Beardall Fields Primary and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders:
  • apply a consistent approach to monitoring and evaluation activities
  • hold teachers to account more closely and ensure that they are following agreed practices
  • identify weaknesses in teaching and take swift action to support and challenge staff to improve their practice
  • carefully evaluate the impact of the school’s work and amend strategies accordingly.
• Improve the effectiveness of governance by ensuring that members of the governing body hold leaders to account for all aspects of the school’s work, including the use and impact of additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers:
  • routinely plan activities which meet the needs of pupils’ different abilities, particularly with regard to challenging the most able pupils
  • embed strategies already in place to improve pupils’ progress in reading
  • check pupils’ understanding and tackle misconceptions.
• Further improve attendance through robust monitoring and appropriate intervention, particularly of pupils who are persistently absent.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Senior leaders have a clear overview of the quality of education provided in the school. They know what needs to be done to bring about the necessary improvements but have not held middle leaders and other staff to account closely enough to ensure that their aims are achieved.
• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and have accurately identified areas in need of improvement. They have shared the school’s priorities with all staff. However, staff are not clear about how to realise these aims.
• Middle leaders monitor the quality of provision in the areas for which they are responsible. For example, they undertake lesson observations and scrutinise pupils’ work. However, they do not sharply identify areas in need of improvement, nor do they communicate their expectations clearly. This means that staff are not challenged to improve their practice quickly enough.
• Leaders have introduced a number of strategies to bring about the necessary improvements. However, there is a lack of strategic oversight. This means that leaders are unable to effectively evaluate the holistic impact of this considerable amount of industry and activity.
• Leaders have not ensured a consistent approach to monitoring activities. This limits leaders’ capacity to challenge underperformance.
• Leaders have written plans which identify appropriate actions to bring about improvements but they do not evaluate the impact of strategies with precision. This means that they are unable to adapt plans accordingly.
• Leaders have ensured that additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils is allocated appropriately. However, they do not evaluate the impact of specific strategies sharply enough to ensure that it leads to the rapid progress necessary.
• Senior leaders work hard to support staff and are keen to praise their successes. They recognise where improvements need to be made but they do not robustly challenge weaknesses in teaching.
• Leaders have not ensured that performance management is used to improve teachers’ practice. Teachers are set targets which are linked to whole-school priorities, but these lack precision and do not provide enough challenge to staff. Leaders do not hold teachers to account closely enough.
• The headteacher is committed to the school and is passionate for pupils’ success. She has created a culture where all are valued. Leaders have established positive relationships with pupils and they know each as an individual. Pupils feel supported and are happy and settled at school.
• Leadership of the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is a strength. The special educational needs coordinator has a very good understanding of individual pupils’ needs. She monitors provision closely and ensures that pupils’ needs are met. Additional funding is allocated appropriately and supports pupils to make good progress.
• Leaders have designed a curriculum which interests and motivates pupils. A wide range of activities broadens and enriches pupils’ experiences. For example, pupils have benefited from visiting artists and participated in musical workshops. The wider curriculum also furthers pupils’ understanding and learning. For example, pupils take part in competitive sport with other schools and pupils recently won the local library’s ‘summer reading challenge’.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school and permeates all activities. Leaders have ensured that pupils are provided with many opportunities to develop their understanding of fundamental British values. For example, pupils participated in a whole-school general election and are able to explain the meaning and processes of democracy as a result.
• The headteacher is determined to bring about the necessary improvements to the school. All stakeholders have confidence in her ability to do so. She is aware of the need to evaluate all aspects of the school’s work more precisely and to hold staff to account more closely.

Governance of the school

• Members of the governing body are committed to the school and share leaders’ passion for pupils’ success. Governors are knowledgeable and understand their role and responsibilities in bringing about school improvement.
• There is a range of experience and expertise among members of the governing body. Each governor is linked to a key aspect of the school’s work, ensuring that each member is deployed appropriately.
• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for further improvement. They understand the work that is currently being undertaken to bring about improvements. However, they have not ensured that leaders have provided them with the relevant and necessary details to challenge and hold leaders to account for all aspects of the school’s work. For example, governors do not know how the pupil premium funding is allocated. They are therefore unable to challenge leaders about the impact of this funding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Pupils’ well-being underpins all aspects of the school’s work. Staff recognise their responsibility in ensuring pupils’ safety and promoting their welfare. They monitor pupils closely and follow up any concerns appropriately and swiftly.
• The designated safeguarding lead has established simple and clear principles and routines which are understood and followed by staff. She involves external agencies as appropriate and is careful to follow up any referrals.
• Leaders have ensured that staff have received appropriate training. They provide regular updates and ensure that staff maintain an up-to-date understanding of current safeguarding issues.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent across the school and within year groups and subjects.
• Teachers do not routinely use information about what pupils are able to achieve to plan activities which challenge all pupils. This means that the most able pupils are sometimes not sufficiently challenged. Pupils say that they sometimes find their work too easy. Too often they are held back in their learning while they wait for others to be ready to move on.
• Teachers do not consistently correct pupils’ misconceptions, which leads to misunderstanding. Discussions do not fully explore errors and teachers sometimes move on before pupils’ learning is secure.
• Teachers do not consistently apply the school’s marking and feedback policy. Pupils are therefore not always guided to improve their work or learn from their mistakes.
• Teachers share learning aims and success criteria with pupils through ‘learning shields’ to help them to understand what they are learning and how they can improve their work. However, in the majority of lessons, all pupils are given the same success criteria, regardless of their ability. This means that the most able pupils are not guided to focus on aspects of their work that would help them reach the greater depth and higher standards.
• Most teachers plan lessons which interest and motivate pupils. They have high expectations of pupils’ participation and involvement.
• Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils in lessons.
• Teachers set relevant homework activities in all year groups. Pupils recognise the importance and value of these activities.
• Much work has been undertaken to promote reading throughout the school. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and regularly. Pupils who read to inspectors were able to use their phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words.
• Where there is stronger practice, teachers use questioning skilfully. For example, they probe the most able pupils’ understanding to develop their reasoning skills and they support the less able pupils to work things out for themselves.
• There are very good relationships between pupils and teachers. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress.
• There is some very strong practice where teachers plan to meet the needs of different abilities. Pupils’ needs are thus met and they make rapid progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good and is a strength of the school. Leaders work hard to ensure that all aspects of pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare are well supported and promoted throughout the school. Leaders hold the interests of pupils at the heart of all that they do.
• Pupils are confident and self-assured. They are happy and keen to discuss their work with visitors. They work well together and independently. Pupils can sustain concentration for extended periods without direct adult supervision.
• Staff support pupils who have difficulties in managing their own behaviour. Staff are well trained and highly effective in dealing with challenging behaviour. As a result, pupils are well integrated and supported in all aspects of school life.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. For example, they recognise the potential dangers of the internet and understand how to manage risks.
• Pupils say that bullying is extremely rare. They are confident that staff would deal with any incidents quickly and effectively, should they occur.
• The curriculum encourages pupils to recognise and understand diversity. Pupils are tolerant and welcoming of those who are different to themselves. Pupils have a good understanding of different faiths and cultures and are respectful of these.
• Where teaching is weaker, pupils are not fully supported to develop effective learning behaviour. For example, where pupils are not challenged, they can be drawn into off-task behaviour.
• Leaders are aware of the need to develop strategies to reduce the levels of intensive behaviour support that some pupils require and so prepare them to manage more independently.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They conduct themselves well around school and at social times. Pupils are courteous to adults and to each other. They demonstrate good manners, for example, by holding doors open for each other. At the time of the inspection, pupils were participating in a variety of activities to celebrate Christmas. Their excitement manifested itself in highly positive ways.
• Behaviour in lessons is good. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour expectations and respond to these well. Low-level disruption is rare. Any instances of off-task behaviour are as a result of weaker teaching that does not challenge or motivate pupils.
• Leaders have introduced a new attendance policy and are beginning to take effective action to challenge poor attendance. Whole-school attendance is improving and is now above the national average. Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance has also improved but remains slightly below the national average. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is high and continues to be a priority for improvement.

Outcomes for pupils

• Pupils’ skills and understanding, when they enter the school, are below those typical for their age. They do not make fast enough progress throughout key stage 1 and key stage 2 to catch up, particularly in reading.

Requires improvement

• In 2016 and 2017, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics combined, at the end of key stage 2, was considerably lower than the national average. This is because pupils made far slower progress in reading than other pupils nationally.
• In 2017, pupils’ progress in reading at key stage 2 was in the lowest 10% of all schools nationally. Boys’ progress in reading was particularly slow. Disadvantaged pupils also made considerably slower progress than other pupils nationally.
• The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to reach the higher standards. At key stage 1, the proportion of pupils reaching a greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average in 2016 and 2017. Similarly, at key stage 2, far fewer pupils reach the higher standards than nationally in all subjects. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving at the highest standards is lower still.
• In 2017, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standards in writing, mathematics, grammar and spelling at the end of key stage 2 was similar to national averages.
• Pupils’ progress in writing is improving. In 2017, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard was above the national average at key stage 2. At key stage 1 it was similar to other pupils nationally.
• Outcomes in mathematics are also improving, particularly by the end of key stage 2. The proportion of pupils who reached the expected standards was the same as for other pupils nationally in 2017.
• Phonics teaching has improved and pupils are making faster progress than in the past. The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standards in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017 was the same as the national average. Disadvantaged pupils also made very good progress and a similar proportion of pupils achieved the expected standard.
• Recently introduced strategies are improving the quality of teaching, particularly of reading. Leaders are closely tracking pupils’ progress and expect outcomes in reading to improve in 2018. However, it is too soon to evaluate the impact of these strategies on pupils’ progress.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported, both in lessons and in smaller-group provision. They make good progress.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision ensures that children make a good start to their life at school. Leaders have ensured that the atmosphere is welcoming and warm. When children enter the school, staff help them settle quickly. Leaders have ensured that children are happy and safe. Statutory duties are met and staff are appropriately trained. Safeguarding is effective.
• Many children enter the school with levels of development below those typical for their age. Staff quickly identify gaps in children’s learning and provide the necessary support to help them catch up. Children make good progress during their time in the setting. They are well prepared to start Year 1.
• Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting’s strengths and aspects in need of further improvement. They have written clear plans to address areas of relative weakness and all staff understand leaders’ aims in securing improvement.
• The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have a good understanding of children’s abilities and needs, and plan activities to ensure that these are met. The curriculum is planned around a theme which is incorporated into all activities. For example, children were learning about weddings at the time of the inspection and were excitedly writing invitations and menus.
• Teachers use discussion well to help develop children’s language and understanding. Questioning is effective in extending children’s knowledge.
• Whole-school approaches to the teaching of reading have been incorporated into the early years setting. Leaders have introduced a new approach to the teaching of phonics and children are making more rapid progress as a result.
• There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Adults intervene appropriately to extend children’s learning.
• Relationships between staff and children and between children are positive. Adults model positive behaviour and good manners, which children mirror. Children collaborate well and are supportive of each other. They are confident and keen to share their experiences with adults and each other.
• Since the last inspection, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development has steadily increased each year. In 2017, it was in line with the national average for all children. Leaders judge that outcomes for children will improve further this year.
• The headteacher and the early years staff have developed very positive relationships with parents. Considerable emphasis has been placed on developing children’s reading and parents are encouraged to support their children’s learning by reading together at home. Home-school learning journals help parents of children who attend the Nursery to support their children’s learning. Parents are extremely supportive of the school.
• Leaders have ensured that additional funding to support disadvantaged children is used effectively. For example, additional reading interventions are provided for this group of children. They are making very good progress as a result. The proportion of disadvantaged children reaching a good level of development has improved considerably but it remains below the national average.
• Teachers provide opportunities for children to practise their writing. In adult-led activities, children use their phonics skills in their writing. However, they do not routinely do this when writing independently.
• Leaders do not always evaluate the impact of their work with sufficient detail to ensure that improvements are made rapidly. For example, there are inconsistencies in the assessment practices across the setting and leaders have not yet taken action to resolve this.

School details

Unique reference number 122584 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 10041594 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 308 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Kevin Hollingworth Katherine Collins 01159 638845 www.beardallfields.org.uk office@beardallfields.org.uk Date of previous inspection 28–29 January 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school and is expanding each year.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is higher than average.
• The majority of pupils are White British. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is considerably lower than average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes, some jointly with senior leaders.
• Discussions were held with senior and middle leaders, other staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and a sample of pupils’ books and assessments.
• Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lessons, at breaktime and at lunchtime. Inspectors also observed pupils’ learning and behaviour in an assembly.
• Inspectors heard pupils read and spoke with pupils in discussion groups and informally around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents including the school’s self-evaluation, its improvement plans, minutes of meetings of the governing body, information about the attainment and progress of all pupils, records relating to behaviour and safeguarding, and information on the school’s website.
• Inspectors considered the 44 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the 37 free-text responses from parents. They also considered the results of a school-conducted survey of parents’ views. Inspectors spoke to parents before school to ascertain their views.

Inspection team

Deborah Mosley, lead inspector Heather Hawkes Heidi Malliff Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector