Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Bedfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP13 7EA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The headteacher is determined to secure the best for every pupil. She has built a very strong and cohesive team of teaching and support staff.  Pupils reach high standards, especially in reading, writing, art and science. They make rapid progress because of the outstanding teaching they receive.  Teachers have a deep understanding of how pupils learn. They reflect on their own teaching to identify ways to improve it further.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They show respect for other people’s beliefs and are considerate about their feelings. New pupils are quickly made welcome.  All members of staff know every pupil. The standards of care and support for learning are excellent, and pupils feel very safe at school.  Pupils benefit from a wide range of different types of learning that is remarkable for the size of the school. They learn to reason and think for themselves, to solve problems and to work

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

together.  Every parent who expressed a view would recommend the school to another parent. The school’s excellent reputation is well deserved.  The governing body contributes strongly to the school’s success through its excellent oversight of the school’s finances and its support and challenge for the staff. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Error! Reference source not found. 11–12 September 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed an assembly and parts of 10 lessons, involving all the teachers and teaching assistants. One lesson was jointly observed with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector observed children reading to a teaching assistant.  Meetings were held with: the headteacher, teachers and teaching assistants; a group of pupils; members of the governing body; a group of parents and carers; and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of 23 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), two e- mails from parents received during the inspection and eight responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents including the school’s self-evaluation, data on pupils’ current progress, minutes of governing body meetings, policy documents and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector reviewed children’s records from the Early Years Foundation Stage and looked at samples of pupils’ work in mathematics, literacy and cross-curricular topic work.  During this inspection, inspectors asked additional questions designed to ascertain the school’s view of the impact and effectiveness of local authority services to support school improvement. This information will contribute to work being carried out by Ofsted to assess the use, quality and impact of those services.

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Inspection team

Stephen Abbott, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Error! Reference source not found. 11–12 September 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. It attracts many of its pupils from beyond the village of Bedfield.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. An unusually low proportion of current and recent pupils joined the school in the Reception class. Many joined in later year groups.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The school receives additional funding, known as the pupil premium, to improve the progress of particular groups of pupils such as those known to be eligible for free school meals or looked after by the local authority. The proportion of pupils supported is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for attainment and progress.  The headteacher is a Local Leader of Education and in this capacity has provided support to two local schools.  In addition to the headteacher, who has a significant teaching commitment, the school has two full-time teachers and one part-time teacher, all of whom take on leadership roles. Pupils are split into three classes for some lessons and two for others.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sustain the high levels of achievement and further raise standards by:  improving the resources for outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage  providing greater challenge in mathematics for the more-able pupils. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Error! Reference source not found. 11–12 September 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils make outstanding progress during their time at the school, developing the ability to reason and think independently. They work effectively in teams to solve problems. By the time they leave, they show high levels of resilience and perseverance, reaching standards in Year 6 that are above average, especially in reading and writing, art and science. This is a testament to the outstanding teaching they receive.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ starting points vary, but are below age-related expectations on average. Pupils make good progress during the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1. They rapidly learn to recognise letters and the sounds they make, and progress to reading with expression and understanding. In recent years, standards at the end of Year 2 have improved to broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 In most subjects, pupils make outstanding progress during Key Stage 2. However, the more-able pupils tend to reach higher standards in reading and writing than in mathematics. The high proportion of pupils who transfer in to the school are initially affected by the disruption a change of school causes, but are quickly made to feel part of the school and soon begin to make rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making very good progress, especially in reading and mathematics. This is because they are well supported in lessons and in small withdrawal groups by very effective teaching assistants. They also benefit from the small class sizes, which mean they can receive more individual attention.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils read widely and make regular use of the school library and internet research to support their work in a range of subjects. They participate enthusiastically in sporting activities that benefit their health and well-being and help them reach good levels of performance. The school’s record in the Aldeburgh Young Art East Anglia exhibition for primary schools is remarkable given its size.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 One of the benefits of the small size of the school is that every member of staff knows every pupil, so there is no ‘hiding place’ for those at risk of falling behind. Pupils’ progress is monitored through regular pupil progress meetings. The school uses its pupil premium funding to enhance the support for pupils. Teaching assistants provide effective catch-up lessons. The school has not published its analysis of the impact of pupil premium funding on Key Stage 2 results to avoid identifying individual pupils.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching has been outstanding in a majority of lessons observed in recent years, including those made during the inspection. The sustained excellence of teaching over time, which includes very strong support from teaching assistants, is responsible for pupils’ outstanding achievement.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils learn to read very well because all the staff are skilled in teaching phonics (letters and the sounds they make). The excellent teaching of technical and creative aspects of writing means that pupils reach high standards by the end of Key Stage 2. In an outstandingly well taught Year 5/6 lesson, the teacher made excellent use of a video clip combining images of Aldeburgh with the music of Benjamin Britten to stimulate descriptive writing. He stopped the clip several times Inspection report: Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 11–12 September 2013 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

and invited the pupils to write down what they might see, smell, hear and feel.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers use their very good levels of subject knowledge to teach authoritatively while giving pupils opportunities to learn independently and solve problems. For example, in a very well taught Key Stage 2 science lesson, pupils formulated a hypothesis, using their knowledge of heat flow, and then designed experiments to test whether a coat would cause a snowman to melt faster or more slowly. The teacher’s subject expertise meant that she could stimulate a deep discussion among pupils of the strengths and shortcomings of their experiments. Younger pupils worked with a teaching assistant, acting out the part of molecules of solids, liquids and gases to understand phases of matter.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is imaginative and responsive to pupils’ needs. Teachers are very good at using questions and observations to check pupils’ understanding. They use this information where necessary to adapt their subsequent teaching. For example, after a slow start on directional language on the first day, Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils made outstanding progress on the second day, when the teacher devised an outdoor mathematics lesson, where pupils guided each other through a maze marked out on the playground.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 A feature of the school is the wide range of needs and age groups within each class. Teachers usually plan very effectively for individual needs. However, the most-able pupils are not always stretched enough in mathematics to match the particularly high standards they reach in English. Teaching assistants are well trained to meet the needs of pupils who have specific difficulties, such as dyslexia and autistic spectrum disorders.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Marking is regular and accurate in mathematics and very effective in written work. Pupils respond well to guidance on how to improve their work, enabling rapid progress. Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is comprehensive because the teacher and teaching assistants use sticky notes and photographs to track pupils’ progress in learning that otherwise leaves no permanent record.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils really enjoy their work and are very proud of their school. Their excellent behaviour makes the school a harmonious place to be. Older pupils look after and act as role models for new pupils, helping to maintain the superb climate for learning. Pupils, parents and carers speak very highly of the high quality of care, the excellent relationships among pupils and adults and the high standards of behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils who have moved from other schools say they quickly feel part of the community. Pupils develop a thirst for knowledge as they move up the school and develop self-reliance and confidence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils understand the potential dangers of using the internet and social media. They understand different types of bullying and how to report it, but bullying and the use of derogatory language are rare. Pupils behave safely and very sensibly, showing respect for each other and anyone who might appear different. As a result, all pupils feel very safe at school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is above average and absence is always followed up. Behaviour management is skilful and unobtrusive. Pupils rarely need to be ‘told off’ and good behaviour is the norm.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

Inspection report: Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 11–12 September 2013 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 All of the teachers in the school take on leadership roles. Under the strong leadership of the headteacher they collectively sustain an outstanding level of teaching. This is partly through lesson observations, which result in suggestions for improvement, even in the strongest lessons. However, teaching staff constantly reflect on their own work, always seeking ways to improve the learning experience for children. Teachers are held accountable for their teaching, leadership contributions and pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has well-established systems for tracking pupils’ progress, which are used to identify pupils who might need extra support. However, staff are not reliant on data because they know the pupils so well. They are able to take pupils’ personal circumstances into account when reviewing their academic progress and learning needs.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school engages very well with parents, involving them in various ways in children’s learning. In addition, parents much appreciated an information evening on e-safety. Staff, parents and governors all have high aspirations for the pupils. Several parents have moved their children into the school because of its high reputation locally and its excellent small-school, community- focused approach.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 For such a small school, pupils have a rich range of learning experiences, including music, drama productions, art competitions, sporting events, school trips, bird-watching, gardening and chicken-keeping. Pupils learn about sustainability by making compost and about enterprise by selling eggs to raise money for seeds. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted through strong messages built into their lessons and assemblies, which provide opportunities for reflection and for learning about diverse cultures. The school recognises that the outdoor learning area for Reception pupils needs general refurbishment and some new equipment to increase pupils’ opportunities to choose activities for themselves.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Safeguarding meets statutory requirements. All staff understand their responsibilities for child protection and how to mitigate risks, though risk assessments do not always fully document the precautions taken.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority maintains a light touch in its monitoring of the school, because of its strong track record. It makes good use of the headteacher’s expertise in leading a small school and the skills of the mathematics coordinator, by arranging for them to support other schools. The school has active partnerships with other local schools and arranges for staff to observe strong practice elsewhere.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The highly effective governing body holds the school to account very well. Governors keep a close eye on pupils’ progress, the quality of teaching and arrangements for safeguarding. They ask challenging questions of the headteacher when she reports to them. They have well- established systems and committee structures to ensure they meet their statutory duties. They manage the school’s finances well and deploy resources carefully to maintain the high quality of provision. They ensure that the performance of staff is managed effectively. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Error! Reference source not found. 11–12 September 2013 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. Bedfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Error! Reference source not found. 11–12 September 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 124720 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 427245

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 43 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dominic Wade Headteacher Jill Overbury Date of previous school inspection 15–16 October 2009 Telephone number 01728 628306 Fax number 01728 628306 Email address admin@bedfield.suffolk.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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School details

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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School details

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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School details

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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School details

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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School details

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

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