Courtney Primary School

Inspection of Courtney Primary School Courtney Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 9RD

p.1

Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school at the heart of its community. The school’s values of ‘nurture, inspire and flourish’ underpin all aspects of the school’s work. Pupils are wonderful ambassadors for the school. They are happy and proud to attend.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school’s high expectations of them. They are respectful and behave well. Pupils have positive attitudes to, and succeed in, their learning.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a broad curriculum and stimulating experiences that enrich pupils’ learning. For example, a museum visit deepens older pupils’ understanding of life in World War II. Residential trips help pupils to learn valuable life skills such as team-building.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have exciting opportunities to develop their talents and interests. For example, in art lessons, they can try silk printing and sculpture. All pupils can join clubs, such as dodgeball and hockey. Pupils can also learn to play an instrument.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pastoral support is strong. The school forges valuable and supportive partnerships with pupils and their families. This has a positive impact on pupils’ well-being. Pupils feel safe at school. They trust adults to take good care of them. Many parents and carers praise the school. They typically comment on the family atmosphere.

p.2

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

There have been several changes to leadership and staffing since the last inspection. The school has worked effectively with the local authority and governors to stabilise staffing and improve the curriculum. This has had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes and their well-being.

p.2

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

The school provides an ambitious and rich curriculum in many subjects. The school has identified the important knowledge and vocabulary it expects pupils to learn. The curriculum is well sequenced. However, some subjects are at an earlier stage in their development so are not implemented as well as others.

p.2

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

The school identifies and meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. The school adapts the curriculum, and provides additional teaching and pastoral support, when necessary. As a result, all pupils are well supported to achieve their best.

p.2

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

In most subjects, pupils achieve well. However, in a few subjects, the school’s checks on pupils’ learning do not routinely pick up gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, in these subjects, pupils are not sufficiently well prepared for what comes next.

p.2

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

The school prioritises reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. The phonics programme is consistently delivered well. This enables most pupils to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils use their knowledge of phonics to help them to write. For example, children in the early years use paintbrushes and glitter to practise writing the 24 and 25 September 2024

p.2

3

sounds they are learning. A small number of pupils who struggle to read, including pupils with SEND, receive extra help. This is improving their accuracy.

p.3

3

The effective teaching of the reading curriculum helps pupils to develop wider reading skills, such as comprehension and inference. The school provides a variety of exciting books to inspire pupils’ love of reading. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure. They are thrilled to choose additional books as a reward for regular reading. Pupils become absorbed when adults read to them.

p.3

3

Staff use good subject knowledge to model and explain learning carefully. They provide opportunities for pupils to revisit and consolidate previous learning. Pupils use their existing knowledge to help them to develop new knowledge. For example, children in the early years use their counting skills to develop mathematical vocabulary such as ‘more than’ and ‘fewer’. Older pupils use their knowledge of place value to round numbers.

p.3

3

The school provides highly effective social and emotional support for pupils who have difficulty managing their emotions, including some pupils with SEND. Pupils say there is always someone to talk to if they have any worries. This helps to ease any anxiety they might feel and encourages them to recognise and manage their emotions appropriately.

p.3

3

Pupils follow well-established school routines and behave well. They listen carefully and contribute well during lessons. For example, children in the early years find their learning fun. They enjoy making ‘mud cakes’ and creating pictures with leaves collected on an autumn walk.

p.3

3

The school’s comprehensive curriculum supports pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to be a good friend. Pupils can take on positions of responsibility, such as lunchtime helpers and sports captains. They learn the importance of celebrating diversity. For example, pupils learn about the life and work of Martin Luther King. Pupils gain an awareness of different cultures when they study the work of Aboriginal artists.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum and assessment are still being developed. As a result, the school does not yet precisely identify how well pupils develop and retain the knowledge and skills it expects them to. This means that pupils have gaps in their learning. The school must sharpen assessment, and adapt the curriculum where necessary, to fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge and help them to know and remember more. 24 and 25 September 2024

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.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 24 and 25 September 2024

p.4

School details

Chair of governing body Victoria Harrity and Kelli Tomlinson (co- chairs) Headteacher Georgina Scott

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 April and 1 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school appointed a new headteacher in January 2021. The school has also undergone several other changes to leadership since the last inspection.  The school provides before-school care for pupils. The school uses an outside provider for after-school care.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 24 and 25 September 2024

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and the acting deputy headteacher. The acting deputy headteacher is also the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors also held meetings with the early years foundation leader and the family link worker.  The lead inspector held a meeting with members of the governing body. The inspector also had a video conversation with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum,

p.6

6

visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in art and music.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times during the day, including breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils and staff and spoke to some parents to gather their views. They reviewed 46 responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the online staff and pupil surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Darren Preece Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

p.6

7

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