Pokesdown Community Primary School

Inspection of Pokesdown Community Primary School Livingstone Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH5 2AS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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 headteacher of this school is Alison Bayliss. This school is part of Pokesdown Community Primary School Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike McClintock.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Pokesdown Community Primary School 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. 9 and 10 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Pokesdown Community Primary School, each day gets off to a positive start. Dedicated leaders greet pupils as they arrive. This caring and welcoming start sets the tone for the rest of the school day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take every opportunity to make learning engaging and purposeful. This helps pupils flourish academically and socially. High-quality displays of pupils’ learning are evident throughout the school. They reflect the pride that pupils take in their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave remarkably well. They are kind to staff and one another. If they have concerns, pupils feel confident talking to adults. For example, they can visit the ‘Beach Hut’ and learn strategies to manage their emotions. This makes for a safe place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a multitude of experiences to broaden pupils’ interests and improve their physical health. Organised sports games at lunchtime are a favourite. An abundance of extra-curricular activities goes far beyond the norm. These include fashion design, cooking with a chef and country dancing. Pupils say, ‘There is a club for everyone to discover what they want to do’. The school makes certain that disadvantaged pupils never miss out. All of this work contributes to an inclusive and aspirational approach for all.

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better?

Reading underpins the school’s curriculum. Leaders have carefully mapped out a wide range of literature to ensure that pupils can see themselves in the books they read. Pupils are enthused about reading in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 understand the concept of evacuation more deeply from the books they study in class. Across the school, pupils use subject-specific vocabulary well to talk about what they know.

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better?

From the start of Reception Year, children learn to read. Skilled teaching means that children gain a strong understanding of the sounds that letters make. Children use this knowledge to read and write words with growing confidence. Across the school, pupils who fall behind get extra support to help them keep up. A small minority of younger pupils do not read with the fluency expected. Nonetheless, most become competent and confident readers by the time they leave the school.

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better?

The school’s integrated curriculum is meticulously constructed. Each curriculum project sets out the knowledge pupils need to learn for each subject. Projects culminate in clearly defined outcomes. For example, pupils in Year 1 created a character for their story in English and then used a running stitch in design technology to create a glove puppet. In Year 5, pupils applied their knowledge of computer coding to create a controller for their fairground ride. Pupils produce high- quality outcomes across a range of subjects. 9 and 10 July 2024

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Teachers assess pupils’ understanding regularly and accurately in English and mathematics. It helps them know what to emphasise and revisit in future lessons. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not used with the same precision. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall the essential knowledge they have learned before.

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Staff are alert to pupils who struggle with their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs identified quickly. The school works closely with expert professionals to coordinate any additional help that is needed, such as pre-teaching and speech and language support. Pupils with complex needs benefit from specialist teaching sessions from the school’s ‘Lighthouse’ provision. They grow in confidence and experience success.

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Lessons flow without disruption. Right from the early years, children sustain high levels of concentration during activities. The school’s six learning values, such as collaboration and thinking, encourage pupils to work hard and persevere. Pupils care for others and move sensibly around the school.

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The school deliberately places pupils’ personal development at the heart of its decisions. Through assemblies, pupils celebrate uniqueness and diversity. They confidently challenge discrimination, including gender stereotypes and racism. A recent mock general election explored the concept of democracy. Concerts, productions and visits from artists and authors develop pupils’ cultural awareness. The school ensures that pupils grow into active and responsible youngsters.

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The headteacher leads the school with a determined vision that every child is prepared for tomorrow’s world. She has cultivated a culture of aspiration and teamwork. This extends to governance. Directors have a clear and accurate understanding of what is happening in the school. They visit regularly and ask searching questions of senior and curriculum leaders.

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The overwhelming majority of parents endorse the school’s work. One parent represented the views of many, saying, ‘Pokesdown School is not just a school but a community where children feel they belong to and are valuable members’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some of the wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not used with enough precision to check what pupils know and remember over time. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall the essential knowledge they have learned before. The school needs to ensure that it uses assessment effectively to check on pupils’ understanding over time and to inform future learning. 9 and 10 July 2024

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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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Pokesdown Community Primary School Academy Trust, a single-academy trust.  Pokesdown Community Primary School converted to become an academy in April 2013. When its predecessor school, Pokesdown Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  Changes in leadership have occurred since the previous inspection. The headteacher took up the substantive post in December 2019.  The school currently uses three unregistered alternative provisions.

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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 9 and 10 July 2024

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school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other staff. The lead inspector met with directors from the trust board. He also held a remote meeting with the school improvement adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history, art and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the school, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also met with curriculum leaders and looked more widely at pupils’ work in design technology, music and science.  Inspectors listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector: met the designated safeguarding lead; checked the single central record of adults working

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in the school; took account of the views of 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 in lessons and during breaktime and lunchtime. They spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day. They considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Carl Thornton Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 July 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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