Bedale Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning in subjects other than English and mathematics by sharpening curriculum planning so that the work set enables pupils to make the best possible progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher works with determination to provide, with her staff and governors, a safe environment, where pupils achieve well and develop, very effectively, the skills and attributes that prepare them well for their futures. She has worked closely with staff to improve practice continually. Staff feel valued and are committed to their pupils. They know they make a difference to pupils’ lives. As a result, pupils enjoy their learning and their day-to-day experiences in school.
• With senior leaders, the headteacher monitors the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They use the information they gather to continue to improve pupils’ progress and attainment in key subjects very effectively. This has led to a trend of strong, sustained improvement in pupils’ outcomes in end-of-key-stage tests.
• Leadership of the early years foundation stage is particularly strong. Detailed assessment and refined planning ensure that a full range of valuable experiences are in place for each child. As a consequence, very high proportions of children make strong progress. The proportion of children achieving at a good level of development has been consistently above the national average, over an extended period of time.
• The leadership of pupils’ personal development is a particular strength of the school. The very well-considered personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme is highly effective in developing pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning. It enables pupils to grow in confidence and develop as positive young people in the school’s community.
• The PSHE programme equips pupils well to appreciate the importance of respect for others who come from different backgrounds. They learn about the role of democracy in British society and the important role played by public services. Pupils learn about other cultures and beliefs. They actively support charitable works, to support others in less affluent parts of the world.
• The spiritual life of the school contributes positively to pupils’ growing appreciation of the world around them. Alongside the wider PSHE programme, it develops in them a sense of right and wrong. It also promotes a sense of responsibility towards others, as well as their own school community.
• The PSHE curriculum is effective in supporting pupils to keep themselves safe. The strong positive relationships, built by staff, reassure pupils that they can always get help from a trusted adult if they are worried or concerned. This contributes very well to pupils’ emotional well-being. As a consequence, pupils feel safe and are cared for very well.
• The leadership of pupils’ behaviour and attendance is a clear strength of the school. The values of the headteacher and governors are modelled in the day-to-day interactions between staff and pupils. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They act with consideration for others and manage themselves very well from the earliest ages onwards.
• Flourishing in the positive climate created by leaders and staff, pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance rates are well above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders keep a close eye on the attendance of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make sure that avoidable absence is minimised.
• Leaders have secured strong improvements in English, phonics and mathematics. However, pupils’ progress in the remaining areas of the primary curriculum, although still broadly good, has not been improved to the same extent.
• Together with a wide range of clubs and after-school activities and visits, the curriculum provides a wide range of learning experiences. These enrich pupils’ experiences in readiness for the next steps in their education. However, curriculum plans for a wider range of subjects are not as precise as in English and mathematics. They are less effective in promoting the very strong progress demonstrated in these key subjects of English and mathematics.

Governance of the school

• Governors know their school well.
• They check that the arrangements to keep pupils safe are up to date and fit for purpose.
• They plan the spending of additional funding effectively. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment is above the national average.
• Additional funding for physical education and sports is spent well. Pupils enjoy a wide variety of sports. Specialist coaching enhances teachers’ skills.
• Governors keep a close eye on pupils’ achievements in key areas of performance, across the school. They scrutinise how well different groups achieve, for example disadvantaged pupils or pupils with SEND. While governors have a clear picture of the performance of pupils in English, mathematics and phonics, they are less aware of pupils’ achievement in other areas of the curriculum.
• With the headteacher, governors set priorities for school improvement. This has led to significant and sustained improvement in outcomes, over time.
• Governors visit the school, using their skills and knowledge to challenge leaders to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. For example, they challenged the school to improve the quality of questioning in the early years foundation stage. This has led to further improvements in children’s development.
• They ensure that the PSHE and religious education programmes equip pupils very well for life in modern Britain.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. They are a strength of the school.
• Leaders ensure that essential arrangements, such as using safer recruitment processes and pre-employment checks on staff, are carried out carefully and recorded, appropriately, in a single central register. They see this as a first stage of safeguarding and as a cornerstone to underpin a positive culture of safeguarding.
• Training for the designated leaders for safeguarding and additional training for all staff are up to date. Staff are well informed of the latest guidance from the Secretary of State. Staff know their pupils very well. They keep a close eye out for any cause for concern. They know how to report concerns. Safeguarding leaders pursue any issue rigorously, ensuring that early help is made available for pupils who need it. They work closely with a range of other agencies and teams to do so.
• The high quality of the PSHE programme makes a strong contribution to pupils’ safety. In age-appropriate ways, pupils learn how to keep safe in a range of situations, including when they use the internet. Pupils’ strong sense of right and wrong helps to keep them aware of risks to their well-being, for example by learning about the misuse of drugs or alcohol. Their care for each other and their confidence to talk with staff, if they have concerns, support them further.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know their pupils very well. They establish, with them, very strong relationships and high expectations of conduct in lessons and around the school. Pupils respond with enthusiasm in the positive learning climate that teachers and classroom staff create.
• Teachers plan lessons that engage and interest pupils. They provide frequent opportunities for pupils to discuss their ideas. For example, pupils discussed chemical solutions in a key stage 2 science lesson, talking about their observations and applying their previous knowledge. By identifying their misconceptions, pupils were quickly able to develop their understanding of scientific concepts.
• Teachers systematically build pupils’ reading and comprehension skills. This contributes effectively to the strong progress they make and the high levels of attainment reached at the end of key stages 1 and 2. They learn to reapply their skills in other subjects. For example, in a history lesson, pupils compared school life in the past and present. By using their comprehension skills, pupils were able to compare and contrast different sources and draw conclusions from their evidence.
• Teachers plan a range of activities to challenge pupils. They spend focused time with a range of groups, across a week, to move them forward. Teaching assistants are deployed effectively, taking responsibility for pupils’ learning in their groups. For example, a group of high-ability pupils were skilfully challenged to articulate their thoughts. Further questions led them to refine their personal responses to their study of how children have limited access to the internet in China. As a result, pupils produced well-developed ideas, which they could justify from the text and evaluate against their own experiences, using high-quality language.
• On the whole, teachers and staff use questioning effectively. They listen carefully to pupils’ responses to correct both any misunderstanding and to draw out the next stages in pupils’ thinking. However, occasionally they miss opportunities to check quickly enough that all pupils have responded fully to the tasks they set. Excellent practice in the early years enables children to develop their ideas and explore their surroundings with imagination.
• Teachers plan pupils’ learning in mathematics and English effectively. The recent focus on reading skills has led to stronger rates of progress. Pupils write extended passages regularly. This builds their skills across a range of styles of writing, as they move through the key stages.
• The teaching of phonics is very effective. From the early years onwards, pupils acquire very good knowledge of sounds and letters. Teachers encourage mark-making and writing consistently, so that pupils grow in confidence in expressing their ideas. Pupils make effective use of their phonics skills to read well. They do so with increasing accuracy and fluency. They convey their understanding of their reading very well, using intonation and inflection to add interest and emphasis.
• Teachers plan pupils’ learning in a wider range of subjects in line with the school’s curriculum plans. However, they do not plan progression with the refinement seen in English and mathematics. Consequently, pupils do not make the same rapid progress from their starting points.
• Teachers and classroom staff use the well-established routines for learning. They build on a framework of respect for others, to maintain a positive climate for learning. As a result, inspectors did not identify any occasion where staff needed to challenge derogatory comments by pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The excellent PSHE and religious education programmes enable pupils to grow in confidence as learners and individuals. Pupils are committed to their learning, keen to improve and develop their skills and knowledge.
• Pupils learn to accept and respect each other. They show great care for one another and listen to, and respect, each other’s points of view during their discussions. Pupils extend their interest, curiosity and respect for others who come from backgrounds which are different from their own. They learn about other traditions and beliefs, or family circumstances. For example, pupils told inspectors with confidence that they would make friends with and ‘would teach a pupil from another country how to speak English’.
• Pupils develop their sense of responsibility towards others. They learn about life in a poor part of India with which the school has links. By learning about the process of democracy and the voting processes, pupils improve their understanding about how to make a difference to the world around them.
• Pupils’ learning about healthy eating and the value of physical activity helps them keep themselves well. Their trust in the adults who work with them supports their emotional well-being. Staff use the advice and guidance of specialist staff to support pupils facing particular difficulties effectively. This supports these pupils to overcome potential barriers to their learning.
• The significant focus the school gives to keeping pupils safe, including, for example, the safe use of the internet, helps pupils thrive. They know right from wrong. They know, for example, that online bullying is harmful.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils from all age groups show consideration for others. They listen to each other and adopt the school’s high expectations of behaviour consistently well.
• Behaviour is equally excellent during lessons as it is during breaks and lunchtimes. Pupils enjoy their friendships and are invariably respectful of adults and visitors. Equally, they respect their environment and are proud of their work in the wide variety of displays around the school.
• Pupils’ enjoyment of their experience in school encourages them to attend well. Attendance rates are above the national average and continue to improve, including for disadvantaged pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ attainment is very high. They attain very well in reading, writing and mathematics at key stages 1 and 2. The proportion of pupils achieving the phonics screening check is well above the national average. A very large majority of pupils achieve very high marks in this test.
• The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is high over time. A greater proportion of disadvantaged pupils attain above the national average for other pupils.
• Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 make very strong progress from their starting points. While progress figures in 2018 were broadly average, the particular circumstances of a number of pupils disguised the very strong progress made by many others.
• The work seen in pupils’ books shows that, despite some inconsistencies, overall, current pupils are making very strong progress in reading, writing, mathematics and phonics. Children in the early years are making very strong progress across the range of assessed areas.
• Examples of work by the most able pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, show that they make very strong progress. Moderation activities by staff, including in the early years foundation stage, provide confidence in the accuracy of the school’s assessment of pupils’ learning in key subjects.
• Pupils with SEND make the same strong progress as other groups.
• Records of pupils’ learning in a wider range of subjects confirm that the large majority of pupils are progressing well.

Early years provision Outstanding

• A strong, clearly defined vision and determination to bring about incremental improvement characterise the excellent leadership of the early years foundation stage.
• Sharp assessment of children’s starting points and areas for development inform highly personalised plans for individual children, so that they can develop rapidly from their starting points. A higher than the national average proportion of children achieve a good level of development in the early years foundation stage. These high levels of attainment have been sustained over several years.
• Leaders make excellent and prompt use of information they gather from fellow practitioners in other settings. They respond to challenge rapidly to continue to improve. Recent challenge, by a suitably qualified governor, has brought about focused training to improve questioning skills for staff. This has had a positive impact on children’s development.
• The leadership of early years successfully builds very strong relationships with families. As a result, from the point of initial assessment onwards, parents and carers are actively involved in their child’s development and learning. This two-way communication has a very positive impact on children’s progress.
• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is first rate. Staff use their deep knowledge of children and their current focus on individual development to plan, in detail, activities that help children progress very quickly. As a result, from starting points that are broadly above typical for their age, although slightly lower for reading, children build their knowledge and skills very quickly.
• The individualised approaches to development are particularly effective in developing children’s language and communication, numeracy and personal development skills. Children settle quickly, adopting the expectations of staff, and quickly develop their self-confidence to explore their own ideas and imagination.
• The highly effective use of questioning and strategically placed prompt cards, for example in the outside area, promote children’s learning very well. As a consequence, children rapidly improve their speaking and number skills, as they organise activities themselves and share their ideas.
• Well-focused activities prompt children to mark-make and engage in early writing activities. The sharper focus on this area over recent months is improving boys’ early writing skills in particular. Work on phonics, letter formation and word recognition complements children’s progress. They quickly develop effective pencil grip, as they begin to form their letters.
• Children display strong development in their social skills as they play and explore their surroundings. They understand that turn-taking is important and, when there is disagreement, they have to come to a solution.
• Children learn that they can take responsibility for each other. For example, some children were in charge of a letter recognition exercise and proudly checked off other children’s names as they completed the exercise. Others were in charge of the ‘woodland cottage’, where they insisted on rules for entry, such as wearing a yellow ribbon.
• The well-ordered and well-resourced provision encourages children to behave very well. They move around safely and considerately. This reflects leaders’ careful attention to safety and their strong focus on safeguarding children. They ensure that all the statutory welfare requirements are met. Staff are well trained to be vigilant for any causes of concerns about a child and know how to report them.
• The site is safe and unencumbered so that children can move around safely. Leaders make sure that parents know their rules about access to the building and check carefully that children are collected by nominated adults.

School details

Unique reference number 121479 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10053765 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 352 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kate Loughlin Headteacher Elizabeth Turnbull Telephone number 01677 422 401 Website www.northyorkshire.schooljotter.com/ Email address headteacher@bedale-ce.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection February 2018

Information about this school

• Bedale Church of England Primary School provides education for boys and girls aged four to 11. It is a slightly larger than average primary school. The majority of pupils come from the immediate area. A small number of pupils come from families in the armed forces.
• A smaller than average proportion of pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.
• The school has a local authority resourced provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health issues. The vast majority of work carried out by this team is conducted in a large number of primary schools across the local area.
• The previous inspection of denominational education given to pupils and the content of the school’s collective worship, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, was carried out in January 2015.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors talked with pupils in meetings and informally throughout the inspection. They observed pupils during lessons and during their breaks and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors observed teaching across key stages 1 and 2 and in the early years. Some observations were conducted jointly with leaders.
• Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders and members of the governing body. They also talked with a range of other staff and a number of parents. They met with representatives of the local authority and the diocesan board of education.
• Inspectors reviewed a sample of pupils’ work and considered their learning and experiences shown in a wide range of displays.
• Inspectors took into account the responses made to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the views of staff and pupils.
• Inspectors considered a wide range of documents, including the school’s arrangements to keep pupils safe, records of pupils’ learning, behaviour and attendance and the school’s self-evaluation and planning.

Inspection team

Chris Campbell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Tracey Ralph Her Majesty’s Inspector Richard Knowles Ofsted Inspector