Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ achievement further by:
  • developing the quality of assessment in subjects other than English and mathematics, so that teaching in all subjects can build on what pupils can already do
  • ensuring that teachers ask questions more consistently that extend and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding
  • ensuring that pupils’ opportunities to apply their mathematics skills across a wide range of subjects are as well developed as their opportunities to apply their English skills
  • developing the skills of subject leaders so that they can have a better impact on the quality of teaching and learning, to secure rapid progress for all groups of learners.
• Improve governance by ensuring that governors with individual responsibilities for monitoring and evaluating key aspects of the work of the school fully share and discuss their findings with the governing board.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher provides inspirational leadership. Since her appointment in January 2016, she has united the pupils, staff and governors and, as a result, they share a common purpose and drive to excel. Staff, governors and parents hold her in high regard and value the work she has done. Consequently, staff morale is high and pupils love coming to school.
• Plans to improve the school are precise. They correctly identify the priorities and the actions needed to achieve success. Senior leaders and governors are driving improvements forward and embedding good practice.
• The executive headteacher has strengthened systems for managing the performance of staff to further improve the quality of teaching and learning. Training is tailored to meet individual needs and is closely aligned to raising standards. Staff are wholly positive about the training they receive and say that they have ‘ownership of their own professional development’. As a result, staff development is strong.
• The special educational needs coordinator has a good understanding of her role. She has clear procedures in place to address the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents of those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, who talked with inspectors, spoke highly of the support their child receives.
• The roles of subject leaders are underdeveloped. Subject leaders are not fully involved in making checks on the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils in leaders’ areas of responsibility. Subject leaders, for subjects other than English and mathematics, have not developed systems for tracking and recording progress within their subject.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is a strength of the school. It is supported by a curriculum that engages and enthuses pupils. Relationships between adults and pupils are excellent.
• Fundamental British values and the school’s own strong values are embedded within the curriculum. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. This is evidenced by work displayed around the school, in books and through discussions with pupils. The school has established links with NyansAkia Primary School in Africa. Pupils raise money to help the school and recently raised enough money to pay for a new floor.
• The curriculum is broad and enriched by numerous activities. Consequently, pupils enjoy their learning and receive a balanced and stimulating education. Homework is regularly set and provides appropriate challenge. Parents support the school by ensuring that homework is completed and to a good standard. Regular theme days and curriculum weeks, such as the Year 4 Viking day, Africa day and science week, provide stimulation and creativity that motivate pupils to learn. In addition, pupils are regularly taken on visits to places such as Belton House and are provided with workshops in school; for example, Year 1 enjoyed an Edwardian seaside workshop.
• Good use is made of the primary physical education and sport premium funding to provide specialist teaching and training for staff. The school also provides a range of after-school clubs, such as golf and netball. As a result, pupils’ physical development and understanding of the importance of keeping fit to stay healthy are good.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged children is well used. The design of the curriculum and use of targeted support ensure that these pupils make good progress.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a good overview of the school and are ambitious for its future. They are effective at holding the executive headteacher to account for school improvement and they provide appropriate challenge and question the information she provides.
• Governors are clear about the roles they undertake, but sometimes rely too heavily on individual governors who have specific responsibilities. This means that not all governors have a clear view of some aspects of the school’s work. However, the board of governors regularly reviews its own performance and, as a result, has identified plans to change the organisation of the board to further improve its effectiveness.
• The governing board checks on how the pupil premium and sport premium funding are used to impact on standards. The board is aware of the additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities; however, it does not monitor the use of this funding closely enough to have a secure understanding of its impact on all pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The governing board has ensured that performance management procedures are in place and are effective at securing improvements in teaching and learning.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and meet statutory requirements.
• The executive headteacher has ensured that all staff, including those new to the school, are familiar with procedures and how to identify pupils at risk.
• Staff keep thorough records and work well with parents and other professionals to ensure that pupils are kept safe and are well cared for.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching and learning in a range of subjects are good across the school. Teachers have high expectations for learning and behaviour. As a result, pupils are focused on learning, listen carefully and follow instructions.
• In discussions about their learning in different subjects, pupils gave many examples of how teachers plan interesting activities to stimulate their learning. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about their work on environmental issues to make the world a better place. During the inspection, inspectors observed how teachers engaged pupils in their learning through the use of stimulating resources and creative ideas. Consequently, pupils became absorbed in their learning and were able to maintain concentration throughout their task.
• In the majority of teaching seen, teachers and teaching assistants worked well together to promote good learning and behaviour. Where teaching assistants were most effective, they used questioning well to encourage pupils to think for themselves and work with independence. Furthermore, they provided timely intervention that gave helpful support and guidance.
• Teachers’ use of questioning to extend and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding is inconsistent across the school and across subjects. Conversely, where questioning is used well by teachers, pupils make good gains in their learning.
• In English and mathematics, teachers use information about pupils’ prior learning effectively to plan activities that build on their prior knowledge, skills and understanding. However, leaders have not fully developed systems for recording the progress pupils are making in subjects other than English and mathematics. In addition, in subjects other than English and mathematics and in the early years, work is not sufficiently differentiated to ensure that all groups of learners are given tasks that match their levels of ability.
• Senior leaders have further strengthened the teaching of mathematics to meet the demands of the 2014 national curriculum. Training has ensured that all staff have a good understanding of how to teach mathematics and how to provide opportunities for pupils to master and apply their learning across the curriculum. However, there are some inconsistencies in the opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in various subjects.
• Displays across the school are attractive and stimulating. They provide useful information to help pupils with their learning in lessons. In many lessons observed, inspectors witnessed pupils making effective use of the learning environment to work independently and move their own learning forward.
• Pupils receive good-quality phonics teaching, and this provides them with a good base on which to build their wider reading skills. Pupils were observed using their phonics knowledge well to attempt unfamiliar words. For example, children in Reception were able to confidently blend and decode the words that made up the instructions for their treasure hunt. Pupils who read to inspectors were keen to share their books and discuss their love of reading.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. They are notably polite and well-mannered to staff, each other and to visitors. The school has a warm and friendly atmosphere and, as a result, is a lovely place for pupils to learn.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured learners. They have excellent attitudes to learning. They settle quickly in lessons and are intent on learning. Pupils who inspectors spoke with said that they like having a challenge, ‘because when we are challenged, it takes our learning to the next level’. Pupils understand that it is important to make mistakes in order to learn. Other pupils said that school was ‘a safe place to make mistakes’.
• Pupils recognise how well they are cared for and looked after. They are taught how to stay safe and say they feel very safe. They learn about risks, such as using the internet and social media. Unkindness and bullying are rare. Pupils know that adults are there to help them and are confident that adults would listen to them. However, the school successfully uses a system to encourage pupils to resolve their own conflicts. This is highly effective and pupils told inspectors that they felt ‘empowered’ to help themselves.
• Leaders effectively promote healthy lifestyles. Pupils were able to explain to inspectors how to stay healthy by eating well and exercising regularly. Furthermore, because the school is near building work, teachers have taught pupils about the dangers of playing on building sites.
• Pupils, especially the older ones, enjoy taking responsibility for helping others and making their school and local area better. Pupils told an inspector that when a group of pupils went on a walk in the local area, they noticed that there was a lot of litter. Pupils subsequently acted on their own initiative and submitted an action plan to their teachers to clean up the area.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, both inside and outside the classroom. Incidents of disruption to learning are extremely rare. Leaders have high expectations and a common and consistent approach in relation to behaviour management.
• Pupils are very proud of their school and, as a result, they keep it clean and tidy. They wear their uniforms with pride and speak very positively about all aspects of their school.
• Pupils enjoy school and, as a result, rates of absence are very low when compared with national figures. Leaders have highly effective strategies to promote excellent attendance and support parents with their children’s attendance when necessary.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils across the school are making good progress in a wide range of subjects. They make more progress in English and mathematics than in other subjects. Work in pupils’ books evidences that there is little difference in the progress of groups of pupils.
• The achievement of pupils in English and mathematics is tracked rigorously to ensure that they make the progress expected of them. Pupils who fall behind, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are quickly identified and given the help they need to catch up.
• Leaders regularly check their assessments of pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics with other schools in the local area and within their trust. School records evidence that systems are robust enough to ensure that teachers’ assessments are accurate. Therefore, pupils’ next steps in learning can be carefully planned for and, consequently, pupils make good progress.
• All groups of pupils, including the most able pupils, are well catered for. Work prepared for them is demanding and requires them to think. Due to leaders’ effective use of the pupil premium funding, work in pupils’ books evidences that the learning of disadvantaged pupils is at least in line with that of other pupils. The number of higher-attaining disadvantaged pupils is too small to report on their progress without the risk of identifying them.
• Those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and lower-attaining pupils are well supported. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that additional funding for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used well to ensure that they make good gains in their learning.
• The school did not have any pupils in Year 2 or year 6 last academic year. Therefore, there is no published data for standards at the end of key stage 1 or key stage 2 for the academic year 2015/2016. Published data for standards at the end of the early years states that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is above the national standard. From their starting points, on entry to Reception, this indicates that children make good progress in this stage of their education.
• Due to the effective teaching of phonics, pupils did well in the Year 1 national phonics screening check last year. This year’s pupils are also doing well with their phonics.

Early years provision Good

• Typically, children enter the early years with skills and knowledge appropriate for their age. From this starting point, they make good progress and the majority leave Reception with a good level of development. Children are therefore prepared well for Year 1.
• Leaders have created a stimulating environment for children to learn in. The classroom and the outdoor area encourage children to be curious and take an interest in their learning. Consequently, children usually focus well on the tasks they have been asked to do and are keen to explore their environment. Inspectors observed children taking responsibility for their own learning in purposeful play, building on the skills and knowledge taught to them by their teacher.
• Relationships between adults and children are good and, as a result, children are happy and behave well. They work and play happily together. They are proud of their work and are confident enough to show it to others. Children are kept safe and are well cared for.
• The quality of teaching is good. The teacher and teaching assistants work well together to assess children’s learning and plan lessons that meet children’s needs. Through an online programme used by the school, parents provide the teacher with information on their child’s learning at home. The teacher uses this information, along with accurate assessment information gathered by teaching assistants, in her lesson planning. As a consequence, children make good progress.
• The early years leader plans creative lessons that enthuse and motivate children. The topic of pirates was made more interesting for the children by a themed day on pirates. During the inspection, she introduced a treasure map and a set of instructions to find the treasure. However, the children became too excited and stopped listening to each other or the teacher, and therefore missed out on some of their learning.
• Teaching assistants are more effective in support of learning when children are learning through play; their timely interventions and effective questioning move learning on. As a result, children make good gains. Teaching assistants are less effective in whole-class lessons led by the teacher, because they do not support children’s learning well enough.
• The early years leader supports the development of her team well. She provides regular guidance and focused staff training to ensure that all adults are working to improve standards. She has a clear vision for the early years and accurately identifies key priorities for improvement. For example, reading is a focus this year because standards of reading in 2016 were lower than the previous year.
• The number of children who are disadvantaged is too small to report on without the risk of identifying them.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140214 Lincolnshire 10031122 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor led 4 to 10 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 155 Appropriate authority Academy trust Chairs of the governing board Executive headteacher Head of school Telephone number Website Email address John Kirkman Duncan Pickering Sarah Moore Nick Brompton 01778 426968 www.elseaparkacademy.lincs.sch.uk/ enquiries@elseaparkacademy.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy is smaller than most primary schools. It is part of the Abbey Academies Trust and Bourne Abbey Church of England Primary Academy is the sponsor academy. The school opened in September 2014 and numbers on roll are rising rapidly.
• The school did not have any pupils in Year 2 or Year 6 last academic year. This means that data for pupils’ performance at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2 is not available. There are no Year 6 pupils currently in the school.
• The executive headteacher is the headteacher across both schools and leads Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy along with her head of school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is lower than the national average.
• The percentage of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is low, less than 10% of the school population. This is much lower than the national average for primary schools.
• The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is around 13%. This is similar to the national average for primary schools.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 13 lessons. Two lessons were observed jointly with the executive headteacher.
• The inspection team looked at pupils’ books and the school’s own performance information, to evaluate the progress pupils are making in different subjects across the school.
• A range of other school activities, including playtimes and collective worship, were observed. Inspectors also visited the breakfast club.
• Inspectors held discussions with pupils in meetings, during lessons and informally at breaktimes. They listened to a selection of pupils read.
• Inspectors met with the executive headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the governing board, including the chair of the local board and one of the chairs of the academy trust governing board. The lead inspector spoke to an external consultant who supports the school.
• A wide range of documentation was scrutinised, including the school improvement plan, self-evaluation, and the school’s report on its use of funding to support disadvantaged pupils. The school’s website was evaluated. Inspectors also considered information relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors looked at systems used to manage the performance of staff and minutes of governing board meetings.
• Inspectors took account of 36 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and considered the responses made through the Ofsted free-text service. Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day. There were no responses made to the online staff or pupil questionnaires.

Inspection team

Helen Richardson, lead inspector Roary Pownall Harkireet Sohel

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector