As a result, pupils get the best out of all their learning opportunities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can express their views and opinions about the wider world. They understand and learn about differences and that everyone is unique. The school promotes healthy lifestyles, so pupils understand the importance of keeping fit. Many pupils proudly represent the school in various sporting activities. This gives them a sense of achievement and success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils take on extra responsibilities. These develop pupils’ interests. They take their jobs seriously. For instance, Year 6 pupils help the Reception children in the playground. They are on hand to help them play and get along with one another. The younger children look up to the older pupils, who act as positive role models.

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better?

The school has developed a well-planned and ambitious curriculum, which links to the school’s core values. This makes the values relevant to pupils. For each subject, the school has devised sequences of lessons that build up pupils’ knowledge. These start in the early years. This means pupils’ learning develops from firm foundations.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain tasks clearly to the pupils. As a result, pupils carry out learning tasks with confidence. In core subjects, such as mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils recall and remember what they have learned in the past. They also connect this to new learning. Due to this, pupils build their knowledge securely over time and they achieve well. In some subjects other than English and mathematics, there is less focus on making links to what pupils have learned in previous years. As a result, there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

The school has a well developed and effective reading programme that starts in the early years. Staff have strong subject knowledge and teach phonics in a consistent way. As a result, pupils’ phonics knowledge builds securely. Teachers check pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly. Teachers make sure pupils get any additional practice they need. Pupils read books that match their understanding of phonics. This means they can practice reading and become more confident. Older pupils who are not yet fluent readers have catch-up sessions, taught by trained staff. These help pupils to become secure and knowledgeable readers. The school promotes reading for 5 and 6 December 2023

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pleasure effectively. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they enjoy reading or having read to them. Pupils achieve highly at the end of key stage 2.

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Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same curriculum as their peers. Skilled staff provide support and adapt learning. As a result, pupils can access the curriculum. Some pupils with SEND have personalised timetables. These are well planned and help pupils to build knowledge from their starting points. Overall, pupils with SEND make strong progress.

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Pupils are kind and considerate to each other and others. Pupils know the school rules and understand how important it is to behave well. This starts in the early years, where children learn school rules and routines. At more unstructured times, for instance in the corridors at lunchtime, when fewer adults are evident, pupils are not always calm and careful.

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Pupils take on extra roles in school. These roles have a positive impact on the running of the school. For instance, the curriculum council makes changes that benefit the pupils, such as providing more books that interest them.

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Pupils have access to a wide and interesting extra-curricular offer. Many pupils are encouraged to participate in at least one club. The school monitors this carefully. It ensures that any barriers to attending clubs are reduced or removed. This enables all pupils to develop their confidence and learning experiences.

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The trust, governors and school leaders work well together. The trust provides strategic oversight. The governors act as a critical friend. They carry out checks, such as on safeguarding procedures, to ensure that the school fulfils its duties. Staff generally feel supported with their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, pupils are not best supported to remember all of the knowledge that leaders intend. There are inconsistencies in the implementation of some parts of the curriculum, where teachers are not checking whether pupils are making links to past learning. This means that pupils are not achieving as well they could in all subjects. The school must ensure that the teaching of the curriculum in a few foundation subjects matches the high standards of other subjects. 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

 Bovingdon Primary Academy opened on 1 July 2011. The predecessor school, Bovingdon Primary School, was inspected in April 2008 and was judged outstanding overall.  The school does not currently use any 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 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. 5 and 6 December 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, French, history and physical education. The inspectors also gathered evidence from the writing, art, and personal, social and health education curriculums. They scrutinised work, visited lessons and spoke to pupils.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the principal and other senior leaders. The lead inspector also met with trustees and members of the local advisory board.  The inspectors examined a range of documents provided by the school, including leaders’ school development plans and the school self-evaluation document.  One inspector met with parents before the start of the school day and visited the breakfast club.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and in lessons.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of staff, leaders 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 considered 83 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View. This included 51 comments from parents in the free-text facility. Inspectors also considered the 43 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Hewer 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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