The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School

The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School Kingsway, Lincoln LN5 8EU Inspection dates 20–21 January 2016

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The determined and effective leadership and management of the headteacher, supported well by other leaders, have ensured that the school has improved substantially since it was last inspected.  Because of good-quality provision and effective leadership and management, children make good progress in the early years.  Throughout the school, all pupils now make much better progress than at the time of the previous inspection. The large proportion of pupils who join the school with little or no English soon become confident in speaking, reading and writing and are thoroughly prepared for life in their new country.  The vast majority of teaching is good and ensures that pupils make good progress. The longer pupils remain in the school, the better they achieve.  Pupils enjoy coming to school, attend regularly, concentrate in lessons and work hard. They behave well, relate well to adults and other pupils and show very positive attitudes to learning.

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This is a good school

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is given high priority throughout the school. The school places strong emphasis on promoting British values and a Christian way of life and pupils benefit from this. Pupils are taught to respect people from other countries or with different languages, beliefs or ways of life.  Governance has been completely reviewed and overhauled since the last inspection and the governing body knows the school inside out and now plays an important part in helping make the school better.  The vast majority of parents hold the school in very high regard.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The most-able pupils are sometimes not sufficiently challenged or supported to do their very best. The curriculum is not always sufficiently modified to fully meet the needs of the most able.  Teaching is not yet outstanding. In a small minority of classes, teachers do not use assessment fully or provide sufficient guidance to help pupils see how they should improve their work. Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 2 of 10

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement by: – ensuring the curriculum and teaching is further modified to provide greater challenge and more support for the most able in order to help these pupils achieve their very best – ensuring teachers consistently in all classes carefully assess pupils’ work and learning during lessons – ensuring that teachers in all classes help pupils to overcome misconceptions and gain a clearer understanding of exactly where to focus their efforts to reach the next stage in their learning. Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 3 of 10

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has led a relentless and successful drive to improve the school since the previous inspection. Leadership and management are much improved and are now effective at all levels. Leaders have worked closely with staff to ensure that all staff share leaders’ ambitions to ensure each and every pupil does his or her very best during their time at the school.  Because leadership and management and teaching are much better, the school is well placed to continue to improve in the future.  The leadership of teaching and learning is a strength. Resolute action has been taken to improve the quality of teaching. Weak teaching has been eradicated and the vast majority of teaching is now good or better.  Staff development and performance management are effective. Staff are provided with clear guidance and training on how to carry out key aspects of their work such as how behaviour is managed or how

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils’ work is marked. Leaders’ follow-up checks of lessons and pupils’ books ensure that each member of staff fully understands and implements school policies. Consequently, the quality of marking and also the way that behaviour is managed by staff is consistently good throughout the school.  Staff find leaders’ lesson observation reports helpful in improving their professional skills. Oral and written reports are perceptive and sometimes challenging and invariably provide good-quality guidance to staff. However, reports make insufficient reference to the progress of different groups of learners in the class.  Half-termly meetings between senior leaders and each individual teacher where the progress of each pupil in the class is reviewed help to ensure that pupils make good progress. Particular attention is paid to pupils who are attaining standards below those expected for their ages. An action plan is agreed for each

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupil who is at risk of falling behind and any additional support needed is provided. The progress of each of these pupils is then reviewed at the next meeting. These meetings have an important effect on helping teachers ensure that pupils make good progress. Leaders recognise the need to now increasingly focus on the progress of the most-able pupils in each class.  Middle leadership is much improved since the previous inspection. Middle leaders are a well-trained and fully committed group who receive good-quality guidance on how to carry out their roles. Middle leaders, including the English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and the early years leader, have had considerable influence on the improved teaching and better achievement that is now evident throughout the school.  This is a very happy school. Parents find the school welcoming and helpful and pupils enjoy coming to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

school. Pupils of different abilities, with a wide range of different home backgrounds, languages and ways of life are equally valued and fairly treated. Many families, such as those families new to Britain, find themselves in challenging circumstances and parents say that the school not only helps their children settle quickly but also provides any practical family support it is able to give.  The subject leader has ensured that funding to improve physical education and sport in primary schools has been spent well. Staff training is a key element of this spending and the school is preparing itself well for the time when this additional funding comes to an end. Pupils enjoy participating in the new sports now on offer. More frequent specialist coaching and more sporting opportunities contribute well to pupils’ enjoyment of sport and their healthy lifestyles.  Pupil premium funding to support the learning of disadvantaged pupils is used well, mainly to fund

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

additional teaching assistant support, and the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils is closing well.  The school’s curriculum is currently under review to ensure that the school implements new national requirements for the curriculum and assessment. Basic skills are given high priority and this ensures that pupils make good progress in literacy and numeracy. The curriculum is far from narrow, however. For example, pupils in Key Stage 2 say they enjoy their weekly German or French lessons. Literacy skills are particularly well developed in a range of subjects and this has been an important reason why standards of writing have improved so well since the school was last inspected.  There is a wide programme of after-school clubs which pupils say they enjoy. The curriculum is also enriched by a good programme of residential visits.  The curriculum prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. It is modified well to meet the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

needs of most groups of pupils. Those at risk of falling behind, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, or the many pupils at early stages of learning English are given frequent additional Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 4 of 10 help by teachers and teaching assistants. This additional support helps them to achieve well. However, the curriculum is less effectively modified to fully meet the needs of the most able.  The school’s curriculum is strongly committed to promoting pupils’ personal as well as their academic development. Pupils are taught to take responsibility, to look after one another to keep safe, to work hard and to behave well. The curriculum includes extensive guidance for pupils’ personal development and strong emphasis is given to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Preparation for life in modern Britain and learning to understand and adopt British values is also a key

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

part of the curriculum. British values, such as fairness, equal opportunities and tolerance are strongly promoted and relationships are good. Visits and visitors enhance pupils’ knowledge and experience and pupils show good understanding and empathy for different ways of life.  The governance of the school – Governance is much improved since the previous inspection. The local authority has provided extensive support to the school in governance as well as many other areas. A comprehensive review of governance and an extensive training programme has resulted in a very effective governing body that is well placed to offer advice and guidance to other governing bodies. Governors are skilful in checking the performance of the school. National data are used effectively to compare the school’s performance with that of other schools. Governors show an impressive understanding of all aspects of the school’s work and they are well placed to challenge and support senior leaders.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

– Governors have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching at the school and are well informed about the school’s work to improve teaching. They know that support and challenge are provided if any weaker teaching comes to light and are aware of how good teaching is rewarded through decisions on pay. – The governing body carefully checks that funding is used effectively. For example, governors make sure that spending decisions on additional funding for disadvantaged pupils have the desired effect of improving these pupils’ achievement. – Governors have specialist roles and use their specialist knowledge well. Particular governors take a special interest in key aspects, such as safeguarding or data analysis, and ensure that all governors are kept up to date with the school’s work in their specialist areas. – Teamwork between senior leaders and the governing body is fully effective. The headteacher

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

welcomes the insights and challenge that governors provide.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school has developed considerable expertise in dealing with many complex cases. Work with both parents and other agencies, such as the local authority, helps to ensure that all in school place sufficient emphasis on keeping pupils safe. Staff training is fully up to date and record-keeping is meticulous.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching is much improved since the previous inspection and is now good, resulting in pupils making good progress as they move through the school.  The deployment of teaching assistants is a particular strength and the well-trained teaching assistants have an important effect on the good progress made by pupils, both within lessons and in small groups around school.  Behaviour is effectively managed by all staff. Staff consistently adopt the school’s behaviour management policy and pupils in all classes invariably behave and concentrate well and work hard.  Daily teaching of phonics (the use of letters and sounds in reading) for those pupils who need it and regular guided reading lessons helps pupils make good progress in their reading. Consequently, the school’s results in the national phonics tests have improved very well and are now above average levels.  The school has recognised that its policy that all younger readers, including the most-able readers, be

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

heard reading regularly is not fully implemented. This is because some of the most-able younger readers are not heard reading often enough.  Writing is well taught. Pupils undertake a wide range of writing and are expected to present their work well and take pride in their books. They practise and improve their writing not only in their English books but also in their science, topic, guided reading and religious education books. Work in all these books is carefully marked by teachers throughout the school and pupils are expected to correct their work, and this helps them to make good progress. Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 5 of 10  The attainment of some new entrants to the school, especially in their writing and reading, is held back by their limited mastery of spoken English, but daily, well-taught sessions help them soon to gain

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

confidence in speaking and writing in English, which gradually leads to higher standards in all subjects.  Mathematics is taught well. The school has an agreed approach to how to teach calculation and how to help pupils solve problems and this helps pupils to grow in confidence as mathematicians. Leaders, including the subject leader, carry out checks to ensure that all teachers adopt a consistent approach to teaching mathematics.  Some aspects of the use of assessment are strong. For example, good-quality marking leads to pupils correcting their work and making improvements. However, in some lessons, pupils lack a clear idea of where to focus their efforts to improve their work or what is the next stage of learning for them. In the best-taught lessons, teachers constantly monitor pupils’ work and help them to overcome misconceptions but this is not the case in all classes.  Occasionally, in lessons, work is too easy for the most able and this limits their progress a little. Although

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

many very effective additional support sessions are provided for pupils at risk of falling behind and pupils with barriers to their learning, too few opportunities are tailored to fully meet the needs of the most able.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Many parents who spoke to inspectors said how confident they were that their children are happy, well cared for and kept safe in school.  Leaders’ effective work to improve rates of attendance have borne fruit since the previous inspection and attendance has improved to levels in line with national averages.  Pupils, especially older pupils, readily accept responsibility for various tasks in school, for example, as members of the school council.  Pupils know what constitutes bullying and say that bullying is very rare in their school. Although some pupils were unclear about what to do if any bullying did arise, they are confident that staff deal with bullying well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Each of these aspects is strongly promoted through the school’s values and curriculum both in assemblies and during lessons. Many older

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Personal development and welfare

pupils are knowledgeable about global issues such as fair trade and see these as important.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils told inspectors that behaviour around school, in the dining room and in lessons, not only during the inspection but at all other times, was invariably good.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They clearly work much harder than at the time of the previous inspection. They take great pride in their books and work is well presented. Pupils, in most classes, know that they have to do their best or work will not be accepted by the teacher. In some classes, pupils are unclear of the next stages in their learning and where to focus their efforts to improve.  Pupils show a clear understanding of the school’s behaviour code. They enjoy the system of rewards and recognise that the system of warnings and sanctions are both fair and necessary.  Pupils relate very well to staff and one another. They act safely in school and behave with respect for the safety of others. Pupils say that they feel safe at school at all times. They also understand about keeping

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Progress has accelerated well across the school and Bishop King pupils now make better progress than is typical nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. This is particularly the case for pupils who have been in the school over a longer period, for example from Year 2 to the end of Year 6. The longer they are at the school, the better the progress they make. Pupils are thus prepared well for the next stage of their education and the life of work beyond school.  Pupils who attain below the level expected for their age, and those at the early stages of learning English, Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 6 of 10 make the best progress due to the extensive additional support provided for them, not only in lessons but also in special support groups, often provided by well-trained teaching assistants outside the classroom.  The least progress is made by the most-able pupils. Not enough attention is paid to fully accelerating the

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress of these pupils. The school has recognised this and has recently begun some useful work to help these pupils to achieve their full potential.  More than half of the pupils are from families whose home language is other than English. Many pupils join the school mid year or leave the school before the normal point of leaving at the end of Year 6. This year, for example, around 1 in 6 pupils have joined or left the school since the normal start of the school year in September 2015. Many of these new entrants arrive with little or no spoken or written English.  Pupils who start with little English quickly make good progress in all aspects of their learning, especially in their confidence in spoken English. However, their attainment, by the end of Year 6, is often below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Thus, although this large group of pupils make very good progress from their starting points, standards in national assessments by the end of Year 6

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Outcomes for pupils are good

were below average in 2015. The situation is similar in school now in that school records and inspection evidence indicate that these pupils are making very good progress in their learning. Despite this, standards by the end of Year 6 in 2016 are expected to be below national averages.  Disadvantaged pupils now do much better at the school than in previous years. By the end of Year 6 in 2015, the gap had narrowed considerably between the progress made by disadvantaged Bishop King pupils and other pupils in the school. This is due to much improved teaching and the extensive additional support now provided for disadvantaged pupils. However, the attainment of these disadvantaged pupils was around two terms behind other pupils at the school and around a year behind the national averages for all pupils.  Although pupils make good progress up to Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were

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Outcomes for pupils are good

below average in 2015 national assessments. In Year 3, pupils make expected progress, then, in Years 4 to 6, pupils make good progress.  Pupils’ attainment and progress in subjects other than English and mathematics are similar in other subjects such as history, geography and science.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress overall, but they attain well short of national averages by the end of Year 6.

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Early years provision is good

 Many children start in the Nursery with knowledge and skills that are lower than is typical for their age in almost all areas of learning, but particularly in their language development.  Because staff have a clear understanding of how children learn, children get off to a good start in the Nursery class and continue to make good progress in both Reception classes.  Good-quality, interesting learning activities, in both the indoor and outdoor learning areas, help children to enjoy their learning and make good progress in all aspects of their learning.  Staff provide good-quality role models to children and teach them how to keep calm, work hard and relate to each other and adults well. Children concentrate well when listening to adults and also when carrying out their tasks because they are expected so to do.  The quality of personal care for children is high. All statutory safety and welfare requirements are met.

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Early years provision is good

They are well looked after and kept safe and given clear guidance on how to behave. Consequently, children behave well and learn to act with consideration for the safety of others.  The quality of teaching is good and children are prepared very well for Year 1 and beyond. Encouragement and support for disabled children or those with special educational needs is very good. Children with limited English are guided and supported well.  Most children make good progress towards attaining a good level of development by the end of the early years. The most able, especially in their mathematics and number work, do not always fulfil their full potential and are sometimes not challenged or supported enough.  Funding to support the learning of disadvantaged children is used well in the early years and there is little difference in the progress made by disadvantaged children and other children both at the school and

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Early years provision is good

nationally.  The quality of leadership and management in the early years is good. Leaders and staff have a clear understanding of where improvements are needed and are constantly thinking about how staff can Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 7 of 10 ensure that children do even better. Writing has been a recent focus for improvement and children’s confidence in and enjoyment of writing have improved well this year.  Although communication with parents is already praised by parents, the school is undertaking further improvements and meetings with parents to help them see how they can be more fully involved in supporting their children’s learning at home. Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 8 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 120630 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10009113

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 368 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Samantha Smith Headteacher Kate Rouse Telephone number 01522 880094 Website www.bishopking.org.uk Email address kate.rouse@bishopking.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 March 2014

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Two out of three pupils speak a language other than English as their first language which is much greater than the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is also significantly above average.  An above-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils are supported by the pupil premium. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is also above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  A particularly large proportion of pupils join the school into other year groups than the early years or

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Information about this school

leave the school before the end of Year 6. Many of these pupils arrive with little English.  In the last two years, there has been a high staff turnover. Most senior and middle leaders have taken up their roles recently and eight teachers have joined the staff since the previous inspection.  Since the previous inspection the school has been awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark. Inspection report: The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary School, 20–21 January 2016 9 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes, including two joint observations of full lessons, one with the headteacher and the other with the deputy headteacher. In addition, a number of shorter visits were made to the early years and to see particular aspects, such as the teaching of reading or pupils participating in support programmes. A range of other school activities, including playtimes, lunchtimes and an assembly, were observed.  Past and current work of pupils of all abilities in all year groups was scrutinised and some pupils were heard reading.  Meetings were held with school staff and with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body.  Documents, including plans for school improvement and reports showing the school’s view of its own performance, safeguarding documents, and policies and records relating to personal development, behaviour, welfare, safety and attendance, were inspected. Information on the performance of the

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Information about this inspection

school in comparison with other schools nationally was analysed. The school’s records of pupils’ progress were also inspected.  Inspectors held short discussions with 54 parents of a total of 104 children at the beginning of the second day of the inspection. The views of 21 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online ‘Parent View’ questionnaire were analysed. The results of a survey of parents’ views collected by the school just before Christmas were also considered.  Inspectors received the views of staff through discussions and by analysing the responses to the inspection survey and the school’s own July 2015 survey of staff views. They also received the views of pupils through both informal and pre-arranged discussions.  A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority.

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Inspection team

Roger Sadler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Rebecca King Ofsted Inspector Dorothy Martin Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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