Bourne Primary School

Inspection of Bourne Primary School Melbourne Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 8BD

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Inspection dates: 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires Improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and welcoming at Bourne Primary School. They demonstrate the school values of nurture, innovate, collaborate and empathise through their warm and respectful relationships. Pupils model the school’s expectations to new classmates and show a deep interest in the range of cultures and languages spoken in the school. They are happy in school and know that staff will work hard to keep them safe. Since the previous inspection, pupils’ behaviour has been transformed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard in lessons and enjoy their learning. However, due to historic weaknesses in the curriculum and behaviour, not all pupils achieve as well as they should. Many struggle to understand age-appropriate concepts because they have not mastered the basics in the preceding years. Pupils last year did not perform as well as they could in national tests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of exciting experiences that enrich their learning. They visit a local art gallery each year and act as art critics by writing reviews of the exhibitions they see. Pupils produce high-quality artwork that they exhibit in the local community. They also experience annual theatre visits and take part in annual school performances. As a result of this approach, pupils develop a passion for creativity and the arts.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made significant and necessary changes to the school. They have introduced an entirely new and ambitious curriculum which is designed to gradually build pupils’ knowledge in a range of subjects. Staff deliver this using the agreed order and techniques. Pupils appreciate this because resources and teaching approaches are predictable and familiar. However, pupils fell behind in the past and are simply not ready to meet these raised expectations. Staff, at times, deliver the planned curriculum despite the pupils’ unreadiness. Staff and leaders do not use assessment well enough to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge or use this information to adapt the curriculum to pupils’ level of understanding.

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better?

Leaders have a strong understanding of the community they serve. Many pupils arrive and leave during the school year and a high proportion speak English as an additional language. Staff welcome all families with open arms, helping them to understand the school and its routines with patience and kindness. Rapid support is given to pupils to help them communicate the essentials, and then to master the basics, of the English language.

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better?

Leaders have revamped the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have reviewed pupils’ needs and, in some cases, have applied for additional guidance and support from external agencies, some of which should have been in place some time ago. In the meantime, staff have wasted no time in providing these pupils with the support they need. ‘The Beach’ is 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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a good example of this work, providing specialist communication support for non- and semi-verbal pupils.

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Leaders have made reading a priority for all. Children in Nursery respond excitedly to the rich range of books they learn and start Reception Year with a love for stories. Well-trained staff teach phonics accurately from the beginning of Reception. As a result, the majority of pupils become confident readers swiftly. This work is more established than other curriculum changes. The proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check was in line with other schools nationally last year.

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As a result of significant work from leaders and staff, the school is now calm and orderly. Staff use the school’s ‘NICE rules’ consistently, and pupils respond to them positively. Staff have caring and supportive relationships with pupils. Pupils who require help to manage their emotions are increasingly well supported. For example, they learn a range of strategies to express their emotions effectively. The school analyses attendance carefully and works with the local authority well to offer a range of support for pupils and their family. Pupils attend more frequently as a result.

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Pupils learn how to maintain their physical and mental health well. Learning mentors work with pupils who need extra help and plan strategies to improve their well- being. They learn how to stay safe online and in the community. Pupils are confident to share their views and respect the views of others.

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Leaders and governors know the school needs to improve. They question their work constantly and make informed and courageous decisions in the best interests of pupils. They work well with the local authority and other local schools to learn from others and review their work. The school has demonstrably improved since the previous inspection because of leaders’ efforts.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment processes do not routinely give leaders and staff the information they need. This means that leaders are not always able to identify how well pupils are progressing or where the curriculum needs to be altered. The school should refine the way it gathers and analyses assessment information so that leaders can keep a close eye on pupil groups and provide support where it is needed most.  Staff do not always use assessment information to adapt the curriculum to pupils’ needs. On occasion, they deliver the planned curriculum before pupils have grasped the prerequisite knowledge they need to complete this work. The school 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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should ensure staff know how to assess pupils’ prior knowledge and make appropriate adaptations to help pupils to catch up and make strong progress.

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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). 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 December 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school manages breakfast and after-school clubs for pupils.  The school does not 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 the school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into their account of the school.  The inspection started on 4 June 2024. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Inspectors returned on 26 June 2024 to complete the inspection. 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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 The inspection team met with the headteacher as well as with other leaders and staff. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education, art and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspection team considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors spoke to staff and pupils during the inspection and took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspection team reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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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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Inspection team

Gavin Thomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dan Lambert, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dale Burr His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 June, and 26 June 2024

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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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