Bocking Church Street Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further accelerate pupils’ progress in all subjects by ensuring that teachers:
  • plan appropriate work to challenge the most able pupils so that they excel
  • recognise in lessons when the most able pupils are ready to move on and act promptly to provide different work which will deepen their understanding
  • use the appropriate mathematical vocabulary.
• Ensure that all requirements for publishing information on the school website regarding the use of the sports funding are fully met.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have been successful in addressing the issues from the last inspection. The new headteacher is improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment rapidly, which is helping pupils make to accelerated progress in their learning. Consequently, standards are rising and pupils’ outcomes are now good. Leaders are very committed to providing a highly inclusive school where every pupil is valued and supported to achieve their best, no matter what their ability or background.
• The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and other leaders. All have equally high expectations of pupils and are committed to providing the very best education for the different groups of pupils. They carefully monitor the progress of pupils, providing prompt and effective support for any pupil who starts to fall behind in their learning.
• The special educational needs coordinator demonstrates an enthusiastic and determined approach in overseeing and managing the support programme for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well from their starting points.
• Leaders monitor and review all aspects of the school’s work through their secure and effective systems and structures. Leaders carefully check the quality of teaching and learning, using a wide variety of information including pupils’ progress. They act quickly to address any gaps in performance to ensure that the school continues to improve. School development plans are highly focused on the right priorities.
• Leaders hold teachers to account well. Through a robust appraisal system, leaders ensure that teachers have clear targets, which are focused on the progress of different groups of pupils in their classes and any responsibility they hold in school. Leaders regularly and accurately check the quality of teaching and the impact that adults have on pupils’ outcomes.
• The headteacher provides staff with the necessary support they need to improve their teaching practice. Teachers appreciate the training they receive to develop their teaching, including opportunities to work with colleagues from a local outstanding school.
• Leaders ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. They provide pupils with regular chances to reinforce their reading, writing and mathematical skills, which contributes to their good learning and progress. In addition, pupils go on trips to various locations to develop their understanding and learning of topics studied at school. Residential visits support pupils’ ability to work in teams and overcome challenges. These events also promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Pupils also develop their understanding of modern British values through electing members of the school council democratically. Their understanding is reflected in their outstanding behaviour and conduct and particularly in the respectful way in which they treat one another.
• Pupil premium funding is having a positive impact on pupils’ engagement with school. From their starting points, the progress of disadvantaged pupils by the end of key stage 2 is broadly in line with that achieved by other pupils nationally.
• Similarly, the physical education and sport premium is used well. Pupils benefit from having good opportunities to participate in a growing range of sports and competitive events. However, the school does not yet meet the requirements for publishing information about the impact of the sport premium on its website.
• Regular newsletters keep parents up to date with events in the school, inform them about work to keep their children safe, and celebrate their children’s achievements. A very high proportion of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, agreed that they would recommend the school to another parent. Many positive comments were also received from parents through the free-text service. The majority of parents spoken to by inspectors were highly positive and supportive of the school and recognised the improvements since the arrival of the new headteacher. A small minority voiced concerns about the timeliness of communication. Leaders have recognised this and are addressing it.
• The local authority has supported the school well through regular visits to quality assure leaders’ judgements and through the brokering of a support package from a local outstanding school. This has facilitated improvement in leadership at all levels and provides opportunities for all staff to reflect on and develop their practice.

Governance of the school

• The governance of the school is good. The governing body has responded to the review of governance which was carried out following the previous inspection. Governors have revised how they monitor the work of the school. They visit frequently and as a result have a good overview of the school’s current situation and the impact of recent developments. They make good use of information from a wide range of sources.
• Governors ensure that they closely monitor standards within the school. They scrutinise detailed information about the school’s performance, including pupils’ achievement, to good effect. They regularly review the impact of additional funding on pupils’ progress. Their monitoring of the key priorities for improvement is timely and effective, enabling them to hold leaders to account.
• Governors understand how the appraisal system works to reward good teaching and challenge underperformance. The system is robust and has contributed to improvements in the classroom and pupils’ outcomes.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The leadership team and governors have ensured that safeguarding procedures are rigorous. All the necessary checks have been carried out on staff to certify that they are suitable to work with children. The identity of all visitors to the school is carefully checked. The safety and well-being of children in the early years are well managed. All the statutory requirements are met.
• Staff receive regular training and are following the latest statutory guidance. Strong systems are in place and staff are vigilant in their approach to all aspects of pupils’ welfare. They know what to do if any concerns are raised. The school works closely and effectively with other agencies when necessary.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection so that teaching, learning and assessment are now good. As a result, outcomes have improved overall, and pupils across the school are making good progress.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and use questioning very effectively. They generally take good account of pupils’ different abilities and plan interesting learning activities, which enable pupils to learn well and make good progress.
• Pupils apply a range of knowledge and skills, including English and mathematics, in other areas of the curriculum. For example, Year 3 pupils thoroughly enjoyed using their knowledge of the Egyptians to plan and interpret a sequence of dance moves. Pupils in Year 6 studying the stone age used mathematical skills effectively within design and technology to construct caves.
• Adults ensure that classrooms are vibrant and well organised. They provide good-quality displays to support and celebrate pupils’ learning.
• Teaching assistants are well trained and make a positive contribution to teaching and learning in the classroom. They often work with pupils who have specific needs or with pupils who need extra support on a short-term basis.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support from teachers and teaching assistants, both in class and sometimes in additional groups outside of the classroom. This enables them to make good progress from their starting points.
• During lessons, pupils concentrate extremely well and remain focused on their work. They happily cooperate when working in pairs and groups, and clearly enjoy their learning. One Year 6 pupil commented, ‘Learning is amazing!’ Most pupils show resilience and perseverance. They work hard and complete their tasks successfully.
• The teaching of phonics for younger pupils is strong. Teachers ensure that pupils engage in learning and develop their skills rapidly. Where pupils are not achieving well, adults identify the issue quickly through the assessment system and provide additional support that ensures that pupils make better progress.
• Although teachers generally possess good levels of subject knowledge, at times teachers do not use subject-specific vocabulary accurately in mathematics. As a result, they do not enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding as well as they could.
• Teachers do not plan activities that challenge the most able pupils appropriately. Adults do not move them on to activities that will deepen their learning soon enough. When this happens, the progress the most able pupils make slows and they do not learn as well as they could.

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 exceptionally well cared for. All staff know individual pupils very well and they effectively support each pupil to flourish and develop during their time in the school.
• The school is fully inclusive and all pupils are taught to value and respect one another. All aspects of school life reflect and promote its key values and the whole-school ethos of ‘Happily Building Success Together’. For example, Year 2 pupils made posters explaining each of the seven values. Year 5 pupils created their own island and devised rules to live by, which encompassed the school values, showing how well pupils understood these.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare. Pupils understand about different types of bullying, and are confident that staff will quickly sort out any concerns they may have.
• Younger pupils value the support they receive from the older pupils. Parents agree. One commented, ‘What I like is the way older pupils interact with younger ones’ and another said, ‘I am really impressed with the community spirit.’
• Pupils are proud of their school and they take great pride in their own appearance and their work in books. Pupils believe that their school is special because of its friendly and kind environment and because everyone cares about each other. They really enjoy coming to school; as one pupil said, ‘I wake up and look forward to coming to school, and it’s really nice.’
• Pupils enjoy and are enthusiastic about taking part in physical activities in lessons, at playtimes and during after-school clubs. They talked knowledgeably about their healthy lunches and the need to eat a variety of food types. Pupils could also explain how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. They demonstrated an excellent understanding of e-safety and could recall in detail what they had learned in e-safety week.
• Pupils have the opportunity to take on a range of responsibilities, for example as play leaders and looking after the school chickens. They also raise money for charity, for example for the local hospice. Recently pupils held elections and voted for members of the Bocking School Parliament.
• Pupils are given many opportunities to develop their own opinions through discussions in pairs and groups in class. They are very confident and self-assured young learners with a positive belief in their ability.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. In class they listen attentively to their teachers and work hard. Their enthusiasm for learning is obvious. Pupils’ highly positive attitudes make a strong contribution to their good learning and progress.
• Pupils move around the school sensibly. They are very courteous and polite to visitors. During the inspection, inspectors had doors held open by pupils and were greeted by them with great confidence and respect.
• Routines are exceptionally well established, both in classrooms and at playtimes. Pupils’ response to the whistle at the end of playtime and lunchtime and their calm and orderly return into school, year group by year group, were impressive.
• Pupils who spoke to the inspectors say that it is extremely rare for learning to be disrupted due to inappropriate behaviour. All pupils fully understand the school’s code of conduct for behaviour and say that all teachers apply it equally.
• Leaders monitor and track pupils’ attendance rigorously and follow up any absences assiduously. As a result, attendance overall is improving and is in line with the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ attainment and rates of progress are rising because of effective leadership, teachers’ higher expectations and better teaching over time. Assessments are now more rigorous and accurate due to external moderation and an increase in staff skills.
• In the early years, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development has risen and is now in line with the national figures for 2016. This data and evidence from children’s records known as ‘learning journeys’ show that children are making good progress from their individual starting points.
• Pupils make good progress in developing their understanding of phonics. A higher than average proportion of pupils reach the expected standard in the phonics check at the end of Year 1. In 2016, this was well above the national average figure. Where some pupils need extra reinforcement, adults achieve this well to ensure that most pupils read fluently.
• At the end of key stage 1, in 2016, a higher than average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in the national assessments, and a small proportion were working at a greater depth, particularly in reading and writing. Given pupils’ starting points this represents good progress.
• Attainment has risen steadily in key stage 2. In 2015 the proportion of pupils meeting age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics combined was above that seen nationally. The proportions of pupils making expected and more than expected progress were also well above the national average figure. In 2016, under the new government performance measures, the proportions of pupils reaching the new higher age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics were broadly in line with the national average figure.
• Pupils’ current work shows that they are making good progress across a wide range of subjects, including in science, history and geography. Pupils are also making good progress in physical education. Pupils show enthusiasm for sports, with an increase in numbers attending sporting activities and after-school clubs.
• The most able pupils generally make good progress because teachers plan work which challenges them appropriately. However, this is not fully consistent across the school.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. This is because staff assess their individual needs quickly and provide an appropriate range of support to fill any gaps in their learning. Outcomes for this group of pupils are regularly checked by leaders to ensure that the additional support provided is effective.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points. Staff are quick to identify any pupils who are in danger of falling behind and make effective provision for these pupils by providing targeted extra support. As a result, by the end of key stage 2, these small numbers of pupils achieve broadly in line with other pupils nationally. In 2015, the proportion of most-able disadvantaged pupils who reached the higher levels in mathematics and reading was greater than for other pupils nationally.

Early years provision Good

• The proportion of children who reached the expected good level of development at the end of the Reception Year is in line with that seen nationally in both 2015 and 2016. This represents good progress from their starting points, as many children have skills and understanding that are much less well developed than is typical for their age when they start school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged children in the early years achieving a good level of development is lower than that of other children nationally. However, the number of disadvantaged children is small and most have some other additional needs. ‘Learning journeys’ for all pupils show good progress over time from their starting points.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified early and well supported through appropriate interventions. As a result, these children make good progress in the Reception Year.
• The early years leader has an accurate picture of the strengths of the provision and areas for development. Recent action to improve the provision has been very effective. In particular, the early years leader has been successful in providing increased and effective opportunities for children to learn outside of the classroom.
• The quality of teaching in the early years is good. This is because adults ensure a well-organised setting, providing a range of interesting activities. Children develop important skills, such as learning to take turns, share and listen to one another. They are confident when offering their own ideas and thoughts.
• Adults plan and provide activities that give opportunities for children to talk, read, write and engage in number work. However, sometimes, when children are choosing their own activities, they do not persevere for as long as they could to make the best use of the activities available.
• Staff in the early years are particularly skilled at teaching phonics. Through providing exciting activities, adults encourage children’s interest in letters and sounds. Tasks are targeted closely at the appropriate level for each child’s knowledge and understanding, so all groups make great strides with their learning.
• Staff, children and parents have highly positive relationships. This helps children to settle quickly, become confident learners and build a positive attitude to school. During the inspection, children worked happily and cooperatively together. They had a clear understanding of expectations and routines, despite having only been in school for a few weeks.
• As in other key stages, parents of children in the early years are very positive about the care and support for their children. Parents are kept well informed of their child’s progress through regular meetings with early years staff and receive guidance on how to support their child’s learning at home.
• Staff are vigilant at all times and ensure that children are kept safe while working inside and outdoors. All statutory welfare and safeguarding requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 114809 Essex 10011819 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 226 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher

Mrs Stephanie Taylor

Mrs Deborah Crabb Telephone number 01376 322650 Website Email address www.bockingstreet.essex.sch.uk admin@bockingstreet.essex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 July 2014

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the impact of the additional sports funding it receives on its website.
• The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Since the previous inspection there have been a number of changes in staff, including the leadership of the school.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed 17 lessons, jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.
• A range of work in pupils’ books was scrutinised.
• Discussions were held with school staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors talked to pupils about the school’s work, listened to some pupils read and talked to them about books that they enjoy.
• Various aspects of the school’s work were observed and inspectors considered a range of policies and documents. These included information about pupils’ attainment and progress, planning and monitoring documentation, the school improvement plan and self-evaluation summary, safeguarding policies, and behaviour and attendance records.
• Account was taken of 20 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and of 17 responses to the free-text service. Inspectors also spoke to parents informally at the school.

Inspection team

Joan Beale, lead inspector Diane Hawkes

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector