The British School

Inspection of The British School Wortley Road, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 7JU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have positive attitudes to their learning. They attend well, and few are absent for long periods of time. Pupils enjoy the experiences that the school provides within its planned curriculum, including visits, themed weeks and days.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. Staff know and understand their pupils well. They want them to succeed. Pupils behave and conduct themselves well around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils cooperate and value each other. They work well together in lessons. They understand the importance of equality and diversity. Pupils state that ‘differences are not a big thing for us’. They are respectful and given opportunities to reflect on their beliefs and those of others. They say, ‘We can’t not respect what different people think’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They know that the adults in school care about them and that there is always someone to talk to if they are worried. Pupils say that bullying does not happen often but, when it does, it is dealt with quickly and stops.

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better?

Leaders and governors have a good understanding of the strengths of the school. They have developed an exciting and engaging curriculum that is well planned in most subjects. As a result, pupils know more and remember more. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Particular strengths include reading, mathematics, science and music. In some subjects, planning is less robust; for example in geography. Subject leaders, however, are being supported well by senior leaders in developing their subject areas across the school.

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better?

The school prioritises reading. Pupils start to learn phonics as soon as they join the school. Good links with the Kindergarten mean that staff are able to work closely together to ensure a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils love reading. They talk about the books they have read with enthusiasm and can discuss and predict what they think will happen next in their current reading book. Pupils understand why reading is important. Those who fall behind are provided with extra support to enable them to catch up quickly.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge, particularly in mathematics. Teaching helps pupils to develop a good basic knowledge of mathematics. The mathematics leader provides effective support to all staff. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge has a positive effect on pupils’ learning. However, assessment is not always used well enough to support pupils’ learning. This means that learning is not checked effectively to support new learning and to deal with misconceptions pupils may have. 10–11 March 2020

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Governors check that the school is meeting the needs of those pupils who are vulnerable, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, parents and carers do not have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the governing body and how it holds leaders to account.

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Teachers expect pupils to behave well, and they do. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They work well together. Teachers give pupils opportunities to discuss and debate their views, which encourages their thinking.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils understand why respecting others is important. They know the differences between right and wrong. The school promotes opportunities outside the taught curriculum to support pupils in developing their personal interests throughout the year. These include residential visits and opportunities to take part in musical and sporting activities within the community.

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The curriculum caters effectively for pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that these pupils participate fully in all aspects of school life. All adults understand pupils’ needs and abilities. They provide good emotional and academic support.

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In early years, children are provided with a well-planned and resourced curriculum. Staff support children’s language development well. Close links with the Kindergarten ensure that staff know the children well on entry to school. Teachers make sure that there is a strong focus on early reading, singing and rhymes. Children enjoy their learning. They select activities and become engrossed in the activities they select. They talk to each other and cooperate well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school puts safeguarding as central to its work. Leaders make sure that all recruitment checks are completed before staff work with pupils. Pupils are confident to talk to staff if they have a problem. Staff are well trained and understand the procedures when they are concerned about a child. Leaders take appropriate action to safeguard the most vulnerable children. Governors make regular checks on the school’s safeguarding arrangements to ensure these are effective.

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Safeguarding

Children say that they feel safe. They know how to be safe when they are online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, the curriculum is planned well. Leaders need to ensure that the sequencing of the curriculum is robust across all subject areas so that pupils are 10–11 March 2020

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able to build on prior knowledge, develop their vocabulary, and use recall to support new learning, particularly in geography.  Some teachers do not always make the best use of assessment information they have about their pupils. As a result, teachers do not accurately know how well pupils are learning. Leaders need to ensure that assessment is used consistently well to understand what pupils know, understand and can do.  Parents do not understand the roles and responsibilities of the governing body. Although governors have a clear understanding of the work of the school and how to challenge leaders to ensure that pupils achieve a good quality of education, they must ensure that the community understands their role, what they are responsible for and how they hold leaders of the school to account.

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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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10111512 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 Carrie Watt-Boyd

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the deputy headteacher has become a co-headteacher for two days a week.

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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 headteacher, co-headteacher, subject leaders, the leader with responsibility for pupils with SEND, the early years leader and teaching staff. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and geography. This included visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work, meeting with subject leaders and holding discussions with teachers and pupils. On the second day of the inspection, we looked further into the quality of education in music.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body.  We talked with pupils about their life at school. We observed pupils in the lunch hall and at play outside during lunchtime. 10–11 March 2020

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 We looked to see how the school keeps pupils safe. We checked the school’s records and procedures. We asked staff across the school how they keep pupils safe. We asked pupils what they would do if they had a worry or a concern.  Inspectors considered the 45 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. An inspector also met with parents at the start of the school day.  We examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans and documentation relating to safeguarding and attendance.

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bradley Murray 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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