Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School

School report DRAFT - not for publication

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DRAFT - not for publication Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School Lower Queen's Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex IG9 6DS

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Kiel Richardson. This school is part of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, and overseen by a board of trustees, Graham Clifford chaired by Christopher White.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils happily attend this school. They enjoy the interesting learning tasks their teachers organise. These activities also help them to remember what they have learned. Pupils are polite and well-mannered, contributing to a positive and happy school atmosphere. Most pupils work hard and take their education seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, pupils rise to their teachers’ high aspirations. Overall, they achieve well. From Reception onwards, pupils build their vocabulary. They apply their knowledge well, for example, by engaging in interesting conversations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well because teachers have high expectations. They clearly explain to pupils how to behave and the importance of kindness and good manners. The youngest pupils in the school are calm and attentive. Staff try to make learning the routines fun. For example, in the Reception classes, everybody sings a familiar song when it is time to sit on the carpet. This helps children to know what to do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils love to have extra roles and responsibilities. For instance, running the playtime radio station. Others have gained the self-confidence to be positive role models and can serve as prefects. This helps them to develop a sense of community which they show pride in. 10 and 11 December 2024

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

Last year, part of this school closed due to safety concerns over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). For a period, many pupils in the school learned at a different site. The pupils whose classes remained unaffected had to share spaces. This means there was little opportunity for the usual catch-up work. There was also no access to the school hall, which limited pupils' other opportunities. However, the pupils and staff have shown remarkable resilience. Parents are also appreciative of this. This impacted on pupils’ achievement, as shown in the lower than expected provisional published outcomes for 2024. However, current pupils are achieving well.

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

In most subjects, the curriculum is well-planned and coherently sequenced. This means that staff know what to teach and when. Together with skilled teaching, this means that pupils learn a broad, interesting set of skills and knowledge. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum does not build as securely as it could on the strong foundations in the Early Years. This means that sometimes pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could in these subjects.

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

In most subjects, teachers routinely check that pupils have remembered previous learning. This enables them to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, this practice is less consistent in a few subjects that are currently under development. As a result, pupils’ achievement in these subjects is not as secure.

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

Across the school, the development of pupils' vocabulary is highly effective. Staff know how to help pupils learn important, interesting language. In the early years, the classroom environment is well-considered and appealing. Knowledgeable staff help children to build and use new language well.

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

The school prioritises pupils' learning to read. Younger children learn to develop a love of reading, rhymes, and songs. This creates an interest that pupils develop as they read more texts, including poetry, in Years 1 to 6. Pupils learn an appropriate phonics programme and practise reading regularly. They read books that match their phonics knowledge. This helps them to become confident readers. Additionally, all pupils who need extra help receive timely support. This means that pupils become fluent readers.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well-supported by staff who understand their needs. The school effectively identifies these needs and tailors learning approaches accordingly. For instance, some pupils use technology to record their thoughts and ideas. Overall, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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

Pupils across the school behave well. They are inspired to learn through the school’s interesting curriculum. Additionally, the school has straightforward and well-established rules. The playground has engaging activities that pupils love to take part in. This means they are happy and well occupied. From the early years onwards clear routines and well- designed tasks support children’s social development. This enables children in the early years to be engaged in tasks for long periods. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Pupils are self-confident and love their school. They have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They also know that if they work hard, they can achieve highly. Pupils learn the importance of respect for all and that everyone is unique. They also understand that this uniqueness is what makes us special.

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Together with the trust, the school has recently taken action to strengthen strategic over- sight and local governance arrangements. However, some processes are new and are not fully embedded. Staff are positive about how leaders value their well-being and take their workload into consideration.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum does not build as securely as it could on the strong foundations in the Early Years. This means that sometimes pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that subject leaders are supported to refine curriculums so that pupils consistently build on prior learning and develop a more secure understanding of these subjects.  In a few foundation subjects, assessment processes are not fully established. This means gaps in pupils’ knowledge are sometimes not identified or addressed well enough. The school needs to ensure that they refine their approaches to assessing pupils’ knowledge in these subjects so that staff can address gaps in knowledge promptly.  Some aspects of the school’s strategic oversight are still being embedded. As a result, local governors and trustees sometimes do not have the information they need to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

understand the impact of leaders’ work to improve standards. The trust has already begun work to address this and needs to continue to strengthen governance arrangements and ensure that those responsible for governance, have the knowledge they need to ably fulfil their roles.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness. 10 and 11 December 2024

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We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2017.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school is part of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust.  Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School converted to become an academy in November 2019. When its predecessor school, Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The trust has delegated some strategic responsibilities to a local governing body. This is set out in the trust’s scheme of delegation.  The headteacher is new to the school this year.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 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 met with the headteacher, other leaders and staff. The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair. They also met with representatives from the trust.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, 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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-

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text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 10 and 11 December 2024

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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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