Bournmoor Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bournmoor Primary School Lambourne Close, Bournmoor, Houghton le Spring, Tyne and Wear DH4 6HF

p.1

Outcome

Bournmoor Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Bournmoor Primary School is a warm, close-knit community. Every child is valued as an individual. Pupils are very proud of their school. They enjoy learning. The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they should conduct themselves. Pupils meet these expectations consistently well. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve well in national tests.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very well mannered and courteous. Pupils initiate polite conversation with adults and hold doors open for each other and for adults. They are eager to talk about their school. Routines are very well embedded in the school, particularly in the early years. Pupils are happy and safe.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy having a voice in school. They help to decide what clubs are offered. Pupils take on leadership roles enthusiastically, for example as members of the school council. The school offers a wide variety of enrichment opportunities. At the time of the inspection, pupils enjoyed and learned from an animal handling workshop. Pupils also visit local museums, farms, beaches and places of worship. These visits help to support pupils’ understanding of the curriculum and the wider world.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is prioritised in the school. Staff receive training to teach phonics competently. Daily phonics lessons are taught consistently well. The school has invested in high-quality books for pupils to use as they learn to read. Pupils read books that are matched closely to the letters and sounds they are learning. The school uses assessment to identify any gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils at risk of falling behind are identified quickly. They enjoy reading. Pupils read daily with their teachers. The books the school has chosen for pupils to read are varied. Pupils read traditional, well-known stories as well as more modern books. Through their reading, pupils learn about social issues, such as poverty and different cultures. 4 July 2024

p.1

2

All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. In some subjects, like science, the curriculum identifies the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils should learn. In some other areas of the curriculum, this is less precise. The end points and the components of what pupils should learn, remember and do, are not consistently defined. The school has clearly planned assessment. However, in some subjects, the assessments are limited to recalling key facts. As a result, the school does not have a complete picture about what pupils know and can do in these subjects.

p.2

2

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain concepts clearly. Pupils are given opportunities to practise what they have been taught. For example, children in the early years regularly practise their letter formation. Older pupils practise their times tables every day. In some lessons, teachers are highly skilled at checking pupils’ understanding and adapting teaching accordingly. However, this is not consistently the case. Teaching in the early years is very effective. Children show high levels of independence in their learning. They learn songs, rhymes and actions to help them with reading and mathematics.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND are supported effectively in the school. Teachers access detailed plans for each pupil with SEND. These plans outline clearly the needs and strategies to support pupils. These plans are implemented consistently. As a result, pupils with SEND engage well in their learning and progress well.

p.2

2

Pupils have positive attitudes to school. They attend regularly. At playtime, pupils socialise well when they play team sports together. Pupils show high levels of independence and cooperation, for example, when they clear away their trays and cutlery after lunch. Pupils are motivated well by the ‘positive peg’ rewards system. Children in early years are very enthusiastic about their learning. They listen carefully and follow instructions very well.

p.2

2

The school supports pupils’ personal development effectively. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to stay safe online. The school has recently received an award for its work on respecting human rights. Pupils learn about democracy. They are tolerant and understand that everyone is different and unique. The school works closely with a range of charities, including local foodbanks, children’s charities and a mental health charity.

p.2

2

The school is well led. Staff are very proud to work at the school. They know that leaders consider their well-being and workload. Governors play a full and active part in the life of the school. They understand their statutory duties and fulfil them well.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 4 July 2024

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the end points that the curriculum is building towards are not defined precisely enough. Therefore, the knowledge and skills that pupils need to retain to reach those end points are not always sufficiently clear or embedded. This means that pupils do not always achieve as well as they might in these areas. The school should identify and/or clarify the component knowledge and skills, and the ambitious end points that they want pupils to achieve in all subjects.  On occasion, the school does not know where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, teaching does not match pupils’ needs consistently well. The school should address the gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that they know and remember more over time.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2019.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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 4 July 2024

p.3

4

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). 4 July 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 10 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils entitled to pupil premium funding is well above average.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast club.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.  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 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 spoke with the headteacher and other leaders, including the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. 4 July 2024

p.5

6

 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke to a representative from the local authority.  To evaluate the quality of education, inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 reviewed the curriculum in science and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors visited the early years provision.  Inspectors spoke to pupils in groups, in lessons and around the school during social times.  An inspector listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  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

p.6

6

extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  An inspector discussed the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum with leaders and spoke to pupils about how this curriculum and associated experiences support their understanding.  Inspectors evaluated the responses to Ofsted’s online parent, pupil and staff surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Dan McKeating, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Hannah Millett His Majesty’s Inspector 4 July 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7