Bishops Hull Primary School

Bishop’s Hull Primary School Bishop’s Hull Hill, Bishop’s Hull, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 5EG.

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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.  Good teaching enables all pupils, including those who need extra help, to make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  In 2013, Year 6 pupils performed exceptionally well in their grammar, punctuation and spelling tests and reached high standards.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics.  Pupils currently at the school are doing well. The work they produce in lessons and in their books shows that standards are rising, particularly in mathematics.  Teachers and teaching assistants create a positive atmosphere for learning in classrooms. They plan interesting tasks to help pupils learn well.  Pupils are happy at school. They say they feel safe and that adults take good care of them.  Pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes to learning and always try hard.  Good support for disabled pupils and those

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

with special educational needs helps these pupils to make good progress.  Leaders, managers and governors work well together to improve teaching and raise pupils’ achievement.  Sport and physical education are a high priority. This means that all pupils have ample opportunities to develop a healthy lifestyle.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Over time, teaching in mathematics has not been as strong as in reading and writing, so some pupils did not fully reach their potential in this subject last year.  Pupils’ mathematical work is not marked as well as their work in English, so they are not always sure how they might improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 10 lessons, a few of which were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, they made a number of shorter visits to lessons. They also looked at pupils’ writing and mathematics books.  Discussions were held with the headteacher and other members of staff, pupils, members of the governing body and a school consultant.  The views of parents were gathered from the 48 responses to the online Parent View survey and from discussions with parents and carers at the start and end of the school day and from a recent school parental survey.  Inspectors also reviewed 16 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors listened to some Year 2 pupils read, talked with pupils and observed them during break and at lunchtime.  The team reviewed the school’s safeguarding policies, improvement plans, notes from meetings of the governing body and records of pupils’ behaviour. Inspectors also looked at records of

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Inspection team

Joyce Cox, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Bowles, Team inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average size primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The remaining pupils come from a number of different minority ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. A very small number are at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and those with a parent in the armed services) is broadly in line with the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion identified for additional support through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school provides a daily before-school craft club and a daily after-school club.  The school shares the site with a privately run nursery and a pre-school. These two settings did not form part of this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of marking in mathematics books to help pupils fully understand how well they are doing and how they can improve their work.  Make sure that the rapid improvements seen in mathematics teaching and pupils’ achievement in mathematics this year continue so that pupils consistently make the same good progress as they do in reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reception children’s attainment when they start school is usually below that expected for their age. Good teaching means that they make good progress through the year and most children are much closer to the standards found nationally when they enter Year 1.  Pupils achieve well throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The proportions of pupils in Year 6 reaching the expected or higher levels in the national tests in 2013 were above average in writing and reading and average in mathematics.  Pupils performed exceptionally well in the English, grammar, punctuation and spelling tests in 2013. All staff place great emphasis on the importance of correct spelling and punctuation. They seize every opportunity to make sure pupils use and understand correct grammatical vocabulary such as ‘proper noun’.  They have been well prepared for the next phase of their education, including the most able pupils, who are being effectively challenged to fulfil their potential.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Year 6, at the end of 2013, pupils qualifying for the pupil premium were three terms behind their classmates in mathematics and broadly similar in reading and writing. However, because of senior leaders’ swift improvement actions, the gap in achievement is closing and currently these pupils are progressing in line with their peers.  The school’s current information on pupils’ achievement, together with their work as seen in books, shows that all pupils across the school are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The majority of parents who completed the online Ofsted Parent View survey judge that their children make good progress in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because adults create appealing learning opportunities that invite children to explore the world around them. Adults are good learning and play partners and skilfully enhance children’s language and learning development.  Teaching in mathematics has been considerably improved this academic year because the highly competent mathematics subject leader has been supporting Year 5 and Year 6 teachers to ensure that all groups of pupils achieve as well as they possibly can.  Inspirational teaching is evident in the high quality of work Year 6 pupils produce in English. They clearly have a love of words and literature. As one pupil wrote: ‘Reading is a portal to another world. It is a time when you can blank out reality and your worries disappear.’  Where learning is most effective, teachers have high expectations and explain clearly what they

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The quality of teaching is good

expect pupils of different abilities to achieve. Questioning is used well to ensure the pupils are clear about what they are expected to do and to deepen their knowledge and understanding.  Teaching assistants are experienced and competent and support pupils and teachers effectively.  Teachers use a good range of strategies to manage and promote pupils’ good behaviour. Pupils and teachers treat each other with respect. This contributes much to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and calm classes.  All groups of pupils are fully included and have equal access to the same learning opportunities.  Teachers check pupils’ work in their books diligently and give guidance on what to improve. The best guidance is in English books where teachers’ comments give examples of how pupils can improve their work but this is not yet consistent practice in mathematics books.  The large majority of parents completing the online survey believe their children are taught well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of the pupils is good. Pupils are keen to learn and say they enjoy school, especially all the sports activities. They are polite, friendly and helpful to adults and to each other and take pride in keeping the outdoor areas tidy and free from litter.  Pupils have good attitudes towards their work. They have trusting relationships with their teachers and are keen to learn. They collaborate well and persevere with challenging tasks such as determining whether angles are obtuse, acute or reflex.  They say they all get on well together. There have been few bullying incidents in recent years, such as racial, religious or cyber bullying. Pupils are confident that if an incident occurs, it will be dealt with quickly and fairly.  A very small number of pupils have severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. They receive good support at all times, for example by being escorted into their classrooms at the end

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

of lunchtime. Consequently, fixed-term exclusions are reducing, these pupils are making good progress and lessons are not disrupted.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils insist that incidents of bullying are rare. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils are well cared for, especially those pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable.  Older pupils are encouraged to try to sort out minor disagreements themselves, but know how to seek help if they need to and their issues are quickly resolved. The ‘School Forum’ and the headteacher have devised a ‘Pupil Friendly Anti Bullying’ policy which is understood and adhered to by all pupils.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of potential dangers, for example when using computers to access the internet. Recently, the school received an accreditation from external validators who assessed pupils’, staff’s and governors’ understanding of e-safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school, their attendance is above average and very few pupils arrive late for school. They like attending the early morning craft club before school. Staff promote a friendly and positive atmosphere and relationships are good.  The majority of parents who completed the online survey felt that most pupils behave well. On rare occasions, a few pupils lose concentration and exhibit low-level, ‘bubbly ‘behaviour in lessons. This slows their learning and that of others.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff and governors share the senior leadership team’s high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal achievement.  Following the school’s investigation into the dip in Key Stage 2 pupils’ achievement in the mathematics tests in 2013, senior leaders involved all staff in reviewing and putting actions into place to ensure this decline did not continue. Progress since then has increased across the school and all pupils are currently making good, and sometimes outstanding, progress in mathematics.  Senior leaders check the work of the school rigorously through a wide range of strategies. To check on the quality of teaching, they carry out lesson observations, scrutinise pupils’ work, listen to pupils’ opinions and link their findings to progress data to give them an all- round accurate view.  Leaders have a clear and accurate view on the quality of the school’s work. This helps them to set appropriate improvement priorities. Professional development opportunities

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The leadership and management are good

are well matched to the needs of the school and individual teachers. Staff are aware that pay and promotion are linked to outcomes in the classroom.  Parents who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were positive about most aspects of the school and they all said they would recommend this school to others. Not all parents, however, are happy with the way the school has responded to their concerns.  The primary school sports funding is used well and is having a positive effect on pupils’ health and fitness. The school employs a specialist physical education teacher who teaches the majority of the sport and runs popular after-school clubs. Pupils say they love the wide range of sports clubs on offer and additional playground sporting equipment has also been purchased.  Pupils enjoy a rich and stimulating curriculum. They say they have lots to do and enjoy lessons. Their cultural development is skilfully extended when they draft letters to their

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The leadership and management are good

pen pals in Jamaica and successfully use imagery and descriptive language to write Greek myths. Staff and pupils benefit from the school’s close partnership with four local schools and newly forged links with a group of schools in Dudley. The latter has been made possible through the headteacher’s close association with Worcester University. Staff from all local schools work together to explore and develop teaching and learning in mathematics and English through joint moderation of children’s work and visits to one another’s classrooms. An educational consultant provides light-touch advice and support to this good school.’  The governance of the school:  Governors have a range of expertise that enables them to carry out all their legal duties effectively, including those for safeguarding. The governing body actively contributes to the school’s monitoring and evaluation programme through regular visits and

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The leadership and management are good

challenging questioning. Governors are fully aware of the quality of teaching in the school and how the performance of teachers is managed to help improve teaching further. They ensure that there is a clear link between the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and the way in which teachers move along the pay scales. The governing body has undergone training to improve its skills and has an increasing understanding of nationally published data information and how to interpret and use this. The school’s own tracking data are very detailed and governors occasionally struggle to understand what the data mean and how to spot any potential underachievement. They monitor the finances of the school carefully and ensure that the money from the pupil premium is used effectively to support relevant pupils, for example by providing one-to-one support. A recent school survey revealed that parents would like more information about the governing body. Governors have responded

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The leadership and management are good

quickly to this by writing pen portraits which are shortly to be placed on the school website.

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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 123700 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 444108

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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 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lisa Wheal Headteacher Ralph Bullock Date of previous school inspection 7–8 July 2011 Telephone number 01823 331624 Fax number 01823 325114 Email address office@bishopshull.somerset.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 and 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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