Toton Bispham Drive Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and so accelerate further pupils’ progress, by ensuring that all teachers:
  • plan challenging tasks in reading and mathematics which enable pupils to articulate and explain their thinking more effectively
  • offer sufficient guidance to the most able pupils so they understand how they can further improve their writing
  • in line with the school’s policy, ensure that pupils know how to review and edit their own work accurately, so they can correct basic mistakes and complete work to the highest standard
  • frequently check how well pupils are doing during lessons and provide extra support as soon as possible
  • participate fully in sharing more widely the good practice that already exists in the school.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since taking up her post following the previous inspection, the headteacher has worked with senior leaders, staff and governors to develop an ethos of high expectations for all. She has tackled weaknesses with vigour and staff now share her ambition and vision for the pupils and the school. The vast majority of staff say they are proud to work at the school and believe it has improved.
• Leaders at all levels know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well because they conduct regular checks on teaching and pupils’ progress. They use this information to establish clear plans for improvement and they assess the effectiveness of these regularly. For example, in reviewing work to improve pupils’ understanding of mathematics, they recognise that there is more to be done to ensure that pupils fully explain the reasoning behind their answers.
• Teachers benefit from regular feedback and guidance from leaders. They have the opportunity to engage in high-quality, professional development which matches their own needs and the priorities of the school. The impact of this can be seen in improvements to the quality of teaching of reading. There are clear processes for managing the performance of teachers and holding them to account for the progress of pupils in their class.
• Middle leaders make an increasingly effective contribution to school improvement. They work alongside senior leaders to check pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, talk to pupils about their learning and observe learning in lessons. They use this information to support teachers to improve their practice and to establish clear next steps for whole-school improvement.
• Leaders are committed to promoting equality and rigorously check on the progress of all pupils. They recognise where pupils have additional learning needs and put appropriate support and interventions into place. The leader for the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and her team are committed to ensuring that pupils receive at least good teaching within the classroom. Consequently, these pupils are making good progress.
• The school uses the funding for disadvantaged pupils effectively. Disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as other pupils nationally.
• Pupils learn about the rule of law, democracy and tolerance, and this is reflected in their good behaviour and concern for others. They learn to respect the views, faiths and beliefs of others, and to welcome difference and diversity. British values link closely to the school’s values and are embedded well throughout the school.
• The curriculum, as reflected in displays around the school and in pupils’ workbooks, is broad and balanced and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils visit different places of worship and reflect on the views and beliefs of others. They benefit from a range of exciting and interesting extra-curricular activities tailored to their interests, including a range of sports, two residential trips and a genealogy club. Pupils are beginning to organise some of these clubs for themselves.
• The primary school physical education and sport premium funding is used effectively to offer pupils different sporting experiences, as well as giving them opportunities to develop their resilience. Pupils participate in a range of competitive sporting events with local schools.
• Leaders ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is promoted well. This is evident in their positive attitudes to their learning and to the good relationships they have with staff and each other. The school has introduced opportunities for pupils to engage in philosophical discussion.
• The majority of parents are happy with the school. However, a significant minority of them expressed concerns about the school in the online questionnaire, Parent View. They were particularly concerned about behaviour, bullying and the school’s response to their concerns. As a result, inspectors looked very closely at these issues, gathering a wide range of evidence. They found that some pupils can exhibit challenging behaviour but this is generally well managed by staff. Pupils spoken with say there is very little bullying now and they are confident that the headteacher and other staff would sort it out quickly if it did happen. They do say there have been incidents in the past. School records show that the headteacher and other staff respond to concerns raised by parents, but recognise there is more to do to improve communication further.
• The school has introduced a range of opportunities for parents to be more involved in their child’s education. These include a Reading Café, poetry assemblies and online homework.
• The local authority adviser has provided regular and effective support to the school since the previous inspection. Leaders have also established strong links with highly effective leaders and schools within the local teaching school alliance, and beyond, in order to develop and improve their practice.

Governance of the school

• Since the school’s last inspection, the governing body has reviewed the way it works in order to improve its effectiveness. Governors have a broad range of skills and experience which enhance their contribution to the school.
• Governors are committed to securing the best possible outcomes for pupils; they visit the school regularly to find out about its strengths and weaknesses and to check that leaders’ actions are effective. They are supportive, but also ask challenging questions about pupils’ progress, improvements to teaching and the school’s finances.
• The governing body checks regularly that the pupil premium funding is having a positive impact on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Governors also know how the funding to develop sports within the school is used.
• Governors make sure that they are informed about how well the school manages risks and keeps pupils safe. They are fully aware of the governing body’s responsibilities to monitor the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders give safeguarding a high priority in the school. Procedures for checking the suitability of adults working with children meet statutory requirements. Staff are vigilant because there is regular and appropriate training on how to keep pupils safe. This includes training on radicalisation and extremism.
• The designated leaders for child protection ensure that procedures are followed rigorously and records of incidents and concerns are carefully maintained. They work closely with a range of support agencies to ensure that pupils receive the appropriate support and services.
• Most parents who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, and those who spoke with inspectors on the playground agreed the school keeps pupils safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the last inspection and is now good.
• Leaders check regularly on the quality of teaching and offer advice and support to teachers on how they can improve further. Together, they have developed effective systems to identify pupils who are falling behind in their learning and are able to offer additional support. As a result, pupils are now making better progress.
• Staff work well together to plan interesting and enjoyable tasks, with a particular focus on stimulating pupils’ ideas for writing, such as when a ‘dinosaur’ recently visited the school. Their collaborative work enables them to create a purposeful and productive working environment. Most teachers engage pupils well. For example, pupils were keen to share their knowledge about rocks during a science lesson.
• Teachers explain tasks to pupils clearly, so they are able to begin their work quickly and without fuss. Most teachers and teaching assistants use their good subject knowledge and questioning skills to find out what pupils, including the most able, know and challenge them to think more deeply.
• Teachers generally address misconceptions as they arise in lessons. This is not always the case, however, and sometimes pupils lose learning time because they continue to make the same mistake. The introduction of a daily time slot, where pupils receive additional help with an aspect of mathematics they have not grasped during the main lesson, is making a positive contribution to pupils’ faster progress in this subject.
• Teaching assistants work effectively with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who need help to catch up. At other times, particularly during mathematics lessons, they circulate around the classroom, working with all pupils, challenging them appropriately and supporting them to justify the reasons for their answers.
• Pupils write well because teachers explain and model different types of writing, such as haiku poems. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are taught systematically across the school and pupils show a good understanding of sophisticated features of writing, such as personification. However, sometimes teachers do not ensure that pupils check their work carefully enough for repeated mistakes in their spelling and punctuation.
• Teachers’ comments, guidance and checklists help most pupils to know how to improve their work. At times, there is less guidance for the most able writers to enable them to fully grasp and develop the characteristics of writing at the higher standard.
• Leaders have recognised the need to develop pupils’ reasoning and justification for their answers, in both reading and mathematics. Staff have had training and are introducing more opportunities for this in their lessons. Pupils are becoming more confident but, at times, their explanations lack sufficient detail and depth.
• Pupils receive regular homework which links to their learning in class. The school makes good use of the internet to provide opportunities for pupils and their parents to access resources to support current and future learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are confident and articulate. They take pride in their work and enjoyed sharing it with the inspectors.
• Pupils spoken with say they feel safe. They are helped to understand how to stay safe through their work in lessons, assemblies and visitors. Pupils understand the different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They say staff deal with any incidents well when they occur. Parents have attended ‘Internet Safety’ sessions at school and have commented positively on these.
• The school’s values promote kindness, courage, respect, responsibility and resilience. Pupils regularly reflect on these values in assemblies and lessons and so understand how they relate to their own behaviour. Each class also has a nominated weekly ‘Hero’, a pupil who consistently shows the school’s values. The well-organised breakfast club encourages pupils to cooperate and share as they play, and ensures a calm and enjoyable start to the day.
• At times, some pupils lack the resilience and persistence to persevere with more difficult tasks. Staff are working with pupils to address this issue though a range of challenging sporting and other activities.
• The school council plays an active role in the school. They are currently writing a new anti-bullying policy with staff, as well as planning fundraising activities. There is an ideas box for all pupils to contribute their thoughts on how to improve the school. Class councils are also involved in decision making. This helps them to develop their social skills and to understand and apply the principles of democracy.
• Pupils enjoy the range of clubs and activities offered by the school and are now beginning to set up their own. There is a successful Year 3 book club led by two pupils.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The large majority of pupils respond well to the high expectations of conduct and behaviour. Behaviour in lessons is generally very good and attitudes are usually positive, although when learning is not as challenging, a few pupils can lose focus.
• Playtimes are busy and pupils are active, playing together cooperatively. They enjoy the range of playground equipment, as well as making the most of the extensive grounds to play football or talk with friends. Some pupils find it more difficult to manage their feelings and emotions and the school offers support to them during lessons and at playtimes.
• Pupils are respectful to each other and to adults. They say discrimination is not tolerated and would be dealt with very firmly. They say that it is ‘safe to be different here’.
• Leaders keep a watchful eye on pupils’ attendance and, as a result, it is above the national average. When a pupil’s attendance falls, the school works closely with outside agencies and parents to tackle the issue and secure improvement.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils across the school are now making better progress in reading, writing and mathematics than they were at the time of the last inspection. Teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve and leaders are setting aspirational targets.
• Pupils join the school with attainment well above that expected for their age. In 2016, they left having achieved standards above the national averages. The school’s assessment information and pupils’ workbooks indicate that standards are higher in Year 6 this year than they were in 2016. Pupils leave the school well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders’ focus on improving pupils’ reading comprehension skills is increasingly successful. The strategy of Explain, Retrieve, Interpret, Choose, known as ERIC within school, has enabled pupils to develop a much deeper understanding of what they read. During the inspection, Year 3 pupils were encouraged to share their thinking, ideas and vocabulary. The most able were challenged to expand their answers, thereby improving their own work and that of others. Leaders are ensuring that this approach is used consistently well in all classes.
• Pupils say they enjoy reading, both at home and at school. They say they are motivated by the ‘60 Reads’ a term challenge which, if achieved, culminates in a ‘Tea Party’ with senior leaders. Pupils read fluently and with expression and are developing a good understanding of why an author chooses particular words or phrases.
• Improvements to the teaching of writing are contributing to higher standards. Pupils write at length, using a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures. At times, they make basic mistakes. Some pupils are writing to a high standard for their age. They value the checklists they use to help improve the technical aspects of their work. The system does not yet provide sufficient guidance on how to improve the style of the most able pupils’ writing.
• Pupils’ mathematical fluency is strong and most manipulate numbers with ease. However, the school has recognised that pupils’ ability to apply this fluency to solving problems is not as strong, and teachers now plan more opportunities for this within lessons. Pupils’ ability to explain their thinking behind their answers is developing as a result although, at times, pupils’ answers do not contain sufficient detail to provide full clarity.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress across the school and consistently reach standards that are in line with those of other pupils nationally. Effective support is also given to enable pupils to reach the higher standard.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support that promotes their good progress as well as encouraging their independence. Staff work closely with outside agencies, where appropriate, to ensure that their needs are met effectively.

School details

Unique reference number 122554 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 10031170 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Ian Craik Andrea Goetzee 01159 137447 www.bisphamdrive.notts.sch.uk/ office3@bisphamdrive.notts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 July 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Toton Bispham Drive Junior School is smaller than the average-size primary school.
• The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average, as is the proportion of disadvantaged pupils.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.
• The school runs an on-site breakfast club. There is an on-site after-school provision that is privately run and registered separately with Ofsted. It was not included in this inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning throughout the school. Some observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• The inspection team heard Year 6 pupils read. Together with the headteacher, inspectors looked at pupils’ work in their English and mathematics books.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, five members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including minutes of a range of meetings, assessment information, the school’s self-evaluation of its effectiveness, improvement plans, and behaviour, attendance and safeguarding records.
• Inspectors spoke with several groups of children informally and formally and observed them at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• The 77 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, were considered. The inspectors took into account comments provided by parents as part of the survey, as well as two letters received at the school and an email. An inspector spoke with parents on the playground before the school day started.
• Inspectors also took into consideration the 18 responses to the online staff survey and 48 responses to the pupils’ questionnaire.

Inspection team

Joanne Sanchez-Thompson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Cheryl Lodge Ofsted Inspector