Berrow Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Berrow Church of England Primary School Rugosa Drive, Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset TA8 2LJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 25–26 September 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us they are happy at school. They understand the school’s behaviour system and like being rewarded for good behaviour. However, pupils think it is unfair when everyone is rewarded, even those who do not behave as well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are motivated and say they enjoy learning. However, they would like a quieter space to work in. At times, some pupils’ behaviour stops others from getting on with their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They like the clubs and activities that are available. Many pupils spoke enthusiastically about the residential and whole-school trips. The school has a broad offer of extra-curricular clubs, including dance and mindfulness. Pupils benefit from these exciting experiences which help them to develop personally and socially. They have a good sense of right and wrong. They are confident to share their views where they sense injustice.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. Most pupils know who they can turn to if they have any concerns. But not all pupils feel that staff resolve issues quickly enough, including bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

However, the quality of education is not good. The teaching pupils receive is not well planned, which means that there are gaps in their knowledge in many subjects.

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better?

Leaders, including governors, know that the quality of education is not good enough. They are trying to improve it, with some success. For example, in science, the subject leader has given careful consideration to how science is planned and taught across the school. This makes sure that pupils’ science knowledge and skills are improving.

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better?

Some curriculum plans do not take enough account of previous learning. In mathematics, teachers do not use information effectively about pupils’ learning to plan their next steps. Some pupils do not have the knowledge they need to understand the value of each digit. This means they are unable to understand key terms, such as ‘greater’ or ‘less than’.

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better?

Pupils make better progress in science and physical education (PE). This is because there is clear guidance about what to teach and when, which makes sure that previous learning is secured. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and skills are improving over time.

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better?

Despite successes in the Year 1 phonics screening check, the teaching of early reading is not good enough. Teachers do not use information about the pupils’ learning well enough to identify what pupils need to know next. Reading books in key stage 1 do not help pupils practise the sounds they have learned. Pupils who 25–26 September 2019

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find reading difficult struggle to read fluently.

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Teachers in key stage 2 understand how to use information to improve pupils’ reading. This is due to new reading initiatives introduced recently by leaders. As a result, pupils can read fluently, accurately and confidently. However, this has not yet had the impact needed.

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Most pupils enjoy learning in a wide range of subjects. However, teachers do not set work to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well enough. Leaders have recognised this. They have identified the need to provide specialist training for staff, so they are better equipped to support pupils with complex needs.

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Pupils who receive additional funding through the pupil premium benefit from the support they have. Disadvantaged pupils have full access to all the broad extra- curricular experiences. However, the extra support in mathematics and reading has not yet made an impact.

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Children in the early years, including the pre-school, are happy. They get off to a good start in pre-school and cooperate well. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. But the good start they get in pre-school does not continue in Reception. Leaders have not ensured that the teaching of phonics in Reception begins as soon as children start school. This means that they do not make as much progress as they could.

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Children in Reception enjoy the activities on offer, particularly in mathematics. They like to learn outside. Most children stay focused and busy. However, staff’s expectations of the children are not sufficiently high. This means that not all children do as well as they could.

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Governors have worked hard to engage parents and carers and build links between the school and the parish. However, they do not challenge leaders effectively. For example, the school priorities for this academic year have not yet been identified. Governors do not ask leaders about the quality of education.

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Staff find the leaders of the school supportive and they help them to manage their workload. They value the visits from their link governors, who check on their well- being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have a clear understanding about how to keep children safe. They know what to do if they have concerns about a child’s welfare. Leaders work effectively with the local Parent and Family Support Adviser (PFSA) so that families receive the support they need. 25–26 September 2019

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Leaders have put systems in place to check that adults are safe to work with children. Staff check that the school environment is safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 What leaders want pupils to learn is not clear. Consequently, the sequencing of learning does not ensure that prior learning is built upon over time so that pupils know more and remember more. Leaders need to identify what they want pupils to learn in some subjects. They should also ensure that learning in these subjects is sequenced so that pupils know more and remember more.  Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ early reading and phonics knowledge are not accurate. Leaders need to support teachers to use accurate assessment to plan teaching in phonics.  Children in Reception do not start to learn phonics until almost a month into the school year. Leaders need to ensure that children start to learn letters and sounds as soon as they start school.  Pupils with SEND do not acquire the knowledge they need well enough. Leaders should implement the identified training to help teachers provide these pupils with

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

effective support.  Governors do not have a clear enough view of the quality of education. They have not held leaders to account well enough, including for this aspect of the school’s work. They need to challenge school leaders about the quality of education routinely and hold leaders to account effectively.  Disruptive behaviour and bullying are not dealt with swiftly enough. Some pupils lack confidence in how these matters are resolved. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ behaviour does not disrupt learning and that bullying is addressed effectively.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 25–26 September 2019

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 25–26 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10058331 Type of school Primary

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School details

Chair of governing body Reverend Jonathan Philpott

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6–7 October 2015

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school.  The school, which includes a pre-school provision, is smaller than the average- sized primary school. The majority of the pupils are White British. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is below that of pupils nationally.  The proportion of pupils who receive additional support for special educational needs, or who have an education, health and care plan, is below the national average.  The school runs a before- and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders. A meeting was also held with the chair of governors, the vice chair and a parent governor. A telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority. 25–26 September 2019

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 The inspection focused on early reading, mathematics, design and technology, history, PE and science. For these subjects, inspectors did the following: discussed the quality of education with senior leaders and subject leaders, visited lessons, discussed their experience of learning with several groups of pupils, and looked at work in pupils’ books.

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Inspection team

Wendy D’Arcy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Marion Borland Ofsted Inspector 25–26 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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