Filton Hill Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Filton Hill Primary School Blenheim Drive, Filton, Bristol, Gloucestershire BS34 7AX

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Sharon Clark. This school is part of The Olympus 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), Dave Baker, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sarah Williams.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Filton Hill is a welcoming school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and nurturing. Pupils feel safe. They have many trusted adults they can talk to should they have any worries. Staff value pupils as individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Following the last inspection, leadership and staffing at the school have experienced uncertainty. The trust has since appointed a new leadership team. The team recognised the areas where the school needed to improve. Its relentless work has had a positive impact. Pupils know the school values: ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’. Pupils explained that bullying is rare, but if it does happen, staff help them resolve any worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has made improvements to the curriculum. Pupils are starting to respond to the higher aspirations that the school has for their learning. These are helping to improve pupils’ achievement across subjects. However, they are not fully embedded. As a result, in 2023, pupils’ outcomes in national tests were low in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a range of wider opportunities. Many educational visits take place in the local area. Pupils also take on positions of responsibility, such as becoming members of the student council or play leaders. Pupils frequently help others and try to be a ‘bucket-filler’ by demonstrating kindness. 16 and 17 July 2024

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

The school has designed the curriculum to ensure it is well sequenced. It outlines what pupils need to know and when. The curriculum is suitably ambitious and broad. It has identified important knowledge and skills. There is a strong focus on developing children’s vocabulary. However, there is still more to do to ensure that pupils can recall their learning with confidence.

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

Systems to check pupils’ understanding and address misconceptions are not securely in place. As a result, pupils move on to new content before they have a secure understanding of prior learning. This means that pupils have gaps in their understanding across the curriculum. The curriculum is having a variable impact on pupils. This is reflected in the results of the 2023 national tests at the end of key stage 2. Changes to the curriculum are not yet embedded to secure improved outcomes.

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

Leaders ensure that the school is inclusive. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Teachers have clear plans to help them meet the needs of pupils. Staff put in place a range of strategies to help pupils to learn the curriculum. However, for those pupils who have faced high staff turnover, their needs are not always met.

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

The school has made reading a priority. Staff are well trained in the school’s phonics programme. As a result, the outcomes for early reading have swiftly improved. Staff provide effective support to pupils who are falling behind. Teachers link high-quality texts to topics across the wider curriculum. This reflects the aim for reading to be at the heart of learning. Pupils enjoy the books they read together in class. They speak excitedly about listening to the ‘mystery reader’. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know.

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

Pupils understand the expectations of conduct and behaviour. Pupils value the rewards they receive in recognition of their hard work. Lessons are orderly. Occasionally, learning is disrupted, but this is managed well by staff. Routines around the school are embedded well. Pupils demonstrate their ‘wonderful walking’ around school consistently. At playtime, pupils appreciate the range of equipment available to them. They play creatively and cooperatively. Play leaders support younger pupils to join in with games.

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

The school has developed robust systems to improve pupils’ attendance. It is working with families to help them get their children to school every day. This work is helping to improve attendance for many pupils. However, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent remains a concern. Leaders are rightly maintaining a sharp focus on improving attendance.

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

The school carefully considers pupils’ broader development. Leaders ensure that visits enrich pupils’ experiences beyond the classroom. For example, Year 4 pupils describe their recent trip to Caerleon and how it helped them understand their learning about the Romans. These experiences provide pupils with a rich set of opportunities. Pupils understand how different groups in society should be treated equally. The well-planned 16 and 17 July 2024

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curriculum for personal development ensures that pupils understand how to stay safe online.

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Relationships between the school and some parents and carers are fragile. This is due to the many changes that have happened over recent years. However, parents and carers of those in younger year groups are more positive about the school’s work. The school has a secure and robust focus on what needs to improve. Its efforts, together with a dedicated staff team and effective trust, are beginning to have a positive impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching does not always carefully check how well pupils have learned new subject content. As a result, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not routinely identified. The school should ensure that there is greater consistency in the use of assessment so that pupils’ understanding is systematically checked.  There are aspects of the curriculum that have been recently developed to increase levels of ambition. These subjects are not fully embedded and are not yet having the intended impact on pupils, especially for pupils who have experienced disjointed staffing. The school should ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are fully embedded so that they have a positive impact on pupils’ learning.  The school is working closely with parents and carers to improve pupils’ attendance. However, the attendance of some pupils is still too low. As a result, these pupils miss out on important learning. The school should strengthen further the work it is doing to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

improve the attendance of pupils who are persistently absent.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school to be good in July 2013. 16 and 17 July 2024

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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.

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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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been several changes of staff since the previous inspection. The headteacher took up post in January 2023.  The school provides a before-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited 16 and 17 July 2024

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samples of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, representatives from the trust, including the CEO and the chair of the board of trustees, who also chairs the school improvement committee.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, the inspector met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  The inspector considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including

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free-text responses. They also looked at responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Frances Bywater His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 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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