Henleaze Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • the interim governing board strengthens the way it holds the headteacher to account for the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress
  • the headteacher provides middle leaders with the training they need so that they act effectively to eradicate current weaknesses in teaching
  • leaders’ record-keeping is consistently strong and does not hinder the day-to-day running of the school
  • learning time is used to its maximum in every class across the school day
  • teachers receive clear communication about what they need to do to improve their teaching so that it is consistently good
  • senior and middle leaders’ actions result in teachers holding high expectations for their pupils.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, including in Reception, by ensuring that:
  • teaching builds on what pupils know, can do and understand, so that pupils are sufficiently challenged and make the progress they should in reading, writing and mathematics
  • pupils who have previously low attainment, and those with SEND, receive work that is closely matched to their needs and catch up
  • teachers use the information they have precisely, to ensure that pupils are moved on within units of work once they have mastered concepts
  • teaching enables boys to catch up and do consistently well.
• Improve pupils’ personal development and welfare by ensuring that:
  • Teaching motivates and interests pupils so that pupils are not passive or distracted in lessons.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders have been too slow to implement the changes to the national curriculum that came about in 2014. Teachers have made progress in bringing the school up to date. However, they have not received the support from leaders or training to make this happen quickly enough. As a result, some requirements of the national curriculum have been implemented late and this has hindered pupils’ progress over time.
• The headteacher does not hold middle leaders to account for their actions or monitor their work closely enough. She does not provide sufficient clarity or direction to initiatives to improve the school or communicate her vision and plans for improvement well enough. Leaders have an overly generous view of the school’s performance. Consequently, the overall effectiveness of the school has declined.
• Middle leaders are knowledgeable in their subjects. They have autonomy to set the direction for improvement. Middle leaders have established plans to improve teaching. They are increasingly successful in improving the specific aspects of development that they have identified. As a result of the training they have given staff, pupils use mathematical vocabulary well and the oldest pupils’ self-edit their writing with increasing confidence. However, middle leaders are not yet successful in bringing about school-wide improvement because they have not been given specific training on how to hold their colleagues to account for improving pupils’ progress.
• The pace of improvement has been hindered because the headteacher does not have full oversight of teachers’ work. Checks on teaching, learning and assessment are too limited. The headteacher does not provide staff with the feedback and the practical support they need to improve their teaching. As a result, teaching does not challenge pupils sufficiently. In some classes, pupils lose focus, and continue to underachieve.
• The leadership of SEND is not yet good. While statutory duties are met, there is no oversight or monitoring of the teaching that pupils with SEND receive.
• Leaders deploy the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils to ensure that they receive the personal, social and emotional and academic support they need. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of these additional funds routinely as they should.
• The additional physical education funding is used well. Specialist coaches develop teachers’ skills in teaching physical education. However, leaders report on these actions rather than the impact they have on pupils’ health and well-being and the curriculum.
• The curriculum provides wide-ranging opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils study a range of faiths and festivals. Forest school enables pupils to learn outside and investigate. The curriculum includes a range of subjects and coverage is broad. However, the curriculum in a few subjects does not allow pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding of key concepts.
• In recent months, the local authority has provided a range of external support, including new arrangements for governance to bolster leadership capacity. Leadership support has also been implemented to assist leaders in evaluating the school’s performance. There is a comprehensive plan of ongoing support and challenge to improve leadership and teaching. However, some of this support is only just starting.
• Almost every parent who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, would recommend the school. However, a minority of parents raised concern about the leadership of the school.

Governance of the school

• Until recently, governors did not hold school leaders to account for maintaining the school’s overall effectiveness. Governors were too accepting of the information they received from leaders about pupils’ high attainment. Since March 2018, the interim governing board has seen the school through a turbulent time. It has completed a leadership restructure and ensured that middle leaders and teachers’ roles and responsibilities are redefined successfully.
• Since taking up their post, the chair of governors has conducted a full review of the way governors work. As a result of wide-ranging training, governors now provide strong challenge. However, governors still do not receive all the information they need. Consequently, governors’ work to hold leaders to account for ensuring that teaching is consistently good and pupils make good progress is just starting and has not yet had noticeable impact.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and the school’s safeguarding policy is up to date and in line with legislation. Leaders with designated responsibility for safeguarding work with a variety of external agencies to minimise pupils’ risk of serious harm. However, some safeguarding records are not well enough organised.
• Staff know how to apply the school’s safeguarding policy to make referrals should they have concerns about pupils’ well-being. Staff provide strong care and nurturing support for vulnerable pupils. Pupils say that they feel safe and that they know what to do if they have concerns. Statutory safeguarding requirements are met.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Important teaching time is not used to its maximum across the school day. Opportunities to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding are hindered because leaders do not ensure that all teachers take full advantage of the time available in the school day. As a result, the time allocated to basic skills and wider curriculum subjects differs across classes.
• Teaching does not build on what pupils already know, can do and understand. Teachers do not use all the information they have when pupils move from one year to the next. For example, some pupils in Year 1, who have skills and knowledge in line with or above their age, repeat work from the early years curriculum that is too easy. As a result, their progress is hindered.
• Teachers do not use their assessments of what pupils know and can do precisely to plan activities that are closely matched to pupils’ needs. Consequently, some pupils who have attainment at or above the national average do not make the progress they should. Sometimes, pupils who do not understand key concepts are moved on too quickly, particularly in mathematics.
• Teaching assistants provide timely and caring support. Many adapt the teaching on offer to meet the learning needs of individuals. However, not all teachers amend the activities they plan for specific groups of pupils. As a result, teaching for pupils who have SEND and pupils with previously low attainment is not consistently good.
• The teaching of mathematics is too variable from class to class. Increasingly pupils use a range of strategies and equipment to help them learn. Pupils use mathematical language with confidence. However, some activities that teachers plan are too easy or they move pupils through activities too quickly. This hinders some pupils’ progress.
• The teaching of writing varies too much across years and classes. Where teachers’ expectations are high, pupils make sound progress in their writing. In Year 2, pupils are beginning to edit and improve their work. However, there are wide differences in the quality of girls’ and boys’ writing in some classes. Too many boys do not write with the complexity and accuracy expected for their age. Boys do not catch up quickly enough.
• The teaching of phonics is too variable across classes. Some pupils do not get enough practice at applying their phonic knowledge and skills. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. Nevertheless, precise intervention for pupils who fell behind in developing their phonics skills last year is broadly effective in enabling most of these pupils to catch up now they are in Year 2.
• Teaching to develop pupils’ understanding of what they read is not good enough. Teachers’ expectations are too low. While pupils have considerable time to read, teaching does not stretch and challenge pupils to question what is happening in the text and why. Therefore, the very many pupils who have a reading ability above that expected for their age do not receive work that motivates, interests or stretches their thinking. As a result, some pupils are despondent in lessons or do not use the allocated time well. On occasions pupils sit in reading lessons with their books closed and this is not picked up quickly enough by school staff.
• Teachers ensure that a suitable range of subjects are taught across every term. For example, a range of scientific activities ensure that pupils learn how to investigate.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. The curriculum does not enable pupils to demonstrate determination and perseverance in their learning. When teaching is not closely matched to their needs, pupils sit and wait for extended periods or work through tasks that are too easy before tackling work that is challenging enough. Teachers do not pick up when pupils are slow to get started on their work. Consequently, some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• The most vulnerable pupils receive caring and nurturing support. This is effective in building pupils’ self-confidence and self-esteem. However, this does not result in these pupils making the progress they should in their academic studies.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare. Pupils say that when it happens staff follow it up and it is resolved swiftly. Pupils are well supervised during the school day.
• Pupils enjoy attending breakfast club. They benefit from a healthy breakfast and the range of activities on offer.
• School leaders have not identified that some whole-school records, risk assessments and school policies relating to pupils’ well-being have not been reviewed in line with current legislation.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Most pupils demonstrate good manners and are polite to one another. However, when teaching does not motivate pupils, their concentration diminishes or they become passive and their learning slows. Leaders and teachers do not respond to this quickly enough.
• Behaviour in the lunch hall and during whole-school assembly is good. However, when pupils are going outside at lunchtime their behaviour in corridors can be disorderly. School staff do not notice this sufficiently rapidly.
• Pupils’ attendance is regular. Very few pupils are late or persistently absent because the school’s systems and procedures have been updated and work effectively.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• A very large majority of pupils leave the school with the skills and knowledge required they need for their next stage at junior school. However, some pupils do not achieve well enough across the school. This is because teaching does not challenge them or build on what they already know, can do and understand. As pupils move through key stage 1, their progress is too inconsistent. Pupils with previously average or high attainment do not make the progress they could.
• The school’s strategy to teach pupils to read well is not successful in challenging pupils to deepen their understanding of what they read and restricts the progress pupils make. For some pupils, their reading ability is in advance of the work they regularly receive.
• In two of the last three years the proportions of pupils meeting the required standards in the phonics screening checks in Year 1 have been broadly in line with that in other schools nationally. However, this is not reflective of good progress from their starting points. Some pupils did not make good progress across Year 1 in developing their phonics skills to read words accurately. Now, in Year 2, most of these pupils are catching up. Increasingly these pupils demonstrate secure application of some key Year 1 sounds when reading independently.
• The proportions of pupils reaching the standards expected for their age in writing at the end of key stage 1 has been above that seen nationally for the last three years. In 2016 the proportions of pupils achieving the highest standards in writing dipped to below the national average. Outcomes across the last two years have improved. However, the progress of current pupils is too variable across the school. Too few boys write with the accuracy, detail and complexity expected for their age.
• Teachers’ expectations of handwriting are inconsistent. Teaching does not ensure that pupils apply their reading and writing skills across a range of subjects. This restricts pupils’ progress in English and the depth of knowledge they gain in other subjects.
• The proportions of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is small. Pupils are well supported pastorally, and most are prepared well for junior school.
• Over the last four years children’s knowledge, understanding and skills have been above the national average when they complete the early years foundation stage. However, some children do not receive sufficient challenge. Consequently, the proportions of children who exceed the standards expected for their age are smaller than that seen nationally across some of areas of learning that contribute to national assessments, including in speaking skills and writing.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The early years leader is knowledgeable and has a strong grasp of how children learn. She has an accurate understanding of the many strengths and specific weaknesses within the phase. She is keen to act on the identified areas of weaknesses. However, until very recently, leaders have not prioritised a system for monitoring teaching or undertaking work to improve the quality of provision on offer. As a result, some of the previously identified inconsistencies in teaching and provision remain.
• Most parents are very positive about the start to school their child receives. Children settle quickly because there are clear systems and routines, which develop their independence effectively. Children listen to adults and their peers and build effective relationships with one another.
• The curriculum provides a wide range of activities for children to enjoy. However, some of these activities are not demanding enough.
• Adults provide strong support for children when they are in small teaching groups. However, adults’ assessments of children’s ongoing learning when they are learning alone or with their peers are not precise enough. Consequently, teachers do not use all the information available to shape activities that build on children’s next steps.
• Children with SEND receive caring support. They make strong progress because the teaching they receive meets their individual needs.
• The teaching of phonics is regular and systematic. Children enjoy saying and writing their sounds and, in some classes, they are using and applying their knowledge of basic phonics to write simple words and phrases. However, some weaknesses in phonics teaching remain across Reception classes. Leaders are not yet remedying this quickly enough.
• Teaching is enabling children to develop their fine motor skills well. Teachers have prioritised teaching children to grip pencils correctly. As a result, most children are making swift progress in their letter formation.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 108934 City of Bristol 10033154 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 5 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Therese Gillespie Mandy Martin 01173 772 442 www.henleaze-inf.bristol.sch.uk henleaze.i@bristol-schools.uk Date of previous inspection 27 November 2007

Information about this school

• Henleaze Infant School is an average-sized school. It is based on a shared campus with Henleaze Junior School and Claremount Special School.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support from the pupil premium is well below the national average and in the bottom 2% nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for SEND is well below the national average. The proportion of those who have an EHC plan is above the national average.
• The school runs a breakfast club for pupils who attend the infant school and pupils from the junior school. The school’s after-school club is run by another provider.
• There have been significant changes to the governing body since March 2018 and an interim board of governors has been put into place. The chair of governors is a national leader for governance.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in visits to lessons across the school, and reviewed pupils’ work in books and curriculum plans.
• Inspectors talked with groups of pupils to seek their views about the school. Inspectors also listened to the views of pupils during lessons, breaktimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors listened to pupils read from Year 2.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, phase leaders and some middle leaders. Inspectors met with a representative of the local authority. An inspector also met with three members of the governing body. This included permanent and interim members. An inspector held an additional telephone conversation with the chair of the governing body.
• Inspectors scrutinised a number of school documents including: the school’s action plans; the school’s view of its own performance; pupils’ performance information; minutes of governing body meetings; records relating to behaviour; checks on teaching and learning; pupils’ attendance information and a range of safeguarding records.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at lunchtimes and breaktimes, and around the school.
• Inspectors considered 95 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also talked to parents during the inspection to seek their views of the school and the education their children receive. Inspectors talked to a range of staff to gather their views, and held additional meetings with a group of teachers and a group of teaching assistants in the school
• An inspector visited the breakfast club.

Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Wendy D’Arcy Marcia Northeast Faye Heming

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector