St Mary Bourne Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school.

They behave well and are respectful of others. They are confident that staff will listen to them if they have any worries. Leaders deal with concerns swiftly and effectively.

Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. Staff and pupils enjoy positive relationships which help to create a calm and purposeful environment. This helps pupils to feel safe.

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum which supports pupils to learn well and develop resilience and self-belief. Staff have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy rising to the challenge, try ha...rd and are proud of their work.

They speak confidently about their learning.

The school's values of teamwork, respect, enthusiasm and excellence are reflected throughout the school. These values are demonstrated well in Reception, where children work together in the sandpit.

Older pupils also work well together to recall key history knowledge, for example about King Alfred. Older pupils also enjoy being reading buddies with the younger children.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well.

They have developed a carefully planned curriculum that gradually and securely builds pupils' knowledge from Reception to Year 6. Pupils with SEND are supported well both in and out of the classroom. Teachers understand their needs well and adapt learning so that they can learn well alongside their peers.

They also benefit from focused one-to-one work and small-group interventions that help them to progress through the planned curriculum. Staff follow curriculum plans closely, and this helps all pupils to learn and remember the key content well. For example, pupils are confident when sharing their knowledge of the impact that the Roman invasion had on life in Britain.

They are also able to make links between that time and life in Britain today.

Subject leadership beyond mathematics and English is developing. Similarly, assessment is well established in mathematics and English but at an earlier stage of development in other subjects.

Subject leaders have mapped out coherent subject plans, and they support teachers well through leading training and supporting staff to deliver learning. However, they do not yet check how well the curriculum is being delivered or how well pupils are learning the key content.

The teaching of early reading is effective.

Staff are well trained to deliver the school's phonics programme. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the phonic sounds they have learned. This helps them to use their sounds to read with confidence and fluency.

Pupils who struggle to read receive additional support from well-trained adults. Staff routinely read a range of books from different authors to pupils, which helps to promote a love of reading throughout the school. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about their love of reading, with one pupil commenting, 'Reading is fun.'



Children starting in Reception settle quickly, and parents are delighted with how well their children have settled in. Staff model the expected behaviour from Reception onwards, which helps the children learn the daily routines. These routines, and calm, established expectations, support all pupils, but particularly those with SEND.

Pupils are keen to share their thoughts and ideas during discussions. They display a positive attitude towards their learning. Younger children mix well with the older pupils and, at playtimes, are supported by 'playtime buddies' from Years 5 and 6.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well and are keen to further expand the range of after-school clubs available. Pupils enjoy their 'world at work' sessions, where local people come to school and share their experiences of work in various occupations. Visitors include an architect, farmer and doctor, helping to support pupils' aspirations for the future.

Pupils discuss issues about families and healthy relationships confidently. One pupil commented, 'Families are not just by blood but can be people you trust or friends.'

Governors know the school well and support and challenge senior leaders effectively.

They are working with senior leaders to strengthen relationships with parents as they move out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governors have a clear understanding of how well pupils learn in mathematics and English, and are working to strengthen this knowledge in other subjects. Staff appreciate the ways that senior leaders and governors have worked together to look at ways of reducing teachers' workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The culture of safeguarding pupils is strong here. Leaders ensure that all staff receive effective safeguarding training to help them to recognise signs that pupils may be at risk of harm.

Adults are alert to signs which may mean pupils are at risk. Any concerns are reported promptly. Records are thorough, but leaders are rightly refining their systems to make them easier to follow.

Leaders use expert help from external partners to ensure pupils get the help that they need.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. Staff help pupils to learn about staying safe online, and pupils understand the risks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders' communication with parents is sometimes not as clear as it could be. This means that, at times, parents do not fully understand how to support their child with their learning. Leaders should work to strengthen positive communication with parents.

• Subject leadership of subjects other than mathematics and English is underdeveloped. Consequently, leaders do not know how well pupils are learning across the wider curriculum. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are equipped with the skills and capacity to check how effectively the curriculum is delivered and how well pupils are learning as they move through it.