Bayards Hill School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and learning so that it is consistently good or better by ensuring that teachers:
  • have an accurate understanding of pupils’ prior learning so they can plan and adapt tasks to meet the needs of different groups of pupils, including the most able
  • have high expectations and plan activities that sustain pupils’ interest and help them to learn well and apply their skills across the wider curriculum
  • give greater attention to developing pupils’ spelling, punctuation and handwriting.
• Improve outcomes for pupils by:
  • checking that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and the most able, make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics
  • ensuring that more pupils achieve the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics and a greater proportion of the most able pupils achieve the higher standards.
• Strengthening the good leadership and management of the school by:
  • developing the roles of newly appointed middle leaders so they can contribute fully to improving learning and outcomes for pupils
  • embedding the school’s new assessment system fully so that leaders and teachers can accurately track and see at a glance how well pupils are progressing
  • refining leaders’ monitoring and evaluations of the quality of teaching and learning so they have a sharper strategic oversight of teaching and learning
  • ensuring that the school’s website includes the required statutory information about the curriculum.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher’s strong and courageous leadership has brought about significant improvement to a school that had been in sharp decline. Since her appointment in April 2015, she has steered the school through a period of great change. She has robustly tackled underperformance, and has an unwavering resolve to ensure the very best for every pupil at Bayards Hill.
• As a result of effective leadership, all aspects of the school have improved greatly. The quality of teaching has improved, attendance has improved, standards are rising and pupils’ behaviour is now good. Staff have great confidence in the leadership of the school and recognise and value the improvements that have been made.
• Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and where further improvements are needed. They have identified the right priorities and have set these out clearly in the school’s improvement plan.
• The headteacher is ably supported by other committed senior leaders who share her vision and commitment. However, many middle leaders who have been appointed recently have not fully established their roles. As a result they do not yet contribute fully to the drive for improvement.
• The school’s value-based curriculum contributes well to pupils’ social and moral development and understanding of how to be a successful learner. Pupils learn about the importance of being resilient and independent, respectful and tolerant. Their understanding of other faiths and cultures is suitably developed through religious education. The curriculum is reasonably broad and balanced although pupils’ learning in many subjects is not developed sufficiently well.
• Pupils’ learning is enriched through visits to places of interest and other special events. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils’ learning in history was enhanced by visiting a local museum. Other memorable events, such as listening to ‘campfire’ stories around the firepit, contribute well to pupils’ social skills, enjoyment and learning.
• Leaders make very effective use of the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Learning mentors and other adults provide individual support to help these pupils settle confidently in lessons and be supported well. The breakfast club helps pupils to get off to a good start to the day and be ready to learn. Funds have paid for effective training for staff to provide specialist therapeutic programmes to support pupils’ well-being and emotional development. As a result of the school’s effective work to support disadvantaged pupils, they are now making similar progress to other pupils.
• The inclusion leader makes sure that additional funds for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are used well. Pupils’ needs are quickly identified and the right support put in place. Many pupils receive support from a wide range of external professionals and the school also employs its own speech and language therapist. Therefore, any concerns about pupils’ language development are addressed speedily. However, poor support and teaching in the past mean that pupils who have special educational needs have not made good progress. While progress is improving, the new support mechanisms in place have not yet had time to impact fully on pupils’ rates of progress.
• Effective staff training has contributed well to improvements in the quality of teaching, such as in expertise in the teaching of phonics. As a result, pupils’ early reading skills are developed well and they achieve well in the Year 1 phonics check. Performance management arrangements are effective. Leaders set out their expectations clearly and give staff measurable targets to hold them to account fully.
• Leaders’ effective and strategic use of the sports funding has contributed well to improved staff expertise and the quality of teaching in physical education. Sports coaches work alongside teachers to help them develop their expertise. Over lunchtime, sports staff work well with pupils so more of them take part in sport and develop their physical and social skills.
• Leaders provide good guidance and mentoring to help teachers to improve their skills. While leaders regularly visit classrooms and check the quality of teaching, this aspect of the school’s work is less well developed and is not rigorous enough. As a result, leaders do not have a sharp enough understanding of weaknesses in aspects of teaching to address fully any shortcomings. Leaders’ drive to improve the quality of teaching has also been hampered by recruitment challenges and staff mobility.
• Leaders have recently introduced a new assessment system so that they and teaching staff can track pupils’ progress carefully. Leaders and teachers do not yet have a clear enough oversight of the progress all groups of pupils are making.

Governance of the school

• The governors and trustees support the school well. They visit the school regularly and receive detailed information about all aspects of the school’s work from the headteacher. This enables governors to have an understanding of the school’s strengths and where further improvements need to be made. Governors have recently strengthened their understanding of the school through the development of the link governor role. This has enabled governors to acquire a deeper level of understanding about key aspects of the school’s work such as reading and writing.
• Governors challenge leaders well and hold them to account robustly for pupils’ outcomes and all aspects of the school’s work. Governors and trustees ably fulfil their statutory duties, especially by regularly checking the school’s safeguarding arrangements.
• Trustees have recently completed a skills audit of board members and have used this information well to make sure that they have the right balance of skills to continue to provide strong leadership. The chief executive officer works well with the headteacher and has a very good knowledge of the school. The trust has recently strengthened the leadership capacity of the school by enabling the chief executive officer to spend more time each week at Bayards Hill. The trust has also brokered effective external support and formed links with outstanding providers to challenge and support leaders further on the school’s journey of improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• When the headteacher arrived at the school in 2015, safeguarding arrangements were ineffective. The headteacher addressed this with urgency and vigour, implementing highly effective, robust systems in all aspects of safeguarding. This has included improved arrangements for site security at the start and end of the day. There is now a strong culture of safeguarding and pupils’ well-being and safety are at the heart of the school’s work.
• Effective training has ensured that staff are knowledgeable and confident in spotting any concerns and referring them to the designated safeguarding lead. Leaders maintain meticulous records and take prompt action to make sure that pupils are kept safe and that they, and their families, receive the support they need. School leaders work very well with many external agencies and are tenacious in pursuing and resolving any concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Although improving, the quality of teaching is not yet consistently good in all classes and this is reflected in variations in pupils’ rates of progress.
• In some classes, teachers do not have a good enough understanding of pupils’ previous learning, keep check of how well pupils are learning during lessons or adapt tasks accordingly. Some activities lack challenge, do not build on what pupils already know and understand or engage pupils well. When this happens, while pupils remain compliant and most behave well, some do not settle quickly, produce poor-quality work and make limited progress.
• In classes where teaching is good, pupils do well. Teachers plan sequences of lessons which build effectively on pupils’ previous learning. Well-designed tasks interest and motivate pupils to learn. Teachers quickly notice and address any misconceptions and check that time is used well. Good, well-established routines enable smooth transitions between lessons, and very little time is lost.
• Phonics is taught well so pupils make good progress in their early reading skills. Well-structured lessons build effectively on pupils’ skills so they get off to a good start with reading. Teachers provide a very good range of reading resources to promote pupils’ comprehension and enjoyment.
• While teachers give pupils many opportunities to write in a range of contexts and for different purposes, in some classes insufficient attention is given to pupils’ spelling, punctuation or handwriting. Basic errors are often not addressed meaning that weaknesses hinder the quality of pupils’ writing.
• Teachers give a suitable focus to teaching calculation, checking that pupils develop confidence and learn how to calculate using the correct written methods. Over time, this enables pupils to develop greater accuracy and fluency in their calculation skills.
• Teachers have positive relationships with pupils, they are warm and supportive and are calm and measured in their approach. They manage pupils’ behaviour well, especially those pupils who have emotional or social difficulties. Teachers gauge pupils’ behaviour and demeanour very well and are sensitive and respectful when some pupils need time and space to manage their emotions.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well during lessons. Teachers adapt tasks to meet their needs and additional adults provide timely support and also help pupils to work independently. However, due to a legacy of previous weak teaching and support, while improving, these pupils’ progress is not yet consistently good.
• Parents are kept well informed of their child’s progress through the termly parents’ evenings and through teachers’ well-written, thorough end-of-year reports. Routines have been established for homework and teachers set interesting tasks for pupils to complete at home. For example, pupils in lower key stage 2 enjoyed making ‘straw skeletons’ at home following on from science work.
• Teachers’ planning includes a range of different subjects but in many of these subjects, learning is currently too superficial for pupils to develop depth in their understanding. In addition, there are limited opportunities for pupils to develop and apply their English and mathematics skills across different subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff care for pupils very well and pupils’ well-being is always a high priority. Pupils appreciate the care and support they receive and feel very confident that they can speak to an adult at school if they have any concerns or worries. As one pupil commented, ‘The staff are always there for us.’ Equally, parents appreciate how well their children are looked after, with some parents commenting on the ‘kind and caring’ approach of teachers at the school.
• The vast majority of pupils are happy at school and feel safe. They say that bullying does happen sometimes but that teachers are very good at resolving any issues. Across the school there are a few pupils who need a high level of support to help them manage their emotions and behaviour. In the past, this has led to some other pupils feeling unsettled. Leaders acknowledge this and have taken well-considered steps to address this concern.
• Pupils respect adults and each other and understand and value their individuality. As one pupil explained, ‘We are all different. It would be boring if we were all the same.’ Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and helping around the school. Some are keen to be elected on to the school council, giving sensible reasons to explain why they would be good representatives.
• The school’s work to help pupils develop greater resilience, independence and self-confidence has improved pupils’ attitudes to learning and their understanding of how to be successful at learning. Pupils achievements are celebrated and pupils appreciate receiving awards such as the ‘star writer’.
• Pupils have a good understanding about how to stay safe online, for example by not sharing personal information. They understand the need to eat vegetables to stay healthy and the importance of keeping fit through physical activity.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. The vast majority of pupils are well behaved, respond quickly to adults’ requests and listen well in class. The school environment is well organised, calm and purposeful. Pupils move around the school sensibly, for example when going to assembly.
• When the headteacher joined the school in April 2015, behaviour was inadequate. Her assertive action, effective behaviour management and strong leadership have led to significant improvements. There are now clear expectations, rewards and consequences, which are understood by all, and the school has a purposeful atmosphere for learning. Staff, pupils and parents are unanimous in their appreciation of the improvements to pupils’ behaviour.
• Leaders’ highly effective action to improve attendance, which was well below average in 2016, has been successful. Attendance is now in line with the national average, as are levels of persistent absence. The breakfast club and individual support for pupils and their families have contributed very well to this improvement. Leaders are tireless in following up any concerns about individual pupils’ attendance and they make sure that good attendance is rewarded and celebrated.
• While behaviour is good, in some classes pupils do not take enough pride in their work or present it carefully and neatly. This is largely in classes where teaching is not as strong and teachers’ expectations are not high enough.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes require improvement because not enough pupils achieve the standards expected for their age, particularly at the end of key stage 2. Historic weaknesses in teaching have resulted in significant gaps in pupils’ learning, and over time pupils have not made good progress.
• In 2017, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading and mathematics in key stage 2 was well below the national average. In writing, achievement was better and the proportion was close to the national average.
• In 2017, pupils in key stage 1 made good progress and achieved well in reading and mathematics. However, pupils achieved much less well in writing and the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard was well below the national average.
• Good phonics teaching underpins pupils’ good progress in reading, which has resulted in a significant rise in achievement. An average proportion of pupils met the required standard in the phonics screening check. The strong focus on developing these basic skills is improving pupils’ reading skills including their fluency, confidence and enjoyment of reading and writing.
• Pupils have many opportunities to write for many different purposes, develop their understanding of writing conventions and widen their vocabulary. However, pupils’ weak punctuation, spelling and handwriting hold back the quality of their writing.
• Current pupils are making better progress. Pupils in key stage 1 are building successfully on the good start they had in the foundation stage. In all years, stronger teaching is improving progress for all pupils although inconsistencies remain due to variations in the quality of teaching.
• In 2017, key stage 2 disadvantaged pupils achieved much less well than others, particularly in reading and mathematics. However, they made much better progress in writing and achieved standards that were similar to other pupils. In key stage 1, disadvantaged pupils achieved less well than other pupils. Improved support is helping current disadvantaged pupils to make similar progress to other pupils.
• Although there are signs of improvement, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make consistently good progress. In 2017, none of them achieved the expected standard in key stage 2. However, in key stage 1, achievement was stronger and pupils achieved similar standards to their peers.
• The most able pupils are not challenged enough to achieve as well as they should based on their starting points, and too few of them are working at a greater depth of learning. However, the picture is improving. In 2017, the proportion who achieved a higher standard in key stage 1 was similar to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In mathematics, pupils develop their calculation skills reasonably well, and learn how to set out their calculations correctly, for example in column addition and subtraction. Well-planned sequences of lessons mean that pupils build steadily on their skills and knowledge. Pupils make good use of practical resources to help them develop important concepts such as place value. They respond enthusiastically to the higher silver and gold challenges.
• While pupils encounter a suitable range of different subjects, their learning in most subjects is superficial. Pupils do not have enough opportunity to apply their skills, such as reading and writing, in subjects other than English.
• The very close partnership with the secondary school in the trust and good transition arrangements support pupils to be socially prepared very well for secondary school. However, low achievement at the end of key stage 2 means that many lack the skills they need to be academically ready for the challenges of key stage 3.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years get off to a good start. Good teaching and a nurturing, calm and caring environment help children to settle quickly and confidently in the nursery. Relationships are strong and all adults care for children very well.
• Children enter the early years with skills that are well below those that are typical for children of this age. They make very good progress and by the time they leave the early years, the proportion of children who achieve the expected ‘good level of development’ is close to the national average. Over the past three years, outcomes for children in the early years have improved rapidly.
• Good teaching enables children to make very good progress across all areas of learning. The environment is stimulating, attractive and well organised. Teachers provide a wide range of activities that capture children’s interest and meet their needs well. Many challenging activities support children to develop their physical skills very well, for example through balancing and climbing. Construction equipment develops children’s problem-solving skills effectively.
• Teachers develop early reading and writing well through good phonics teaching so that children learn letter sounds quickly and use them when reading and writing. For example, working independently, children enthusiastically wrote down plans for their castles and described their ‘owl babies’. As a parent commented, ‘My child started Reception four weeks ago and now he can read sentences.’
• Teachers model skills well and give good attention to children’s accuracy. For example, teachers clearly articulate sounds and promptly address any errors in children’s learning. Mathematics is also promoted effectively through the many activities for children to count, match and compare numbers and learn about shapes. For instance, children enjoy building towers from cubes and comparing these with the height of other objects and pictures.
• During independent learning activities, while children generally play sensibly, some do not play as purposefully as they could. Although adults engage children by posing questions, some of them do not extend children’s learning and enrich their play and language development.
• Children behave well. They share and take turns when using different equipment. Children also respond well to adults and most listen attentively and are keen to learn. Adults manage children’s behaviour well. They deal effectively with any children who are not behaving as well as they can by showing kindness and encouragement and praising children when they do behave sensibly. Adults also promote children’s self-help skills and independence very well.
• Strong leadership of the early years has been highly effective in improving the quality of teaching and outcomes for children. The early years leader keeps careful track of children’s progress. She identifies any gaps in their learning and adjusts teaching plans accordingly, taking particular account of children’s needs and interests. There are very good arrangements for children’s transition into Nursery and Reception. Home visits, meetings and various workshops keep parents well informed and help them to develop good partnerships with school staff. Children’s settled start, good progress and achievement prepare them well for Year 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141231 Oxfordshire 10036790 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 Academy sponsor-led 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 416 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Maurice East Rachel Medley 01865 761656 www.bayards-hill.oxon.sch.uk office.2521@bayards-hill.oxon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Bayards Hill is larger than the average-sized primary school. There are two classes in each year. The early years consists of two Reception classes and a Nursery class. Children in the Nursery class attend either mornings or afternoons.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average.
• Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds; the largest group is White British. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The school joined the Community Schools Alliance Trust in October 2014. There are currently two schools in the trust, the other being Cheney School, the sponsor school for Bayards Hill.
• The headteacher was appointed to the school in April 2015. Since this time, there have been many changes of staff and governors.
• There is a breakfast club and after-school club run by the school.
• The school met the government floor standards in 2016, which are the minimum expectations for standards and progress for pupils in Year 6.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum on its website.
• The school does not comply with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish about the curriculum.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes, sometimes accompanied by the headteacher. Inspectors also made short visits to classes.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and other staff.
• The lead inspector held meetings with the chair, vice-chair and three other members of the governing body, and the chief executive officer and chair of the board of trustees.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, looked at pupils’ work in books and discussed pupils’ progress and learning with leaders.
• Inspectors held meetings with pupils from Years 1 to 6 and spoke to them in classes and on the playground during lunchtime and breaktime.
• Inspectors took account of the views of parents through discussions before school and the 20 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and nine written comments.
• The views of staff were gathered through discussions with them and 21 responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors checked a wide range of records and documentation relating to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance and the recruitment checks made on the suitability of staff to work with children. Inspectors also reviewed other school documents including governors’ records of meetings and visits to the school, policies, improvement plans, performance management and evaluations of teaching and learning.

Inspection team

Sue Cox, lead inspector Phil Minns Justin Bartlett

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector