Barnwood Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Barnwood Church of England Primary School Colin Road, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL4 3JP

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 26–27 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Barnwood is a welcoming school with a nurturing ethos. Adults form caring relationships with pupils. Pupils trust and respect adults. Parents typically comment that staff are approachable and provide a ‘listening ear’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over time, pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics has not been good enough. Leaders are now improving these subjects. However, it is too soon to say if this will have a consistently positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are cheerful and happy at school. They understand the importance of the school’s value: ‘Be the best that you can be.’ They try hard and know that it is important not to give up.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and sociable. They are kind to others. Behaviour in and out of lessons is positive, because pupils know what is expected of them. Pupils confirm that bullying is rare. Leaders work effectively to help the minority of pupils who find it hard to manage their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to take on positions of responsibility. For example, ‘Barnwood Rangers’ help to look after younger pupils at breaktime. Pupils like the extra- curricular clubs on offer, such as hockey and football. They are motivated to undertake reading challenges with their parents.

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better?

Leaders have not acted with the urgency needed to improve pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics. As a result, pupils have gaps in their learning. Leaders are now developing a more ambitious curriculum in reading and mathematics at key stage 1 and 2. For example, in reading, pupils are now better supported to improve their comprehension and vocabulary. In mathematics, pupils consolidate their mathematics skills. It will take time, however, for these improvements to have a long-term impact on pupils’ achievement.

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better?

Leaders are in the early stages of improving sequences of teaching in several subjects, such as history. However, revised teaching plans have not yet been put in place. This means that pupils are not supported to develop the deep knowledge and skills that they need to in each subject. Many subject leaders are new to their role and have not yet been given the time or training needed to develop their subject.

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better?

Leaders’ work to improve phonics and writing has led to a positive impact for many pupils. Leaders focus on teaching children to read as soon as they start school. However, several children in the early years are not doing as well as they should. The school encourages pupils to develop a love of reading. Pupils enjoy listening to stories, such as ‘The Tear Thief’ and ‘The Bear and the Piano’. 26–27 February 2020

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The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works diligently to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Additional teaching and pastoral support are well focused on ensuring that these pupils are included in all aspects of school life. Their attitudes to learning are positive, because they find the extra help valuable.

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Pupils thoroughly enjoy physical education (PE). Teaching plans are effectively sequenced. Activities help pupils to build on the skills they have already learned. For example, pupils can apply some netball skills when they play tag rugby. Pupils understand that taking part in sport can improve their physical and mental health. They enjoy taking part in the ‘daily mile’. Pupils say that it helps them to run off their energy and gets them ready for the day.

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Adults look after children well in the early years. Children listen carefully, and their behaviour is good. However, the curriculum, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, is not sufficiently challenging. As a result, several children are not achieving as well as they should. The outdoor environment is being developed to make it more inviting. However, activities are not routinely planned to spark children’s curiosity or motivate them to explore. This hinders their development of knowledge and skills across all areas of learning.

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Adults have high expectations of pupils’ attitudes to their work. As a result, there are few disruptions to pupils’ learning. Leaders’ work to support pupils’ personal development is effective. For example, pupils learn to develop courage when they try abseiling, orienteering and zip-wiring at Osmington Bay in Weymouth. Pupils enjoy meeting children from other schools to perform plays by Shakespeare.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils well and prioritise their welfare. Staff are well trained. They understand their duty to keep pupils safe and report any concerns. Leaders work closely with external agencies to help pupils and their families. They follow up their actions in a timely manner.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe at school. They know who to go to if they have any worries. Pupils learn to identify and manage risks. For example, they learn about the dangers of drugs and how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority )

 Leaders’ actions to address historical weaknesses in reading and mathematics have not been quick enough. As a result, pupils have gaps in their learning. Leaders must continue to improve teachers’ subject knowledge, so that they 26–27 February 2020

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consistently plan teaching sequences which ensure that pupils learn the knowledge and skills they need to do well.  Leaders have only recently started to develop the curriculum in several foundation subjects, such as history. This means that well-planned teaching sequences have not yet been implemented. Consequently, pupils are hindered from developing the depth of knowledge that they should. Leaders must ensure that they fully develop and embed curriculum plans, so that the content is delivered sequentially and builds pupils’ understanding.  Leadership of the early years is not sufficiently ambitious. As a result, teaching plans and activities do not routinely support children to achieve as well as they should, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. This means that they are not suitably prepared for the next stage in their education. Leaders must improve the curriculum in all areas of learning, so that it consistently challenges children

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to achieve well.  Several subject leaders are new to their roles. They have not yet been able to develop their checks on the curriculum. Senior leaders must provide subject leaders with appropriate training and time, so that they can assure themselves that the curriculum challenges pupils to achieve what they are capable of.

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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. 26–27 February 2020

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Barnwood Primary School is a Church of England school. The school was graded outstanding in the last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) in April 2015. The next SIAMS inspection is due in 2020.

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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 had several meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The deputy headteacher is also the SENCo. We also met with the early years leader.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PE. We held meetings with subject leaders, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. We held discussions with teachers and pupils. An inspector listened to pupils read.  A meeting was held with several members of the governing body. Telephone discussions were held with a representative from the diocese and also a representative from the local authority. 26–27 February 2020

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 We reviewed a range of documentation, including the school improvement plan, the school’s self-evaluation and safeguarding records. Inspectors also looked at attendance records and behaviour logs.  During the inspection, we spoke informally with several pupils. We observed pupils’ behaviour at different times of the day, including at breaktime and lunchtime.  We met parents informally, to gain their views. We reviewed 78 responses to the online survey, Parent View, along with 51 additional free-text comments. We took account of 17 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire and 61 responses to the online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gareth Simons Ofsted Inspector 26–27 February 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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