Scott Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management, by ensuring that middle leaders precisely evaluate their checks on teaching, learning and assessment to get the best outcomes possible for the pupils.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by ensuring that all teachers:
  • enhance pupils’ communication skills to increase progress and raise attainment, especially in reading and writing
  • ensure that activities are always well matched to pupils’ abilities, particularly for the most able pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher cares deeply about pupils’ welfare and is aware of the community she serves. She knows every pupil and ensures that pupils are cared for and supported well. This results in an inclusive school where all are welcomed and pupils say that they feel happy and safe.
• Senior leaders work hard and skilfully support the headteacher. They identify clearly priorities for the future and, like the headteacher, they are ambitious for pupils’ academic success. Leaders recognised that initially they did not act swiftly enough to ensure that teaching addressed the gaps in knowledge during the transition from a lower school to a primary school last academic year. They have responded by monitoring pupils’ learning closely, so that teaching is now securely good and pupils’ knowledge is secure.
• Leaders, including governors, are realistic in their evaluation of the effectiveness of their work. They accurately identify areas for improvement. Through regular checks on their work, they know what remains to be done to achieve the priorities set out in the improvement plan.
• Leaders’ programme of assemblies and visiting speakers complement the school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils have a secure understanding of British values. The emphasis on respect and equality that is engendered by all creates a highly positive attitude in the school and personal development is supported extremely well.
• Leaders, including governors, have a good understanding of the barriers to learning that some disadvantaged pupils experience. They use additional funding to reduce the effect of such barriers wherever possible. This means that, for the most part, disadvantaged pupils make good progress.
• The school’s physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively to broaden pupils’ access to a range of different sports, and increased access to sporting competitions. In the last school year, over 300 pupils accessed the school’s sports clubs.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is zealous and effective in her approach. She ensures that the early identification of pupils’ additional needs is sharply focused so that appropriate support is arranged as needed. She monitors the impact of additional support and the work of teaching assistants effectively to improve the outcomes of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• The local authority continues to provide regular monitoring and validates the work of the school well.
• Leaders have developed an interesting and engaging curriculum. Leaders have produced detailed progression documents to support teachers’ planning. Teachers follow these to sequence learning and improve pupils’ achievement further. However, these have not been evaluated to check that they have made a positive difference.
• Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They have made sure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is consistently good. However, they do not evaluate the impact that their actions have on improving pupils’ achievement well enough. They cannot identify the actions taken that have worked particularly well and those that have not been successful.

Governance of the school

• Governors bring a range of skills to their role and use these effectively to undertake their detailed programme of monitoring. As a result, they have a strong understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Governors are fully involved in the life of the school. They adopt the same commitment to ensure that pupils’ welfare is at the heart of all decision making.
• The minutes of governing body meetings show that governors ask probing questions of school leaders and challenge them when appropriate, using the knowledge they have gained from their monitoring visits. All governors have undertaken training to ensure that they understand the information presented to them.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training and updates, including governors and volunteers. Staff are acutely aware of the important role they play in keeping pupils safe. They are confident in identifying signs of harm and are vigilant in reporting their concerns about pupils’ welfare through the school’s ‘niggle sheets’.
• Leaders’ records fully reflect the actions they have taken. They act promptly to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need, including making referrals to other agencies when appropriate.
• Thorough checks are completed on the suitability of adults working at the school. The record of these checks is accurately maintained. Facilities in the school are shared across two sites, movement between sites is seamless and checks on visitors are managed well.
• Parents and carers made many positive comments through Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, regarding their children’s safety and well-being. One parent, summing up the views of many, stated: ‘Every mother wants their child to be happy and safe, and I have every confidence when sending them [to school] that my children are.’

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Strong and positive relationships exist across the school. Most pupils attain the high expectations that teachers set because of the support given. In return, pupils are willing to share their thoughts and ideas and to support each other with their work.
• Assessment of pupils’ learning is accurate. Typically, teachers use this information well to inform their planning and to adapt their teaching. As a result, most pupils across the school are making good progress from their varied starting points. Additional support and intervention, when required, are now timely and matched to pupils’ needs effectively.
• The teaching of mathematics is improving. In the past, teachers focused too heavily on teaching pupils arithmetic skills, at the expense of developing pupils’ mathematical fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. The recently appointed mathematics subject leader, supported by senior leaders, has made much-needed changes to the quality of provision.
• Leaders know that there is more to do to improve pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills, which are weaker aspects of pupils’ mathematical understanding. Too often, pupils are asked to reason about their answers or to complete problems as an extension activity. This means that pupils, particularly the most able, are not always moved on to more demanding activities quickly enough.
• Approaches to the teaching of writing are consistent. All teachers find creative ways to engage pupils in the writing process. For example, they use artefacts to capture pupils’ imagination or extracts from a range of highly appealing texts. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress in writing.
• Pupils are keen to write, and understand that there are different styles of writing for different purposes. However, they are not yet sufficiently skilled in adapting the structure and organisation of their writing for different audiences. For example, in Year 6, pupils use interesting adjectives to add detail to their fictional stories, but the sentence construction remains simple. This limits the impact and does not produce writing at greater depth. This was typical of writing seen across year groups. Although the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in writing is in line with the national average, very few pupils have successfully achieved greater depth at the end of key stage 1 and at key stage 2.
• Leaders have been successful in promoting pupils’ positive attitudes and enthusiasm for reading, which is improving pupils’ progress. Teachers encourage pupils to read for pleasure. Investment in new reading material and staff demonstrating how to read well have contributed to pupils’ enjoyment of stories and information texts. Pupils can talk about their favourite authors and can express preferences. However, pupils’ extended vocabulary, particularly in relation to their use of subject-specific words and terms, is not developed well enough to enable them to attain even better outcomes.
• Activities are generally matched to pupils’ abilities well and to the topics studied to ensure that teaching is relevant and appealing. Teachers’ skilful use of questioning is effective in probing pupils’ thinking and enabling pupils to draw meaning from texts. In lessons seen, teachers intervened quickly when pupils struggled to grasp the meaning of different vocabulary. They helped pupils to understand the use of particular words within the context of the passage they were reading.
• Phonics teaching is consistently effective. Over time, pupils’ outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check have been above national expectations. This is because teachers and teaching assistants have good knowledge and pronounce sounds correctly. Pupils are then able to read unfamiliar words and to spell more difficult words. Leaders have chosen to teach pupils a daily lesson of phonics to reinforce their learning.
• The teaching of PE and the arts is a strength of the school. During their schooling, pupils experience a variety of different sports and develop a range of skills. The PE leader ensures that all pupils partake in sporting activities. This has been accredited as the school holds the School Games Mark gold award. The school is also in the process of acquiring the Arts award due to the many activities that the pupils are involved in, both within the school and in the local community.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Staff care deeply for the pupils and this is characterised by the highly positive and caring attitudes of pupils and staff. As one parent commented, ‘It is a wonderful place and my child is developing into an incredible human being thanks to the help of the school.’
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They are confident that if they have any concerns, a member of staff will support them quickly and effectively.
• Pupils who spoke to inspectors demonstrated an excellent understanding of bullying in all its forms. They were confident that it is dealt with when reported. They have a deep understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet, including an impressive awareness of how to stay safe from the changing risks associated with the use of social media and gaming.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural understanding is exceptionally well developed through the school’s planned curriculum and the assemblies programme. They have a profound understanding of the different faiths and cultures that reflect the context of modern Britain.
• Pupils have many opportunities to contribute to school life. Older pupils take on additional responsibilities, such as those of reading ambassadors, value ambassadors and school council members. This contributes to pupils’ strong sense of belonging that embodies the school’s inclusive culture.
• Pupils understand the importance of physical fitness and healthy lifestyles. As a result, their participation in after-school sports clubs has increased. This has led to pupils’ active involvement in exercise, along with promoting their emotional and mental well-being.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school’s behaviour rules are well established and pupils across the school are clear about teachers’ expectations for good manners and good behaviour. The school is a very happy, harmonious place where pupils thrive.
• Playtimes are lively events and pupils play happily together. Good use of the extensive grounds and the availability of plentiful resources to encourage play lead to a pleasant playtime for all.
• Teachers encourage pupils to work hard and to contribute in lessons. For the most part, pupils respond to this appropriately and they take pride in the presentation of their work.
• Pupils’ overall attendance is broadly in line with the national average and is increasing because leaders have strengthened their procedures to check on pupils’ attendance. When a pupil’s attendance is causing concern, regular meetings with parents provide an opportunity for parents to share information and any concerns that they may have. Leaders’ informal advice or signposting to appropriate external agencies often alleviates issues before they adversely affect pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Leaders’ actions have improved attendance for pupils who have previously been absent too often. However, leaders do not hesitate to take more formal action if attendance does not improve.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s rapid and substantial expansion last year had an impact on national test results at the end of key stage 2. In 2018, the proportion of pupils who exceeded the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average.
• This is no longer the case as leaders have ensured that current Year 6 pupils’ achievement is already at the expected standard or better.
• Pupils with SEND are supported well. In all year groups, a considerable proportion of pupils have complex additional needs. Over time, this has meant that staff have become skilled in identifying and supporting a range of additional needs. As a result of the early identification of needs and appropriate levels of support, pupils with SEND make good progress.
• Leaders accurately identify the barriers to learning faced by disadvantaged pupils. They use additional funding appropriately to minimise these barriers. Teachers plan and adapt activities to meet pupils’ individual needs. Some disadvantaged pupils also have special educational needs and receive effective support through a nurture group. As a result of the appropriate interventions provided, disadvantaged pupils make good progress.
• Pupils’ outcomes in the Year 1 national phonics screening check have remained above the national average over time. This is because teachers focus their teaching sufficiently on improving pupils’ fluency and because leaders have ensured that the teaching of phonics is systematic. Attainment at the end of key stage 1 is improving in reading, writing and mathematics and getting closer to national averages.
• Most pupils currently in the school are making good progress. Leaders have put strategies in place that are beginning to stretch and challenge the most able pupils to reach the higher standards.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader has a strong understanding of early childhood development and clear overview of the strengths and areas that need to be improved further. She has made sure that children make good progress and acquire the skills needed to be ready for Year 1. Those children that need further support for a successful transition are able to access this through the nurture group.
• Children’s outcomes are good. Most children enter school with skills below those typical for their age and stage of development. By the time they leave Reception, the majority of children have successfully achieved a good level of development. The proportion who do so is increasing year on year. Teachers accurately assess children who join the school part-way through the year to establish their needs, including language acquisition. This ensures that they settle quickly and make good progress.
• Adults use their accurate assessment of children’s learning to inform planning and adjust teaching. Teachers and teaching assistants identify those children in need of additional support quickly, and appropriate support is put in place.
• Staff ensure that parents are increasingly included in their child’s learning journey. As a result, parents can contribute to their child’s learning at home.
• Teachers’ combined wealth of experience and knowledge support the early identification of any children with SEND. As a result, children receive appropriate support and advice in a timely way. Those parents who talked to the inspector spoke highly of the thoughtful advice and support they had received from staff. Consequently, children with SEND make strong progress over their time in early years.
• Adults plan activities that capture children’s interests, and teachers’ intuitive questioning extends children’s learning successfully.
• Good use of the outdoor space for learning and regular access to the school hall for PE supports children’s social and physical development well.
• Children behave very well and are respectful of each other and their school. Children manage their own behaviour well and demonstrate high levels of curiosity about the world around them. This is because adults consistently model the behaviour they want to see and are highly skilled in managing those children who are at an earlier stage of personal and social development.
• The teaching of phonics is a strength. Children acquire early phonics skills effectively in Reception, which are then re-visited as they go through the school. This enables them to blend sounds together to read unfamiliar words as they encounter them.
• Arrangements for safeguarding in early years are effective. Leaders and governors ensure that all statutory welfare requirements are met. The children’s play areas are secure and supervised well at all times.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 109512 Bedford 10057801 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 468 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Malcolm Redford Anita Barker 01234 352630 www.scottprimary.co.uk office@scottprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 18─ 19 September 2013

Information about this school

• The school has grown in pupil numbers considerably since the previous inspection and now operates on two sites. The school admitted Year 6 pupils for the first time in 2018 due to the closure of another school and as part of reorganisation of education in the local authority.
• The majority of pupils are White British. Those pupils who speak English as an additional language come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.
• The school holds the Inclusion Quality Mark and School Games Mark.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning taking place in all classes and year groups across both sites. Some of these observations were completed alongside leaders of the school, including the headteacher. During observations, inspectors talked to pupils about their learning and reviewed their work in books.
• Pupils were observed at playtime and lunchtime. The inspectors talked to a different group of pupils about their learning and listened to them read.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders and members of the governing body. Shorter discussions also took place with some teaching and support staff.
• A telephone meeting was held with a representative from the local authority, followed up with an additional meeting on site.
• Inspectors scrutinised a sample of pupils’ books from each year group with senior leaders, to ascertain pupils’ current learning and progress.
• The inspectors reviewed a wide range of school documentation including: the school’s evaluation of its own performance; development plans; assessment information about pupils’ attainment and progress; attendance and behaviour records; safeguarding procedures; evaluations of the quality of teaching; health and safety checks; and minutes of governing body meetings and monitoring activities.
• Inspectors analysed the 173 parental responses and the 95 free-text comments to Parent View. In addition, inspectors considered the 103 pupil responses, along with the 45 staff responses to their respective online surveys.

Inspection team

Ahson Mohammed, lead inspector Lesley Daniel Shân Oswald Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector