Bearwood Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • strengthening the impact of subject leadership in the wider curriculum so that curriculum improvements are consistently embedded and pupils acquire secure knowledge, skills and understanding in a range of subjects
  • sharpening the analysis of information gathered from the school’s checks on teaching, so that it is more focused on the progress made across all subjects by disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Improve attendance so that it is at least in line with national averages and reduce absence rates for disadvantaged pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The acting headteacher has transformed the culture of the school. She has added rigour and high expectations to whole-school approaches to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning. The acting headteacher and her leadership team have an unwavering focus on ensuring that all pupils achieve well. Their commitment to this aim has been a key factor in improving the school.
• Almost all parents, carers and staff recognise and appreciate the work carried out by senior leaders to improve the school. One parent expressed the views of many by saying, ‘There have been many positive changes made in the past year thanks to the hard work and dedication of the acting head and staff team.’
• Through careful checking, senior leaders, especially the acting headteacher, know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well. As a result, development plans focus on the right areas and always seek to improve outcomes for pupils across all subject areas.
• Senior leaders and governors have raised aspirations for all pupils. There is an explicit expectation that every pupil will succeed. However, leaders’ analysis of information from the school’s own checks on teaching is not sharply focused on the progress made by different groups of pupils.
• Senior leaders have created an outward-looking school. The school engages well with its local community and with the local authority. It has formed strong links with other nearby good or outstanding schools. This has helped to improve outcomes, as staff have successfully embedded best practice observed in other schools in their teaching.
• Phase team leaders have been instrumental in strengthening the quality of teaching and learning. They regularly check the quality of learning and provide targeted support and training for teachers when needed. This results in good teaching in mathematics and English and in most science classes across the school.
• In a number of subjects, especially in mathematics and English, purposeful actions have had a positive impact on improving outcomes. However, the leadership of some subjects in the wider curriculum is not as strong. Some subject leaders do not consistently evaluate the impact of planned actions, including changes to the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not make consistently strong progress in a number of subjects in the wider curriculum.
• Leadership of mathematics is particularly positive. The mathematics leader has a clear vision for the success of every pupil, which is shared by staff. He has successfully introduced several new approaches to the teaching of mathematics this year. This has resulted in pupils of all ages making greater progress in mathematics than in previous years.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable about the pupils with SEND and their individual needs. Through well-structured approaches and interventions, leaders ensure that the pupils receiving additional, targeted help make good progress on support programmes.
• Leaders make good use of the sports premium to enhance their provision for physical education (PE) and sport, both within the PE curriculum and in extra-curricular activities. For example, leaders provide additional swimming lessons for pupils in key stage 2 so that more of them reach the expected standard.
• Leaders have established a broad, balanced and creative curriculum. Pupils enjoy learning a range of subjects, with art being particularly popular. Leaders have started the process of enhancing the curriculum in subjects other than English and mathematics so that pupils’ subject-specific skills, knowledge and understanding are consistently strong. These improvements are not yet fully embedded across all subjects.
• The curriculum has also been developed so that all groups of pupils are positively engaged in learning, especially boys. Throughout the curriculum, pupils develop their social skills and emotional well-being effectively. For example, in a key stage 1 assembly, pupils talked in a reflective way about the importance of taking responsibility for their actions.
• Lunchtime and after-school clubs, trips and visitors to the school enhance pupils’ understanding of a range of topics. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were excited about their recent visit to the River and Rowing Museum, linked to their learning in geography.
• Leaders ensure that the curriculum includes opportunities for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Pupils’ moral and social development is strong. As they further develop the curriculum, leaders are including more opportunities for cultural and spiritual development to supplement those that already exist.
• Despite leaders’ best efforts, attendance for disadvantaged pupils has improved but remains too low. Leaders have identified factors that have a negative impact on progress made by disadvantaged pupils. These include poor attendance for several pupils. Leaders use pupil premium funding in an informed way to put in place extra support for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, these pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a passionate drive to improve the school. They provide rigorous challenge to leaders, with an unwavering focus on pupils’ achievements. They frequently visit the school to monitor the progress of improvements. Governors also gather a wide range of pertinent information that enables them to ask probing questions. The governing body provides challenge alongside celebrating the school’s successes.
• Governors bring a range of skills and experience to their roles. This helps the governing body to fulfil its obligations well. All governors are assiduous in developing their competence through regular training.
• The safeguarding governor is appropriately trained. Through regular visits to the school, she checks the school’s safeguarding arrangements and addresses any areas for development.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The acting headteacher has created a culture in which safeguarding is everyone’s priority. All staff receive regular training on a broad spectrum of topics. This ensures that they understand the school’s procedures and can act quickly if necessary to keep pupils safe.
• Safeguarding procedures are stringent, and records are kept meticulously. The acting headteacher checks the school’s safeguarding procedures against best practice in other schools and with the local authority. This ensures that procedures are effective.
• Leaders suitably prioritise safer recruitment, and appropriate practices are followed. Careful safeguarding checks are made for all members of staff and volunteers.
• Pupils feel safe in school; parents, staff and governors all share this view. Staff use a full range of risk assessments to keep pupils safe. Leaders respond quickly and decisively to any safety issues identified.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers are determined that every pupil should achieve their best. Strong teaching, especially in English and mathematics, and also in some science classes, successfully moves pupils’ learning forward. Teachers provide helpful extra support for those who need it and a high level of challenge for the most able pupils. As a consequence, pupils generally make good progress over time.
• Staff work well together to provide any extra support that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND need. Teachers regularly check that all pupils, especially those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, are making good progress. Where pupils fall behind, teachers identify the issues well and adjust provision. This enables almost all of these pupils to access the whole curriculum and make secure progress from their different starting points. However, pupils in these groups do not always make consistently strong progress across all curriculum areas, especially, but not solely, subjects in the wider curriculum.
• Resources and activities motivate pupils well. For example, in a key stage 1 science lesson, pupils enjoyed drawing an outline of a body and then adding labels of the main body parts. Pupils participated in the learning well and strengthened their understanding of the functions of different parts of the body.
• Learning support assistants make a valuable contribution to teaching. They use questioning well to develop pupils’ thinking and when required usefully demonstrate what pupils need to. This leads to better progress for the pupils they support.
• Pupils use talk effectively to deepen their learning, extending their speaking and listening skills through discussion tasks. Pupils build on each other’s ideas and are becoming increasingly adept at offering constructive challenge.
• Pupils are responding positively to the focus on developing their understanding of different mathematical concepts. Classroom resources assist pupils effectively in solving mathematical problems. As a result, pupils are making strong progress in their mathematical learning.
• Writing is well developed in most year groups. Pupils hone and develop their writing through the well-planned opportunities to write for different audiences and purposes. The whole-school focus on vocabulary is helping pupils to use a wider variety of words to enliven their writing.
• Teachers provide effective challenge and develop pupils’ thinking. Consequently, most-able pupils make good progress and reach higher levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Homework is set regularly and links effectively to learning in school. Expectations increase in Years 5 and 6, in preparation for secondary school. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Most parents are happy with the school’s arrangements for homework.
• In a number of wider curriculum subjects, pupils cover a broad range of topics and develop their capabilities. For example, in art, pupils are given the opportunity to refine their knowledge and skills of artistic techniques through clear sequences of lessons, and they achieve highly as a result. However, in some subjects in the wider curriculum, teaching and learning are not consistently strong. In part this is because ongoing work to strengthen the curriculum in these subjects is not yet fully embedded.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are proud of their school and strive to do their best at all times. Most pupils present their work beautifully in all subjects.
• The school helps pupils to develop resilience as learners. This is seen in pupils’ attitudes to their work, where they recognise that mistakes are part of successful learning. Pupils display impressive perseverance and are not put off by difficulties they encounter.
• Most pupils are able to work independently. In many lessons, teachers encourage pupils to use a range of strategies to help themselves. However, in a few lessons, some pupils are over-reliant on their teacher for support.
• Pupils of all ages can reflect in a thoughtful way. Even young pupils can express mature views. They think deeply about how they behave and the effect that this has on others. This helps them to make good choices about the way they behave.
• Pupils appreciate the support the school provides for their emotional well-being. This is included in the curriculum and is often discussed in classrooms. One pupil said that lessons in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education help pupils ‘learn how to be yourself’.
• Pupils show a mature understanding of equality issues and fully embrace differences. They get on particularly well and genuinely care for each other. One girl summed it up by saying, ‘We’re like pieces in a puzzle that fit well together.’
• In the mixed-age classes, older pupils act as helpful role models for their younger peers. The younger pupils benefit from the older ones’ nurturing support and develop an understanding of how they can achieve more.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare. When it does happen, staff address it decisively. Older pupils show a good understanding of cyber bullying. They learn how to keep themselves safe online and recognise the importance of doing so.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school manages behaviour well and in a consistent manner. Pupils, staff and parents all believe that behaviour is managed effectively so that pupils behave well and are safe and happy in school. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to visitors.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in classrooms. Routines are well established and low-level disruption is extremely rare. Consequently, pupils fully focus on their learning. They are motivated and attentive learners.
• Pupils behave very well at breaktime and lunchtime. They play happily together and enjoy using a wide range of resources. They readily join in with collaborative games organised by staff. The lunch hall is an orderly environment.
• Incidents of bad behaviour are increasingly rare. Bespoke support is put in place for pupils who display challenging behaviour. Effective behaviour management means that exclusion rates have greatly reduced.
• Senior leaders take a range of effective actions to tackle poor attendance and promote good attendance. As a result, attendance rates have improved slightly over recent years. However, attendance remains below the national average for primary schools, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils achieve well at this school due to strong teaching. Workbooks and tasks completed in class show that current pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics is broadly in line with national averages. Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics is also broadly in line with national averages. In 2018, attainment in key stage 2 mathematics was well below the national average, although progress was similar to the national average. Because of improvements the school has made in the teaching of mathematics, all pupils are making better progress this year. Progress is good in reading and writing.
• The most able pupils make good progress. They reach standards above those expected for most pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. This year, a greater proportion of current pupils are working at a higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics in both key stages than last academic year.
• Disadvantaged pupils make progress in line with other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The majority of pupils with SEND also make secure progress from their starting points. Progress for both these groups is not yet consistently strong across all subjects, including those in the wider curriculum.
• Although girls’ attainment has been historically better than boys’ in many areas of the curriculum, the gap is currently narrowing. This is because of effective developments in the school’s curriculum so that all pupils engage equally well in their learning.
• In Year 6, pupils are keen and proficient readers. They read fluently and accurately. Pupils in Year 2 can use their phonics skills to read unfamiliar words. In Year 1, pupils develop good phonics skills.
• Progress in a few subjects in the wider curriculum is inconsistent. In some subject areas it is stronger than others, for example in Year 6 pupils develop strong skills in art and their artwork is of a high standard. However, across a range of subjects in the wider curriculum, pupils’ progress is not consistently strong because improvements in teaching, learning and the curriculum are not fully embedded.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader has a positive impact on improving the provision and children’s experiences of learning. Following a review of how well children were engaged in the curriculum last academic year, she has made some changes to the curriculum to improve the engagement of boys. These changes are strengthening the curriculum, and in particular are supporting boys in raising their attainment.
• All staff ensure that the early years setting is safe for children. Safeguarding is effective and all statutory welfare requirements are met. Children thrive in a safe and secure environment.
• Children make excellent use of plentiful resources. These motivate them and promote perseverance. At many times during the day, children can move freely from their classrooms to the outside area. The outside area is extensive, varied and stimulating, and children enjoy learning there.
• Helped by well-established routines, even the youngest children are able to work independently. Staff support the development of children’s skills, knowledge and understanding in a breadth of areas very effectively. Teachers vary activities skilfully to ensure that they are well matched to children’s differing learning needs.
• Relationships between staff and children are highly nurturing. Adults talk with children in a purposeful way to extend their language knowledge and skills. They ask questions to check children’s understanding and to encourage them to think of new possibilities. This supports their progress well.
• Children behave very well in early years. Staff have high expectations and children display good levels of conduct. Consequently, children quickly learn how to act within a school setting and are well prepared for study in Year 1. Children’s listening skills are particularly good, whether listening attentively to a story or carefully to instructions.
• Children enjoy sharing their learning with each other and with adults. Children develop strong language and communication skills that enable them to express their views articulately and confidently.
• Children make good progress during their time in early years. They are well prepared for Year 1, in both their learning and their attitudes. Although girls achieve slightly more highly than boys, leaders are taking effective measures to address this.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 109836 Wokingham 10052907 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 Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 301 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Acting headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Nicola Bruce Cristina Marinoni 01189 784628 www.bearwood-pri.wokingham.sch.uk admin@bearwood-pri.wokingham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 September 2016

Information about this school

• At the time of the inspection, the school was led by an acting headteacher, who has been in post since September 2017. A new headteacher has been appointed from the start of the summer term 2019.
• The school is an average-sized primary school. There is a Nursery class, which offers places on a part-time or full-time basis. From Year 1 upwards, pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and supported by pupil premium funding is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is similar to the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is similar to the national average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is above average.
• The majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is similar to the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes, at least twice. Several of these observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher, deputy headteacher or SENCo. Inspectors also observed intervention groups, an assembly, breaktimes and lunchtime.
• One inspector heard some pupils from Years 2 and 6 read individually.
• Views of pupils were considered through informal discussions with them throughout the inspection and in a meeting with a group of pupils. There were also 12 responses to the pupil survey, representing almost all year groups.
• Inspectors sought the views of parents at the beginning of each school day during the inspection. They also considered 37 responses to Parent View, including 21 free-text comments.
• Meetings were held with leaders at all levels, teachers, administrative staff, a representative from the local authority and five members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors also considered 27 responses to the staff survey.
• Inspectors looked at a range of pupils’ work from the whole curriculum. They scrutinised a range of documentation and information about the school.

Inspection team

Chris Donovan, lead inspector Alan Jenner Peter Dunmall

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector