Bishopton Primary School

Bishopton Primary School Drayton Avenue, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9PB

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Inspection dates 31 January–1 February 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 1 and 2 because they are taught well.  Achievement in English and mathematics by Year 6 is well above average. Inspirational teaching in Years 5 and 6 ensures all pupils make rapid progress.  Children in the Reception class achieve well in all areas of learning.  Pupils with speech and language difficulties in the special resource base are helped to speak clearly. As they do so they become confident and happy.  Pupils are safe and behave well. They enjoy school and have a positive attitude to learning.  The leaders and the governing body work very hard to improve the school so that every pupil can achieve as well as possible.  Thorough checking of teaching has resulted in rapid improvement in its quality. This has contributed to pupils’ much improved achievement since the previous inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons, teachers do not always make enough use of their knowledge about what pupils already know to move them on quickly enough with new learning.  Occasionally, teachers take too long to explain to pupils what they need to do which slows their learning.  Teaching assistants do not always contribute sufficiently to pupils’ learning.  Some pupils do not come to school as often as they should. This slows their progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 lessons taught by seven different teachers, and a session taught by a teaching assistant. Seven of the lessons were observed jointly with a member of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also heard pupils from different classes read, and conducted a work scrutiny with the headteacher to assess pupils’ progress.  Meetings were held with staff, pupils, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and an external consultant who supports the school.  The inspectors looked at assessment information (including progress data from the speech and language resource base), statements of special educational needs, attendance data, the school’s improvement plan, the school’s monitoring information, a wide range of policies including safeguarding policies, and governing body documentation. The lead inspector examined 21 staff questionnaires.  There were 20 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View) at the time of the

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Information about this inspection

inspection. These views were taken into account by inspectors, along with letters sent in to the school for the attention of the inspection team. The leading inspector also spoke face-to-face with three parents of children in the Reception class.

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Inspection team

Jeffery Plumb, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Steven Cartlidge Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a below-average sized primary school, but the number on roll has increased since the last inspection.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those learning English as an additional language are average.  A few pupils are from Traveller families.  There is specially resourced provision for 10 pupils with special educational needs. They have speech and language difficulties.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, and those supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, are above average.  An above-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium (extra funding from the government for pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals).  All pupils are taught in single-age classes.  The school exceeds the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has the following awards: Healthy Schools Award, Activemark, Platinum Kerb Safety Award and The 360 Degree Safety Award.  There is a privately run nursery and a children’s centre on the site, both of which have been subject to separate Ofsted inspections.  Bishopton School does not use any other schools or locations to provide education for its pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that all is consistently good or better in all year groups by: - using the assessment of pupils’ skills and previous learning effectively in all classes to plan work that is set at the right level for pupils’ differing abilities - explaining to pupils quickly what they need to do, and not keep them sitting on the carpet for too long listening to their teacher - ensuring that teaching assistants always make enough of a contribution to pupils’ learning in all lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the attendance of those few pupils who are absent from school too often by 10% by the end of December 2013, so as to raise their achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved rapidly since the previous inspection. This is because of much improved teaching, and speedy attention to tackling any areas where pupils are not doing well enough. For example, in 2008 pupils in Year 2 did not do as well as their peers nationally in writing. Decisive action was taken and a new approach to teaching writing was introduced which improved writing throughout the school. As a result, in 2012 when these same pupils were in Year 6, they did much better in the writing test than pupils of the same age did nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in Reception with language and problem-solving skills below those typical for their age. They make good progress in all areas of learning and their skills on entry to Year 1 are average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. In Years 5 and 6 their rate of progress speeds up in these subjects. By Year 6, standards in English and mathematics are well above average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in the resourced provision for speech and language difficulties make good progress in sounding out words clearly. They are well supported in using their lips and rolling their tongues to produce accurate speech. Similarly, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs (not in the speech and language resource base) make good progress, especially in relation to the specific needs identified in their statements. For example, those with anxiety are exceptionally well supported in making friends and joining them in play activities. As they become more confident their reading improves rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In most lessons, pupils make at least good progress. Throughout Years 5 and 6, pupils’ progress is consistently outstanding. However, a little inconsistency remains in the rest of the school. In a few year groups, although progress is good, it is slower than in other groups. On rare occasions, activities are not pitched accurately at the right level for less-able pupils and this slows their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil premium funding is used very effectively. It is used to pay for individual support for certain pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, and to fund additional support in mathematics for these pupils. As a result, they catch up well and their achievement is as good as their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress because of the high quality support they receive. They often achieve standards even higher than their friends’. Pupils from the Traveller community tend to progress at a slower rate than other pupils, particularly as they get older, because their attendance is not always as good as it should be.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, and an increasing amount is outstanding. In Years 5 and 6 teaching is inspirational. Excellent subject knowledge, positive relationships, high expectations, effective use of questions and a ‘cracking’ pace are typical of the teaching in such lessons. In these lessons learning is often magical as pupils achieve so well that they surprise themselves and their teachers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In an outstanding literacy lesson one pupil wrote, ‘... everybody was terrified by the horrific sight, blinded by death...’, demonstrating a firm grasp of how to use powerful words to make an impact on the reader. Another used both the repetition of the same kinds of sounds and unusual, mature ideas to make an equally gripping sentence. Less-able pupils, supported effectively by a teaching assistant, achieved equally well because of the help they received. On one occasion, each pupil in the group was supported to write an interesting, descriptive sentence with accurate spellings

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The quality of teaching is good

 Mostly, teachers use their knowledge of what pupils already know and understand to plan work that moves them on quickly. Children in the Reception class are supported very effectively in developing their language, and in learning from their own choice of activities. The staff’s specialist expertise supports pupils in the speech and language resource base well. They demonstrate to them how to better control their facial muscles and how to best use their mouths to pronounce sounds accurately.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading, writing and numeracy skills are taught well across all subjects. Pupils’ work is marked well and they are given clear guidance on how to improve. Reviews of pupils’ achievement are used to refresh planning and bring in new methods of teaching. For example, a new approach to the teaching of mathematics for less-able pupils has been introduced, and has resulted in improving achievement in the subject.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons, teachers do not use their assessment of what pupils know and can do to plan work at the correct level to move them on quickly enough. Occasionally, teachers hold pupils together on the carpet and take too long explaining to them what they need to do. This slows their learning. Teaching assistants usually make a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, but this is not always the case.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keen to learn throughout almost all lessons. Their behaviour in lessons is almost always at least good; often it is outstanding. Only on rare occasions when teachers hold pupils on the carpet for too long does their concentration wane. When this happens, they become a little restless.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Mostly, activities ‘fire up’ pupils’ learning. In an outstanding literacy lesson, pupils expressed their sense of excitement when they wrote high quality sentences using powerful examples of language in unusual ways. Pupils enjoy the challenge of what they call, ‘tough problems in mathematics’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 At play, during lunch in the hall, and when moving around the school pupils behave exceptionally well. They are polite and helpful to visitors. Older pupils delight in looking after younger ones. Pupils feel safe at school and say that they can talk about their worries with a trusted adult. Their parents and carers agree that their children are safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 At this very safe school, there are no fights, no racist incidents, and the exceptionally rare instances of bullying are dealt with speedily and effectively. Year 5 pupils have been trained to look out for anyone who may look sad or lonely because they have squabbled with a friend. They work responsibly to cheer such pupils up and help them to ‘get back together’ with their friend.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of different sorts of bullying, including internet, phone-based and prejudice-based bullying. They know exactly what to do should they experience such bullying. They are good at assessing risks and managing their own safety. For example, pupils know how to keep themselves safe when using a computer. They understand that they must check the brakes before riding a bike and that eating too much sugar can cause obesity and lead to diabetes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved year-on-year over the past three years, but remains slightly below average because a few pupils persist in not attending regularly. The school works ceaselessly with their families, although it does not always result in these few pupils improving their attendance sufficiently.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s relentless drive to improve teaching since the previous inspection has been very successful. Much more is now good or outstanding. In this rapidly improving school, pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching are checked rigorously and regularly. Training is provided to develop individual teachers. They respond very well because they are eager to improve their work. As a result, pupils’ learning and achievement are significantly better than two years ago.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school checks all aspects of its work accurately and thoroughly. Decisive actions result from the process and benefit pupils’ achievement. For example, recent, careful analysis showed that children’s calculation skills on entry to the Reception class were weak for their age. The school took action to improve this, involving parents and carers. Reception children’s calculation skills are now much better and they are now much closer to all children nationally in this aspect of mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior and subject leaders are effective. For example, actions taken by subject leaders have improved pupils’ writing and the development of number skills in all subjects. The use of computers to support pupils’ learning is good and helps the development of research skills in many subjects. The speech and language resource base is managed effectively, as is the Early Years Foundation Stage. The local authority gives the school valuable support, particularly in training teachers and governors so that they can improve their work.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. In assemblies, pupils reflect on the plight of children worse off than themselves, and empathise with what it must have been like to huddle, gripped with fear, in an air raid shelter during the Second World War. They know their responsibilities as well as their rights and take responsibility for their own work. Pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity is raised through a link with a school in France and visits to places of worship such as a mandir (Hindu temple) and a gurdwara (Sikh temple).

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders ensure that different groups of pupils have equal chances to succeed. They rigorously tackle any rare instances of discrimination. However, very occasionally in a few lessons, not all pupils are supported to learn as fast as they could do. A few pupils who do not attend school regularly do not achieve as well as their classmates.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is good and much improved since the previous inspection. The Chair of the Governing Body and a number of members are very new. They are going through a training programme to become more confident in challenging the school about its performance. Documentation shows that members are already asking tough questions about the attendance and progress of pupils. Governors support the school well. Their involvement in checking the school’s work lags slightly behind the rest of their work, but is improving. Overall, the governing body has a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. It recognises that it must become more involved in shaping the improvement plans. Teachers’ work is rigorously checked and the process is closely linked to the governing body’s decisions about pay rises. Governors regularly review the headteacher’s performance. Safeguarding

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The leadership and management are good

policies and procedures meet all requirements. Pupil premium funding is monitored carefully to ensure that it benefits the relevant pupils and supports their achievement, and the school’s budget is kept under tight control.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 125607 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 406320

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 175 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jeannie Shotton Headteacher Lester Hunt Date of previous school inspection 28 March 2011 Telephone number 01789 205058 Fax number 01789 263243

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Email address

admin2603@welearn365.com guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Email address

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Email address

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Email address

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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Email address

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Email address

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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