Bournville School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils’ progress so that all pupils and groups of pupils achieve their potential, by:
  • fully embedding the improvements that leaders have made to teaching
  • making sure that all teachers have the skills they need to teach to the standards that leaders expect
  • making sure that activities in lessons more consistently meet pupils’ needs and prevent them from becoming disengaged
  • making sure that most-able pupils are consistently challenged
  • providing more opportunities for primary pupils to do extended writing
  • eradicating the remaining inconsistencies in the way that teachers follow the school’s marking policy.
• Continue to improve pupils’ attendance so that all pupils and groups of pupils benefit from the improved teaching, by:
  • reducing disadvantaged pupils’ absence and persistent absence
  • improving overall attendance so that it at least meets the national average.
• Leaders should ensure that the new system for tracking pupils’ progress becomes fully embedded by:
  • regularly evaluating the changes so that leaders know what is working and what needs further improvements
  • improving leaders’ ability to have a clear overview of which groups are achieving well and which need interventions to meet their potential.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Following a long period of instability, a new headteacher was appointed in April 2017. She and her newly formed senior team have quickly improved many aspects of the school. While many of the improvements are having a tangible, positive impact on pupils, some of the changes have yet to make their full impact. There is still some inconsistency in the effectiveness of the systems that this new team has introduced.
• The information that leaders use to track progress is sometimes contradictory, lacks clarity and does not enable them to identify easily where issues are occurring. However, the systems that leaders have introduced to track pupils’ progress are developing swiftly. They have wisely adapted these systems to make them work more effectively. It is too early to see the full impact of these changes.
• Leaders have introduced new, specific and higher expectations of teachers’ classroom practice and pupils’ learning. They have given teachers training on these new expectations, monitored their implementation and given further training to teachers when needed. While this is leading to improved progress in most classes, it is not yet being implemented consistently. Leaders have not made sure that all pupils are well prepared for these changes, and some groups of pupils struggle to meet these new, higher expectations. As a result, the positive impact of better teaching is not having a consistently positive impact on pupils’ progress. Although much improved teaching in the primary years is not yet consistently meeting pupils’ needs.
• In the last academic year, leaders’ plans for spending pupil premium funding were not well formed or effective. The plans were not specific or detailed enough. The funding was not effective in addressing the barriers to disadvantaged pupils’ progress, and some disadvantaged pupils underachieved. A new pupil premium leader has been appointed. He has swiftly made new plans directly related to the barriers that disadvantaged pupils in the school face. For example, staff have already directly contacted most of the families of disadvantaged pupils to make sure that leaders have a comprehensive knowledge of pupils’ aspirations and parents’ concerns. This has improved teachers’ knowledge of disadvantaged pupils’ aspirations, and parents are working more closely with teachers to help pupils make progress. However, while there is a demonstrable effect from these changes, the full impact on pupils’ progress has yet to be seen.
• Similarly, leaders’ plans for the use of Year 7 catch-up funding have been reviewed. Pupils who need to catch up on literacy and numeracy when they arrive in the secondary phase are well nurtured and receive specialist support to develop these skills. This is having a positive, but inconsistent, impact. Overall, for example, pupils’ reading ages are rising, but leaders acknowledge that there are still some pupils whose skills are not developing well enough.
• In the past, sport premium funding has not been well used to create sustainable opportunities for primary pupils’ participation and enjoyment of sport. Recognising this, new leaders of the primary phase have made new plans for the use of this funding. They have arranged for a member of staff to learn to teach yoga, for example. This is helping pupils to develop their self-control, listening and motor skills. An order has been raised for a set of ‘balance bikes’. However, some parts of the new plan have yet to be fully implemented, for example the plan to teach every child to ride a bicycle. Therefore, it is too early to see the full impact of the sport premium plan.
• Leaders make effective use of the extra funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. In lessons where these pupils have support from teaching assistants the support is generally unobtrusive but effective. These pupils are supported to participate in lessons, show understanding of their learning and collaborate with other pupils. As a result, their progress is improving.
• Leaders have made many, well-considered changes to the curriculum. They have stopped running courses in which the content overlaps that of other courses. They have also planned a curriculum which clearly shows how pupils’ knowledge and skills will develop from Year 7, through to their GCSE courses. As a result, teachers are clear about what pupils need to know and be able to do in every subject, week by week, over all five years of the secondary curriculum. This enables leaders to monitor the progress of classes and identify where groups are falling behind in the coverage of course content. Leaders’ are highly ambitious for pupils’ progress over the secondary years. They have carefully structured the curriculum so that learning time is well organised and no time is wasted.
• Leaders have evaluated where fundamental British values are covered in the curriculum. This has led to pupils’ learning in this area being linked to real examples and subject knowledge. As a result, for example, primary pupils know what fundamental British values are and why they are important. Leaders have aligned the school’s mission statement to fundamental British values, and this mission is understood across the school.
• In the primary years, pupils learn subjects including history, geography, music and art. At key stage 3, leaders have made sure that pupils gain a sound set of skills in all subjects, including creative arts, languages, humanities, sport, mathematics, English and sciences. At key stage 4, the percentage of pupils who take courses in a range of subjects that could lead to the English Baccalaureate is higher than the national average. This means that across the school, the broad and balanced curriculum enables the vast majority of pupils to have access to a wide range of experiences.
• The extra-curricular provision is strong and improving. For example, the number of pupils learning a musical instrument has increased recently. Around half of the pupils learning an instrument are disadvantaged pupils. Teachers offer a developing range of diverse sporting activities and dramatic performances, and there is a vibrant school council. Leaders carefully monitor the effectiveness of extra-curricular activities. They specifically target under-represented groups and are increasingly effective in engaging pupils from all groups in extra-curricular activities.
• In the past, leadership of the primary provision has been weak. For example, behaviour and attendance have been poor. Pupils’ progress has been variable, and assessment has been unreliable. The trust acted swiftly to improve this provision and helped the school to appoint a new leadership team and a group of new teachers. New leaders of the primary provision have been in post for a short time. Their leadership is very strong. Already, they have made many well-considered changes to the provision. These leaders have a comprehensive understanding of what needs to be done to improve the provision. They have had a positive impact on pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and enjoyment of school in a very short time. However, it is too early to see the full impact of these changes.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a range of skills and knowledge which helps them to hold leaders to account and support the school well. They come from a range of backgrounds including educational leadership. They have also undertaken training in understanding data on pupils’ progress. This helps them to understand what challenging questions to ask of leaders.
• Minutes of governors’ meetings show that governors understand information about pupils’ progress and hold leaders to account for this. They ensure that leaders provide them with the most pertinent information so that they can do this. For example, as a result of some data that was not clear, governors formed a sub-committee to design a new pupil progress review sheet. This new way of communicating how well pupils are doing enables governors and leaders to pinpoint and explore where pupils are falling behind. They can, therefore, even more effectively hold school leaders to account.
• Governors are clearly committed to pupils’ safety and welfare. They undertake regular audits and challenge leaders to demonstrate that pupils are safe. They regularly visit the school so that they have some first-hand knowledge of pupils’ experiences.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The trust has diligently ensured that all aspects of safeguarding are strong. Checks on staff are complete and the trust’s internal reviews show that processes for safeguarding are tested and reviewed effectively.
• Leaders’ knowledge of safeguarding is comprehensive and they respond swiftly to concerns. The well-trained staff are vigilant to concerns because their training is effective. For example, leaders present staff with scenarios so that they can explore appropriate responses to complicated safeguarding concerns before they arise. Inspectors scrutinised recent safeguarding incidents, and it is clear that leaders refer issues to the appropriate authorities. Leaders follow up concerns tenaciously when other authorities do not take the action required to keep pupils safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Leaders have established very high expectations of teachers’ classroom practice. This means that teachers are clear about what is expected of them. While this has been effective in quickly improving teaching and learning, there is still too much variation in teachers’ ability to meet pupils’ needs.
• An example of this variation in the quality of teaching, in some lessons, is that teachers give pupils tasks which are too easy or too hard. Some teachers’ explanations are not precise or clear enough for pupils to make swift progress.
• Inspectors saw many examples of teachers using questioning to encourage pupils to think deeply about their learning. However, this quality questioning that has a positive impact on pupils’ progress is not yet consistent enough.
• Leaders have introduced a new marking policy. While this is being followed by the majority of teachers, in some areas this is not consistent.
• Where teaching is most effective, teachers’ explanations are clear and they use questioning to assess and develop pupils’ understanding. Inspectors saw many examples of pupils applying themselves wholeheartedly to a range of challenging activities across the curriculum. For example, in languages lessons pupils were working hard to use authentic accents in the target language, confidently. In art, pupils were carefully learning advanced watercolour techniques, controlling blending and delineation.
• In the past, the teaching of phonics in the primary phase has not been effective. This has resulted in pupils falling behind. However, new leaders in the primary phase have swiftly identified and rectified this. Leaders have been careful to secure expert phonics teaching so that pupils make rapid progress. This has been effective and, while some pupils are still behind, they are catching up rapidly.
• In the primary phase, the effectiveness of teaching is similarly inconsistent but improving quickly. In some lessons, pupils are challenged appropriately so that, regardless of their ability, they make strong progress. However, pupils have too few opportunities to write at length and develop their imagination, handwriting and creativity. Teachers do not consistently follow the school’s marking policy. However, leaders understand all of these issues and have plans in place that have already had demonstrable positive impact.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Personal development and welfare Requires improvement

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school has recently developed an appropriate strategy to reduce bullying and make pupils feel more secure that it will be dealt with well. Leaders have improved their systems for tackling bullying. They have regular assemblies to remind pupils of key messages. They have established a pupil focus group that meets a sample of pupils each week. This is helping leaders to find out how pupils are feeling about issues such as bullying. However, work on this is too recent to have been fully effective. Pupils feel generally safe in school.
• Leaders are open to any concerns that arise and consider all concerns carefully. As a result, they understand that they need to improve some aspects of what they do and to communicate the recent improvements to parents. Leaders hold each other to account and are passionate about improving all aspects of pupils’ personal development and welfare.
• Across the school, pupils are well prepared to keep themselves safe from a range of risks. For example, pupils in the primary phase talked in detail with inspectors about online safety. Leaders and teachers take opportunities to reinforce key safety message. For example, secondary pupils were taught about ‘consent’, following recent news headlines about sexual assaults. Leaders have a clear view of local safety issues and are tackling these robustly. They have rewritten all schemes of work on personal, health, social and economic education to make sure that, in tutor time, pupils spend their time profitably. Inspectors saw examples of this being done well, with a strong positive impact on pupils’ development. However, this is not always as consistent as it needs to be.
• Leaders have identified that, for pupils who develop mental health issues, access to external services is sometimes too slow to give effective help quickly. As a result, they have employed their own member of staff to offer support to these pupils. This is proving very effective and in many cases is preventing pupils’ mental health becoming worse. Many pupils have been helped swiftly and no longer need support.
• In the primary phase, leaders place a similarly strong emphasis on pupils’ mental health and well-being. Leaders are vigilant and take every opportunity to improve pupils’ confidence. There are strong relationships between pupils and staff, and pupils develop their confidence very securely. They love to share their learning with visitors. They greet visitors with handshakes.
• Leaders have introduced their own careers fair. They have attracted major local employers and education providers to this. Pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 attend this event. Pupils appreciate the opportunity to engage with exciting large employers and consider their career options from a young age.
• There is extensive building work on the school site at present. This is well managed so that it does not pose a risk to pupils’ welfare and safety. Leaders have carefully considered the timetables of the early years, primary and secondary phases. This means that younger pupils avoid crowded areas while enjoying the benefits that a large, well-resourced school offers.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• In the recent past, pupils’ attendance has been very weak. Too many pupils have been persistently absent. This has been the case for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities particularly. There have been recent improvements made in this area and, overall, pupils’ attendance is around the national average. The attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has risen swiftly and is now around the national average. While there have been improvements in the attendance of disadvantaged pupils, their persistent absence is still much higher than that of non-disadvantaged pupils nationally. Leaders have plans in place to deal with this, and these plans are beginning to be effective. However, leaders acknowledge that there is still work to do in this area.
• In some secondary lessons, inspectors observed low-level disruption, which was drawing teachers’ and pupils’ attention away from learning. Pupils and teachers said that poor behaviour is becoming rarer as staff more consistently implement the school’s behaviour and rewards policy. Where disruption occurs, teachers deal with it generally well.
• Leaders have changed the focus of the rewards and sanctions system to make it more positive and purposeful. Pupils who disrupt learning are supported to change their behaviour and are required to spend time considering the impact of their actions on others. Leaders also make sure that behaviour incidents are tackled decisively. As a result, the number of fixed-term exclusions has fallen sharply. There have been no repeat fixed-term exclusions recently. Although the number of permanent exclusions is above the national average, they are applied appropriately.
• Pupils are generally polite to one another and to staff. Staff and pupils greet each other warmly around the school. Pupils are respectful to each other, staff and visitors. Even in crowded areas around the school, pupils behave calmly and maturely.
• Primary pupils’ behaviour shows marked improvement on last year because leaders make their expectations clear and pupils respond positively. The behaviour system is applied consistently. Pupils are kind towards one another. Older pupils are considerate of younger ones and they use classroom and outdoor spaces sensibly so that everyone is safe. Primary pupils’ attendance is below the national average, but this is an unreliable indicator of these pupils’ attendance because it is affected by factors such as pupils coming to the school for short periods of time before going to other schools. Their attendance is generally positive and improving.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In the primary phase, there is little published information about pupils’ outcomes. This is because the primary phase opened so recently. However, last year, too few pupils made enough progress in their phonics learning. Since improvements in this area are so recent, it is not possible to evaluate fully how well pupils are doing overall. However, inspectors’ scrutiny of school records and observations of pupils’ reading show that swift progress is being made in this area. Leaders have taken robust and rapid action to improve pupils’ progress in the primary phase.
• After the school became an academy in 2014, pupils’ progress improved so that by 2016 there had been significant improvements. However, because of turbulence in staffing last year, pupils’ progress suffered considerably. Pupils who left the school in 2017 did not make the progress that they were capable of. They made less progress than other pupils nationally with similar starting points. This weak progress was across a range of subjects including English and mathematics. This was particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils and most-able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders have implemented a range of improvements across the school. As a result, current pupils’ progress across a range of subjects is improving demonstrably. For example, current Year 11 pupils are now on track to make swift progress and more will reach their challenging targets. The improvements that leaders have already made to attendance, especially that of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are having a positive impact on progress. Improvements in teaching are beginning to have an impact on this group’s progress, but leaders acknowledge that more work needs to be done in this area especially for most-able pupils. They have suitable plans in place to accelerate most-able pupils’ progress.
• Pupils’ progress in secondary science is less consistent than it needs to be. Leaders know this and have ensured that the science department is now fully staffed with specialists. This is having a positive impact on the current cohort’s progress.
• Pupils in the specially resourced unit for pupils who have hearing impairment are well supported to make strong progress towards their targets. The number of pupils in this unit is small, which makes comparison of their progress to that of others in the school unreliable.
• Pupils who attend alternative provision make very positive progress. Their attendance is now vastly improved and they are taking a range of qualifications that will enable them to go on to positive destinations. Leaders make regular checks on pupils in alternative provision, so that they can be sure that the placements are working well for pupils.
• The school’s information shows that no pupils who have left the school after Year 11 are not in education, employment and training. This is because staff have worked closely with a range of local further education and apprenticeship providers to make sure that pupils can go on to a range of suitable destinations. For example, in 2017 around a quarter of pupils went on to A-level study. The vast majority went on to level 3 courses.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision was opened in September 2016. During the first year, there were issues with staffing instability, leadership and the accuracy of assessment information. All of these issues are now resolved. A new early years leader was appointed from September 2017, as well as a completely new teaching team.
• The early years leader swiftly and accurately identified the key priorities to improve the early years. A precise improvement plan details the development actions, which have been implemented rapidly and very successfully. As a result, all aspects of the early years provision are now good. Children receive a very positive start to their school life.
• Staff training and development are a high priority. The leader provides high-quality support and guidance to the early years staff, which is matched carefully to the priorities identified and individual staff development needs. For example, staff received training on developing children’s speaking and listening skills, which has led to children making rapid progress in this area since the start of the year.
• Teaching in the early years is good. All staff have very positive relationships with children. Each child has a key worker who knows their needs in great detail. This means that exceptional care and support are provided to help children to settle quickly into school life. Staff are very skilled at supporting children to explore their learning independently, without worrying about making mistakes. Consequently, children are happy and confident learners. They are well behaved and are very keen to share their learning with visitors.
• Children start school with skills and abilities below those typical for their age. Due to previous issues with under-developed assessment systems, there is no clear picture about the progress children made over 2016─ 2017. At the end of 2017, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was well below the national average.
• Staff now expertly assess what children can do and plan activities which are matched closely to their learning needs and interests. Staff ensure that bright and stimulating learning environments, both inside and outside, support children’s learning. As a result, children remain engaged and motivated when playing and learning. Since the beginning of 2017, children have made rapid progress in all areas of their learning.
• Support for disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. However, due to small numbers, information about the progress of these children is withheld in the interests of confidentiality.
• The early years leader and staff work closely with parents. For example, parents were invited to a workshop about developing opportunities to support children’s speaking skills. Parents have ‘chatterboxes’ with their children, when they have conversations at home which are then shared in school. The positive relationships between parents and staff further support children’s well-being and learning.
• Staff go to great lengths to ensure that children have a positive start to school. The leader discusses children’s needs with the nurseries they attend. Home visits are also provided to make sure that all children are met before starting school. Parents are invited into school for ‘stay and play’ sessions to familiarise themselves and their children with the learning environments. Each child has a personalised start to school. These arrangements enable children to settle very quickly into school.
• All safeguarding and welfare requirements in the early years are met. Policies and procedures, including the use of mobile phones and cameras, are understood and applied by all staff.

School details

Unique reference number 141318 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10037092 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school All-through School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 4 to 16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 861 Appropriate authority The board of trustees Chair Lara Kiltie Headteacher Jo Cottle Telephone number 01214 753881 Website http://www.bournvilleschool.org/ Email address post@bournville.bham.sch.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.
• The school became an academy, sponsored by the Fairfax multi-academy trust in 2014. Since the last inspection, the school has shut its sixth form and extended its age range so that it serves pupils from the age of four to 16.
• The school contains a specially resourced unit for eight pupils who have hearing impairment from across the age range that the school caters for.
• The school has a small number of pupils who attend alternative provision at Reach and Bournville College.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards for secondary schools. No pupils of primary age have yet taken national assessments.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, teachers and governors. They also met with a delegate of the chief executive officer from the multi-academy trust.
• Inspectors visited parts of lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work over time, and the school’s assessment information. A range of documentation was evaluated, including records about safeguarding, governance and the quality of teaching and learning. They visited the school’s specially resourced unit, the re-integration area and all the spaces used by primary and early years pupils.
• Inspectors evaluated the views of parents through speaking to parents, through 37 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire and the school’s own surveys.
• There were no responses to Ofsted’s teacher or pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke to a number of pupils both informally and formally. They met with teachers and leaders at different levels to evaluate their views about the school. They also considered pupil surveys undertaken by the school.

Inspection team

Dan Owen, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector Ann Pritchard Her Majesty’s Inspector Lois Kelly Ofsted Inspector