Bisham CofE Primary School

Bisham Church of England Primary School Church Lane, Bisham, Marlow, SL7 1RW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Early years provision Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 As a result of weak teaching over time, too many pupils, particularly the more able, do not make enough progress in writing and mathematics.  Information about pupils’ progress is not used well enough to identify and meet the needs of all pupils.  Marking is weak: it does not help pupils to improve their work.  When work is too easy, pupils lose focus and they do not make progress.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is inadequate. Adults do not engage effectively with children to support their learning. They do not take sufficient account of children’s prior learning, level of development or needs.  The school’s website does not meet statutory requirements.  Leaders do not check frequently or in enough depth how well the school is doing. They do not use information effectively to plan improvements to teaching and achievement.  The school does not ensure that pupils are safe at all times. Leaders do not complete the necessary

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

checks on equipment and staff with sufficient rigour.  Child protection documentation is poorly organised: this places vulnerable pupils at further risk.  Governors do not hold senior leaders well enough to account; they are too willing to accept the headteacher’s reports on the school’s progress. They do not check carefully if additional funding is used effectively to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils enjoy coming to school. Parents like the happy family atmosphere.  Staff care passionately about the school.  Pupils have good opportunities to develop their reading skills and, as a result, pupils make good progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice. The headteacher was accompanying pupils in Years 5 and 6 on a residential trip when the school was notified of the inspection. He returned to school for the inspection. There were no pupils from Years 5 or Year 6 in school during the inspection.  Her Majesty’s Inspectors observed learning in 12 parts of lessons. Two were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, who is also responsible for assessment and special educational needs; subject leaders for mathematics and English, and the Early Years Foundation Stage teacher. Inspectors met with two governors and spoke to another governor by telephone. A meeting was also held with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese.  Inspectors met with a group of pupils as well as speaking to pupils informally. Inspectors also heard pupils read and looked at the work in pupils’ books.

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Information about this inspection

 Informal discussions were held with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors took account of 39 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 10 letters and emails submitted during the course of the inspection.  Inspectors observed a school assembly and saw playtime procedures in action.  A range of documentation was examined, including the school’s action plan; records of pupils’ attainment; records of governing body meetings; and school records on behaviour, attendance, child protection and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Amanda Gard, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Full report

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a single age Reception class. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are taught in mixed-age classes.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  A very small proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for additional government funding known as the pupil premium. This funding is used to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is almost double that found nationally.  The headteacher teaches the Years 5 and 6 classes for three days a week. The school is advertising for a teacher to take the class.  The school was issued a warning notice from the local authority in March 2014. The warning notice raised concerns about leadership, teaching, achievement and safeguarding at the school.

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Information about this school

 A review of governance was carried out in February 2014. Governors have reviewed the way they organise their committees. They intend to restructure the governing body, but have not completed this task. Several governors resigned in the period March to July 2014 and have not been replaced.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching across the school so it is consistently good or better by:  making sure teachers’ marking and feedback show pupils how to improve their work, and time is provided for pupils to make these improvements  ensuring teachers use information about what pupils have previously learned to plan work that challenges them and develops their knowledge, understanding and skills.  Assess accurately the skills, abilities and needs of every child when they begin the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensure this information is used well to inform teaching, so that all children make the progress they should.  Raise achievement at all key stages, particularly in writing and mathematics by lifting teachers’ expectations of what pupils can and should achieve  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by:  ensuring all statutory requirements, including those for safeguarding, health and safety, and the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

contents of the school’s website, are fully met  ensuring child protection plans are well organised so that school leaders can check that the right support is in place  improving record-keeping so that information about pupils is used well to help meet their needs  implementing rigorous systems to check on teaching and achievement, and take effective action so that these improve  ensuring governors undertake appropriate training to hold the school fully to account, including checks on how effectively leaders spend additional funding aimed at raising the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of the school’s leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of the school’s leadership and management may be improved.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The headteacher has not ensured that teaching is good enough to provide pupils with the education they deserve. Areas for improvement, for example marking, highlighted at the school’s last full inspection have been left unaddressed. As a result, too many pupils do not do as well as they should.  Subject leaders have little grasp of their role in driving up standards. They have not checked how well their subjects are taught and they do not have robust plans to improve teaching and achievement in their subjects.  Record keeping is inadequate. For example, records for pupils with child protection plans are disorganised so it is hard to see what action is being taken, who is responsible and if the work is on track. This places these vulnerable pupils at risk.  Leaders have not ensured that there is always a qualified paediatric first aider available on site for children in the Early Years in case needed.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Many parents are supportive of the school but a significant minority express concerns about the way the school is led and managed.  The school’s website does not include all the information for parents that it should. This includes details of the school’s behaviour policy; how the school has spent additional funding from the pupil premium and the difference the use of this additional money makes to the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. There is also no published report on the school's policy for pupils with special educational needs.  Statutory requirements for safeguarding children are not fully met, including the school’s record of checks on adults who work with children.  Pupils are provided with a balanced curriculum which gives them a broad understanding of the world and life in modern Britain.  The school does not ensure equality of opportunity because not all pupils, for example the most able,

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The leadership and management are inadequate

achieve as well as they should, and the different needs of all pupils are not sufficiently well catered for.  The school uses its primary school sports fund effectively. The wider range of opportunities promoted through the involvement of sports coaches has encouraged many pupils to join sports clubs, thus promoting their health and fitness.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is appropriate. It effectively helps pupils to develop understanding and tolerance for others. The ‘diamond rules’ are promoted regularly and help pupils appreciate the difference between right and wrong. Older pupils learn responsibility and take good care of younger children through the school’s buddy system.  The governance of the school:  Governance is inadequate. Governors do not know how well the school is doing because they too often take the headteacher’s word on trust without checking for themselves. They do not challenge senior

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The leadership and management are inadequate

leaders robustly or hold them to account for pupils’ progress or the quality of teaching. They are unaware of the links between teachers’ pay and their performance and have not effectively completed the performance management of the headteacher. They do not ensure statutory safeguarding checks or measures to keep pupils safe in school and on trips are thorough or good enough. They have not checked the school’s use of additional funding to see exactly how effective it is, or if disadvantaged pupils could do better.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because when work is too easy pupils lose interest and show poor attitudes to learning.  There are good routines in place, for example at the end of playtimes and as pupils change activities in class. Older pupils look out for their younger ‘buddies’.  Pupils know what bullying is. They told inspectors that sometimes children are unkind to each other and call each other names.  The vast majority of pupils arrive at school on time and ready to learn. Attendance is in line with the national average. The recent introduction of a zero tolerance approach to holidays in term time has increased attendance.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is inadequate because leaders do not fully consider all potential hazards and they fail to take appropriate action to avoid risk of harm to pupils.  The site is neither safe nor secure. A wheelbarrow full of tools at the edge of the playground, nettles and brambles, uneven paving slabs and unmarked trip hazards were just some of the dangers observed by inspectors.  Access to the school building is not monitored closely enough. The entrance by the office to the main building is often left unlocked during the school day, leaving pupils at risk.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teachers do not take enough account of what pupils can already do when setting tasks. As a result, pupils are often expected to complete work which is too easy, particularly in writing and mathematics. For example, pupils in the Years 3 and 4 classes were set work they had tackled when they were in Year 2: they lost interest and consequently made no progress.  Work set is frequently too easy. The most able pupils in particular are not challenged enough.  Teachers have low expectations of the amount of work pupils should produce. Across a range of subjects pupils are often given worksheets which provide only limited space for them to set down their ideas. This stops them from extending their writing and holds more able pupils back from producing the work of which they are capable.  Some teachers provide the same work to pupils of different ability. This means that work is not always sufficiently well tailored to the needs of the more able and those with special educational needs.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Work is not marked regularly enough. Teachers do not provide helpful pointers for pupils to improve. Spellings are uncorrected and poor presentation is left unchallenged. As a result pupils make limited progress in writing.

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is inadequate

 Achievement is inadequate at Key Stage 1 and in the Early Years because pupils do not make enough progress over time. At the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in writing and mathematics was significantly below the national average in 2012 and 2013. Although standards improved in 2014 with more pupils reaching the expected standard than was the case nationally in 2013, the proportion reaching the higher levels in mathematics remained below average.  The work seen in pupils’ books during the inspection indicates continuing underachievement particularly of those pupils who are more able. Pupils’ work is not always accurately assessed and at times the levels awarded are overgenerous.  In both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the most able pupils are not provided with sufficiently challenging work to help them reach their potential in writing and mathematics. Consequently, they do not make enough progress and too few reach the higher levels in these subjects.

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is inadequate

 In 2014, the proportion of pupils in Year 6 reaching the expected standard in writing was similar to that found nationally in 2013. In mathematics the proportion reaching the expected standard in 2014 was above that found nationally. However, too few pupils, including the most able, make good progress compared to the national picture. Few more able pupils catch up on their previous underachievement.  Pupils are provided with frequent opportunities to read in school and as a result they make good progress in this area by the end of Year 2 and Year 6.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs generally progress at the same rate as their peers. Some of these pupils benefit from specific programmes to meet their needs, such as occupational therapy or art therapy. However, others are not always fully catered for because they spend unstructured time out of the usual class environment, or separated from the other pupils, when they are not learning.

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is inadequate

 A very small number of pupils in each class are eligible for the additional government funding. These pupils reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are similar to other pupils nationally and in line with their classmates of similar ability.

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is inadequate

 Assessment is inaccurate. School records indicate that all children start at the same point at the beginning of the year and reach the same level of development by the end of the year. However, inspectors found that some pupils have additional needs and some are of higher ability.  The teacher does not gather information about children’s skills and abilities at the start of the year. Consequently, activities do not build on children’s needs; this holds them back.  There is a range of activities set out for children to access but children are sometimes unsure what to do with them. Adults do not always interact well to help children, and on these occasions play lacks direction and purpose.  Adults do not extend children’s knowledge and skills well enough. The most able are not provided with additional challenges to enable them to make rapid progress.  Safeguarding is inadequate because the children’s outside play area is accessible to visitors through the

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is inadequate

gate at the front of the school. Children could easily leave the school unnoticed through this gate, which is not always secure.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 109951 Local authority Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 452226

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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 Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 110 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr John Gordon Headteacher Mr Jim Cooke Date of previous school inspection 2 May 2012 Telephone number 01628 482910 Fax number 01628 477198 Email address jim@bishamschool.net 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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