Bushmead Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ progress by:
  • developing and embedding leaders’ strategies to raise attainment in reading.
• Develop leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that governors are provided with higher-quality information with which to hold school leaders to account
  • providing leaders and governors with additional support, training and opportunities to develop a greater understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour by:
  • ensuring that teaching consistently challenges all pupils to work hard and behave well.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, senior leadership team and governors have worked well together, building upon the school’s strengths to improve the school. They have clear aspirations that all pupils will achieve well. As a consequence, outcomes are improving.
• The quality of teaching is good and leaders have a clear understanding of teachers’ strengths and their targets for improvement. They provide suitable training, which supports teachers to review and refine their practice. As a result of leaders’ actions, the quality of teaching and learning across the school is consistent.
• Leaders and external professionals have provided training for middle leaders, including those new to their roles. Middle leaders are developing their skills and confidence and they are able to plan improvement effectively. However, middle leaders do not make regular checks on pupils’ learning across the curriculum. As a result, they do not have a clear understanding of the impact of their actions on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.
• Pupils with SEND and those that are disadvantaged receive precisely targeted support. Additional funding is used effectively to support their academic, emotional and physical well-being. These groups of pupils make good overall progress, they have positive attitudes to learning and their attendance is improving.
• Sport premium funding is used effectively to develop the provision of physical education (PE). The apprentice sports coach has had a positive impact on the quality of PE being offered. He regularly supports teachers in class and provides a number of after-school clubs, which are well attended.
• The curriculum allows pupils to develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills through a range of subjects. There is a varied range of topics that link these subjects together alongside geography, science and history. This has had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes for writing and mathematics.
• Pupils are being prepared positively for life in modern Britain and are developing their spiritual, moral and social understanding through a broad range of activities, in and out of the school. For instance, Year 6 pupils were observed practising the new school song, there has been an ‘art in Heaven’ competition and the ‘have a go’ display reflects the school’s work on promoting aspiration.
• Parents are positive about the school and particularly value its caring family atmosphere. They appreciate how well adults care for their children and how their children develop confidence in all that they do.
• Leaders have implemented a wide range of strategies to improve pupils’ progress in reading. These include a large, well-stocked library, the introduction of a new approach to teaching reading and targeted comprehension sessions in key stage 1. However, many of these strategies have been introduced recently, and it is too soon to see their impact.
• The local authority has supported the headteacher and governors well on the school’s journey of improvement.

Governance of the school

• Governors offer advice and support to the headteacher.
• Governors meet statutory obligations, including holding leaders to account for pay and progression.
• Governors speak knowledgably about the needs of their local community and are passionate about improving the life chances of all pupils in the local area.
• Governors are not always able to evaluate fully the impact strategies are having on improving outcomes for pupils. They require more thorough high-quality information from school leaders to do this.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is secure practice in the school, with clear procedures which are safeguarding pupils.
• The leaders and key staff are tenacious in their approach to supporting the children. They ensure that their concerns are followed up quickly, so that advice and intervention are in place. In this way, leaders ensure that the most vulnerable pupils are kept safe.
• Training for staff is up to date and thorough. All latest government guidance is used to ensure that staff are kept abreast of new requirements for safeguarding. This is done through annual training and also in weekly meetings.
• The safeguarding governor visits school regularly to check safeguarding procedures and records, such as the single central record for the safe recruitment of staff.
• Governors are appropriately trained in safeguarding, including the ‘Prevent’ duty.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The overall quality of teaching is good and it has improved since the last inspection. Teachers now have higher aspirations for pupils, including for the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged.
• Regular meetings to monitor pupils’ progress provide opportunities for teachers to discuss pupils’ individual outcomes and identify strategies to help pupils who need additional support. This has led to better use of questioning and feedback in lessons.
• Pupils with SEND, who are disadvantaged or who have fallen behind receive strong support from teachers and teaching assistants. As a result of these well-planned learning activities, pupils are able to catch up and make good progress from their different starting points.
• Teachers question individual pupils, and groups of pupils, skilfully, to find out what they know and understand. They follow the school’s feedback policy consistently. For example, high-quality feedback from teachers supports pupils to make good progress in their writing.
• Handwriting and presentation are taught well throughout the school, leading to pupils taking pride in the neat work they produce.
• There are designated reading areas in classrooms, a well-stocked and inviting library, writing displays and topic displays covering a wide range of subjects. These contribute to a stimulating learning environment.
• In phonics sessions, teachers use good questioning and subject knowledge to support the development of pupils’ early reading and writing skills. Pupils make good progress.
• Pupils are given a range of opportunities to develop their mathematical problem-solving and reasoning skills. There have been clear improvements in pupils’ calculation skills and mathematical fluency since the previous inspection.
• Teaching assistants make a positive difference in lessons. They work well with the teachers to develop the understanding of individual pupils and small groups.
• In reading, pupils are encouraged to read widely and often. There is a large and well- stocked library, which is used regularly. The new approach to reading is consistently taught.
• Sometimes activities do not provide sufficient structure or challenge. On these occasions, some pupils lose focus, distract others and do not work to the best of their ability.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils know how to keep safe. Through their work in PE, they are aware of living a healthy lifestyle. They are also clear about how to stay safe online. They are able to speak confidently about the school and the subjects they like best.
• The nurture room has provided an ideal support for those pupils with more complex emotional needs. It is helping pupils to self-regulate their behaviour and develop their independence.
• Pupils know the school’s rules and values and how they help them to become good learners.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare. They told inspectors that, when it does occasionally happen, it is dealt with well by adults.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Breaktimes, lunchtimes and breakfast club give an opportunity for pupils to socialise in an extremely safe environment. Staff actively engage with the pupils.
• The attendance leader has significantly improved school attendance. Interventions are strategically planned to support families in need. Case studies reflect the hard work going in to improving attendance and reducing lateness.
• Pupils are polite and welcoming. However, where activities do not provide sufficient structure or challenge, some pupils lose focus, distract others and do not work to the best of their ability.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• A majority of children join the school in Reception with knowledge and skills below those that are typical for their age. However, strong progress during the early years means that they quickly catch up.
• The vast majority of pupils meet the requirements of the phonics screening check in Year 1. This is because pupils make very strong progress when learning to read throughout Reception and into Year 1.
• At key stage 1, the proportion of pupils in Year 2 reaching the expected standard in reading in 2018 was in line with the national average. Their attainment in writing and mathematics was above the national average.
• At key stage 2, standards in writing continued to be above the national average in 2018. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics was in line with the national average, but attainment in reading was below average. Progress in writing and mathematics was stronger than in reading.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, by the end of Year 6, improved over three years.
• Work in writing and mathematics books shows that pupils across the school make good progress over time. The majority have achieved age-related expectations, while a good proportion of pupils reach greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Currently, pupils make strong progress from their starting points across the curriculum. There is no difference between the progress that disadvantaged pupils make and that of other pupils.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader has a strong vision for what can be achieved. She has high expectations of the children and adults she works with.
• In the past three years, the proportion of children that reached a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was above the national average.
• There are strong links with local nurseries and families, including home visits in September, reading-record books and communication in learning journals. Adults’ understanding of children’s interests and needs enables them to adapt the curriculum appropriately. Consequently, children settle quickly into the school, enjoy their learning and make good progress.
• The good progress of children currently in early years is evident in their learning journals. For example, some children are now attempting to write whole sentences compared to mark making at the beginning of the year.
• The learning environment is arranged well, so that pupils can enjoy a wide range of experiences. Children are challenged while learning. For instance, children were asked to make a paper chain long enough to reach the headteacher’s office using sticky tape, a stapler and glue.
• Adults teach phonics well, demonstrating good subject knowledge and using a range of strategies to encourage children to write.
• The children are safe and are settled and show a high level of respect for each other.
• Staff are keen to promote independence. For instance, children are being taught to make toast themselves to achieve their ‘toast license’ for snack time.
• Very occasionally, when children work on their own, adults leave them for too long without checking on their learning or moving them on. This slows the learning of a few children.
• By the time they leave Reception, children behave well and have grasped the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. This means they are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.
• Safeguarding is a real strength. Children’s welfare has a high priority. A group of children were observed leaving for a local park visit. They were very sensible and were putting coats on with only a small amount of help.

School details

Unique reference number 132031 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10058676 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 328 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Becci Walker Headteacher Steve Down Telephone number 01480 375375 Website www.bushmead.cambs.sch.uk Email address office@bushmead.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22 September 2016

Information about this school

• The school is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is in line with the national average.
• Pupils who attend the school are from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, but most are from White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND support and those with an education, health and care plan is in the top 20% of schools nationally.
• The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of teaching and learning across the school. A number of these observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. During observations, inspectors sampled pupils’ books and talked with pupils about their learning and their experience of school.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator and middle leaders. Inspectors also met with groups of pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2, a group of governors, including the chair, and a representative of the local authority.
• Discussions took place with parents at the start of the school day.
• The inspector held a meeting with a group of pupils. Pupils’ views of the school were also gathered through many informal conversations.
• Inspectors observed playtime and lunchtimes and noted pupils’ conduct around the school.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents including the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and improvement plans, policies, assessment information, curriculum planning and records of checks on the quality of teaching. Inspectors also looked at records of attendance, behaviour and safeguarding information.
• Inspectors took account of the views of staff through the 13 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.
• They also considered 46 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire Parent View, including 27 free-text comments.

Inspection team

Sean Tobin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Keith Pullen Ofsted Inspector Lesley Stevens Ofsted Inspector