Bridge Learning Campus

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 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

 The leadership provided by the Chief Executive is outstanding. He is supported extremely well by the two associate headteachers and key middle leaders.  Governors provide outstanding challenge and support for senior leaders.  The academy’s work with parents and the community is outstanding.  Academy leaders, the governors, the parents’ groups, others in the community and the pupils have worked extremely hard over a long period of time to create successfully a strong ethos and sense of community in the academy. Staff and pupils are proud to be part of the academy.  The academy makes excellent use of its age three to 16 all-through structures, to ensure that pupils move smoothly through the academy and pupils of all ages make good progress. New pupils arriving in Year 7 are integrated well.  Achievement has risen rapidly since the start of this academic year as a result of the strong leadership and improvements in teaching.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The strengths in teaching English throughout the academy have been further developed so that achievement in English is very strong.  Teaching in mathematics has improved across the academy, leading to significant improvements in the progress of pupils at all ages.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes make at least good progress and they are prepared well for Year 1.  Progress throughout Years 1 to 5 is much improved since the start of the year, and pupils in all of these year groups achieve well.  The academy’s arrangements for Year 6 work particularly effectively, so that all pupils in this year make good progress.  Older pupils are prepared well for their next steps in further education or apprenticeships. The academy is raising aspirations so that more former pupils now progress to higher education.  The needs of those pupils that require additional support are taken care of very well so that they

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

make good progress.  Behaviour in lessons and around the academy is good. Pupils of all ages get on well together and are safe.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some teaching is not good enough, limiting the progress of pupils in these classes.  The early years outdoor provision does not provide enough challenge for all children.  The poor attendance of some pupils, particularly in the upper school, limits their progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups in the academy, from the Nursery through to Year 11, often with academy leaders. Inspectors looked at children’s and pupils’ work and talked to them about it and how well they were doing. Inspectors placed special emphasis on checking pupils’ current work to see how well it supported the academy’s claims about significantly improved achievement in its self-evaluation. In this, they evaluated the impact of the recent key changes in the senior and middle leadership of the academy.  Inspectors met groups of pupils from all year groups, either in meetings or in small groups in classes, and talked to many around the site before lessons started, between lessons, at break and during lunch times.  Inspectors met the Chief Executive and academy senior and middle leaders throughout the inspection. They looked at the academy’s data about how well children and pupils are achieving, a summary of the

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Information about this inspection

academy’s self-evaluation and a wide range of other documents, including those relating to keeping pupils safe. They met with the Chair of the Local Governing Board several times during the inspection and met formally with the Chair and two other governors.  One inspector met with the six members of the academy’s parents’ forum.  Consideration was given to the 16 responses to the Ofsted on-line survey, Parent View, emails from parents, telephone calls with parents and the academy’s own surveys of parents’ views. Account was also taken of the 79 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

James Sage, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorna Brackstone Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Bridge Learning Campus is an all-through three to 16 academy.  The academy became an all-through academy in March 2013 with a new sponsor, Trust in Learning. The trust works in partnership with the City of Bristol Further Education College and the University of the West of England (UWE). The other schools in the trust are: Orchard School, Bristol (secondary); and Filton Avenue Infant School. Filton Avenue Junior School is expected to join in September. These schools were not part of this inspection.  When the predecessor primary school, Bridge Learning Campus Primary, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory. When the predecessor secondary school, Bridge Learning Campus Secondary, was inspected, it was judged to be satisfactory.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Less than one in 10 pupils comes from a minority ethnic background and very few speak English as an additional language. The proportions of pupils in both

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Information about this school

groups are well below the national average.  Overall, more than two thirds of pupils are from disadvantaged backgrounds and eligible for the pupil premium funding. This is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  Almost all of those pupils who complete Year 6 in the academy progress into Year 7. In addition, around 50 pupils join the academy from other primary schools at the start of Year 7. The number of pupils joining or leaving the school during the school year in all years, but particularly in the primary years, is higher than usual.  The academy organises classes in four phases: phase 1 covers the Nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes; phase 2 includes pupils in Years 2 to 5; phase 3 includes Years 6 to 8; and phase 4 covers Years 9 to 11.

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Information about this school

GCSE and other examination courses begin in Year 9. Those in all phases are referred to as pupils in this report.  The trust Chief Executive leads the academy with two associate headteachers, one responsible for phases 1 and 2 and the other for phases 3 and 4. The upper academy associate headteacher joined the academy at the start of the year.  The academy does not enter pupils early for GCSE examinations before the end of Year 11.  There are two part-time Nursery and three full-time Reception classes. About 20 children join Reception from other local nurseries.  A number of pupils are on the academy roll, but currently spend all of their time in other educational establishments: five with the Bristol Hospital Education Service; one in the Meriton centre; and two in Tree Tops and one in Hop, Skip and Jump to provide the specific therapy they need. The academy does not make use of any part-time alternative provision, for example for vocational courses for pupils in Years 10

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Information about this school

and 11.  Other than within the trust, the academy is not supported by another school and it does not support any other schools.  In 2014, the academy met the government’s floor standards at the end of Year 6, but was below the floor standards at the end of Year 11. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The Bridge Learning Campus site includes New Fosseway School, a special school for pupils aged seven to 19. However, this is a separate school and not an academy, although it is part of the trust partnership. It was inspected in June 2013 and judged to be good.  Bridge Learning Campus is part of the Cabot Teaching School Alliance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is at least consistently good by making sure that all teachers in all year groups:  check pupils’ progress frequently and carefully during lessons, including through well-targeted questions  provide clear and challenging points for improvement when marking pupils’ work, ensure that all pupils do what is expected to deal with these points and check that this leads to improvements in their work  mark and provide feedback to pupils on their spelling, punctuation and grammar, and on the quality of their writing, and make sure that this leads to sustained improvements  use all of the information they have about each and every pupil’s progress in the current piece of work to plan their subsequent lessons  use questioning and other approaches in lessons to challenge all pupils, including the most able, and deepen their understanding.  Improve the attendance of those pupils who are regularly absent so that they make better progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the early years outdoor area provides sufficient challenge for all children and reflects the high quality of the rest of the provision.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Chief Executive of the trust is based in the academy and provides outstanding leadership. His incredibly strong drive and commitment to making the academy a centre of excellence for the pupils, teachers and the community have led to rapid and sustained improvements in all aspects of the academy’s work.  The Chief Executive, working with governors, accurately identified the key areas of underperformance before the poor 2014 results. The re-structured senior leadership, including the appointment of a new associate headteacher for phases 3 and 4 and changes to key subject leaders, has supported him well in securing the improvements required. The two associate headteachers give strong leadership and direction within their areas and to the academy overall. There are well-considered plans to strengthen leadership further as the academy develops.  The strong links with the other schools in the trust are used well. The schools work together to make sure

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The leadership and management are good

that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ achievements are accurate. All of the schools are working very well together to develop new arrangements for assessment.  Leaders’ evaluation of the academy’s strengths and weaknesses accurately identifies the under performance in 2014 and the steps needed to tackle the weaknesses that led to the poor results. It also accurately evaluates current performance, including the achievement of pupils at all ages and the quality of teaching. It leads to clear priorities for continued improvement to make the academy outstanding.  Middle leadership has been strengthened this year and has improved the overall quality of teaching. Subject leadership in English and mathematics across all phases is strong.  The extremely robust monitoring of pupils’ progress and achievement provides senior and middle leaders with an accurate view of the current performance of individuals and groups of pupils. This information is

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The leadership and management are good

used well to target support where it is needed most. However, teachers tend to rely too much on the information provided at the six set review points and too little on their day-to-day checking on pupils’ progress.  Senior leaders are fully aware of the varied and complex needs of many pupils and they frequently check how well they are achieving to make sure that any support is effective.  Senior leaders know where teaching is good and where it needs to be better. There are strong links between the checks on pupils’ progress and checks on the quality of teaching. Increasingly, middle leaders frequently check pupils’ work, look at current progress information and make visits to lessons to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching. They use the information from these activities to provide well-targeted support for teachers. The performance of teachers is managed rigorously. If teachers are either unwilling

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The leadership and management are good

or unable to improve, the academy leaders take the necessary action to tackle the problem.  The measures taken to improve attendance are effective. The attendance of all groups has improved, although too many are still frequently absent.  The curriculum in all phases meets pupils’ individual needs well. It makes good use of the all-through structure to ensure that pupils progress smoothly through the academy to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. The provision for those pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs is matched extremely well to their individual needs.  The arrangements for Year 6 are highly effective. These pupils are included in phase 3, the academy’s first ‘secondary’ phase. Pupils follow one of three different routes. Those who made the most progress up to the end of Year 5 are taught by specialist teachers for all subjects, but have extended time for English and

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The leadership and management are good

mathematics. This group makes good progress. A group of pupils that did less well by the end of Year 5 is taught English and mathematics by one teacher, and spends a significant amount of time with this teacher. This teaching is of high quality and leads to pupils making good progress in these subjects. Their other lessons are taught by specialist teachers and they mostly achieve well. A small number of Year 6 pupils, who did not do well in Year 5 and who need additional support, join with pupils from Years 7 and 8 who also need focused support. Those in this small ‘nurture group’ move into other classes as soon as they are ready, although they may have a slightly altered curriculum. Their subsequent progress is tracked very carefully and targeted additional support used well when necessary. These pupils make good progress.  The introduction of the additional pupils who join at the start of Year 7 is managed carefully to make sure

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The leadership and management are good

that these pupils are integrated into the academy and start to make progress quickly.  Pupils’ skills in reading and writing are developed well across all subjects in Years 1 to 5 and in Year 6; however, their mathematical skills less well developed. These reading and writing skills are not developed as well in Years 7 to 11 because of weaknesses in some subject teaching. Senior leaders are aware if this and have already provided training for teachers to improve this aspect of their work. This is beginning to make a difference, but this is not yet widespread or rapid enough.  The academy promotes the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils well. Pupils are fully involved in the life of the school. Members of the school council explained how they were elected and how decisions are reached through debate and consultation.  The academy works hard to ensure that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Through

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The leadership and management are good

assemblies and other activities, it tackles ‘head on’, and effectively, issues about racial and cultural diversity, other faiths and beliefs, and lifestyle choices. It promotes equality of opportunity robustly. The academy is a harmonious environment where pupils get on with each other well. Academy leaders have ensured that extreme political views have no place in the academy.  Safeguarding arrangements meet all requirements.  The careers guidance provided for pupils in phase 4 ensures that they are aware of all routes open to them when they leave the academy. It is also beginning to raise their aspirations. The large majority of pupils progress to further education providers, including a sixth form college. A much higher proportion than locally or nationally progresses to a high-quality apprenticeship as a result of good quality information, advice and guidance, as well as the academy’s and trust’s links with local employers. Very few

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The leadership and management are good

pupils do not progress to education or training. The academy carefully monitors former pupils’ progress to make sure the pupils remain on course. An increasing number is moving on to higher education, showing how successful the academy is in raising the sights of its pupils. This is also helped by the strong links with UWE.  The academy receives substantial additional funding through the pupil premium, Year 7 catch-up funding and primary sport funding. Senior leaders and governors check very carefully how well this funding is used and the impact it has. The structure of the all-through academy means that leaders use these funds well to ensure that children make a good start in the early years, in Year 1 and in Years 2 to 5. Leaders also use the additional funding well to support pupils in Year 6 and those who join in Year 7. The funding is also used extremely well to provide well-matched support for those pupils who continue to need it through

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The leadership and management are good

Years 8 to 11. As a result of the good use of this additional funding, the gaps in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school and nationally are closing rapidly. Leaders have used the additional funding for those Year 7 pupils who did not do well at the end of Year 6 exceptionally well. These pupils make outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders make good use of the primary sport funding to improve pupils’ attitudes towards participating in sport and becoming healthier. Pupils eagerly attend sports clubs after school, and there is a greater involvement in sporting competitions with other local school. Teachers have greater confidence in teaching physical education as a result of specific skills training.  Parents’ involvement in the life of the academy is outstanding, as a result of the academy’s excellent work to involve parents in all aspects of its work and in the drive for continued improvement. Achieving this

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The leadership and management are good

level of engagement has been a significant challenge for academy leaders and has been built up over a long period of time. The benefits are now being realised. The parents’ forum is a powerful group that supports the governors well in challenging the academy senior leaders, as well as providing them with good support. Parents are full of praise for the way in which staff keep them informed about how well their children are achieving and behaving, whether it be ‘good or bad news’. They are extremely appreciative of the way in which the academy encourages their children to strive to do as well as they can. Many parents value the way the academy helps them to continue with their own studies and develop their own skills.  The governance of the school:  The challenge and support provided by the Local Governing Body are outstanding and key to the rapid and sustained progress the academy has made. They have a full, detailed and accurate view of what is

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The leadership and management are good

working well and what needs to be improved. They are fully involved in the academy’s self-evaluation procedures and frequently undertake independent checks on the impact that senior leaders’ actions are making.  The intensity and breadth of governors’ monitoring and evaluating of those aspects of the academy that need to be improved are exceptional. For example, the poor Year 11 examination results in 2014 did not meet the predictions made by subject leaders. The governors immediately instigated rigorous checks by attending all subject team meetings where pupils’ work is discussed and moderated. This is reported frequently to the full governing body. As a result, subject leaders’ quality assurance is much improved.  Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching in the academy. They understand how this is evaluated through pupils’ achievement, and about how good performance is rewarded and weak

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The leadership and management are good

performance is tackled.  Good financial management by the trust and governors ensures that additional funding is used well to raise the achievement of those pupils for whom it is intended.  Governors ensure that all statutory requirements, including for safeguarding pupils, are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons for all ages is mostly good, and pupils show interest in their work and want to do well. Occasionally, when the work does not interest them or they are not clear what they have to do, some low level disruption limits pupils’ progress.  The number of exclusions from the academy has decreased significantly. The new academy behaviour procedures are being used much more consistently.  Pupils, parents and teachers report that there is still some poor behaviour in the academy, but that this has reduced significantly this year. Most feel that incidents of poor behaviour are now managed well.  Pupils’ behaviour around the site is good and the academy is calm and orderly. Pupils of all ages get on well together; this was particularly noticeable in the academy breakfast club. However, older pupils lack a sense of urgency when moving to lessons and it often takes a while for them to settle to learning.

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Behaviour

 Attendance for all groups has improved significantly this year to be much closer to the national average. Punctuality to school is also improving strongly, with a dramatic reduction in time missed through lateness in the mornings. However, the number of pupils who are frequently absent is still too high. Academy leaders know this and the actions they have taken are beginning to work.  Truancy has also reduced dramatically as a result of the robust actions the academy has taken.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Suitably rigorous risk assessments are undertaken whenever necessary.  Safeguarding procedures are clear and rigorously applied. All staff have regular and thorough training. The proper safeguarding checks are carried out for those pupils who are educated off site. The academy works well with external agencies and makes referrals when necessary.  Pupils of all ages feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. They adopt safe working practices in, for example, practical subjects.  While some bullying does occur, it is dealt with swiftly. Pupils of all ages have a good understanding of all types of bullying, as appropriate for their age.  The academy is fully aware of possible safeguarding issues when, for example, pupils truant or go missing. It takes all necessary actions to reduce risks.  The academy is extremely aware of all aspects of safeguarding, child protection, the potential sexual

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Safety

exploitation of children, and exposure to extremist political and other views. It works extremely hard to make all pupils aware of all dangers to their health and well-being, appropriate for their age, to prepare them as well as possible to deal with any risks. This involves extensive and highly effective work with parents, the local community and external agencies.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching across all year groups, including in the Nursery and Reception classes, and subjects is good, and some is outstanding.  The strengths in the teaching of English across the academy have been further developed to ensure consistently high quality teaching. As a result, pupils make at least good progress in English.  Up until this year, teaching in mathematics has been variable in quality and some was not good enough, particularly in Years 7 to 11. This explains the poor performance of pupils in mathematics in 2014. The teaching of mathematics in Years 1 to 5 is now consistently good. A much stronger team of specialist mathematics teachers, supported and challenged well by the new subject leader, now works with classes in Years 7 to 11, leading to significant improvements in the quality of teaching. Pupils across the academy now make good progress in mathematics.  Teaching in other subjects, particularly in Years 7 to 11, is variable in quality, although most is at least

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The quality of teaching is good

good and some is outstanding. Recent changes to subject leadership, for example in science, are already having an impact by raising the quality of teaching so that more is at least consistently good.  All of the Year 6 classes are taught well and these pupils make very strong progress.  In Years 1 to 5, teachers develop pupils’ reading and writing skills well through work in other subjects. Opportunities to develop mathematical skills are not so well developed in all year groups. In Years 6 to 11, reading and writing skills are not so well developed across a range of subjects. Teachers do not always mark and provide feedback to pupils on their spelling, punctuation and grammar, and on the quality of their writing, to make sure that this leads to sustained improvements. The outstanding practice seen, for example in a Year 10 engineering group, is not yet widespread.  When teaching is good, the teacher uses well-targeted and probing questions and other strategies to

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The quality of teaching is good

carefully check pupils’ progress during the lesson. Some teachers rely too much on marking the work after the lesson to check what progress has been made.  Teachers in all year groups mark pupils’ work regularly. The introduction of more formal ‘learning conversations’ has improved the quality of feedback to pupils and involves them more in discussions about their work. However, some teachers’ marking, in all year groups, does not provide clear and challenging points for improvement, so pupils are unsure about what to do. This limits the progress they make.  Teachers have good information about pupils’ overall progress. They take full account of the outcomes of fixed review points in their planning, including for particular groups of pupils such as the most able or those with specific needs. They do not always make best use of the information they gain about pupils’ progress in the current topic, from lessons and from on-going marking, to plan their subsequent lessons to

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The quality of teaching is good

take full account of each pupil’s current progress, to ensure that all do as well as they can.  In many lessons, teachers plan tasks that take account of the spread of ability in the class, for example by providing extension work for the most able pupils. This leads to the most able pupils making good progress. They are often used well to provide support for other pupils. In 2014 the achievement of the most able pupils in Year 6 and Year 11 was not good enough. The current most able pupils are achieving at a much higher level. However, there is still an over reliance on providing these pupils with extension work rather than thinking carefully about ways of challenging their thinking more deeply.  Teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff work well together to support the progress of individual and groups of pupils, particularly in early years and in Years 1 to 5. The ‘nurture group’ of pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

in Years 6 to 8 is supported very well by specialist support teachers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The academy’s current achievement data show that pupils of all ages are achieving at much higher levels than those included in the 2014 results. Inspectors were able to confirm the accuracy of this information by looking at a wide range of current pupils’ work, from all age groups and across a wide range of subjects. Improvements in teaching, better tracking of individual pupils and the effectiveness of additional support for those pupils that need it have led to rapid and sustained improvement across the academy.  Children in the early years classes and pupils in all year groups from Year 1 to Year 11 are making at least good progress, often from very low starting points. These improvements are strongest in Years 1 to 5, in Year 6, and in Years 7 to 9. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 have received less benefit from the overall changes made in the academy, but the efforts made to improve their achievement have been successful.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 As result of the introduction of a systematic approach to teaching letters and sounds, pupils’ achievement in the phonic screening check of 2014 was above the national average. Following average standards in the 2014 national tests, the current Year 2 is on track to make much better in reading and writing, with an improved proportion attaining the higher levels. By using a consistent approach to mathematics, pupils' confidence in this subject has improved and those in the current Year 2 are making at least good progress.  Pupils in phases 1 and 2 read with accuracy and fluency. They talk about their favourite stories and know the difference between a fact book and a story book. Nevertheless, their knowledge of different authors is limited.  Pupil progress in Year 6 has greatly improved since 2014 because teaching groups are organised to reflect the needs of individuals. Current Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve well in English and mathematics,

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The achievement of pupils is good

with an improved proportion set to attain at the high levels. The gaps between those who are disadvantaged and those who are not, and between boys and girls, are closing rapidly.  Far more current Year 11 pupils, than in 2014, are on track to make at least good progress to achieve well at GCSE in English, and many more are doing better than their prior attainment indicates. This was confirmed by the quality of their current work.  In mathematics, the 2014 results for Year 11 pupils were poor. Current pupils’ work shows clearly that their achievement is much improved and these pupils are making at least good progress.  More than two thirds of all pupils in the academy are from disadvantaged backgrounds and known to be eligible for free school meals. In the 2014 results, at the end of Year 6, disadvantaged pupils were around two months behind others in the academy in reading and mathematics and 10 months behind in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Compared to other pupils nationally, they were six months behind in reading, 10 months in writing and 15 months behind in mathematics. At the end of Year 11, compared with other pupils in the academy, disadvantaged pupils were about one grade behind in English and mathematics. When compared with pupils nationally, they were about one grade behind in English and two grades behind in mathematics. The work the academy has put in place this year means that these gaps are closing rapidly. The academy focuses relentlessly on the achievement of individual pupils, so that the provision and support they provide are focused well on individual needs. As a result, the achievement of disadvantaged pupils currently in the academy is much closer to that of those pupils nationally who are not disadvantaged. This is a marked improvement.  The achievement of the most able pupils in all year groups is much improved; they make at least good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress from their starting points. Improving the achievement of these pupils has been a particular focus of the academy since the start of this year. The approaches taken have largely been very successful, although some improvements in teaching are not yet consistently applied across the academy.  Those pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs make at least good, and often better, progress. There are many pupils in the academy with complex needs. The academy provides a wide range of high-quality support, aided by highly-effective links with external agencies, that focuses relentlessly on the specific needs of individual pupils. The range of support available is impressive and works extremely well for these pupils.  The academy closely monitors the progress of those pupils who are educated elsewhere. Their progress is largely in line with others, although medical conditions and other factors in some cases limit the progress

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The achievement of pupils is good

these pupils make.  The good quality and effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage are clearly reflected in the 2014 outcomes for Reception, when an above average proportion of children reached a good level of development. Improvements in the early years classes led to these good outcomes.

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The early years provision is good

 Although most children start Nursery able to run around, climb and ride bikes and scooters confidently, they have very poor speaking skills. Many of the children find it difficult to express their feelings and manage their own behaviour. They have had very limited experience of enjoying books and nursery rhymes, and have not had opportunities to experience the world around them. Consequently, their ability to imagine and create different play situations is underdeveloped.  Good progress is made in Nursery because teaching staff plan interesting experiences that develop the children’s confidence and help children build up their vocabulary. By prioritising the improvement of the children’s listening skills, children develop their other skills well in all areas of development. Exciting activities, such as watching rubber eggs bounce and real eggs smash, enthuse and interest these young children and help to extend their vocabulary.

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The early years provision is good

 Children continue to develop their skills well as they move into Reception. Pupil premium funding is used extremely well to employ a qualified speech therapist who supports language development. As a result, children in Reception start to speak with clarity and accuracy, and eagerly join in class stories and rhymes.  At the heart of the success of the Early Years Foundation Stage is the way in which it is led and managed. The leader is extremely clear about what works well and is aware of any areas that need to be improved. The frequency and accuracy of the checks made on the children’s progress are a particularly strong feature.  By responding rapidly to individual needs and providing appropriate support, the children progress quickly and catch up with their peers. However, although detailed records are kept of each child’s progress, teachers do not always make it clear to the children what their next steps in learning should be.

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The early years provision is good

 By using consistent approaches to the teaching of letters and sounds (known as phonics), children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make very good progress in this area of learning. Learning is fun as well as effective because using letter sounds is linked to everyday life. For example, when Reception children learnt about using words which included the sound ‘air’, they made ‘stairs’ using plastic bricks and enjoyed playing ‘hairdressers’. Adults challenge more able children well because by requiring them to write their own sentences. These were completed using full stops and capital letters. Children confidently use their knowledge of different sounds to work out unknown words in their reading books.  Mathematical skills are very well developed in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are taught well through a range of practical and interesting activities. For example, ‘Jack’s beanstalk’ is used to

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The early years provision is good

develop measuring skills. Key vocabulary, such as ‘height, weight and capacity’, was learnt during a ‘bear hunt’. Those children who find mathematical development more challenging are very well supported by individual and group sessions where specific skills are consolidated. More able children are given additional challenges which broaden their use of mathematical skills.  Most teachers clearly understand that their children learn best when routines are secure and clear expectations of behaviour have been established. Children respond best to activities that are interesting and provide good levels of challenge. Very occasionally they become restless when teachers’ expectations are not clear and the session is not purposeful.  Children behave well, both in the classroom and in the outdoor learning area. They quickly learn to ‘take turns’ and, although initially they play on their own alongside each other, they gradually start to cooperate

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The early years provision is good

and work together on a game or ‘pretend situation’.  Children are kept safe and secure and always made aware of any potential safety hazards, such as washing hands and taking turns on the slide outside.  The outdoor learning areas for both Nursery and Reception classes are spacious and the equipment available generally interests the children. Nevertheless, given that the children start school competently moving around, outdoor provision does not provide them with sufficient challenge. In comparison to provision inside, it is unexciting and lacks opportunities for the children to develop their creative skills further.  Teachers make initial visit to each child’s home prior to entry, thus building strong relationships with parents. Children’s learning is effectively shared with parents through the use of an information technology programme. This sends pictures to the parents showing what their children are doing in school, but does

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The early years provision is good

not yet allow parents to add home learning experiences to this programme to be celebrated at 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 139049 Local authority Bristol City of Inspection number 447804

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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 All-through School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3−16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 985 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Caroline Jenkins Headteacher Mark Davies Telephone number 01173125585 Email address mdavies@bridgelearningcampus.com 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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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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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