Charborough Road Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Build on the existing good rates of progress across the school, so that more pupils reach the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics, by ensuring that:
  • the wider curriculum provides rich opportunities for pupils to use and deepen their skills in writing and mathematics teaching continually challenges pupils to work at greater depth, particularly in mathematics and writing leaders consolidate the improvements to the teaching of phonics so that a greater proportion of pupils are able to confidently use their phonic skills in their reading
  • pupils use teachers’ feedback to improve their learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher and headteacher promote a clear, inspiring vision for the school. Working exceptionally well together, they have led rapid and secure improvement over the last two years. Their determination and hard work motivate the whole staff team to strive to provide the best care and education for all the school’s pupils.
• The caring and approachable headteacher knows the pupils well and is passionate about wanting the very best outcomes for all of them. A warm and welcoming culture with a shared drive for continual improvement is evident from the top down. Leaders, teachers and pupils are proud to be a part of Charborough Road’s success.
• Good relationships have been fostered with the local community and the vast majority of parents hold the school in high esteem. As one parent commented: ‘We love our school. Our children are happy and love going to school. They have excelled both academically and in extra-curricular activities including music, sports and theatre productions.’
• The academy trust provides effective support and training which has helped senior leaders improve the quality of teaching. Visits from the academy trust to monitor and review the school affirm the quality and impact of this improvement work.
• The executive headteacher and headteacher take a robust approach when they check teaching. Strengths in teaching are identified and shared, while support and relevant training is provided promptly where needed. Staff welcome this approach. They learn readily from one another and from training and coaching. The school’s professional development programme is matched closely to school priorities and the needs of individual staff.
• The process of checking pupils’ progress is secure. Moderation is carried out with other academy trust schools and with others in the local authority to ensure its accuracy. Monitoring of standards in writing and mathematics is conducted regularly through scrutiny of pupils’ work in their books, teachers’ planning and lesson observations.
• The needs of disadvantaged pupils are met well because leaders are ambitious for them to achieve highly. Many of these disadvantaged pupils have SEN and/or disabilities, so the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) gives careful consideration to the exact personal and learning support needed to help them succeed.
• The SENCo carefully assesses the impact of any interventions on these pupils’ learning. As a result, well-targeted additional support, including counselling and nurture provision, helps these pupils make good progress and catch up with their peers. A number of disadvantaged pupils have also been helped to improve their attendance and behaviour, so they now attend well. In this way, the school makes good use of its additional funding to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders make effective use of additional government funding for sport. The school participates in ‘Bristol Sports Coaching’ which works successfully alongside staff to improve teaching and extend the range of sports covered in physical education lessons. Pupils’ participation in sport has been increased through providing a wider range of after-school activities including gym club.
• The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. Whole-school topics effectively draw together learning in the different subjects of the national curriculum. However, inspiring opportunities to encourage pupils to reach greater depth in their learning, particularly writing and mathematics, are not a prominent feature of the wider curriculum. School leaders recognise that this aspect of the curriculum is in need of strengthening. To this end, plans are in place to extend the school’s initiative to develop pupils’ critical thinking skills across the wider curriculum.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is woven throughout the curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants skilfully promote spiritual and social development in their questioning and encouragement of a reflective approach. Singing makes a good contribution towards pupils’ social and cultural development as could be seen in a whole-school assembly where pupils sang with gusto and great enjoyment. A wide range of extra-curricular sports and clubs together with school visits and trips enrich and extend pupils’ experiences.
• The fundamental British values of democracy and the rule of law, tolerance, free speech and mutual respect are taught well. Pupils understand and value the class and school rules, consider the consequences of their own behaviour and relish taking on responsibilities.
• The school prides itself on ensuring that pupils become confident and responsible individuals. In discussion with inspectors, pupils clearly articulated why laws are important. One Year 6 pupil, when arguing that people under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote, passionately stated that ‘… young people are in the world too!’
• The school works well in partnership with other schools in the academy trust and trustees support collaboration so that the schools are working together on validating and checking each other’s work. Leaders also work well with local services to support those pupils who need additional support and help to attend school.

Governance of the school

• The governing body provides effective strategic leadership. The governors and trustees share leaders’ vision for the future of the school and make a strong contribution towards strategic leadership. They discharge their statutory duties well and the layers of accountability within governance are robust.

• Governors have a good knowledge and understanding of the school and have an accurate view on the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. They fully support the headteacher in ensuring fair and consistent application of policies so that only the best teaching is rewarded with pay increases.
• Governors have successfully challenged leaders to raise the quality of teaching and learning and hold them to account for further improvements. The accuracy of the school’s system to track pupils’ progress means that governors are supplied with sufficient detail to be able to challenge leaders and teachers to ensure that all groups make good progress.
• The chief executive officer of the Olympus Academy Trust has used his experience and expertise in education to challenge and support the school effectively. He works in partnership with school leaders to drive school improvement. This adds to the capacity of the school to improve further.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Good systems secure the well-being and safety of pupils. All staff and governors receive regular, high-quality training and are able to carry out the school’s policy and procedures well, ensuring a culture of vigilance. Leaders work effectively to engage wider expertise to help pupils in need of additional support and keep accurate records of liaisons with outside agencies. Staff and pupils agree that the school offers a safe, secure and inclusive environment.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good and improving as a result of decisive action taken by senior leaders following the dip in standards in 2016.

• Teachers share the executive headteacher’s and the headteacher’s commitment to help all pupils achieve their very best. High-quality displays of pupils’ work in every classroom and throughout the school celebrate success and promote a culture of high aspiration. 
• Teachers know their pupils’ strengths and weaknesses well and have high expectations of them. Staff’s strong subject knowledge is used to good effect to design and teach engaging and exciting lessons. Access to accurate and detailed information about pupils’ achievement enables teachers to provide very effective additional support and challenge within and outside lessons to all groups of pupils.
• Teachers’ planning is effective and teachers and other adults work well together to support disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Teaching assistants skilfully support pupils to solve problems by breaking down complex tasks into a series of smaller steps and encouraging them to persevere to find a solution. As a result, pupils gain confidence and their learning has improved.
• Teachers know exactly the knowledge and skills their pupils are expected to acquire by the end of the school year, and teach systematically towards these goals. Teachers are ambitious for pupils to succeed and make sure that pupils know what is expected of them. One pupil in key stage 2 stated, ‘This piece of writing is close to age-related expectations’.
• The teaching of phonics was a concern at the start of this academic year. This has improved and inspectors observed clear explanations and modelling by class teachers which support learning well. More pupils are now fully occupied in developing their recognition of words and sounds.
• Reading is taught well in early years and in key stage 2 because teachers skilfully encourage pupils to try out different approaches. Teachers ensure that pupils read a wide selection of literature.
• Teachers have high expectations of the most able pupils and usually provide work that has been adapted well to meet their specific needs. Teachers move their learning on promptly, expecting work of a higher standard, completed with greater independence.
• Mathematics is taught with an emphasis on developing fluency and encouraging pupils to spot relationships and patterns. This has helped to raise current pupils’ achievement. Pupils take pride in their work and their books show clearly the progress that they make.
• Teaching of writing has improved and this impacts positively on pupils’ writing skills. Pupils’ work clearly demonstrates the improvements that they make in handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar and they take pride in their work.
• The school recognises that there is more to do to ensure that more pupils reach the higher standards in writing and mathematics. They recognise the need to further develop pupils’ mathematical problem-solving and extended writing skills across the curriculum by providing richer opportunities for pupils to embed and develop these skills.
• The SENCo ensures that the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are identified promptly and accurately. Teaching within the special educational needs unit is both challenging and supportive.
• Staff follow the school’s assessment policy well by making sure that they give pupils feedback on their work that gives them helpful advice on how to improve. Sometimes, pupils do not use this feedback well enough to improve their learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The welfare of pupils, many of whom face severe difficulties in their lives, is central to the work of the school. The school constantly reviews the needs of its vulnerable pupils. It uses a wide range of information well to make sure staff focus on pupils with the greatest need, including those at risk of low attendance.
• Staff provide a consistent model of courtesy and consideration which sets a positive tone. They are unwaveringly patient and firm to help pupils understand right and wrong and how to show respect for others and themselves. Pupils are confident they are cared for well by the adults.
• Pupils learn to play and socialise well together and treat all with equal respect. They know the importance of not showing prejudice. They are accepting of any faith or religion and other differences. Pupils proudly describe the school as a friendly school, where pupils are welcome wherever they come from. Older pupils said that they had, ‘… never had a problem with race’. They talk warmly of the ‘diversity and behaviour champion’ saying, ‘… he helps me feel safe in school and also when I am outside’.
• Pupils have a well-developed understanding of different types of bullying, including that based on prejudice. The school’s anti-bullying work has helped them to recognise why it might occur and what to do to stop it. Pupils are clear that bullying is rare and when it does happen, it is dealt with well by adults.
• Adults in the before-and after-school clubs provide a caring environment where pupils can relax and play games and enjoy healthy snacks.
• The vast majority of pupils have good attitudes to learning and approach their lessons with enthusiasm. They participate well in lessons and confidently participate in discussions to share ideas and answer questions. A few pupils have not, as yet, developed the resilience and perseverance to take their learning to higher levels.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils know and understand the school’s behaviour system and are very clear about what is expected of them. They are respectful to each other, staff and visitors and enjoy the pleasant and secure environment the school offers.
• Pupils’ behaviour is typically good when they are learning together in the classroom and when they are playing together at breaktime. Pupils have a sensible and caring attitude towards the very few pupils who find it more difficult to manage their own behaviour.
• Pupils are welcoming to visitors, curious and show good manners. They reply politely when greeted, sometimes offering a handshake, freely open doors for passing adults and readily offer their help. Pupils are proud of their uniform, and take great care of their surroundings.
• Attendance is improving and the instances of persistent absence, particularly of disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, are greatly reduced. The school is tenacious in its approach to reducing absence of such pupils, many of whom face severe difficulties in attending school regularly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• All groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, make good progress in their academic and wider development. Pupils are well equipped with the skills needed to flourish at secondary school and beyond.
• Outcomes in 2017 showed a marked improvement over those seen in 2016. At the end of key stage 2, pupils made better progress than that seen nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils working at the expected standard and also at the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics was higher than that seen in most schools.
• At key stage 1 in 2017, a greater proportion of pupils than nationally reached the expected standard in reading and mathematics. The proportion reaching greater depth of learning in mathematics, however, was below average.
• Teaching of phonics is effective in Reception but has been less so during key stage 1. In 2017, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 fell well below the national average. The school responded promptly to this dip: raising expectations in Reception, improving assessment and tracking and matching teaching to gaps in pupils’ learning. Current pupils are better placed than in previous years to reach the expected phonic standards.
• Work observed by inspectors in pupils’ books and the school’s records of pupils’ progress show that this improvement is being maintained. Most pupils are currently working at the standards expected for their age and are making good progress from their respective starting points.
• Throughout the school, disadvantaged pupils typically make the same or better progress than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics. Additional funding is used effectively to provide specific, targeted help and to enable pupils to participate fully in school life.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress. Extra support sessions help those who need it to develop their reading, mathematical, communication and social skills. School information, supported by work seen by inspectors, shows that these pupils make at least good progress and many progress extremely well.
• The most able pupils achieve well. They use an increasingly wide variety of grammatical devices to communicate effectively and some are developing sophisticated writing skills. Frequent opportunities for them to develop their mathematical reasoning help them deepen their understanding in mathematics. However, there are not enough opportunities for them to take part in mathematical problem-solving, write more extended pieces of writing, and be more consistently challenged to the degree necessary to make outstanding progress.

Early years provision Good

• Children typically start Reception with knowledge and understanding below what is typical for their ages. They get off to a flying start, make good progress and leave well prepared for Year 1.
• The proportion of children that reached a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile exceeded the national figure in 2017.
• Children benefit from a rich and stimulating environment and interesting activities. The well-resourced outdoor area encourages investigation and exploration. A wide range of writing materials encourage children to practise writing skills. Children concentrate as they choose from a plentiful array of books in the attractive reading area.
• Well-structured teaching sessions and child-initiated learning support good progress. Staff discussions with children help them develop their communication skills and extend their learning. Teachers assess children’s progress effectively, identifying and planning suitable next steps. Children have well-developed social skills for their age and learn to take responsibility.
• Leadership is strong. The early years leader is an effective practitioner who maintains a tight overview of the provision. She has a very good understanding of the strengths and areas for development in early years provision. Her high aspirations and determination that all children should succeed ensure children’s good or better progress. Leaders are clearly focused on providing high-quality teaching and rich learning experiences for children.
• Children behave well. They respond well to adults’ example of courtesy and their firm and friendly approach to teaching. The children are taught to share and take turns, and to show respect for one another and the equipment they use.
• Phonics is taught well in Reception Year. Effective training has supported teaching assistants to develop skills to teach phonics well, away from the teacher. Inspectors saw the most able children using their growing understanding of phonics successfully when writing sentences independently.
• The children are kept very safe. Access into and out of the classrooms and outdoor area is strictly controlled. The care which staff provide helps the children to feel happy and safe throughout the day. Parents who spoke with inspectors were all confident that their children are cared for well, and delighted with their children’s progress.
• The needs of disadvantaged children are carefully considered and catered for. A highly individualised focus, coupled with effective teaching, ensures that these pupils make strong progress from typically low starting points. They often achieve better than their peers.
• Children joining the early years who need extra support for speech and language development are supported well through specialist sessions drawing suitably on external support.
• Communication with parents is effective. Parents contribute well to assessment of their children’s progress and celebration of achievement. They are highly positive about the provision.

School details

Unique reference number 141638 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 10037841 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 converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 289 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Executive headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Sarah Williams Nicola Bailey Claire Banks 01454 867220 www.charboroughroadschool.co.uk office@charboroughroadprimary.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.

• Charborough Road Primary School converted to become an academy school in January 2015. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.
• The school is part of Olympus Academy Trust and is managed by a headteacher and an executive headteacher. The school is governed by a local governing board. Two governors from Charborough Road represent the school as trustees on the board of the Olympus Academy Trust.
• The school has a unit for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. There are currently 18 pupils in this unit and their main needs are speech, language and communication difficulties.
• The school meets the current government floor standards.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for their SEN and/or disabilities is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a special educational needs statement or an education, health and care plan is above the national average.
• There are below average numbers of pupils known to be eligible for support by the pupil premium.
• The school runs an on-site breakfast and after-school club which is managed by the governing body.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in visits to lessons across the school, some of which were jointly observed with senior leaders.
• Discussions took place with the executive headteacher, headteacher, senior leadership team, the chief executive of the Olympus Academy Trust, the chair of the governing body and two members of the governing body.
• Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including school improvement plans and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• The inspection team carried out a joint scrutiny of the quality of pupils’ work in books with senior leaders.
• Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils to seek their views about the school. The views of other pupils were gathered during lessons and lunchtimes. An inspector listened to pupils reading.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in an assembly, at lunchtimes, breaktimes and around the school.
• An inspector visited the on-site breakfast club.
• Inspectors considered 66 responses to the online survey, Parent View, as well as 52 free-text responses from parents.

Inspection team

Michael Merchant, lead inspector Gareth Simons Nick Sheppard Mike Brady

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector