Bishops Hull Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Rachel White Headteacher Bishops Hull Primary School Bishops Hull Hill Bishops Hull Taunton Somerset TA1 5EB

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 19 June 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in April 2014.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You provide very strong leadership and clear guidance. Parents, pupils and staff are consistent in highlighting the role you play as a leader in developing the school. You have introduced effective systems to support the progress of pupils and to assist teachers in developing their practice. The governing body and your senior staff support you well.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

You and your leaders create a vibrant, positive culture. The school is a supportive environment with a focus on achievement for pupils. Where teachers have the highest of expectations of pupils, pupils respond positively to this. You ensure that teachers maintain a focus on improving pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills at school and home, especially at key stage 1.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

Pupils are welcoming to visitors and keen to emphasise the strong support, care, attention and encouragement they receive from their teachers. They comment on their enjoyment of school, especially when lessons and work challenge them to achieve their best.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

At the previous inspection, the school was asked to improve the quality of assessment in mathematics. You have introduced a new scheme of learning and training for all staff in the school. You have changed the assessment processes across the school. Where teachers consistently follow this, pupils make strong progress. You have acted swiftly to support staff to improve the quality and consistency of teaching. As a result, pupils’ outcomes in mathematics have improved. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Detailed checks are made to ensure that all employees, volunteers and visitors to the school are suitable to work with children. Precise and accurate records are kept and these meet statutory requirements. All members of staff receive appropriate and regular training on matters of safeguarding and they are fully aware of their responsibilities.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

Staff and pupils know how to report any matters which concern them. You ensure that communication within school and with outside agencies is detailed, timely and relentless. The employment of a dedicated parent support adviser means that support is available swiftly for pupils and their families should the need arise.

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Short inspection of Bishops Hull Primary School

The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View expressed the view that their children are happy and safe. Around the school, pupils are respectful and polite to one another and to adults. Pupils speak of the leadership opportunities the school provides and that they enjoy school. Pupils state that bullying is rare and that any reported incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively.

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Inspection findings

 In the last two years, pupils have not made as much progress as other pupils have nationally at the end of key stage 1. This is especially so in reading. Following a strategic review by senior leaders and governors, you identified that the curriculum was not providing opportunities for pupils to make strong progress. You have changed the curriculum so that there is a greater focus on reading and writing across subjects. Pupils have found this more challenging. They enjoy the greater variety of texts available to them.  Teachers use the new curriculum to ensure that their planning is better suited to the learning of pupils. A supportive assessment system engages and challenges pupils to be more resilient learners by directing them to consider their own learning. Where staff apply this consistently, pupils make better progress in the school.  You have made use of additional funding to introduce structured sessions in the early

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Inspection findings

years. There is a focus on children developing their strength and fine motor skills. Consequently, children are better prepared for Year 1 and pupils are also making rapid progress at the end of key stage 1. Outcomes in reading and writing have improved.  At the end of 2017, progress of the most able disadvantaged pupils in mathematics was below other pupils nationally. You were quick to analyse the issues and have targeted the teaching of mathematics across the school. A new scheme of learning has had a positive impact on pupils’ reasoning and understanding of number. Staff and pupils spoke positively about the impact the new approaches have on teaching and learning. As a result, pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make more rapid progress.  In the last few years, disadvantaged pupils have not achieved as well as their peers and other pupils nationally by the end of key stage 2. You have invested the additional

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Inspection findings

funding in a range of strategies to ensure that members of staff are aware of the individual barriers these pupils face. Pupils now benefit from targeted sessions to focus on misconceptions in their learning. You focus on ensuring that early support is in place for pupils so that any weaknesses in achievement are tackled as soon as possible.  You make sure that parents understand the role they have in supporting their child’s learning. Pupils and parents have benefited from the introduction of ‘The Bishop Hull Book of Everything’ in key stage 1. The work of individual teachers and other specialist staff also ensures that pupils are able to access the education on offer through careful guidance and strong pastoral support. As a result, the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils currently at the school in key stage 1 have improved.  You have identified a need to ensure that pupils enjoy reading and read more widely,

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Inspection findings

especially boys in key stage 2. You are building on the good work at key stage 1 to increase parent participation in reading with their children.  In 2016, results at the end of key stage 2 showed a dip in performance in writing. You were quick to analyse and address the issues. You swiftly provided support for teachers and pupils. Staff have compared their assessments with staff from other schools. This ensures that they assess pupils’ work accurately. They have had training on their teaching of spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting, and this continues.  Due to your higher expectations, teachers increasingly expect more from pupils. Pupils develop their writing skills by using them in a range of subjects. They read more challenging texts, which helps to develop their vocabulary. This has had a positive impact on the quality of pupils’ writing. As a result, more pupils make better progress.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  teachers consistently provide a high level of challenge for all pupils, including through use of assessment, so that pupils make at least good progress  teachers work with parents further, extending the successful work to develop pupils’ reading in key stage 1 into key stage 2.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I spoke with you, other middle and senior leaders and with members of the governing body. You joined me in visiting all classes to observe learning and to look at samples of pupils’ work. I also held informal discussions with pupils and staff around the school at break and lunchtime, as well as in lessons. I met with a small group of pupils from across the school to discuss their learning experiences. I scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and development plans. I looked at examples of the school’s systems to track pupils’ progress. I took into account the 57 responses to Parent View, 17 responses to a staff survey and the three responses to a pupil survey.

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