Bishops Cleeve Primary Academy

Bishops Cleeve Primary Academy Tobyfield Road, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 8NN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children make a good start to their education in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They make good progress in developing reading, writing and number skills. Their personal development is also good as they learn to work hard and in harmony with one another.  Pupils continue to make good progress across the school, because teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 is above average and steadily rising. The school includes all pupils in learning by offering appropriate support when it is needed. All groups, including those receiving the extra funding, achieve well.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Relationships between pupils and with staff are highly positive and pupils show a great appetite for learning. Bullying is almost unknown. Pupils demonstrate a very firm grasp of how to stay safe in their everyday lives.  Teaching is good because teachers plan very

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

thoroughly to provide the right kind of work to keep all groups working at full stretch. Lessons are usually enjoyable and stimulating. Marking is excellent and teachers use their understanding of pupils’ attainment to set clear, challenging targets that help them improve.  The headteacher leads a capable management team and all staff share an ambition for excellence. Regular checks on progress and teaching provide quantities of valuable information that are used to promote improvements for pupils and staff.  The governing body uses various methods to stay well informed about the school. Members bring a range of skills to their roles and are able to support and challenge the school in equal measure.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Some teaching does not set high enough expectations of pupils or fully use the skills of teaching assistants and this slows learning.  Analysis of progress data and other information is sometimes overgenerous, so limiting the school’s work in its drive for excellence. found. 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 22 lessons taught by 16 teachers and undertook 12 joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, teachers, the headteacher, parents and carers, representatives of the governing body and a local authority officer.  The inspector examined numerous school documents, including policies, assessment information, planning documents, staff questionnaires and records of all kinds.  The views of 65 parents and carers were analysed through the online Parent View questionnaire.

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Inspection team

John Carnaghan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Rashida Sharif Additional Inspector Marion Borland Additional Inspector found. 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school. It converted to become an academy in August 2011 and became part of a multi-academy trust, of which the headteacher is the chief executive, in November 2013. When its predecessor school, Bishops Cleeve Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families, is below the national average.  Less than one twentieth of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, which is below the national average. Almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is a little above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure there is more outstanding teaching and learning by:  making sure staff consistently set high expectations for pupils  using the skills of teaching assistants consistently throughout lessons to support learning  taking a more robust approach to the checks made on teaching and learning to promote continuing improvement. found. 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is well planned and carefully organised, promoting good achievement in the Reception Year. Children quickly settle into school and develop good learning habits because teachers put a stronger than usual emphasis on social development early in the school year. Once children’s good learning habits are quickly established, children make good strides in developing other skills in reading, writing and handling numbers. This is a happy and purposeful environment and prepares children thoroughly to launch into the National Curriculum when they move to Year 1.  Good progress is maintained across the school because teaching is strong and pupils are keen to learn. Evidence in pupils’ work indicates that they sustain good progress across all year groups and in a wide range of subjects. Teachers use their assessment information most effectively and give pupils exact information about what they are expected to learn in individual lessons and

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The achievement of pupils is good

over time. This has a significant impact on progress.  The bar for the highest-attaining pupils is set at an appropriately challenging level and these pupils respond enthusiastically to the stimulating work they are given. This ensures they make similar progress to their peers.  The attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics rose from average levels to be above the national average in 2013 and this upward trend is continuing. Given their starting points, this represents good achievement.  Teaching provides some notable examples of how current progress is often very rapid. For example, in an outstanding Year 4 English lesson, pupils benefited from activities that were very perceptively planned to interest and challenge them. So all pupils had work pitched at the correct level of difficulty and some benefited from the support given by confident, skilled teaching assistants. High expectations were set verbally by all adults, but also in marking which

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The achievement of pupils is good

included precise guidance that has been instrumental in helping these pupils to make excellent progress over time.  Teachers plan reading sessions in depth to provide a range of opportunities so that pupils can enjoy a variety of texts. Good record keeping ensures that pupils generally have the correct books that interest and challenge them. They show an interest in reading and most have the reading strategies to make them comfortable in tackling a mixture of books.  Achievement is consistent across all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, because teachers are quick to identify each individual’s specific needs and put in place relevant support. Most teaching assistants are very skilled and work in close and friendly collaboration with pupils to help them to overcome their difficulties. These factors promote equality of opportunity and ensure there is no discrimination.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The rate of progress of pupils in receipt of the additional funds is generally similar to that of other such pupils nationally in both English and mathematics. However this means that, overall, the gap between this group and their peers at school closed a little in English in 2013 but widened slightly in mathematics. This means that in English these pupils were a year behind those not in receipt of extra money; in mathematics the gap was a little over a year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Classrooms are good places to learn. Pupils respond positively because they enjoy their learning so much. Most teachers manage pupils with quiet assurance and are excellent role models. This fosters good relationships and ensures the atmosphere in lessons is invariably positive and supportive.  Literacy and mathematics are well taught. Skilled questioning helps to reinforce learning but also enables adults to check the success of their teaching in promoting good progress for all. Learning is often adjusted in the light of this questioning, so that it rarely seems irrelevant or dull.  Pupils’ work is marked with great care and teachers’ comments are encouraging, yet offer precise advice on what could be better. Pupils are given time to correct and improve their work and take this seriously. Books are very well presented because teachers insist on it.  Marking information feeds into the setting of lesson learning goals that are pitched correctly for

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The quality of teaching is good

different groups of pupils. These goals are used to help pupils self-check their work and so ensure they have reached the standards they should. This ensures that all pupils have a very good understanding of how to improve.  Teachers plan in depth so that learning often builds progressively over a number of sessions. Good planning also ensures that resources for learning are prepared in advance and are stimulating and effective. It also makes sure that the work undertaken with disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is entirely appropriate, partly because teaching assistants are usually well briefed in advance of their role in each session.  While a growing amount of teaching is outstanding, some does not meet these high standards. Low expectations and the overuse of praise in a few lessons can mean everyone is too easily satisfied with what they are doing and so there is a slower than usual rate of progress. Where

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The quality of teaching is good

the expectations for teaching assistants are too low they are not properly deployed to support learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The youngest children quickly learn to get along with one another and to respect adults. They are quietly confident and show courtesy towards one another and adults.  As they grow pupils show increasingly excellent attitudes towards their studies. They have an appetite for learning that makes them keen listeners and hard workers. They relish success and appreciate the rewards the school gives them for their attitudes, effort and achievement. Conduct in lessons is calm and purposeful. Teachers, pupils and parents and carers report that disruptions to the smooth progress of sessions are very rare.  The school’s playgrounds and corridors are safe and orderly. Staff supervision is effective and pupils are similarly active in ensuring everyone is happy, with older ones acting as buddies to ensure that no-one is lonely and that there is no hint of victimisation.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils report, and parents and carers agree, that the school is a very happy place. Attendance has been above average for a number of years.  Pupils show a thorough understanding of bullying in all of its forms and know how to react should they experience it. However, they report that it is extremely rare. Year 6 pupils could not remember any incidents of bullying but were sure that if anything were to occur the school would react energetically.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Personal, social and health education sessions keep everyone fully briefed on the potential perils of the internet and pupils know exactly what to do if they should inadvertently stumble on a risky site. They know about the difficulties inherent in texting on mobile phones, how it can lead to cyber bullying and how to counter it. Risks in everyday life, such as on the busy local roads, are well understood.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, staff and governors work together as a well-organised team to promote improvements. Staff and members of the governing body share with the headteacher his ambition to make the school as good as it can be. Middle leaders are fully on board with the school’s aspirations and play their full part in providing quality education.  The school enjoys very good support from the multi-academy trust in which it plays a significant role. It has the capacity for continuing improvement.  Efficient systems provide regular checks on pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. Achievement data are available to all staff; leaders and managers use this information to trigger appropriate additional help for pupils who are in danger of falling behind. Teaching assistants are deployed to offer small-group and individual help and this is usually successful in boosting the progress of individuals so that the achievement of all groups is similar.

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The leadership and management are good

 Data are also used to hold teachers and other adults to account for pupils’ progress and these meetings can trigger additional training for staff, if required. Senior leaders visit lessons, look at books and planning and interview pupils to check on the quality of teaching.  The school is rich in information about what it provides and about pupils’ progress. However, the way it analyses this is insufficiently robust and leaders have tended to overestimate the school’s qualities. This has limited the urgency of its actions, so that while achievement, particularly in Key Stage 2, is starting to rise, some inconsistencies in teaching remain.  The school offers a rich, balanced mixture of subjects and activities that do much to engage pupils’ enthusiasm. The arts are a strength, as testified by the Artsmark gold award the school holds. Teachers plan carefully to link subjects together for extra impact; for example study of

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The leadership and management are good

the geography and science of tropical rainforests was well employed as a stimulus for Year 6 pupils’ extended writing. Pupils’ skills development is carefully tracked and the school’s planning for subjects this year and next, when considerable changes will occur, is thorough. Pupils report they enjoy the numerous trips they take and find the residential visits in Years 4 and 6 very enjoyable and worthwhile.  Pupils strive to live up to the school vision of ‘Being the best you can be’. Their spiritual development is promoted as they are encouraged and articulate what this vision means to their daily lives. Excellent moral and social development is evident in pupils’ outstanding behaviour and the very real support they give one another. They are scrupulously fair when they mark each other’s work, tactfully explaining to their peers where improvements could be made. Subjects promote links with schools in other parts of England and abroad and build pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

respect and understanding of cultural diversity.  The governance of the school:  Governors utilise a variety of methods to check up on the school, including employing an external consultant to provide them with a neutral view. They have a reasonable understanding of the school’s achievement data and their relationship with national averages, but have not identified where such data indicate progress could be faster. Their checks on the school enable governors to understand the qualities of teaching and they fully grasp the links between teachers’ performance and their pay progression. Members of the governing body keep up to date with educational developments by taking opportunities for relevant training. They check up on safeguarding and help to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities in this area. found. 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. found. 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 137271 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 441127

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 530 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sara Vestey Headteacher Steve Savory Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01242 673814 Fax number 01242 679216 Email address admin@bishopscleeve.gloucs.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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