Brunswick Park Primary 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 monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes more rigorously so that all pupils make at least expected progress
  • teaching is consistently good across key stages 1 and 2
  • pupils make consistently good progress in all subjects across the curriculum.
• Improve the quality of teaching to ensure that it is consistently good or better, by:
  • raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do and achieve, particularly the most able pupils and most-able disadvantaged pupils, so pupils make the progress of which they are capable
  • ensuring that teachers accurately assess pupils’ learning and plan lessons that are matched well to meet pupils’ learning needs.
• Improve pupils’ outcomes in writing so that more pupils reach the expected and higher standards for their age by ensuring that:
  • pupils develop the writing skills needed to write at length and at a higher standard, including across the curriculum
  • pupils use grammar and punctuation correctly in their writing
  • teachers and leaders check pupils’ progress rigorously and accurately to identify and address any gaps in their learning. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders are overgenerous in their view of the school’s effectiveness. They are too optimistic in their assessment of the progress that pupils are making in their learning. Consequently, leaders’ evaluation of pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning are not sufficiently accurate to support swift improvement.
• Leadership and management require improvement because the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils is inconsistent across the school. Standards in writing are particularly low.
• A high turnover of staff has led to teaching not being consistently good. This has had a detrimental effect on improving pupils’ achievement.
• The school has struggled to recruit teachers and this has weakened the quality of teaching. Though leaders state that they are methodically building a team, this has not happened quickly enough.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. The topic-led approach helps pupils to make connections between subjects. This makes learning relevant and more enjoyable for pupils. Leaders are developing systems to keep a check on how well pupils are doing in subjects like science, history and geography. However, the work in pupils’ books shows that pupils across the school do not consistently make good progress in a range of subjects. The planned activities in these subjects limit pupils’ progress because many activities demand too little of the pupils.
• The pupil premium is used effectively to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, particularly in key stage 2. For example, some of the funding was used to provide small-group teaching sessions and after-school booster lessons to Year 6 pupils in mathematics. In 2016, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who attained the standards expected for their age in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was above average compared to other pupils nationally. Likewise, disadvantaged pupils made better progress than others nationally in mathematics.
• The sports funding is used wisely. The school has recruited a specialist physical education teacher to teach physical education to pupils in all year groups, including the early years. In addition, the funding is used effectively to increase pupils’ participation in after-school clubs such as gymnastics, dance and football.
• Leaders ensure that pupils learn about diversity and different religions. In the words of pupils: ‘We understand everyone’s differences. It helps us to respect each other when we learn about different cultures.’ This demonstrates the school’s promotion of tolerance and mutual respect, which underpins fundamental British values.
• Equality of opportunity is promoted well through the curriculum. For example, during Black History Month celebrations, pupils learned about the achievements of leaders from different minority ethnic backgrounds, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Pupils’ cultural development is promoted well.
• Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Pupils are given opportunities to take on leadership roles and exercise responsibility through the school council. Pupils told inspectors: ‘Members are democratically voted; it prepares us for any votes or elections that we may pursue in the future.’

Governance of the school

Safeguarding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching does not fully challenge pupils of all abilities, particularly the most able and most-able disadvantaged. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. They do not consistently provide pupils with work that challenges or extends their learning and this means that over time too few pupils reach their full potential.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that some pupils do not use punctuation and grammar accurately. Teaching is not consistently successful in helping pupils to develop their writing skills. Sometimes, pupils are confused by tasks and produce work which is unrelated to the intended learning outcome. For example, in one class pupils did not have a secure enough understanding of how to write postcards, and wrote stories instead.
• Inconsistencies in the teaching of writing throughout the school mean that not enough pupils achieve the expected standards for their age. In some classes, teachers do not expect enough of pupils or make the most of opportunities for them to write at length.
• Pupils are taught a range of subjects such as science, history, geography and art. However, the work in pupils’ books shows that pupils have limited opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding fully. The work set does not challenge pupils enough. Consequently, too few pupils make consistently good progress in these subjects.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those who attend the resource base, receive additional support within lessons. However, this support does not help pupils to make consistently good progress in their learning.
• Phonics is taught effectively in the early years and key stage 1. Teachers and teaching assistants have received effective training to teach phonics. During visits to lessons, inspectors observed pupils making good gains in their phonics knowledge and skills.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read from key stages 1 and 2. Pupils read with fluency and accuracy and demonstrated a good understanding of the books they have read. Occasionally, pupils in key stage 1 experience difficulties in sounding out unfamiliar words while reading.
• Mathematics teaching is good across the school. During visits to lessons, inspectors noted teachers using resources effectively to promote pupils’ mathematical development. Work in pupils’ books indicates that number skills are taught well and pupils are given opportunities to develop their reasoning skills through problem-solving.
• Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to offer the targeted support that pupils require. For example, within phonics sessions teaching assistants support individual pupils well to recognise individual letters and their corresponding sounds.
• Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy their learning. Pupils’ learning is enriched beyond the classroom through, for example, educational visits, and visitors to the school, gardening, cooking and extra-curricular clubs. This broadens pupils’ understanding of the world around them.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils take great pride in their appearance and look smart in their school uniform.
• Pupils are proud of their school and talk with confidence about their learning, how to improve their work and the school’s ‘high five’ values such as respect and care.
• Pupils say bullying occasionally happens at their school but they can approach trusted adults who will take their concerns seriously. Pupils say they can access facilities such as ‘People Matter’, where they can raise their concerns and talk about issues that worry them. They are knowledgeable about online safety and all forms of bullying, including racist and online bullying.
• Pupils said they are safe and told inspectors they learn how to stay safe through lessons. Leaders’ work to raise pupils’ awareness of safety through the curriculum is strong. For example, pupils in Year 1 learn about road safety and people who help them to keep safe. Pupils demonstrate a good knowledge of how to stay safe online.

Behaviour

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils’ outcomes require improvement because too few pupils are working at standards expected for their age, particularly in writing.
• School assessment information presented to inspectors suggests that pupils currently in the school appear to make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, this does not match what inspectors saw during the inspection and in pupils’ books. Pupils are making better progress in mathematics than in writing.
• Most pupils in key stages 1 and 2 are not able to write at the standard expected for their age. This is because the quality of teaching has varied over time.
• Pupils do not make the progress they should across a wide range of subjects. For example, many of the activities seen in subjects such as science and history were not sufficiently demanding. They did not require enough from pupils. Furthermore, there are few opportunities for pupils to apply their writing skills across the curriculum. Often, the most able writers are limited by work which is not sufficiently challenging.
• The most able pupils, including those that are disadvantaged, do not make more than expected progress, particularly in writing. The work in their books shows that these pupils are not sufficiently challenged. The provisional information for the new 2016 tests shows that the proportions of pupils in key stages 1 and 2 who met the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics were below the national average.
• The resource base has been reorganised so that pupils spend most of their time in mainstream classes. Pupils who need support with particular needs attend the resource base at specific times. Inspection evidence shows that this reorganisation is improving pupils’ outcomes.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make similar progress to other pupils. Pupils are taught in groups in their classes but the quality of teaching they receive is variable. This results in inconsistent progress.
• The proportion of pupils who met the expected standards in the phonics screening check in 2016 was below average. Disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as other pupils nationally. The school’s assessment information shows that most of the current pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are on track to meet the expected standards at the end of Year 1. During their visit to lessons, inspectors observed pupils making good gains in their phonics knowledge and skills.
• Pupils’ progress in reading is improving. Teachers use their checks on pupils’ reading abilities accurately to support them to become fluent readers. The most able pupils told inspectors that they enjoy reading and select their own books to read at home.
• Pupils make good progress in mathematics. Inspectors noted this in pupils’ books and visits to lessons. For example, inspectors observed pupils learning well when they applied the skills of multiplication and division to solve problems.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader provides effective leadership. She checks children’s abilities and interests rigorously when children first start. This information is used effectively to plan the next steps in their learning and development. As a result, children make good progress and enjoy their learning.
• Children enter Reception classes with skills, knowledge and understanding that are typically below those of children their age. In 2016, the proportion of children, including disadvantaged children, reaching a good level of development was in line with the national average. This represents rapid progress for disadvantaged children. The pupil premium funding was used effectively to employ an additional teacher to facilitate targeted group work for these children.
• The early years curriculum is broad and provides stimulating activities in all areas of learning. Children have many opportunities to observe, explore and extend their learning. For example, when they observed chicks hatching in their classes and visited a farm to observe how well they were growing.
• The quality of teaching is good. There is a strong focus on teaching speaking and listening, and phonics. As a result, children make a good start in using their phonic skills to read and write. Children use their phonics well in a range of ways. For example, they enjoy sounding out new words when they write Christmas cards to their parents.
• Children are well behaved and quickly learn the rules and routines. They play and work amicably with each other, sharing and taking turns.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to get involved in their child’s education through activities such as accompanying children on outings and contributing to their child’s assessments. This provides good continuity for their child’s learning and development.
• Children’s welfare is a priority in the early years and children are kept safe. Their hygiene and medical needs are well met by trained staff.
• Children leave the early years well equipped with the basic skills required for their learning in Year 1. They have acquired the social and personal skills, and have developed emotional resilience to become confident and independent learners.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 131843 Southwark 10019671 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 559 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher David Waugh Susannah Bellingham Telephone number 020 7525 9033 Website Email address www.brunswickparkprimary.co.uk office@brunswickpark.southwark.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 November 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported through the pupil premium funding is well above average.
• The vast majority of pupils are from different minority ethnic groups. Similarly, the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. The proportion of pupils who have education, health and care plans is well above average.
• The school has a resource base for 21 pupils who have conditions on the autistic spectrum. Pupils are mainly taught in mainstream classes across all key stages, including Reception classes. Eighteen pupils currently access the resource base.
• The school occasionally uses another educational setting, Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service and Provision.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
• The school has a breakfast club that is staffed by the school and is run in partnership with an external organisation.
• There was a high turnover of staff in 2015. A new deputy headteacher and middle leaders have been appointed since the previous inspection.
• The school has received external support from specialist leaders in education and a national leader in education at the Tollgate Teaching School Alliance.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils learning in 20 lessons, some of which were joint observations with the headteacher and assistant headteachers.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils during their visits to lessons, playtime and lunchtime. The lead inspector held a formal discussion with a group of pupils from key stage 2.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6.
• An inspector attended the key stage 2 assembly.
• Meetings were also held with the chair of the governing body and the vice-chair. The lead inspector also met with representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and middle leaders.
• The lead inspector accompanied a group of pupils on a learning walk. Pupils shared their school experiences.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, in the dining hall, at playtime and lunchtime.
• Inspectors took into account 12 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire and the nine free-text responses. Inspectors also met with parents informally in the playground at the start of the school day.
• Ofsted’s online survey results for staff and pupils were analysed. The responses from 30 staff and 19 pupil questionnaires were taken into account.
• Inspectors analysed a range of school documentation including: the school’s own information on current pupils’ progress, safeguarding and the checks that leaders make on the quality of teaching and learning.
• An inspector also visited the resource base.

Inspection team

Raj Mehta, lead inspector Stephen Hall Kanwaljit Singh Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector