Bisley Blue Coat Church of England Primary School

School report Bisley Blue Coat Church of England Primary School School Lane, Bisley, Stroud, GL6 7BE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Outstanding leadership and management have brought about significant improvement since the school’s last inspection. The headteacher’s ambition and exceptionally clear direction for the school have ensured that all staff and governors share her commitment and drive.  A particular improvement has been in the quality of teaching, which is now good. This improvement has come about due to rigorous monitoring of teaching and very effective strategies to improve it.  Governors have been an integral part of the improvement process. They are exceptionally well led and give high levels of support and challenge to leaders and managers.  The improvement in the quality of teaching has brought about an upturn in pupils’ achievement, which is now good. Pupils are making consistently good progress in all year groups. Pupils’ achievement in writing is particularly strong because leaders have put in place very effective

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

strategies to improve it.  Skilled teaching assistants play a significant role in aiding pupils’ learning in all classes.  Reception children make good progress in developing early reading, writing and mathematical skills. Adults plan interesting activities that engage and motivate them to learn.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are outstanding. They are exceptionally considerate and caring. There are high levels of mutual respect between pupils and all adults and between pupils themselves.  Pupils have exceptionally good attitudes to their work and are very keen to do well in lessons. As a result, they work hard and concentrate very well. When collaborating in pairs and small groups, pupils use their mature social skills to ensure all are valued and feel part of the group.  The school’s systems to keep pupils safe are extremely rigorous, and pupils and their parents agree that they are very safe in school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not outstanding because teachers do not always use assessment information effectively to find and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, especially in mathematics.  Pupils’ skills in English grammar and mathematics, though strongly improving, are not as good as their skills in reading and writing.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited nine lessons, three of these jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector held meetings with leaders and managers, staff, pupils, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector met informally with parents at the beginning and end of the school days and analysed the results of the 30 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. He also took into account the views of three parents who wrote letters to him.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at its self-evaluation, development planning, and policies and procedures, including those relating to pupils’ safety.  The inspector evaluated the school’s information on the progress that pupils are making and scrutinised the work in their books.

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Inspection team

John Eadie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Bisley Blue Coat Church of England School is much smaller than the average primary school. There are three classes, one for the pupils in Year 6, Year 5 and some pupils from Year 4, one for the remainder of the Year 4 pupils and those in Years 3 and 2, and one for those in Reception and Year 1. Children in the early years all attend full time.  Fewer than three pupils in any year group are eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority), which is well below average. There were no pupils eligible for free school meals in Year 6 last year.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The remainder are from a variety of minority ethnic groups. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below the national

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Information about this school

average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is federated with Oakridge Parochial School, another small local school, and they share the executive headteacher and governing body.  The school runs an after-school club until 6pm and has just started a breakfast club.  The Chair of the Governing Body is a national leader for governance.  The school provides space for the village playgroup, but this is managed independently and is inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and accelerate progress in mathematics by ensuring that teachers use assessment information more consistently to establish where pupils have gaps in their learning so that they can address these as quickly as possible.  Improve pupils’ technical skills in English grammar, in particular their understanding of specific grammatical terminology.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is highly ambitious for the school and has been rigorous in her drive for improvement. In this small school, all staff take leadership roles and they have been very effective in supporting the drive to improve teaching and raise pupils’ achievement.  Central to the school’s ethos is the importance of each pupil. All adults make strenuous efforts to get to know each pupil’s individual needs and ensure they meet them. Pupils flourish in an atmosphere of mutual respect and a safe and happy environment. Staff and pupils do not tolerate discrimination of any sort.  Extremely rigorous systems for checking the quality of teaching, combined with highly focused professional development, have led to significant improvements. The school’s federation with Oakridge Parochial School and its partnership with the strong cluster of local schools have contributed effectively to this improvement. Expertise is shared very well between the schools. For example, teachers have

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The leadership and management are outstanding

opportunities to observe best practice and put it into action in their own classrooms.  The school makes very effective use of the extra funding for pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium. This ensures that the small number of these pupils do at least as well as their classmates over time.  The extra funding for sports has been used exceptionally well to expand the range of experiences open to pupils. The pupils were enthusiastic when they talked about the new opportunities available to them. In particular, they appreciate the matches and competitions in an extensive range of sports.  The school provides an interesting and relevant curriculum. The school has given much thought to ensuring that it sparks pupils’ enthusiasm, and pupils say that their lessons are interesting and often exciting. As a result pupils are developing very well into keen and enthusiastic learners.  Teachers make effective links between subjects, enabling pupils to practise their literacy skills in topic

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The leadership and management are outstanding

work and religious education, for instance. The curriculum is preparing pupils extremely well for life in modern Britain as pupils gain a keen awareness of British values.  The curriculum makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, one class were discussing whether we should value all faiths. The pupils responded maturely and sensitively, revealing a real spiritual understanding.  The breakfast and after-school clubs are much appreciated by parents, although numbers in the former are still small as it only started this week.  The school has forged very strong links with parents. All spoken to were overwhelmingly positive about the school, as were the vast majority who responded to the online questionnaire. There are equally strong links with the village community. For example, they are invited to attend school services and presentations

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The leadership and management are outstanding

in the local church.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. The school’s systems are extremely rigorous and ensure that all pupils are kept safe.  The local authority regards this as being a ‘light-touch’ school. However, it has provided valuable support and training at the school’s request which has contributed effectively to improvements.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governance is extremely effective. Governors have worked hard to ensure that they know exactly what is going on in the school and what needs to be done to improve. They have an excellent strategic view of the school’s development and they offer a wide range of skills. This ensures that their levels of support are excellent and they are much valued by leaders and managers. From their own monitoring and very clear understanding of data, they are also able to challenge leaders very well. They are well aware of how much progress pupils are making and where it needs to improve. They know how effectively the pupil premium funds are being spent. They are very aware of how good the quality of teaching is and what is being done to improve it, and are fully involved in decisions on rewarding good teaching. They ensure the correct use of funds and that all statutory requirements are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are caring and sensitive towards each other and willing to go the extra mile to help others. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary.  Pupils are exceptionally polite and courteous. They welcome visitors and are very keen to tell them how good their school is. They show high levels of respect for all adults in the school.  Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are excellent. They work hard, and are very keen to do well and earn rewards in all classes, and are developing a strong thirst for knowledge. Pupils show an enthusiastic love of learning. They work extremely well together when in pairs or small groups, discussing ideas maturely in a way that enhances their understanding.  Parents who responded to the online questionnaire were unanimous in agreeing that they have no concerns about pupils’ behaviour. Staff and governors also agree.

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Behaviour

 The school is meticulous in keeping records of the minor behavioural incidents that occur. These show that measures to improve the behaviour of individual pupils are highly effective.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Procedures are rigorous and risk assessments are very thorough.  Pupils and parents are unanimous in their view that pupils are safe at school. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and have a good understanding of risk. They know that there is always an adult to whom they can turn if they encounter problems, on the internet for example.  A few parents who responded to the online questionnaire regard bullying as being a problem. However, pupils are very confident that bullying is rare in the school and it is dealt with exceptionally well if it happens.  Pupils have a very good knowledge of different types of bullying. For instance, they are very well aware of the dangers inherent in using the internet. They regard racist behaviour as totally unacceptable, saying such things as ‘[those from minority ethnic groups] are just the same as us and we treat them the same’.

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Safety

They know that it is unacceptable to discriminate because of difference. For example, they are very well aware of the inappropriateness of homophobic language.  Attendance is improving and has been consistently above average for some years. Pupils are punctual and well prepared, and so they learn with confidence.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has greatly improved since the last inspection and is now consistently good. This has led to a marked improvement in pupils’ attainment and progress. Teachers have high expectations of both pupils’ behaviour and their performance, and pupils readily rise to the challenge.  The teaching of reading and writing are particularly effective. As a result, pupils make consistently good progress and achieve high standards. However, teachers do not always ensure that pupils have a thorough understanding of grammatical terminology.  Teachers are good at planning for the range of ages and abilities in their classes. This often allows younger pupils to work with older classmates, so extending their learning.  Teaching assistants are very skilled and play a significant role in supporting pupils’ learning. This is particularly, but not exclusively, the case for disabled pupils and those who have special educational

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The quality of teaching is good

needs. In one lesson, the teaching assistant in the youngest class worked with the Reception children, questioning them skilfully to extend their learning, while the teacher focused on new learning for the Year 1 pupils.  Teachers are generally good at using assessment to identify pupils who might be in danger of falling behind. They enable these pupils to catch up quickly by using effective strategies to overcome their difficulties.  The teaching of mathematics is improving and pupils are making good progress in this subject. However, some pupils still have gaps in their mathematical knowledge due to ineffective teaching in the past. Teachers do not always assess where these gaps are rigorously enough so that they can address them swiftly.  Teachers’ marking is highly effective. Pupils say that it helps them to know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. They particularly appreciate the opportunities they are given to respond

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The quality of teaching is good

to teachers’ comments and questions, which sometimes provide them with an additional challenge.  Teachers are keen to improve their practice and the school is involved in the outstanding teacher programme which is helping in this aim.  Teaching is preparing pupils well for their next school and life beyond. They are developing into enquiring and interested learners.

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is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved since the last inspection and is now good. In particular, attainment in the national assessments in Year 2, identified as a weakness in the last inspection, is now above average. Attainment in writing has also improved significantly and many pupils are now working at higher than expected levels for their age.  Pupils are making good progress in all year groups. There are too few pupils eligible for pupil premium funding to comment on their performance compared to national averages. However, these pupils are doing at least as well as their classmates.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the same progress as their peers. This is because teachers identify their needs accurately and make specific plans to address their particular needs.  The few pupils from minority ethnic groups make the same progress as their classmates. The very few

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is good

who speak English as an additional language have sufficient command of English to enable them to take part in all aspects of the curriculum and are making at least as good progress as other pupils.  Performance in the national screening check for Year 1 pupils in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) has improved and was well above average in 2014. All but one who missed the expected standard in 2013 achieved the required standard when they retook the test in 2014.  Attainment in the national assessments in Year 6 has been above average in each of the last two years in reading, writing and mathematics. It was particularly strong in writing, but fell below average in grammar, spelling and punctuation in 2014. This is because pupils are relatively weak at identifying the correct technical names for grammatical features, such as clauses and pronouns, and giving examples of these. However, pupils use grammar correctly in their writing.

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is good

 Pupils read widely and have good technical skills, built on their good development of phonics. Older pupils were able to talk enthusiastically about books they are reading and this showed a commendable breadth.  The most-able pupils achieve well, evidenced by the above average proportions that attain Level 5 and Level 6 in the national assessments in Year 6. Teachers plan work that challenges them and develops a wide range of skills. As a result, they are very well equipped for moving on to secondary school.

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is good

 There is good provision for the youngest children in the early years. Although they are in a class with pupils from Year 1, their needs are met by careful planning and good opportunities for one of the adults to work with them as a group.  Children thoroughly enjoy the enriching and exciting curriculum. For example, there was huge enthusiasm when they were searching for evidence that a unicorn had visited the school grounds the previous night. Excitement rose as the children discovered hoof prints, glitter left by hooves, and partially eaten fruit, vegetables and chocolate.  The quality of teaching, whether by the class teacher or the teaching assistant, is consistently good. Both are very skilled at asking questions to encourage children to think and extend their learning.  Children make good progress in their Reception year. Most enter school with skills and knowledge that are broadly typical for their age, though some are below this. The proportion that reach a good level of

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is good

development by the time they start in Year 1 is above average. The move into Year 1 is seamless as they are in the same class.  Children are quick to learn what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, and react sensitively to their classmates. A parent commented on how well spiritual development is fostered, saying that it had sparked interesting conversations at their meal table.  Effective leadership ensures that the needs of Reception children are given suitably high priority in the mixed-age class. For example, the leader has clear plans to use space in the classroom to maximum effect in order to enhance the provision for the youngest children. The leader is also working towards developing a closer partnership with the on-site playgroup in order to improve the information that is received when children start school.

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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 115612 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 453679

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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 84 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gareth Newton Executive Headteacher Lisa Austin Date of previous school inspection 14–15 March 2013 Telephone number 01452 770251 Fax number 01452 770251 Email address admin@bisleybluecoat.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 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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