Bradfield C.E. Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bradfield C.E. Primary School Cock Lane, Southend, Bradfield, Reading, Berkshire RG7 6HR

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Outcome

Bradfield C.E. Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers, pupils and staff agree that this is a happy, friendly and caring school. Pupils are encouraged to use its Christian values as a reference point for how to work and behave.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults are ambitious for all pupils and expect them to do well, both personally and academically. In lessons, almost all pupils behave positively towards one another and get on well with their learning. Staff encourage pupils to think for themselves and try out new ideas. This helps to build pupils’ independence and curiosity about the world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff build great relationships with pupils and their parents. Pupils trust the adults in the school and are confident to talk to them about any worries they have. Pupils say that, although there are sometimes friendship fallings-out, bullying is very rare. If it did happen, pupils are confident that staff would deal with it straightaway. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when accessing the internet.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the variety of clubs and activities on offer. Older pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their self-confidence and to take on responsibilities, including becoming active members of the local community. They feel well prepared for secondary school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading well. Staff make sure that the youngest children quickly learn to read from the start of the Reception Year. Adults use lots of ways to promote reading, including weekly visits by a therapy dog to help the younger children relax and enjoy reading. Children are taught phonics systematically. They quickly start to blend sounds together to read words. Teachers support children who need to catch up with their reading skills through helpful activities. Teachers read enthusiastically and so capture children’s interest and imagination. This promotes a love of reading that continues throughout the school. Older pupils talked to me knowledgeably and enthusiastically 6–7 November 2019

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about their reading. For instance, Year 4 were studying the epic poem ‘Beowulf’. Through careful teaching, they have a strong understanding of the setting of the poem.

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Most areas of the curriculum are logically planned and well delivered. Leaders make sure that teachers receive good support and training to develop their expertise across the curriculum. As a result, in most subjects, teachers plan activities that build well on pupils’ previous learning. This is particularly clear in reading and in mathematics, where pupils build up their mathematical knowledge securely over time. They use their skills to solve more difficult problems as they move through the school. Teachers plan experiences to capture pupils’ interest and reinforce their learning. For example, in history, pupils make a model of London after the Great Fire, build Mesoamerican pyramids from the Mayan civilization and make a Stone Age bow drill to create fire.

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Leaders are well along the way in reviewing and updating the curriculum. However, some subjects, such as modern foreign languages and design and technology, are not as well planned. Subject knowledge is not yet consistently strong across all teaching staff. This means that, sometimes, teaching is less than strong.

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Adults support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with teachers and parents to make sure that pupils with SEND get the right support. Adults support pupils with SEND to build confidence, as well as knowledge. As a result, they achieve well personally and academically.

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Teachers broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them through carefully planned visits and visitors. Pupils raise awareness of many charities and concerns, including some close to their hearts. For instance, pupils recently campaigned for the rights of children to receive available treatment for their medical condition. The campaign involved corresponding with Buckingham Palace, a meeting with the local Member of Parliament and interviews with the local paper.

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Pupils know the school’s values and rules. A small number of pupils and parents think behaviour is not always as good as it should be. In the past, some pupils have disrupted learning. Leaders have introduced new behaviour management procedures. As a result, staff are more consistent in the way they deal with all pupils, and behaviour has improved.

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Staff across the school share leaders’ vision for continued improvement. Staff feel valued, particularly through leaders’ efforts to reduce workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding within the school. Staff and governors take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Leaders make sure that appropriate checks take place before adults work with children. Staff are up to date in their training. They recognise signs of possible abuse or neglect. Leaders make sure that record-keeping is 6–7 November 2019

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meticulous. They work well with other professionals to support children and their families where needed. Teachers make sure that pupils know about possible risks and how to keep themselves safe from harm.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The strengths seen in English and mathematics are not yet matched in some other subjects. Leaders have already begun to address the planning of the foundation subjects but the content of some is not yet ordered well. This is the case in design and technology and modern foreign languages. Leaders need to ensure that all subjects are well planned and carefully sequenced.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most staff are well trained and have the subject knowledge to deliver subjects effectively. Leaders provide effective support and training for teachers. Leaders need to identify any staff who need extra support to ensure that subject knowledge is consistently strong and to support them, without adding to their workload.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 4–5 May 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 6–7 November 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 6–7 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111373 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mr Kester Russell (acting)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 May 2016

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-aided Church of England school.  The school had a section 48 inspection of denominational education in March 2019.  The headteacher took up her position in September 2018.  The chair of governors is currently on sabbatical leave from his position as priest in charge of the parish of Bradfield. There will be an acting chair of governors in place until the end of December 2019.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.

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Information about this inspection

 I held a wide range of meetings during this inspection, including with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the school business manager and governors.  I spoke to a representative of the local authority and to a representative of the diocese by telephone.  I took account of 53 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey and 42 free-text comments, as well as some direct contact from parents. I also took account of 15 6–7 November 2019

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responses to the staff survey and 85 responses to the pupil survey.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. I met with leaders of these subjects, visited lessons, looked at teachers’ planning, heard pupils read, talked to teachers and pupils, and looked at work in books.  I checked the school’s record of recruitment checks for every adult in the school. I met with the designated safeguarding leader to discuss safeguarding. I looked at some records of incidents reported by staff and the subsequent actions carried out.

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Inspection team

Marcia Goodwin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6–7 November 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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