Bilton Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bilton Community Primary School School Lane, Bilton, Hull HU11 4EG

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Outcome

Bilton Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher and staff team have created a warm, friendly and inclusive ethos where all pupils are valued as unique individuals. Pupils come to school happily and look forward to their school day. The pupils who attend the before- or after-school clubs value the opportunity to play with their friends. Smiles, laughter and warm greetings typify the start of each day. Pupils are proud to come to Bilton Primary School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils of all ages delight in using the outdoor equipment at break and lunchtimes. Pupils behave very well in lessons and when moving around the school. Bullying is not tolerated. Although improving, some pupils’ attendance is low. Pupils like their teachers and the staff who care for them. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. The teaching of reading is prioritised, and pupils develop a love of reading. Pupils find the topics they study interesting and they pay close attention in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers plan and sequence learning carefully in most subjects, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers are clear about the skills they want to develop in each subject. Pupils’ knowledge builds year-on-year as they are learning more and remembering more. However, sometimes teachers are not always clear about the knowledge they want pupils to retain by the end of the topic. By the end of Year 6, most pupils achieve well. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are very appreciative of the care and support provided for their children. Every parent who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, would recommend the school. 10–11 March 2020

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

This school is well led and managed. Staff work well together. They value the support from their colleagues and understand that leaders do all they can to make pupils’ experience at school as positive as possible. They understand that leaders only ask staff to do the things they need to achieve this end.

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

Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are introduced to books and stories and learn what it takes to become a successful reader. The phonics curriculum is well ordered. Teachers and support staff deliver the phonics programme well but there is some variability. Not all staff are trained to the same high standard. Recent investment means that the books that children read match the sounds that they have learned. Staff ensure that good support is provided for any child or pupil who struggles to develop their early reading skills. Teachers across the school ensure that pupils read regularly, in school and at home. Older pupils read regularly and develop a love of reading along with an appreciation of different authors and types of books.

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

The mathematics curriculum is well organised. This helps pupils to develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding in an ordered way. Many pupils say that they enjoy mathematics. Some spoke excitedly about how their teachers help them to remember mathematical facts and rules using songs and rhymes. Pupils work hard in lessons and are able to develop and apply their mathematical knowledge with increasing confidence as they move through the school. Although there was a decline in pupils reaching the higher standard in mathematics in 2019, their current work and learning shows that they are doing well across both key stages 1 and 2.

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

Pupils study a broad range of subjects in line with the national curriculum. However, leaders recognise that further fine tuning is needed in some subjects. Learning is well sequenced in most subjects, such as Spanish, reading, writing and mathematics, but not all subjects. In some subjects, such as history, individual teachers are left to decide what the key knowledge is for each topic and how to sequence the learning over a term. Leaders have not yet identified exactly what pupils are expected to learn by the end of each year group. As a result, it is not always clear how their knowledge will build over time.

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

One of the school’s major strengths is the way that staff support pupils’ personal development. The curriculum is used well to develop pupils’ understanding of how to maintain a healthy body and a healthy mind. Pupils learn about other faiths as well as Christianity. Pupils understand the need for tolerance and respect for others.

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

Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils with SEND are well supported to access the full range of curriculum subjects. Staff know pupils and their individual needs well. Although a small number of parents questioned the effectiveness of their child’s provision, in most cases plans are enacted effectively so that these pupils achieve well over time. Patient and caring staff provide highly effective and sensitive support for pupils with complex learning needs. 10–11 March 2020

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Leaders have systematically tackled all the issues from the last inspection. This includes work to successfully improve pupils’ attendance. Overall attendance improved last year and was around the national average. However, there are still a small number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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The early years curriculum is broad and very carefully designed to cover all areas of learning. The early years learning environment is of a high quality inside and outside. Children benefit from well-thought-out learning activities. Staff subtly model and correct spoken language well and every opportunity is taken to develop pupils’ early reading, writing and mathematics. For example, children were encouraged to count the segments of caterpillars they had made and other children recorded their successes on a chart when taking part in a caterpillar hunt outside.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of safeguarding and all staff know their role in keeping children safe. Leaders ensure that safeguarding is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

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Safeguarding

All staff, including the designated safeguarding leads, have had appropriate training. Consequently, staff understand the potential risks that pupils may face. They know how to spot the signs of abuse and know who to tell if they have concerns. Procedures for the safe recruitment of staff are robust.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly and to use hand sanitiser regularly. There is a well-planned programme of activities in place. Pupils know how to use the internet safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Phonics is well sequenced, and some staff have benefited from phonics training. Most phonics teaching is effective but there is a little variability, and this sometimes slows learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff who teach early reading are trained in how best to teach phonics.  Most subjects are well sequenced over both the key stages and from lesson to lesson. However, there is a little variability in some subjects. For example, in history, not all lessons are well sequenced to ensure that pupils build up key knowledge. Leaders need to identify the desired key knowledge that is to be taught so that they can develop a clearer approach to sequencing learning within each topic. 10–11 March 2020

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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 24–25 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.

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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.

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Further information

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that Covid-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of Coronavirus by the school. This has included the effect these measures have had on the current attendance of the pupils and staffing arrangements. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Inspection number 10121827 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 May 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have support for special educational needs or disability is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is well above the national average.  The school offers before- and after-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, SEND coordinator and curriculum leaders. I met with members of the teaching staff and groups of pupils.  I met with the chair of the governing body and governors.  I met with the school business manager and reviewed safeguarding documentation and training records.  I spoke to a representative from the local authority by telephone. 10–11 March 2020

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 I focused deeply on reading, mathematics and history in this inspection. I visited lessons with senior leaders and talked to some of the pupils and teachers from the lessons. I met with senior and curriculum leaders to discuss curriculum plans and look at pupils’ work. I listened to pupils read.  I took the views of 26 parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey into account as well as the comments offered by parents that I spoke with at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 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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