Barley Close Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to strengthen the quality of teaching in order to further raise outcomes for pupils, especially the most able, by:
  • ensuring that teachers check that pupils attempt suitably challenging work
  • making sure that pupils in Year 6 use the full range of grammar and punctuation with increased accuracy.
• Improve the impact of leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that the current initiatives for accelerating the progress of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, lead to them achieving at least as well as other pupils nationally
  • ensuring that teachers apply a consistent approach to managing behaviour
  • continuing to improve attendance for all pupils and particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, well supported by the two deputy headteachers, leads by example with a determined approach that has brought rapid improvements to the school. Together, senior leaders have enthused and supported the team of teachers and support staff so that there is a strong commitment to continued improvement.
• Leaders have focused on improving the quality of teaching and on providing a more interesting curriculum for pupils. They have a very accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and check to see that actions taken to improve the school are having the desired impact. This has resulted in some notable improvements, including the improved teaching of mathematics across the school that is raising standards rapidly.
• School leaders’ strategies to improve pupils’ behaviour are proving effective. As a result, incidents of poor behaviour have reduced dramatically during the current academic year. Responses to surveys show an increasing proportion of parents who are happy with the school. However, leaders are aware that there remains a legacy of parental concern about the standard of behaviour. A few parents still have concerns. Leaders continue to prioritise consistently high expectations of behaviour in all classes.
• School leaders have greatly improved the curriculum since the previous inspection. They have introduced many exciting first-hand experiences for pupils and this has had a notable impact on the quality of pupils’ work produced. A good example is the thoughtful work by Year 6 pupils following their visit to sites associated with slavery in Bristol. The visit contributed to pupils’ moral and cultural development, as shown by a comment from a pupil, ‘When I stood in the same place that slaves would have stood, I tried to understand what it must have been like to be sold like that.’
• School leaders ensure that the pupil premium funding is used well to improve opportunities for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have identified barriers that affect the progress that these pupils are making. Personalised reading experiences for disadvantaged children in Reception have resulted in more children rapidly improving in their understanding of phonics. This has been of particular benefit in helping boys to catch up with the performance of girls in the Reception Year.
• Leaders have made sure that the additional sports funding is used effectively. The school now offers a very wide range of sporting and fitness opportunities including dance, football, swimming, tennis, netball, archery, lacrosse and yoga. An increasing number of pupils are choosing to attend after-school clubs and more are participating in competitions than in previous years. The school’s increasingly successful sports teams are helping to raise the profile of the school in the community.

• Parents are positive about the excellent leadership by the special educational needs coordinator and the lengths to which staff go to ensure that all pupils can take a full part in the wide range of activities on offer. The school uses the extra funding well and acts quickly to find external support where needed, and every effort is made to include the pupils in decisions about how they can be supported to learn more effectively.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and is supported well throughout the curriculum. Pupils enjoy their studies and use imagination and creativity in their work. Good examples of this are seen in all classes, where pupils talk excitedly about special theme days where they can become characters from a historical period or scientists during British Science Week. Visits to local places of worship and sites of local interest also provide opportunities for pupils’ cultural development.
• Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the school’s values and receive awards for consistently showing practical examples of behaving in a manner that reflects one or more of the values. They develop an understanding of democracy through taking part in elections for posts of responsibility in the school and through being able to question local political figures and the mayor.
• The school has drawn on the effective support of the local authority. As a result, the teaching of mathematics has improved considerably. The local authority officers know the school extremely well and the support given to the school has helped leaders to identify priorities and make rapid improvements.

Governance of the school

• Governors know the school well and they play an effective and active role in supporting school leaders and school initiatives. They have a good understanding of the school’s performance and analyse information on pupils’ progress effectively. This enables them to hold school leaders to account and ensure that the school continues to improve.
• The governors bring professional skills and a good knowledge of the local community to their roles.
• Governors’ monitoring is effective and enables them to gain further insight into school issues. For example, their probing of pupils’ attendance with school leaders and external agencies gives governors a very clear understanding of some of the specific barriers involved in improving attendance. This enables them to challenge effectively and use this information to find possible solutions.
• The governors carefully monitor the spending of school finances, including the extra funding to support disadvantaged pupils, the finance to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and the sport premium.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher has made sure that all staff and governors’ training is up to date with current legislation. Leaders work effectively with other agencies to ensure that pupils’ welfare is given a high priority and there is a caring culture throughout the school where pupils feel safe and are comfortable when approaching adults with concerns.
• The school actively helps parents and carers understand the importance of adopting safe practices, including using the internet safely. The family support worker gives valuable practical help to parents and this is helping parents to make sure that their children attend school more regularly.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection when too many pupils failed to consistently reach the levels of which they were capable. Teaching is now consistently good across the school and this is leading to pupils meeting their targets.
• Teachers use information on the progress pupils are making to plan carefully so that pupils are given work at an appropriate level. This is helping disadvantaged pupils, in particular, to maintain good progress in English and mathematics. In Year 1, the most able disadvantaged pupils explained how to write an effective ‘blurb’ to give a reader a good idea of what to expect if they read a particular science book.
• Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and use questioning skills well to make pupils think hard and move forward in their learning.
• The teaching of mathematics has improved significantly since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils’ progress in mathematics is accelerating rapidly across the school. Pupils enjoy increased opportunities to apply their mathematics skills in other subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils are able to apply their calculation skills to measure the speed of light in a vacuum and to use a microwave oven to measure light speed as part of a science project. Pupils told inspectors that they are more confident in their mathematics.
• Most teachers provide challenging opportunities for the most able pupils. Pupils are encouraged to select their level of challenge so that they can take greater responsibility for their learning. The majority of the most able pupils move straight on to appropriately challenging activities but a few choose work at an easier level and this can slow their progress.
• The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures that they experience the same broad range of opportunities as other pupils. The high-quality support provided by support staff is making sure that these pupils make good progress from their starting points.
• Work in school is supported by meaningful homework and excellent use is made of the class pages on the school website to give parents ideas for further study with their children. For example, Year 5 parents were asked to help their children prepare for a ‘talk topic’ and be ready to talk about being set a dangerous quest. Pupils said that working with their parents helped them to rehearse what they would say and this improved their performance.
• Individualised reports that parents receive are comprehensive and provide detailed information about the progress their children are making. Pupils’ daily reading records are also used to pass on useful guidance for parents to help their children to advance with their reading. Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school actively promotes positive values and all pupils are given the opportunity to achieve awards if they can consistently show these values in their daily activities. Elections to the school council, eco-council and for posts of responsibility give pupils experience of taking part in democratic events. Minutes of school council meetings show that pupils take their responsibilities very seriously. The school values prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain because they focus on fairness, democracy and considering the views of others.
• Pupils say that they enjoy the wide range of activities offered to them at the breakfast and after-school clubs. They are well cared for as they play games, relax and carry out homework.
• Pupils understand how to stay safe, including when they are online. They say that bullying is rare. Parents and pupils believe that the school deals with bullying effectively if it does occur.
• Pupils readily take on additional responsibilities, including looking after younger children and being a school council representative. Pupils are confident and proud of their school and of their individual achievements. For example, pupils show pride when they achieve merit badges that are given for displaying the school values.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils has improved since the previous inspection and is now good.
• In lessons, pupils are keen to learn and they concentrate on their tasks. They work well with each other and show respect for the views of others even when they are different from their own. On a few occasions, a small number of pupils can become distracted when teachers do not fully apply the agreed behaviour management strategies.
• Effective procedures for improving behaviour at breaktimes have led to a reduction in reported incidents of poor behaviour. Dedicated staff are working effectively with the small group of pupils who struggle with behaviour when outside of classrooms. Records show that there has been a significant improvement in the attitudes of these pupils over time. School leaders ensure there are planned activities for pupils and play equipment available. This has led to a more purposeful atmosphere during lunchtimes.
• School leaders’ initiatives to improve levels of attendance are increasingly effective. The employment of a family support worker and part-time educational welfare officer and the publication of attendance figures in weekly newsletters are paying dividends. As a result, the attendance levels for boys and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are moving closer to the national average. There is, however, a small group of disadvantaged pupils that do not attend as regularly as they should. School leaders are working to address this and take appropriate action to make sure that pupils attend school.
• Parents told inspectors that their children were keen to be at school. One said, ‘My child always looks forward to going to school’ and another noted, ‘My son can’t wait to attend every day and he comes out with a smile on his face.’ In the online survey, 93% of parents who responded said that their children were happy at school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes for pupils have improved significantly since the previous inspection. Assessment is accurate. Across the school, the large majority of pupils are working at the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. An increasing number of pupils are working at, or moving towards, the higher standards, and this prepares them well for secondary school. Pupils’ books in each year group show consistently good progress made over time, including for the most able and disadvantaged pupils.
• In 2016, Year 6 pupils made better progress in writing than other pupils nationally. Progress in mathematics was similar to the national average and reading progress was slightly below average, as some disadvantaged pupils did not achieve the standard expected of them. Too few pupils reached the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics and school leaders have worked hard to address this.
• The 2016 published outcomes show that Year 2 pupils made good progress overall in reading and mathematics. However, low-attaining pupils made slower progress in writing. School leaders have ensured that successful interventions have been put into place to improve writing outcomes. Fewer middle-ability pupils in Year 2 reached the higher levels than seen nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have addressed this well and information suggests that a much higher proportion of current Year 2 middle-ability pupils are now working at greater depth in these areas.
• Current pupils make good progress in reading and writing across all year groups, including in the early years. Their written work, by the time they reach Years 5 and 6, is characterised by the inclusion of imaginative words, the appropriate use of complex sentences and the ability to write for different purposes in subjects across the curriculum. This demonstrates good progress. While Year 6 pupils use grammar and punctuation effectively in their English work, they do not apply this knowledge well in their writing in other subjects across the curriculum.
• Pupils’ outcomes in mathematics are good and continue to rise. Teachers have responded enthusiastically to high-quality training in mathematics. As a result, pupils have increasing opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge in other subjects and make good progress.
• Increasingly, disadvantaged pupils make strong progress. School initiatives support these pupils effectively and this has led to their improved performance. As a result, these pupils make similar rates of progress as other pupils, and in some cases more rapid progress.
• The progress made by the most able pupils has been a key priority for the school in the current academic year. Teachers and support staff have high expectations and provide appropriate challenge in all classes. Progress information shows that the most able pupils are making accelerated progress over time, and this is supported by work seen in pupils’ books and through conversations with pupils.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from the early identification of their specific needs and the high quality of support provided. As a result, they are making good overall progress in their studies and in their moral and social development.
• Pupils are given a firm foundation in reading in the early years and outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check rose from below the national average in 2014 to well above in 2016. A strong culture of reading continues throughout the school and by Year 6, pupils are able to describe why they enjoy particular authors and explain how the school has helped them to become good readers. One pupil described how the reading support assistant had searched the internet with him to choose a particular range of books to further develop his reading.

Early years provision Good

• Children start in the Nursery with skills and experience generally below, and in some cases well below, levels typical for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and then make accelerated progress in the Reception Year. As a result, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is higher than the national average. This ensures that they are equipped and ready for their move to Year 1.
• The early years is well led and managed. The leader ensures that regular assessments are maintained for all children and that information gained from them is used to plan children’s next steps in learning. The early years leader ensures that children’s needs are identified and support is acquired where needed from external agencies.
• The learning environment is safe and stimulating. The indoor and outdoor learning spaces are used in a purposeful way so that children can apply their curiosity and creativity to their learning. For example, during the inspection, children were engaged with activities connected with their study of animals and animal stories. Some were choosing to build houses made out of plastic bricks or sticks, others were writing stories about animals and some were making mud pies ready for a party for the three little pigs.
• The most able children make good progress in reading, writing and in their understanding of number in the early years. In Reception, these children can now write in full sentences. Children understand the areas they need to work on. For example, one boy explained how he was meeting his targets to use finger spaces, capital letters and full stops appropriately and said, ‘If you like, I can show you how I use connectives!’ He proceeded to correctly point to connectives that he had used in his description of caterpillars.
• Disadvantaged children are making similarly strong progress due to the effective use of the pupil premium funding. For example, in Reception, the funding has enabled the staff to fine-tune their phonics teaching with the result that more children are making rapid progress in their reading.
• Teachers and support staff make good use of the school’s extensive grounds to give young children exciting experiences in their learning. During the inspection, groups of children worked together in a wooded area building a camp that included shelters for sleeping, an outdoor kitchen, dining area and a play area. Adult interactions enable children to apply their communication and social skills as they investigate. For example, two boys had chosen to design and build a washing line and were solving the problem of the weight of the clothes pulling down their line by using a tent peg to make the line more secure.
• There are growing, strong links with parents, who are given many opportunities to see examples of their children’s learning and meet with teachers to discuss any concerns. Teachers have encouraged parents who speak English as a second language to come into class to read in their home language and to share their cultures through activities such as cooking. This is helping all children to deepen their cultural understanding.
• Safeguarding is effective. Leaders are aware of the need to ensure that all staff are vigilant in adopting safe working procedures and referring to risk assessments to make sure that children are always safe. Leaders are aware of the need to closely supervise the youngest two-year-old children as they work alongside older children.

School details

Unique reference number 109047 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 10033133 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 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 386 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mandy Collier-King Mrs Jo Williams 01454 867090

http://www.barleycloseschool.co.uk enquiries@barleyclose.org.uk

Date of previous inspection 11–12 June 2015

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average primary school.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Early years provision is part time in Nursery and full time in Reception.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion of pupils in receipt of an education, health and care plan is above average.
• The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• A higher than usual number of pupils join or leave the school at different times during the year.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2016, which are the minimum standards expected nationally for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors gathered a range of evidence to assess the quality of teaching, learning and assessment over time. They observed learning in lessons, including joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteachers. In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 2 and 6.
• Inspectors met with groups of pupils and asked them to talk about their learning over time by referring to their books.
• Inspectors carried out a wide scrutiny of pupils’ work across the curriculum in order to assess the breadth of study offered to the pupils throughout the school.
• Meetings were held with school leaders, subject leaders, the school business manager, the educational welfare officer, the family support worker, six governors and the head of education, learning and skills for South Gloucestershire.
• Inspectors took account of the 54 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the 55 comments made by parents sent by free text during the inspection.
• Inspectors talked to parents before and after school.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents including: the school’s own information on pupils’ current and recent progress; planning of work in different subjects; records relating to behaviour and safeguarding; and records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning.

Inspection team

Paul Hodson, lead inspector Lindsay Gabriel Linda Rowley

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector