North Bradley CofE Primary School

North Bradley Church of England Primary School Church Lane, North Bradley, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 0TA

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 The headteacher has created an inclusive school where everyone is valued.  Leaders have a clear, collaborative focus on improvement. They continually seek ways to make the school even better.  Senior leaders support staff in ensuring that learning is exciting and memorable. Pupils develop a strong desire to learn and be successful.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is effective. As a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the national phonics check has been consistently above the national average.  Pupils make good progress from their different starting points. As a result, pupils achieve above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 2 and 6.  Highly effective support for pupils who have special educational needs or disability ensures that they grow in confidence and make good progress.  The school makes good use of funding to support

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This is a good school

disadvantaged pupils. As a result, these pupils achieve in line with others nationally.  Pupils are courteous and respectful to others at all times. They are eager to take on responsibilities and show a high level of confidence.  Staff promote outstanding personal development and welfare. Pupils feel safe, well cared for and respected. Parents are very positive about the care their children receive.  Governors bring a high level of skill and commitment to the school. They have a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and provide effective challenge and support for leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching in the early years does not always provide sufficiently challenging activities for all children.  Progress in mathematics is not rapid in all year groups, particularly for the most able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in the early years foundation stage by ensuring that teachers provide challenging activities, particularly for the most able children.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the work already being undertaken in mathematics to ensure that all teachers consistently challenge pupils, particularly the most able, so that they make better progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher is relentless in her efforts to provide the best education and care for all pupils in the school. She is held in high esteem by governors, staff and parents. Her leadership ensures that the staff and pupils live out the school’s motto of ‘Learning, Loving, Laughing’ in a highly positive and nurturing culture.  The headteacher champions the needs of the most vulnerable pupils. The inclusive ethos of the school ensures that pupils who have complex needs are supported in their well-being and in their social, emotional and academic development. Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress from their starting points and grow in confidence.  All senior leaders have high expectations. They check carefully on pupils’ progress and provide challenge and support to teachers as necessary. They hold teachers to account for pupils’ achievement, ensuring that standards remain high. Senior leaders also contribute to school improvement in other local schools,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

which enhances their expertise.  Senior leaders have accurately identified where teaching, learning and assessment could be further improved and are taking appropriate actions. For example, they have implemented a programme of additional training and support for teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics, which is beginning to have an impact. Work produced by pupils shows that they are being challenged more to show their understanding and apply reasoning skills.  The curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that pupils experience a rich and broad balance of subjects. Leaders have developed ‘non-negotiables’ to ensure that pupils apply their literacy skills in all subject areas. These include, for literacy, rules on spelling, punctuation and grammar. Pupils are able to self- correct errors in their writing and are achieving higher standards because of this.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally strong. British values

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

such as rights and responsibilities are woven throughout the curriculum and have a strong impact on the school’s ethos. Pupils’ actions show that they have a clear understanding of the importance of respect, tolerance and the rule of law. For example, the house system in the school allows every pupil to have a voice and to work together for shared goals. As a consequence, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Additional funding is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress. Leaders have deployed funds to engage well-qualified teachers and highly trained support staff to provide one-to- one and small-group support. As a result, in 2015, many disadvantaged pupils made good progress.  Additional sport premium funding is used well to provide training opportunities for teachers to work alongside sports coaches to improve their practice. There has been an increase in the proportion of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils who undertake a sporting activity, with almost two thirds of the school attending at least one sports club.  The governance of the school – Governors have a wealth of professional skills and expertise which benefit the school greatly. – Governors are thorough and proactive in their work. They have recently made the decision to increase the school size, in consultation with the local authority. They have been successful in securing additional funds to secure the necessary classroom space to allow for this. – Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses particularly well. They provide effective challenge to leaders.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are trained to identify when pupils may be at risk. Documentation shows that any concerns about pupils’ well-being are quickly acted upon. Leaders work closely and swiftly with other agencies to support families experiencing difficulties. The appropriate

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

statutory recruitment checks for new staff are carried out. Governors attend training alongside staff and take their roles very seriously. They monitor the rigour of safeguarding measures frequently.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils work hard to achieve well. This is because relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and pupils know their work is valued.  Teaching is well planned in line with the school’s policy and linked to the revised national curriculum. There is a consistency of approach in meeting leaders’ ‘non-negotiable’ expectations for literacy and numeracy. This ensures that pupils’ writing is of a high quality across all subjects.  Teachers generally have good subject knowledge and use this to plan topics and themes which hold pupils’ interest. Topics such as ‘Adventures in Wonderland’ and ‘Robot Invasion’ inspire pupils’ creativity. As a result, they are motivated to do their best.  Reading skills, including phonics, are taught well. Reading records show that pupils read widely and often. Pupils speak passionately about books. They say that they enjoy reading and that, in particular, they enjoy the books linked to the topics they study in class. This is reflected in pupils’ above-average

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

attainment in reading across all year groups.  Writing is taught well across the school. A number of pupils told inspectors that it was their ‘favourite thing’. Work in pupils’ English books and in topic books is of an equally high standard. Pupils’ writing shows a good grasp of spelling, punctuation and grammar skills. Pupils take great pride in their work and enjoy writing at length. As a result, pupils achieve highly in this area of the curriculum.  The teaching of mathematics has been a focus for improvement in recent months. Work in books reflects a consistent approach to developing pupils’ understanding of key concepts in mathematics. However, there remains some variation across the school in how well teachers provide activities to challenge the most able pupils in particular. Support provided by senior leaders is beginning to bring about improvements in this respect.  Teachers provide pupils with useful feedback. Pupils respond well to teachers’ advice and this accelerates

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

their progress.  Teaching assistants are skilled and well trained. Their effective questioning and support makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ progress. The special educational needs coordinator checks their work regularly and provides support to ensure that pupils catch up quickly.  The vast majority of parents who spoke to inspectors, as well as the 58 who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, have high levels of confidence in the quality of teaching at the school. They say that their child enjoys school and makes good progress. Pupils and parents agree that homework makes a good contribution to learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. All staff care for pupils and remain alert, ensuring that pupils’ safety is not compromised. Risk assessments for trips are exceptionally thorough.  Pupils of all ages speak knowledgeably about keeping safe and have an excellent understanding of internet and fire safety in particular.  Participation in house groups and in the local Youth Parliament helps pupils to gain an understanding of democracy. The wealth of opportunities to take on responsibilities in school helps pupils to develop their understanding of the value of teamwork. Pupils learn how to consider the views of others and respect differences.  Pupils have an exemplary understanding of how to eat healthily. They can explain how exercise is good for their health and talk about how they share what they learn with family members. Pupils say that the regular lessons they have in personal, social and health education help them to understand the

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Personal development and welfare

importance of looking after their bodies.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils of all ages clearly understand the difference between right and wrong. At play and lunchtimes, pupils of all ages play well together. The school is a harmonious place. In lessons, pupils praise and encourage each other.  Staff have extremely high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils show great resilience and a thirst for learning. This outstanding behaviour has contributed to pupils often making better-than-expected progress by the time they leave the school.  The school keeps meticulous records of any incidents of behaviour that fall below expectations. These records show that bullying is rare. Pupils say that bullying happens very occasionally and that when it does, the adults quickly sort it out.  Pupils’ attendance is above the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The majority of pupils make good progress from their starting points. In 2015, a higher proportion of Year 6 pupils than nationally made the expected rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics for the last three years. In 2015, a higher proportion of pupils achieved the highest level in reading and writing than in mathematics.  In 2015, Year 1 pupils achieved above the national average in the phonics screening checks. Work from the early years onwards demonstrates children’s and pupils’ excellent application of their knowledge of spelling.  The gap between disadvantaged pupils and others is closing. In 2015, disadvantaged pupils achieved better than other pupils nationally. Current information about pupils’ progress shows that the few disadvantaged pupils in the school are achieving as well as their classmates.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make at least good progress from their starting points. Teachers ensure that pupils with extremely complex needs are effectively supported so that they too make good progress.  Pupils’ work in books and the school’s accurate assessment information show that pupils’ writing skills are particularly strong. Pupils in Year 2 write extensively. Their writing shows a good grasp of the ‘non- negotiables’ of spelling and punctuation. Many are competent at writing paragraphs and use commas and apostrophes correctly. In key stage 2, pupils write with a beautifully neat, cursive script. Displays of writing in classrooms and corridors demonstrate the pride that pupils take in their handwriting.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as strong as in reading or writing. Pupils across all year groups have a good grasp of basic number skills. They are able to recall facts quickly and accurately. However,

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Outcomes for pupils are good

where the teachers’ subject knowledge is weaker, the most able pupils are not provided with activities to deepen their thinking. When this occurs, the progress of the most able pupils in mathematics slows down.

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Early years provision is good

 Children settle into school quickly because of the very good links with the local pre-school. In the year before children are due to join the school, they make regular weekly visits. Strong relationships are established in these early stages and this supports a smooth transition. Parents are very positive about how happy their children are in school.  Leaders ensure that staff are trained well. Their priority is that children are safe, well cared for and happy. Both the indoor and outdoor environments are safe and well organised.  Children enter the school with skills generally below those expected for their age. In 2015, children made good progress, particularly in reading, although a lower proportion of children than the national average achieved a good level of development by the time they moved on to Year 1. Current information suggests that the proportions achieving a good level of development in the early learning goals are likely to be

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Early years provision is good

above the national average in 2016.  Relationships are warm and supportive. Adults interact with the children effectively, deepening children’s thinking through the questions they ask. Well-planned group sessions and labels around the classroom support the development of early reading skills.  Children behave well and move between activities sensibly. They play and work well together.  The quality of teaching and learning in the early years is good. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and well-established routines ensure that children listen and behave well.  Teachers and teaching assistants gain an accurate knowledge of what children can and can’t do from the regular assessments they carry out. Improvements have been made to ensure early identification of children who may have special educational needs or a disability. These children are making good progress from their starting points.

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Early years provision is good

 Sometimes, teachers have insufficiently high expectations of what the most able children can achieve and provide insufficiently challenging activities, so slowing their progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 126344 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10011153

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 180 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Michael Simmons Headteacher Mrs Janette O’Brien Telephone number 01225 753230 Website www.northbradley.wilts.sch.uk Email address admin@northbradley.wilts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 October 2010

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Information about this school

 North Bradley Church of England Primary School is a smaller than average-sized school.  The vast majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is below average. This is the additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is higher than the national average.  The headteacher is a school improvement adviser and the deputy headteacher is a specialist leader in education. All members of the senior leadership team support school improvement in other schools.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 There was one inspector on the first day of the inspection and three inspectors on the second day.  Inspectors observed learning in all year groups and classes, some jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed an assembly, play and lunchtimes and the arrival of pupils at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body and conducted telephone conversations with four members of the local authority.  Inspectors met with a group of parents and took into account 58 responses to Parent View.  Inspectors also met with two groups of pupils and listened to a further group read. They spoke with pupils in the playground and in lessons.  Inspectors spoke to senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including senior leaders’ areas for improvement, information on pupils’ progress and records relating to attendance, safety and welfare.

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Inspection team

Tracy Hannon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Roberta Camble Ofsted Inspector Maddy Kent 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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