Bader Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bader Primary School Kintyre Drive, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 0BY

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 September 2021

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Outcome

Bader Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bader Primary is a safe and happy place for pupils to learn. One parent told the inspector, ‘All members of staff are dedicated to the children’s welfare. I couldn’t be happier with my child attending this school.’ This reflects the view of many parents. Pupils say that on the rare occasions that bullying happens, the teachers sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. Relationships between adults and pupils are respectful. Adults model the school values of respect and determination. This contributes to the calm and purposeful atmosphere in classes. Pupils say that the work they receive in lessons is challenging but that adults give them the help they need to succeed. Pupils are demonstrating the Bader values and ‘aiming high’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Despite the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, leaders have ensured that the curriculum gives pupils memorable learning experiences. Leaders used ‘hook’ events to enthuse pupils about their learning. Pupils told the inspector how much they enjoyed their recent visit to the Captain Cook Memorial Museum. Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs they can attend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The appointment of a sports coach, from within the trust, has kept health and well-being a high priority within the school.

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

In a short space of time, leaders have changed the curriculum completely. Curriculum plans show what leaders want pupils to learn in each subject, in each year group. Where plans have been in place for longer, the impact of this is clear; pupils are learning and remembering more. However, in subjects such as history, curriculum plans are very new. In this subject, COVID-19 has hindered leaders’ plans. Pupils find it difficult to remember their previous learning.

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

The mathematics curriculum is ambitious. It builds on what pupils know. Teachers use approaches such as ‘Fluent in Five’ to reinforce learning. Leaders use assessment well to 22 and 23 September 2021

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identify gaps in pupils understanding. Sharply focused teaching is addressing any gaps caused by COVID-19. Daily mathematics teaching in Nursery and Reception Years means that children get off to a strong start. The inspector saw pupils working with adults to count frogs on a log and make numbers in play dough. Adults working with children help them to count accurately and challenge their thinking.

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Leaders prioritise and celebrate reading. Teachers share their enjoyment of books. They read to pupils every day. Teachers use quality texts to promote a love of reading. Initiatives such as ‘read for the stars’ encourage pupils to read more at home. Pupils speak excitedly about the vending machine of books they can earn, if they read often enough.

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Leaders ensure that staff have the necessary skills to teach their chosen phonics programme. This is delivered with consistency. Pupils’ phonic knowledge is assessed accurately. Older pupils, who remain in the early stages of learning to read, get the help they need to catch up. During phonics lessons, teachers are skilled in describing the meaning of words. This helps pupils to learn and understand new vocabulary. However, in the foundation subjects, definitions of words are not concise enough and so pupils do not have a secure understanding of the language they come across.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the support they need to learn the curriculum with their peers. Pupils benefit from extra adult help and resources. Leaders have trained adults to provide support groups, such as Drawing and Talking, which helps pupils to communicate with greater confidence. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) checks regularly to ensure pupils’ curriculum is not narrowed by the extra help they receive.

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Leaders have developed an ambitious and well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum. The curriculum considers the challenges pupils face during the school year. Leaders have planned units of work that teach pupils about forming new relationships. Fundamental British values are regularly taught through assemblies. Newly elected class representatives explore how they will promote British values further. Regular visits to places of worship help pupils to appreciate different faiths and beliefs.

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Trust arrangements have strengthened governance. The School Advisory Board and Oversight Committee work together to challenge and support leaders. Leaders appreciate the regular visits from trustees and senior staff from within the trust. Network groups help to share good practice in English and mathematics with colleagues in other trust schools. Leaders in the trust have plans in place to develop this further so that foundation subjects are included.

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Staff morale is high. They feel that leaders are approachable and value the efforts they make. A recently appointed well-being lead is available for staff to share concerns.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 22 and 23 September 2021

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Leaders carry out all the required checks to ensure that the adults working with children are safe to do so.

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Safeguarding training is updated regularly. Staff are knowledgeable about the issues that affect their community. Staff know how to raise their concerns. They are confident that their concerns are taken seriously.

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The safeguarding team work together to monitor pupils’ attendance and follow up concerns. This is a strong team, who know how to access the support their pupils need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils struggle to understand subject specific vocabulary. This is because teachers do not explain the ideas behind these words clearly enough. Teachers need to explain new vocabulary more carefully. They need to check that pupils understand important vocabulary in the subjects they study.  Leaders’ development of curriculum plans in subjects such as history have been delayed due to COVID-19. However, pupils are unable to remember key historical facts. Their understanding of chronology is limited. Leaders need to ensure that the history curriculum is well structured so that pupils’ knowledge of historical events is accurate.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Bader Primary School, to be good in May 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 22 and 23 September 2021

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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. 22 and 23 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200609 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Bader Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Bader Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school joined The 1590 Trust in September 2017.  There has been a change of headteacher since the previous inspection.  The school’s nursery is registered for two-year-olds. At the time of this inspection, there were eight two-year-olds on roll.  This is a larger-than-average primary school.  The number of pupils in receipt of additional funding through the pupil premium grant is almost double the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders and teachers. The inspector held meetings with trustees and governors. The inspector also met with the school SENCo and trust SENCo and carried out joint lesson visits. 22 and 23 September 2021

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and history. The inspector met with pupils, looked at their work and visited lessons. The inspector also discussed curriculum plans with subject leaders.  The inspector heard pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read an unseen text to a familiar adult. The inspector visited phonics lessons in Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2.  The inspector spoke with parents at the end of the school day to hear their views on the school.  The inspector considered 51 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and 19 free-text responses. The inspector considered 35 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lunchtimes, breaktimes and in lessons.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding documents and met with the designated safeguarding lead.

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Inspection team

Chris Pearce, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 September 2021

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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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