Benhurst Primary School

Benhurst Primary School Inspection report

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102273 Unique Reference Number Havering Local Authority 307953 Inspection number 12 June 2008 Inspection date Gulshanbir Kayembe Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 313 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Fred Steel Chair Mr Ian Trafford Headteacher 1 November 2004 Date of previous school inspection Benhurst Avenue School address Elm Park Hornchurch RM12 4QS 01708 450807 Telephone number 01708 620182 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 12 June 2008 Inspection date 307953 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector. This inspection evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ The progress pupils make across Years 1 to 2.

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Introduction

■ The impact subject coordinators make on improving provision and pupils' learning.

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Introduction

■ The use made of assessment information, including marking, to help to guide and support pupils' learning. Evidence was gathered from: observing lessons; talking to pupils and staff; checking the school's self evaluation records and pupil-progress records; looking at pupils' books and analysing the results of questionnaires returned by parents. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail and the inspection found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

The school draws its pupils from the local area and most live within walking distance. The large majority are White British though, at 13 %, the proportion from minority ethnic backgrounds is larger than in most schools. None, though, is a beginner in English. A below average proportion of pupils have additional needs, mostly difficulties with literacy or speech and language. A few have physical disabilities. The school currently holds a Sport England Activemark and the Football Association Charter Development Mark. It also has the Healthy Schools Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which provides a good quality of education for its pupils. Consequently, they make good progress. Provision in Reception has improved significantly and it is now outstanding, and children make excellent progress. A strong sense of community successfully promotes pupils' personal development and well-being. Pupils contribute well to the school community and, over time, grow in confidence and self-esteem. Good leadership and management are responsible for the school's positive ethos and for the good improvements secured since the last inspection. Overall, pupils' good progress in literacy and numeracy, and their strong social skills, prepare them well for their next step in education and future life. There is some variation in the overall capabilities of different year groups. Hence, standards at the end of Year 2 vary between average and above average from year to year. Results of national

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Grade: 2

assessment at the end of Year 2 in 2007 were above average. Pupils' progress across Years 1 and 2 is good when compared to their prior attainment. By Year 6, standards are typically above average, sometimes well above. Progress across Years 3 to 6 is also good and results of national tests show that pupils have done well in comparison to their attainment at the end of Year 2. Pupils' performance in mathematics is particularly strong by Year 6. Writing standards across the school have improved following issues raised in the last inspection report. Pupils now have many opportunities for extended writing, such as publishing books for the school library, working with authors and writing personal diaries. Overall, standards in English are above average by Year 6. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds make good progress and are often amongst the highest attainers. A strong art and music curriculum results in work of a high

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Grade: 2

standard in these areas. Good teaching contributes to the good progress pupils make. Lessons are well planned and pupils have a clear idea of what they are expected to learn. Tasks are interesting and engage pupils well. As a result, they enjoy learning and feel that 'lessons are fun'. Pupils work well with one another when in pairs or groups. Occasionally, there is an over reliance on worksheets limiting opportunities for pupils to work more independently. Support staff are used well in lessons and make a strong contribution to pupils' learning. Pupils' work is regularly marked and written comments usually tell them how well they have done. However, in many cases comments do not give enough guidance on improvement. Hence, pupils are unsure about what they need to do to make their work better. Personal targets are not yet consistently used across the school to help pupils focus on key areas that will help to

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Grade: 2

raise their levels of attainment. The school has a wealth of data on pupils' progress. This is used effectively to check how well they are doing at an individual or class level and to highlight any individuals who may be underperforming. The data is also well used to set challenging targets. It is less well used to provide an overview of patterns and trends of performance across the school. Consequently, the school does not always have a full enough picture of the overall progress, for example, across each year group. A good curriculum provides some outstanding learning opportunities and encourages good attendance. A very wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities, especially in the arts and physical education, contribute very well to pupils' social and spiritual development and their broader cultural awareness. Whilst they develop respect for those who are different, pupils are insecure in their understanding of different cultures. They have good knowledge of

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Grade: 2

4 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008 healthy lifestyles and make good efforts to adopt these. They particularly enjoy sporting activities. Significant improvements to accommodation have included a new computer suite which is having a positive impact on developing pupils' skills in information and communication technology (ICT). Further work is underway, now that resources have improved, to enhance the use of ICT as part of teaching and learning. The school is always seeking ways to improve further. Other planned developments include increasing opportunities for creative approaches to learning, for example, more use of drama. Pupils are very well looked after. As a result, they feel safe and behave in a safe manner. Behaviour around the school and in lessons is good and this is both conducive to good learning and an orderly school community. An extensive range of programmes to support pupils who

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Grade: 2

find learning difficult ensure that they make good progress. These programmes are especially effective in ensuring that a high proportion of lower attaining pupils reach the expected levels. Gifted and talented pupils are now well served by a wide range of opportunities to develop the areas in which they excel. A good proportion of pupils reach the higher level by Year 6, especially in mathematics and science. The headteacher provides a clear direction for development. He, together with his senior team, maintains a clear focus on enabling pupils to gain a rounded education and achieve their full potential. The headteacher is well supported by governors who provide good oversight of the school's work. Subject leaders understand and carry out their roles effectively. They are involved in the school's self-evaluation which enables them, on a rolling programme, to review agreed areas of their work. The findings from review activities are used effectively to improve provision

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Grade: 2

and, hence, pupils' learning. The programme of reviews, together with effective performance management and informal lesson observations, means the school has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. It is, therefore, well placed to improve further.

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Grade: 1

Attainment on entry is a little below that expected for children of this age. Standards, based on most recent assessments, are above average by the end of Reception. Outstanding teaching contributes to the excellent progress that children make, particularly in literacy and mathematics. Activities are exceptionally well planned and structured so that children gain enormous pleasure from them whilst developing new skills and knowledge. The success of practical approaches to learning is down to excellent leadership. Children become confident and independent learners keen to explore new tasks. Children's work is very thoroughly assessed allowing staff to have detailed knowledge of their development, which they use to help promote further progress. New accommodation has done much to enable a lively, exciting and creative curriculum.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils have clear guidance so they know what to do to make their work better.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make better use of data analysis to inform strategic planning. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Benhurst Primary School,Hornchurch,RM12 4QS I enjoyed visiting your school and especially enjoyed talking to you. I would like to thank you for making me feel so welcome. Your school gives you a good education and you make good progress. As a result, you reach above average standards by the time you are ready to leave and are well prepared for your next school. These are some of the best things about the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy school and feel that lessons are fun.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children in Reception get an excellent start to their education.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are taught well and make good progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school provides you with a very wide range of visits and visitors and learning experiences, especially in art, music and sports. ■ Support staff make a strong contribution to your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Staff take very good care of you so that you feel happy and safe at school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher works with other staff to continue to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The areas where the school could improve include.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Making sure that you are given clear guidance on how to make your work better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Using the school's data about your progress to check more closely the progress and standards across the school. You can certainly help by asking staff about what you can do to make your work better. It was very nice to meet you and talk with you. I wish you well for the future. Yours sincerely Gulshan Kayembe Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Benhurst Primary School, 12 June 2008

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