St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • pupils have appropriately challenging work from the start of lessons in order to deepen learning and accelerate progress in all subjects
  • pupils take pride in their work and present it to a high standard in all subjects, at all times.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and senior leaders have brought about significant improvements to this rapidly improving school. For example, systems to monitor the quality of teaching and to track pupils’ progress are rigorous and effective.
• School improvement planning is effective. Plans clearly show what actions are to be taken and by whom. Governors monitor the progress of the plans, therefore holding leaders fully to account for the actions they take.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the schools’ strengths and development areas. Leaders are well placed to identify and react swiftly to any future areas for development.
• Leaders have ensured that there is a broad and balanced curriculum. Pupils have frequent opportunities to deepen knowledge and skills in a wide variety of subjects. Pupils are particularly knowledgeable regarding British values, faiths, and cultures different to their own. Therefore, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Phase and subject leaders are instrumental in ensuring that procedures and new initiatives are implemented effectively. They monitor their areas of responsibility very well and ensure that all staff consistently apply school policies.
• Performance management is used effectively. Targets are set to improve pupils’ progress, including disadvantaged pupils, in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers are encouraged to develop themselves professionally, learn new skills and share good practice with other colleagues.
• Leaders responsible for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are effective. They understand clearly the impact that extra funding has on the progress that pupils make. The responsible governors are knowledgeable and hold leaders to account. These pupils are making good progress.
• The primary physical education (PE) and sport funding is spent effectively. The leaders have ensured that staff have received training in order to deliver high-quality PE sessions. Increasingly, pupils have had the opportunity to take part in competitions against other schools. St Bartholomew’s are the current area cross-country champions and ‘spirit of the games’ winners.
• Staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school. The vast majority who answered Ofsted’s online questionnaires stated that the school was well led and managed, that pupils were safe and making good progress.

Governance of the school

• The experienced and appropriately trained governing body has recently completed a skills audit. This has enabled them to find suitably experienced governors from, for example, education, finance and human resources backgrounds. The governing body is therefore well placed to carry out its duties effectively.
• Governors undertake a wide range of carefully timetabled monitoring activities that are linked to priorities on the school improvement plan. For example, one governor recently undertook a visit to examine the successful work undertaken to promote writing among disadvantaged boys.
• Minutes from meetings show that governors receive comprehensive information from the headteacher regarding the school and all aspects of its performance. Minutes from meetings also demonstrate that governors ask suitably challenging questions of leaders. Governors are therefore holding leaders to account for their actions.
• Governors are developing their relationships with parents by regularly attending school events such as parents’ evenings. As a result, governors are able to receive direct feedback from parents regarding the school and discuss any issues that pupils may be experiencing.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Appropriate checks are made on adults before they start working or volunteering at the school. The knowledgeable staff ensure that the single central record is well maintained, monitored by a governor and updated frequently.
• The designated leads are trained well. Comprehensive records of concerns raised by staff regarding pupil welfare are recorded onto an online system. This system ensures that relevant staff are kept up to date with any further welfare concerns or if any other agencies become involved. There are timely referrals made to outside agencies should a child or family require extra support.
• All staff, including governors, have received appropriate safeguarding training. Anti-bullying and e-safety coordinators have been particularly proactive in ensuring that pupils are aware of how report suspected bullying and keep themselves safe when online.
• The safeguarding governor regularly undertakes a comprehensive audit to check that safeguarding procedures are followed consistently. As a result, a strong safeguarding culture is evident throughout the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers plan using pupils’ interests to motivate and engage them. For example, pupils in Year 5 learned through a ‘Harry Potter’ day during the inspection. Staff and pupils dressed up as characters from the story and pupils were developing speech and language skills through role-play activities.
• Teachers use precise questioning to address pupils’ misconceptions in a wide range of subjects. For example, in Year 5 the teacher asked a pupil to explain why part of a sentence was an adverbial phrase and not an adverb. Pupils are also frequently encouraged to explain how they have arrived at a particular answer in mathematics. Consequently, teachers can assess if pupils have any gaps in knowledge that can quickly be addressed.
• There is an effective assessment system in place that enables teachers to accurately track the progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. This information is analysed so that teachers have an accurate view of how different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, are progressing in their classes.
• Teachers meet frequently with phase leaders to discuss individual pupils and the progress that they are making. Consequently, any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified swiftly and support is put in place to help them improve their learning.
• Teachers have opportunities to moderate pupils work with other schools locally. This ensures that the judgements that teachers make regarding pupils’ attainment and progress are accurate.
• Phonics is taught well. Teachers ensure that children are given appropriate opportunities to practise saying and writing letter sounds. For example, a group of Year 1 and 2 pupils were deepening their knowledge of the ‘y’ sound by writing ‘Molly’, ‘dry’ and ‘yesterday’ on whiteboards. They were then successful in finding and writing other words and sentences that contained this sound.
• Learning support assistants are a strength. They question pupils effectively in order to deepen knowledge and understanding. They understand the importance of allowing some tasks to be completed by the pupil, therefore promoting independence. Learning support assistants working alongside pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are effective in ensuring that these pupils make good progress.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive regarding pupils’ homework. Pupils are challenged to complete a range of activities over a half term, linked to a particular topic. For example, Year 4 pupils studying the Second World War were encouraged to find facts about Anne Frank, build a model Spitfire aeroplane or design a propaganda poster.
• Parents are provided with comprehensive information regarding pupils’ progress. End-of-year reports show pupils’ strengths along with concise targets for improvement.
• Teachers do not always challenge pupils enough, particularly at the start of lessons. Sometimes, work is too easy and pupils are not moved on to harder work quickly enough. Therefore, pupils, including the most able pupils, do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Teachers do not ensure that pupils consistently present their work as neatly as they could in subjects other than English.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are self-assured and confident learners. They have a very good understanding of the school’s ‘CARES’ code. The values of cooperation, awareness, respect, enjoyment and success are visible in classrooms. Pupils throughout the school consistently demonstrate these values.
• Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Pupils spoke knowledgeably regarding the benefits of eating a healthy diet and how this contributes to a leading a healthy lifestyle. Pupils enjoy the daily opportunity to run or walk a mile around the ‘St Bartholomew’s Badger trail’. Pupils have enhanced their strong understanding of fire and personal safety by visits from the fire brigade and local police officer respectively.
• Pupils are adamant that incidents of bullying are extremely rare. They have a very good understanding of the different forms that bullying can take, including online bullying. Parents’ workshops have been successful in educating parents on, for example, the potential dangers of social media and age-restricted console games. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have recently deepened their knowledge and understanding of transgender and homophobic bullying. Pupils are clear that a member of staff will deal with any reported incidents of bullying quickly and fairly. There have been no reported incidents of pupils using derogatory or aggressive language.
• Pupils enjoy the wide variety of extra-curricular activities on offer. These include netball, football, trigolf, gymnastics, choir and the opportunity to learn musical instruments. Pupils recently enjoyed the opportunity to sing in front of, and meet, the Archbishop of Canterbury at Leicester Cathedral.
• The democratically elected school council has been instrumental in the school gaining the eco schools ‘green flag’ award. The council meets frequently with the headteacher to discuss areas of the school that could be improved. One recent example is the introduction of lockers for pupils in Years 5 and 6.
• Pupils relish the extra responsibility of being in the school sport organising crew. Older pupils are charged with setting up sports equipment and playing games with key stage 1 pupils at lunchtimes. There are also opportunities for pupils to help organise assemblies and ensure that cloakrooms and shared resource areas are tidy.
• Pupils look forward to receiving awards in the Thursday ‘well done assembly’. Proud parents watch while a variety of successes are celebrated. These include certificates for good pieces of work, sporting endeavours and for those pupils who consistently show good manners or display the school values.
• Pupils have many opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of faiths and cultures different to their own. There are frequent visits to various local places of worship including a mosque, synagogue and mandir. Pupils study a different country each year to deepen their understanding of the wider world. For example, pupils in Year 3 and Year 6 study Greece and Spain respectively.
• Pupils are active in raising money for charities both at home and around the world. Recent examples include donations to children in need, the local food bank and a hospital in Tanzania.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding in classrooms, corridors and when playing outside at break and lunchtimes.
• Pupils’ conduct is impeccable. This is because the school’s behaviour code is implemented consistently in all classrooms. The code is well known and understood by all staff and pupils. Incidents of low-level disruption in lessons are extremely rare. Lessons consistently flow extremely smoothly, without interruption, ensuring that pupils make strong progress.
• Rates of attendance, for all groups of pupils, are above national averages. The education welfare officer is effective in working with pupils and their families, where attendance has dropped. Attendance information provided by the school shows that current rates of persistent absence have improved compared with those from the last academic year.
• Pupils look very smart in the school’s uniform. Pupils are extremely polite and respectful of visitors, with many holding doors open allowing adults to pass first. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their learning and were keen to share recent successes in their various workbooks with inspectors.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Inspection evidence and current assessment information provided by the school suggest that large proportions of pupils are working at age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. A small number of the most able pupils are working at a greater depth in these subjects. This evidence suggests that writing is currently the weakest area of performance across all year groups.
• Evidence seen in pupils’ workbooks and assessment information provided by the school indicate that all pupils, regardless of ability or background, are making good progress from their various starting points.
• Work scrutinised in books indicates that pupils across the school are making good progress in other subjects including history, science, religious education and art. Staff are aware of the importance of providing a broad and balanced curriculum that widens pupils’ experiences and deepens knowledge.
• Pupils read widely and often. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use phonic knowledge well to decode unfamiliar words. The most able readers in Years 5 and 6 report that there is a good selection of reading books in the school library to choose from.
• Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics test has recently risen to be just above the national average. In 2017, the proportion of pupils leaving key stage 1 who achieved at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was broadly in line with national averages. The proportion of pupils achieving at a greater depth was above the national averages.
• In 2017, the proportions of pupils leaving key stage 2 who achieved at the expected standard in reading and mathematics were above national averages. The proportions who achieved at a greater depth in reading and mathematics were well above the national average. The proportions of pupils who achieved at the expected level and at a greater depth in writing were in line with the national average. Pupils leaving the school are therefore prepared well for the next stage of their education.
• Rates of progress made by pupils leaving key stage 2 have fluctuated recently. For example, in 2016, pupils’ progress in mathematics was in the bottom 10% of schools nationally. In 2017, pupils’ progress in writing was in the bottom 20% of schools nationally. Conversely, in 2017, pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics was in the top 20% of schools nationally.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The majority of children enter the Reception classes with knowledge and skills that are in line with other children nationally. A small number of children enter the Reception classes with knowledge and skills below those seen in other children nationally. In 2017, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development was above the national average. This represents very good progress from children’s various starting points. Children are therefore extremely well prepared for the rigours of the Year 1 curriculum.
• Transition into the Reception classes is a strength. Staff visit all pre-school settings in the spring and summer terms. Children are frequently invited into school in order to familiarise themselves with staff and the school environment. Individual meetings are held with parents to discuss children’s interests. Consequently, adults know children very well before they start at the school. Children, including disadvantaged children, therefore settle quickly and make rapid progress.
• There are effective links with outside agencies including the school nurse, the speech and language team and the specialist teaching service. Any children who require extra support are therefore identified quickly and receive the help they need swiftly. Children who have SEN and/or disabilities therefore make very good progress.
• The early years leader has an excellent overview of strengths and development areas in the Reception classes. For example, children’s current slower progress in writing has been rightly identified as one area for improvement. Plans are now in place to address this and more rapid progress in writing has already been seen.
• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding. Adults assess children effectively, therefore ensuring that next steps in learning are planned for carefully. The planned activities are wide-ranging and motivating for children to complete. During the inspection, children were thoroughly engrossed when developing their writing, number and creative skills.
• Relationships between adults and children are extremely positive. The Reception classes are very well organised, with clear routines and procedures in place. Consequently, children move between activities calmly and sensibly. Children exhibit exceptionally positive behaviour and high levels of self-control.
• Staff ensure that the indoor and outdoor environments are welcoming, bright and stimulating. Activities are planned meticulously and cover all areas of the foundation stage curriculum. Children sustain their concentration in these high-quality activities because they interest them. For example, during the inspection, groups of children were developing speech and language skills through acting out the nativity play. Other groups were busy writing Christmas cards and others were working cooperatively making Christmas wreaths and decorating a Christmas tree.
• Children frequently experience activities and opportunities that help them to understand the wider world. For example, they have recently visited a building site and the local church. They have also learned about Diwali and experienced Chinese ribbon dancing and African drumming.
• Extra adults support children’s learning extremely well. They help to extend children’s vocabulary through effective questioning. They are extremely knowledgeable regarding the early years curriculum and are therefore confident when completing accurate assessments and measuring children’s progress.
• Parents frequently inform staff of children’s ongoing achievements through an online tool. This ensures that staff have an up-to-date picture of a child’s ability and can therefore plan the next steps in their learning effectively.
• Staff are knowledgeable and very well trained regarding children’s health, safety and well-being. Policies and procedures are implemented consistently across the three classes. There have been no breaches of statutory welfare requirements.
• Parents are unanimously positive regarding the early years. One parent commented that the early years ‘is an outstanding environment that is supporting my young boy to develop as a person and academically’.

School details

Unique reference number 120153 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10037616 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 499 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Kirk Headteacher Judith Boston Telephone number 01509412250 Website www.st-bartholomews.leics.sch.uk Email address office@st-bartholomews.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1–2 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is a much larger than average-sized primary school and has grown rapidly over recent years.
• The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those pupils who speak English as an additional language are lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed lessons in all year groups and examined a wide variety of pupils’ books from a range of subjects. Senior leaders sometimes accompanied inspectors on inspection activities.
• Inspectors held a range of meetings with the headteacher and assistant headteacher, subject and other leaders, a group of governors, and held a telephone call with a local authority representative. Inspectors spoke with pupils in groups, in lessons, around the school and listened to them read.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including minutes of governing body meetings, current assessment information provided by the school, the school development plan, plans written by phase and subject leaders and records relating to safeguarding.
• Inspectors talked with parents before school and took into account 173 responses to the Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire, Parent View. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire and 26 to the staff questionnaire that were taken into account.

Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Liz White Ofsted Inspector Karen Slack Ofsted Inspector