Bawdeswell Community Primary School

Inspection of Bawdeswell Community Primary School Fakenham Road, Bawdeswell, Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4RR

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14–15 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

When the school joined the Synergy Multi-Academy Trust, pupils’ behaviour was poor and achievement very low. Since then, leaders and trustees have brought about many improvements. Despite this, there are still weaknesses in the quality of education, which leaders know they need to address.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Bawdeswell Primary. One pupil, new to the school, told me, ‘It’s a community; like a family.’ This sense of community and everyone working together is evident. Older pupils in assembly remind younger ones to listen. Everyone joins in singing, with obvious enjoyment shown by spontaneous clapping at the end.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They have prioritised improving pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics skills. Leaders know the attributes they want all pupils to have by the time they leave the school. However, leaders have not identified what pupils need to learn in foundation subjects such as history, geography and religious education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well most of the time. They know and like the new rewards and sanctions. They are keen to earn a pom-pom for the class jar towards a class trip to the park. They know that they will move down the class star chart if they misbehave.

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better?

In English and mathematics leaders have ensured that the curriculum identifies what pupils need to know at each stage. This is not the case in other subjects.

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better?

Reading is taught well in the school. The programme for teaching phonics is suitably ambitious for all pupils. Anyone who falls behind in reading is given extra phonics and reading support. This helps them to catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy reading and listening to the stories that teachers read to them. Pupils like the new library and look forward to choosing their books from there. Pupils use their good reading skills when writing. Sometimes pupils forget to use their phonics knowledge to spell words they are capable of spelling.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum enables pupils to build on their learning well. Pupils in Year 2, for example, used their knowledge of counting in twos and tens when working out totals of coins. Teachers know how what they are teaching now is preparing pupils for what they will learn next.

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better?

In other subjects, each teacher individually chooses the content they will teach for each subject. Therefore, the curriculum lacks continuity. For example, pupils learn facts about different historical events or periods but cannot relate what they learned before to their current learning. An exception is physical education (PE). The 14–15 January 2020

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curriculum is planned well. It enables pupils to develop their PE skills progressively. Pupils are given opportunities to apply these in games.

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The strengths in behaviour and in the core curriculum of English and mathematics apply equally to the early years. The same weaknesses in the broader curriculum apply to provision for early years in the mixed Reception/Year 1 class.

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Staff provide lots of opportunities to help pupils become thoughtful and responsible. Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities such as class or assembly monitors. At forest school they learn independence and resilience. They use unfamiliar equipment such as tools and learn about how to do so safely. They learn to take care of the environment. Pupils know to treat others with respect. However, pupils lack understanding of other faiths and cultures. This is because the curriculum has not been planned to ensure that this is included.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in reading. However, the individual targets for these pupils are too general. They do not identify the small steps each pupil needs to make. Therefore, the support provided beyond reading is not as effective as it should be.

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Leaders have ensured that staff know how to teach reading and mathematics effectively. They have not provided training for teaching other subjects. Trustees have plans to develop the leadership of foundation subjects but have not yet implemented these.

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Leaders ensure that the school has an inclusive ethos where pupils with different needs are welcomed. Parents support the school because leaders have improved communication with parents. One parent wrote: ‘In the last year the school has seen a huge turnaround with an improvement in communication, better organisation and a happier, positive environment.’ This comment typifies the views of many parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make safeguarding a top priority. They train all staff so everyone knows what to do if they are concerned about a child. Leaders work with other agencies so pupils get the help they need. However, some records need more detail about the actions taken in response to concerns.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about safety, including road safety and how to stay safe online. Leaders provide written information to parents about online safety but need to do more to help parents keep their children safe when using technology.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say that the school is a safe place. They know they can tell a trusted adult if they are worried about anything. 14–15 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The subject-specific content of the curriculum for most foundation subjects has not been identified. Teachers select the content they teach linked to the ‘vehicle’ (topic) title. This means that the curriculum lacks progression and sequence. Leaders need to identify the knowledge and concepts that need to be taught and when, so that teaching builds on what has been learned previously and prepares pupils for future learning. Leaders need to provide staff with training specific to foundation subjects.  Pupils lack understanding of different faiths and cultures. As the curriculum is developed, leaders need to ensure that the content provides pupils with an understanding of diversity.  The school has appointed leaders for English and mathematics. Leaders have plans for ensuring that foundation subjects are led and managed, but these have not yet been realised. Trustees need to implement their plans for expanding the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

leadership capacity of the school.  Targets for pupils with SEND are too general. This means that the provision for these pupils is often not focused well enough to have maximum impact on their learning. Leaders need to ensure that targets identify more precisely the small steps pupils need to make to move on in their learning. Leaders need to make more thorough checks on provision for pupils with SEND.

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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 are the school and you are 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.

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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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10112152 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Emma Yerby Smith (Head of School)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since the predecessor school was inspected in May 2015, the federation between Bawdeswell Primary School and another local school ceased. Bawdeswell Primary joined Synergy Multi-Academy Trust in February 2017. The current head of school has been in post since January 2019.  The school currently has four classes, a Year 2 class and three mixed-age classes. Pupils are taught together in the Reception Year and Year 1, Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6.

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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

 We met with the head of school, the trust executive headteacher, the chair of trustees and two members of the local governing body. We spoke with class teachers and a range of pupils about the school.  We scrutinised pupil records and files relating to safeguarding, staff recruitment and training relating to safeguarding. We scrutinised a range of other school documents including the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement plan. 14–15 January 2020

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 We carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PE. This entailed visiting classes, looking at pupils’ work, and speaking with the head of school, subject leaders for English and mathematics and teachers. We also spoke with pupils about their learning. One inspector observed a member of staff reading with some pupils.  We took account of 29 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Maria Curry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Adkins Ofsted Inspector 14–15 January 2020

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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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