Bishopton Redmarshall CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to develop the curriculum by ensuring that the teaching in all curricular areas is of an equally very high quality, across all classes.
• Develop the teaching of mathematics by:
  • continuing to develop teacher subject knowledge in mathematics
  • ensuring that teachers correctly identify misconceptions and adapt teaching to address these.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The combined drive and determination of the headteacher, the governing body, the diocese and the trust have led to considerable school improvement, particularly over the past 18 months.
• Leaders know the school’s strengths and fully understand which areas need further development. Their improved work with staff has strengthened teaching and sharply improved the challenge of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics in key stages 1 and 2. Consequently, more pupils are working at a higher standard across the school.
• Leaders have built strong links with parents and carers, who are highly supportive of the school. Parents said, ‘The school has been transformed since the new head took over,’ and ‘The new headteacher is vibrant, dynamic, friendly and approachable but professional at all times. Great things are happening in this tiny school.’
• Middle leaders have been empowered. They have developed their skills and have benefited from good training and support. Their actions are having a positive impact on their subjects. Middle leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and, as a result, they have a very accurate picture of the strengths and areas to develop.
• The school’s broad and balanced curriculum provides regular opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. Pupils particularly enjoy science, art and physical education lessons. They have regular opportunities to develop their writing and to use their mathematical knowledge and skills in subjects such as science and geography. This supports pupils’ good progress and helps to ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education when they leave Year 6. However, the school is aware that the quality of the curriculum is not yet of a consistently high quality across all year groups.
• The curriculum contributes well to pupils’ behaviour and welfare, including their physical and mental well-being. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also well supported through carefully planned assemblies and lessons. Pupils learn to respect each other. They celebrate differences through a range of activities that teach them about people in the wider world. British values are woven through the curriculum and the school’s core values. Pupils know how to apply these principles into their everyday lives.
• The school embraces opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of other cultures and religions; for example, the pupils in Years 5 and 6 took part in Darlington’s Citizenship Ceremony, where people who have become British citizens were welcomed to Darlington by the mayor and other council officials. Pupils from the school gave a presentation about what life was like at their school and welcomed the attendees to Darlington.
• Leaders use the pupil premium effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Leaders carefully target support for the academic and emotional progress of vulnerable pupils. As a result, these pupils make good progress.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used well. It provides opportunities for pupils to experience different sporting activities in PE lessons and in extra-curricular clubs, such as dance and yoga. Pupils said how much they enjoy playing different sports and using the new active playground markings to keep fit. They also enjoy the daily 10-minute walk the school does together at the end of lunchtime.
• Staff morale is high. Staff who responded to the questionnaire feel that the leaders show an understanding of workload and have health and well-being as a priority. All staff who responded to the questionnaire said they enjoy working at this school and all say the school has improved since the last inspection.

Governance of the school

• Governance has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s priorities. They keep up to date with pupils’ achievement information through regular visits to school, which they use to focus on areas identified in the school development plan.
• Governors hold leaders to account and ask challenging questions, for example about the difference that initiatives are making.
• Governors use external support effectively to develop their own skills. As a result, they are more outward looking and have a strong understanding of local and national agendas, and are therefore more skilled at making informed decisions.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, staff and governors undertake regular training to support them in understanding the various aspects of safeguarding, for example to prevent radicalisation and extremism. They understand and can explain their duties and responsibilities for keeping pupils safe.
• Safeguarding records are robust and of a high quality and clearly demonstrate the commitment of leaders and staff to keeping pupils safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils make good progress because they are taught well. Classrooms are productive learning environments where pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are purposeful and focus well on their work.
• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They plan interesting lessons and actively engage pupils in their learning. Teachers make good use of time in lessons. They use questioning skilfully to find out what pupils know, and to challenge them to think hard. They further develop their knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects.
• Staff teach phonics well and ensure that teaching builds systematically on what pupils know. Pupils read widely and often. Using class readers, pupils in key stage 2 are exposed to more challenging and adventurous texts. One pupil, reflecting the views of many, said that ‘Reading our class reading book allows us to read a harder book, but be able to talk about it so we understand it more.’
• Reading has been innovatively developed through events such as ‘the bedtime story evening’, where pupils come back to school at night, in their pyjamas, and teachers read a story to the pupils.
• Adults develop pupils’ confidence in their writing through developing opportunities to write at length across the curriculum. For example, pupils wrote stories about transporting themselves to ancient Egypt. Pupils’ good history knowledge helped them to add detail to their writing. Pupils write with flair and enthusiasm. They apply what they have learned in lessons and, as a result, are producing writing of a high quality. Pupils’ handwriting is very neat across the school, but in Years 5 and 6 it is exceptionally neat.
• Specific teaching is in place to support pupils to understand and use more challenging vocabulary. As a result, writing is imaginative and well developed.
• There has been a recent focus on developing pupils’ ability to use and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to investigate and solve problems. Pupils are increasingly confident in their use of number and are developing good reasoning skills and making strong progress. However, due to the increased challenge in mathematics, some teachers lack the deep subject knowledge needed to be able to identify misconceptions. Consequently, some teachers do not identify misconceptions effectively enough, which means pupils do not move on as quickly as they could.
• Additional adults are used well to support learning. They work effectively with small groups and individual pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, these pupils can access the learning and make good progress from their starting points.
• Teachers follow a well-planned programme of study for science. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to use and develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills in the wider curriculum.
• Recent changes to homework have been positive. Both parents and pupils say that homework is now more meaningful and allows families to share in the learning. Pupils are exceptionally proud of the homework they produce.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils feel very happy in the school. They are proud of, and all pupils talk enthusiastically about, their learning. Teachers have a full and deep understanding of the needs of every pupil and so can ensure that pupils are safe, healthy and flourish.
• Christian values are at the heart of the school. Pupils talk with confidence about their school values, but also how they fit with British values.
• Pupils understand about different types of bullying and say that it does not happen in the school. Leaders’ actions to raise pupils’ awareness about derogatory language, including racism, have been positive. Pupils are respectful towards differences and learn about different faiths, beliefs and cultures.
• The school is currently developing a prayer garden, which pupils described in detail. They explained how it will be an area where people from any faith, for example Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism, can come and reflect and pray. They said that ‘it’s for everyone’.
• Mental health awareness is a priority. Pupils explained how each class has a worry box, where pupils can write down any worries. Also, each class has a ‘care square’, which is a large piece of paper on which children can graffiti thoughts and emotions if they would like to. An example of this being used was when a child had lost a pet, so drew a picture of the animal to express her grief.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are extremely positive. The school’s pastoral support is highly effective because adults know all the pupils particularly well. Pupils trust the staff and know that they can confide in any adult at school if they are worried or concerned. These very strong relationships also ensure that pupils feel safe in their learning. They know that making mistakes is part of the learning process and not something to be embarrassed by. This knowledge gives pupils the confidence to take risks with their learning, without the fear of getting something wrong.
• Adults have high expectations of themselves, as well as of pupils. They model respect and good manners in their interactions with pupils and with other adults. Pupils try very hard to follow the examples they are given. As a result, pupils are consistently polite and courteous, and show exceptionally good manners.
• Pupils can talk about how they are taught to keep safe online.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ conduct around school is exemplary. High standards of behaviour are expected of pupils and they rarely fail to meet these. Pupils are polite, well-mannered and friendly towards each other and the adults who teach them.
• All pupils want to do well. In lessons, pupils listen attentively and are keen to answer questions. They confidently share ideas and discuss their learning. Pupils settle quickly to their work and keep trying, even when they find tasks difficult. Pupils’ excellent behaviour and highly positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to their high achievement.
• Leaders’ work to ensure that parents understand the importance of good attendance has had a positive impact. Pupils’ attendance is above the national average. The number of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is currently below the national average.
• Although rare, leaders keep comprehensive records of behavioural incidents, including bullying. These records show that appropriate follow-up is timely and relevant to ensure that incidents are dealt with swiftly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2018, attainment at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2 was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportions achieving the higher standards were also above average. However, the proportion achieving the higher standard in mathematics was lower than in reading and writing.
• Due to the concerted effort of leaders to increase the level of challenge in mathematics, more pupils are currently working at a higher level.
• The school’s current assessment information shows that all pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ books and checks by leaders confirm this.
• The small number of disadvantaged pupils in each year group make sustained progress across the school. In most year groups, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment is very high and at least in line with the attainment of other pupils in the school.
• The most able pupils across the school now make stronger progress than in the past because of better teaching. This was reflected in 2017 and 2018, with substantial improvements to the proportion of pupils achieving the high standards in key stage 1 and key stage 2, to above the national average.
• Over the past three years, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics has been above the national average. School assessment information shows that the attainment of current Year 1 pupils is similarly high.
• Pupils make good progress across the curriculum. They demonstrate a strong understanding of history topics, including the Egyptians and Romans. In science, they carry out investigations and learn about technical terms, for example how different materials change the amount of friction on a vehicle. Themed topics enable pupils to develop their design and technology skills, for example by making Roman chariots.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with skills, knowledge and understanding that are broadly typical for their age. By the time they leave the early years, almost all children achieve a good level of development. They are well prepared for Year 1. Many children exceed the early learning goals in some of the areas of learning.
• The early years leader has an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses in the early years. She has worked successfully with staff to improve provision by providing high-quality training and support. The improvements can be seen in the good quality of teaching, the progress that current children are making and the improvement in the provision for the children.
• Good questioning helps children to develop early mathematics skills. For example, children were asked by adults to make repeating patterns using two colours. Once the child had mastered this, she was asked to apply this to a complex pattern, which she did successfully.
• Children’s behaviour is good and shows that they feel safe. During their time in the early years, children develop very good attitudes to learning. They listen carefully to adults and other children. They also show good levels of concentration when working with their friends or choosing from the broad range of activities available each day. Children work well to solve problems and disagreements with each other, before getting support from an adult.
• The children’s mental health is developed at an early age. Children take part in yoga, which has improved concentration and learning behaviours.
• Children are inquisitive learners. They already have good attitudes towards their own learning. Questioning is effective because it encourages children to reflect and think. This deepens their learning and prepares them well for key stage 1.
• Parental engagement has improved considerably. Parents enjoy contributing towards their children’s learning journeys and they value the events that leaders hold.
• Children are happy and feel safe in their learning environment. All statutory safeguarding requirements are met well. All adults interact effectively with children and move them on in their learning, as well as helping them to feel safe. Children are well looked after and have positive relationships with the adults who support them.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 137021 Darlington 10059056 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 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 89 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Lee Hammond Judith Skirving 01740 630339

www.bishoptonredmarshall.org.uk

adminbr@brandh.darlington.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 October 2016

Information about this school

• Bishopton Redmarshall CofE Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is lower than that found nationally. The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.
• There are very few pupils from minority ethnic groups and no pupil speaks English as an additional language.
• The school is part of a small multi-academy trust of two schools, known as BRandH, but will be joining Durham Diocesan Multi Academy Trust in April 2019.
• The school has before- and after-school clubs, run by external providers, on site.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and mathematics leader. Meetings were also held with a group of pupils and governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector spoke to a representative from the Diocese of Durham Multi Academy Trust.
• The inspector gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The inspector also observed learning across the school. Observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• Together with leaders, the inspector looked in detail at a range of pupils’ books and work in different subjects. The inspector heard two pupils read and spoke with pupils throughout the inspection about their learning.
• A range of documentation was examined, including the school’s checks on the suitability of adults to work with children and other documentation regarding safer recruitment of staff.
• Leaders made available the school’s self-evaluation document, termly assessments, minutes of governing body meetings, and documentation regarding child protection.
• The inspector took into consideration the 25 responses to Parent View and spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.
• The inspector also considered responses from 9 staff and 10 pupils to their online surveys.

Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector