Bishops Nympton Primary School

Bishops Nympton Primary School Bishops Nympton, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4PU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 from their starting points. By the end of Year 6, the school’s results in reading, writing and mathematics are above the national averages.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding, especially in Years 5 and 6. All teachers plan interesting and engaging lessons which are well matched to the needs of individual pupils.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They trust adults who care for them and feel safe. Attendance is above average.  Leadership and management are good. The executive headteacher’s drive and determined leadership are ensuring the two schools work closely together. Pupils now benefit from a wider range of opportunities to improve their learning.  The drive and ambition for improvement are shared by the whole school team and are supported by the governing body. Morale is high.  Since the previous inspection, leaders, teachers

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and teaching assistants have improved pupils’ progress, particularly in writing.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The excellent features which are evident in some teaching are not yet being shared across the school.  Marking of books does not always help pupils know and understand how to improve their work.  Some pupils do not take enough care with their handwriting and presentation.  Some small adjustments are needed to check if the school’s plans for improvement are working.

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Information about this inspection

 The school was inspected with half-a-day’s notice and took place over two days. This was a coordinated inspection with East Anstey Primary School, the partner school in the Exmoor Link Federation. Each school was inspected by an individual inspector and receives its own inspection report.  The inspector saw teaching in all classes and observed nine lessons, including shorter lessons across all year groups. Two lessons were observed jointly with the executive headteacher. The inspector also observed a school assembly and talked to parents at the start of each school day.  The inspector talked informally to pupils, heard some read, and met with a group to find out their views about the school.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, staff and governors including the Chair of the Federated Governing Body. The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority by telephone.  The inspector took account of 21 responses to the questionnaire on the Parent View website.

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Information about this inspection

Five questionnaires, completed by staff, were also analysed.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including senior leaders’ plans for improvement, information on pupils’ progress, governors’ reports and records relating to pupils’ attendance, safety and welfare. The inspector looked at pupils’ books to see their work from the beginning of the school year.

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Information about this school

 Since its previous inspection, the school has become part of the Exmoor Link Federation, linking with East Anstey Primary School. The executive headteacher leads, and the governing body serves, both schools. East Anstey Primary School was inspected at the same time as Bishops Nympton Primary School as part of a coordinated inspection.  This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. The pupils are taught in three mixed-aged classes. Due to the small size of the school, the numbers identified for each year group are small.  Most pupils are White British and there are no pupils who use English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who receive extra help with their learning (school action) is well below average. The proportion who need a greater level of support (school action plus) or who have a statement of special educational needs is average.  In this school, the proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium provided to schools by the

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Information about this school

government to support pupils who have free school meals is below average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The Years 5/6 teacher has just been appointed as leader of teaching and learning across the school.  There is no alternative or off-site provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by:  making sure that staff have opportunities to observe and learn from the good practice which already exists in the school  providing clear guidance to pupils as to how they can improve their work  giving regular and consistent opportunities for pupils to respond to marking and feedback in order to make improvements  having consistently high expectations for the presentation and quality of pupils’ handwriting in books.  Strengthen the leadership and management of the school by:  providing measurable end-of-year targets and setting clear milestones in the school’s improvement plan so that governors can carefully check and record the difference the school’s actions are making.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills, knowledge and experiences which are just below the levels typically expected for their age, particularly in language and communication. The Early Years Foundation Stage team plans children’s learning carefully to ensure the children make good progress.  Pupils begin Year 1 with skills which are at least in line with or above those expected for their age. Teachers place a strong focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills in Key Stage 1. This ensures all pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress by the end of Year 2 when taking into account their starting points.  By the end of Year 6, pupils reach standards in English and mathematics which are above the national average. The school’s data show that pupils are on track to do even better this year. The relative dip in writing, noted at the previous inspection, has been successfully tackled. A

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The achievement of pupils is good

much higher proportion than that found nationally achieved the higher levels in writing in national tests in 2012.  Pupils’ learning in lessons and their progress over time are good. Pupils are keen and have positive attitudes to learning. This helps them gain knowledge and skills quickly. Most pupils made good or better progress in English and mathematics lessons observed during the inspection. Parents also express very positive views about their child’s progress at the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. This is because they are supported very well by good quality teaching and well-tailored and planned intervention. This is highly effective in accelerating their progress. Booster groups, small group work and one-to-one teaching are ensuring that the gap between their achievement and that of their peers is closing quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals also make good progress. They catch up to where they need to be as a result of the extra help they receive in reading, writing and mathematics funded by the pupil premium. This is enabling them to achieve standards in line with, and often better than, other pupils when measured using the average point scores in national tests in English and mathematics. The school also uses this additional funding to help this group of pupils access other aspects of the curriculum, for example subsidising their attendance on residential visits. This ensures all pupils enjoy the same chances in this inclusive school.  Pupils of all abilities enjoy reading. The school gives the enjoyment of reading a high priority and pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite authors. In Years 1 and 2, pupils use their understanding of letters and sounds well to tackle unfamiliar words. Also, a Year 6 pupil said, ‘I

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The achievement of pupils is good

love reading as I get lost in my book.’ Reading is well supported by parents at home. As a result, good progress in reading continues throughout the school.  Achievement is not yet outstanding because marking does not clearly explain to pupils what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. This slows the pace of understanding for some pupils. While the content of the pupils’ work is of a high quality, the presentation of this work is not always good enough. Teachers recognise that the school’s handwriting policy is not being consistently applied in all lessons and subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently outstanding in Years 5 and 6 and typically good in other classes. This is the main reason for pupils’ high levels of attainment and good progress, particularly in English and mathematics. Pupils agree the work set is ‘challenging but fun’. All parents who spoke with the inspector share this view.  Children get off to a good start in Early Years Foundation Stage. Work is precisely planned to match the abilities of all pupils. Children were observed acting out the story of the Three Little Pigs with confidence and great enjoyment. The teaching assistant skilfully developed children’s vocabulary and sensitively challenged them to think deeply and use their own ideas to change the story.  Teachers plan lessons skilfully to meet the needs of pupils in mixed-aged classes. They carefully use information about what pupils already know and can do to plan tasks which extend their

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The quality of teaching is good

learning and understanding. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 used their knowledge learnt in geography to examine the features of non-fiction text. This task enabled them to be challenged and meet the individual targets set by the teacher. Pupils are given frequent opportunities to write at length in subjects other than English. This is making a positive contribution to raising standards.  In the best lessons, teachers set very high expectations so that achievement and behaviour are outstanding. Teachers use high quality questioning to check on understanding and extend thinking. They then adjust work during the lesson to meet the needs of all learners. Pupils are also checking their own or each other’s work to assess how well they have completed or understood a task. They are increasingly taking greater responsibility for their own learning. All teachers provide a bright and welcoming learning environment for their pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In an outstanding mathematics lesson, pupils used a wide range of resources to deepen their understanding of the properties of shape. They rose to the challenge of the tasks set and worked together in pairs and small groups successfully to learn to rotate shapes and measure angles accurately. More-able pupils received additional tasks to further extend their thinking. All pupils made very good progress.  Teachers are reflective and take every opportunity to improve their teaching. Following one lesson, the teacher used the points for development offered by the inspector and adjusted her teaching immediately. The follow-up lesson was then good with some outstanding features. This is because pupils worked harder in pairs, rather than individually to solve mathematical problems successfully. Pupils persevered with the task and explained their answers with great enthusiasm, demonstrating increased understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning across all age ranges, but particularly for disabled pupils or those with special educational needs and those in receipt of pupil premium. They use a range of resources well and carefully record pupils’ achievements and next steps of learning. Teachers then rigorously check these pupils are making the progress they are capable of and plan further intervention to accelerate learning. This work is having a positive impact on accelerating progress for individual pupils.  Teaching is not yet outstanding because the quality of marking is inconsistent. Although older pupils know their personal targets in English and mathematics, clear points for improvement are not always given to pupils in books to support them in moving their learning on.  Homework is set regularly. Tasks set support the topics being taught to deepen learning and strengthen links with home. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 wrote entertaining and high

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The quality of teaching is good

quality reports of a day in the life of a knight.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have typically good attitudes to learning. They are very polite and courteous to each other and to adults. There is a culture of respect which pupils understand and appreciate. As a result, they feel safe and act safely.  All pupils feel valued and well supported. Pupils speak to visitors confidently and are rightly proud to be part of the school and federation community. Consequently, attendance is above average.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school. ‘Both of my children have been very happy at this school.’ ‘My child has come along in leaps and bounds.’ These are typical of comments received during the inspection and through the Parent View responses.  Children in Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly and behave well, helped by the older pupils in their class. They learn to take turns, work together and, as a result, show consideration to one another. Parents appreciate the strong links they have with the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of all types of bullying including cyber bullying. They trust adults to ‘deal with’ any incidents ‘quickly’. Pupils report name calling is uncommon and know any racist language is unacceptable.  Teachers and all adults manage behaviour effectively using agreed strategies set out in the school’s behaviour policy. Staff are now recording fewer incidents in their behaviour logs. This is an improvement in the last year. Behaviour is not yet outstanding because, on a few occasions, when pupils are less inspired by the teaching they begin to lose interest and do not learn as well as they could.  Pupils respond enthusiastically to achieving house points and awards for good behaviour and work. These positive reward systems also serve to support and encourage the few pupils who find difficulty in meeting the school’s high expectations.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and are given many opportunities to do so. For example, the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

‘green team’ take charge of composting all food waste and the active school council has taken important decisions to improve pupils’ enjoyment of lunch time. Pupils at this school are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher is the driving force of the school. He has successfully brought the two school communities together since federating in January 2012. This strategic move to federate with East Anstey has strengthened Bishops Nympton. The executive headteacher has the full support of parents. His strong leadership has ensured the school has continued to improve since the previous inspection and identified action points have been addressed.  The very recent appointment of a leader of learning in both schools has started to strengthen the senior leadership teams, although it is too early to see the impact of their work.  Plans for improvement focus clearly and accurately on what needs to improve. However, frequent opportunities for governors to check that actions taken by the school are making a difference are not being clearly recorded.  The local authority provides light touch support for this school. It has complete confidence in the

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The leadership and management are good

executive headteacher, knowing he will seek advice when needed.  All staff that completed the staff questionnaire were positive about the executive headteacher’s leadership and comments made to the inspector during the inspection support this view. Staff rightly hold him in high regard.  The two schools are now seizing on more ways to work together in the federated partnership. The joint curriculum is providing opportunities for pupils to study a range of exciting and interesting themes. High quality work in books confirms the impact of this curriculum on raising standards in attainment and accelerating progress. Trips and residential visits, undertaken together, further enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ horizons. A recent successful video conferencing session was set up to enable a class from each school to work together.  The executive headteacher has an accurate knowledge of the quality of teaching across the

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The leadership and management are good

school and its impact on pupils’ progress. Performance management is linked to improvements in pupils’ progress and all teachers are very clear about what is expected of them. However, the school is not providing sufficient opportunities for the best teachers to share their expertise to raise the quality of teaching further.  Parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire were very positive about the school and its leadership. One parent wrote, ‘I know I can always contact the headteacher that day if he’s not at Bishop’s Nympton.’  The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well across every aspect of its work. As a result, relationships between pupils and adults are strong and a positive learning culture is well established. Thought-provoking assemblies, such as exploring friendship and learning about a wide variety of cultures and faiths, foster pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of cultural diversity in the school and wider community.  The very wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs, including gardening and sports activities, successfully promotes social skills and pupils’ wider interests.  Leaders make sure everyone has an equal chance to do well and attend all the activities on offer. The additional funds, provided through extra government money, are carefully spent so that these pupils achieve their potential.  Administrative checks on the suitability of staff and volunteers meet the minimum statutory requirements. The school rightly gives this a high priority.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and keeps up to date with all relevant training. It is committed to ensuring the future success of the federation. It works closely with the executive headteacher with a shared determination and ambition to drive improvements. It has a clear

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The leadership and management are good

view of its responsibilities and is active in effectively holding the executive headteacher and teachers to account for the direction of the school and the quality and impact of its provision for pupils. Governors are confident in challenging the school to improve further. They visit the school regularly and make good decisions about staffing, salary progression and the budget to support the drive for school improvement. This is exemplified in the recent decision to appoint a new senior leader to support the executive headteacher in setting the future direction of the school. The governing body uses the information it receives, such as the executive headteacher’s reports, to check the academic progress of pupils and to check how well teaching is improving. Governors are rigorous in ensuring pupil premium money is spent effectively. They check these pupils’ achievements are continuing to improve.

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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 113133 Local authority Devon Inspection number 403735

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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 85 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Cath Baughan Headteacher Tim Gurney Date of previous school inspection 5−6 October 2009 Telephone number 01769 550387

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Fax number

Email address admin@bishopsnympton-primary.devon.sch.uk 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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Fax number

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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Fax number

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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Fax number

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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Fax number

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Fax number

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

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