Bridge Learning Campus

Inspection of Bridge Learning Campus William Jessop Way, Hartcliffe, Bristol BS13 0RL

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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 Inadequate 5 and 6 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high aspirations for their pupils. The ‘BLC charter’ reinforces the values of the school. Leaders have an astute awareness of the needs of the local community and strive hard to meet these. It is an environment in which pupils can thrive, both academically and personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have confidence in the way that staff manage behaviour. They say that behaviour has improved over time. Indeed, the school environment is calm and settled. When pupils struggle to control their emotions, staff endeavour to find out the reasons why this is the case so that support can be provided.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying is not something they particularly worry about. When it does occur, they are confident that they can report it and that it will be dealt with. The school council and the anti-bullying committee are forums where pupils can discuss issues. Younger pupils say that there is a place to go if they feel sad. Older pupils say that if they want advice ‘there will never be no answer’ from their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum places an emphasis on pupils’ well-being, such as the importance of healthy sleeping patterns and diets. Leaders track rates of participation in extra-curricular activities to ensure an equality of opportunity for all.

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better?

Trustees, governors and school leaders have maintained a relentless focus on school improvement. They have been adaptable and resilient in the face of the difficulties presented by COVID-19 (coronavirus). They have remained steadfast to their improvement priorities. This has meant that there is a clarity of direction, understood by all staff.

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better?

Leaders have been acutely aware of the need to manage staff’s workload carefully. When new strategies are introduced, leaders always think about how they will feel for staff. Leaders have managed to negotiate a careful balance between moving quickly and consolidating what they have done to date. Staff value leaders’ considered and responsive approach.

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better?

Staff adopt a consistent approach to helping pupils improve their phonics knowledge and develop their early reading skills. This begins in the early years and continues into key stage 3 for pupils who still find reading challenging. Overall, this is a successful approach. However, at times, teachers do not adapt their planning to address gaps in pupils’ understanding before they move on.

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better?

Staff have thought carefully about the texts that pupils read and also how to give meaning to these books. For example, Year 5 pupils visited a coal mine so that they could appreciate the context of the story they were reading. Adults provide effective support for pupils who struggle with their reading fluency. Pupils increase in 5 and 6 October 2021

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confidence and proficiency because books are well matched to their phonics knowledge.

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Throughout both the primary and secondary phase, pupils read books that vary and extend their usual reading diet. Staff encourage pupils to read for enjoyment. Nonetheless, there is more to do to establish an inherent love of reading in the secondary phase.

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Leaders have made great strides in the development of a curriculum spanning the early years to Year 11. This has been pivotal in improving the quality of education that pupils receive. Underpinning the schools’ curriculum are the carefully considered threads of reading, oracy and the broadening of pupils’ horizons beyond their locality.

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Subject leaders have planned carefully so that they can build up pupils’ knowledge in a logical and sequenced way. In some subjects, there is still more to do to embed this approach, particularly to highlight specifically the important subject content that pupils need to know. Where this is not done effectively, pupils struggle to recall what they have learned.

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Subject leaders have designed the curriculum to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adaptions are made where necessary, but this does not detract from pupils learning essential curriculum content. A small number of pupils with SEND follow a bespoke curriculum which is successfully tailored to their needs.

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There is an ambition that pupils follow a broad curriculum. In particular, staff stress the importance of learning a modern foreign language There is a commitment to encouraging pupils to follow subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate.

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Pupils’ personal, social, health and social education is planned well. This begins in the early years and continues at an age-appropriate level as they move through the school. Pupils reflect sensibly on the content of these sessions. For example, pupils are well informed about issues of consent and how to challenge discriminatory language and behaviour.

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Pupils receive timely advice about their next steps in education, employment or training. The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding which is reinforced by regular training and bulletins for staff.

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Safeguarding

Staff are both knowledgeable and vigilant about the risks that pupils might encounter in their everyday lives. For example, leaders have been proactive in 5 and 6 October 2021

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responding to the recommendations outlined in Ofsted’s ‘Sexual abuse review’. Pupils hold strong views about the unacceptability of sexual harassment, abuse and violence.

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Staff are aware of pupils who are vulnerable and take time to forge positive relationships with them. They are knowledgeable about pupils’ backgrounds and family circumstances. This helps leaders to build trust and tailor the support provided. Appropriately trained staff work with external agencies, both locally and nationally, to advocate successfully for pupils and their families.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum areas, teachers do not explicitly draw out the important subject content that pupils need to know. This means that pupils are not always able to make sense of what they have done before or understand how this relates to their current learning. Teachers need to ensure that they are clear about what is important for pupils to understand to prepare effectively for future learning.  Teaching is not always built on a secure understanding of what pupils already know and can do and what they need to learn next. Therefore, gaps in understanding persist and widen. Teachers need to be confident to adapt their planning when it would be beneficial for pupils to do so.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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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. 5 and 6 October 2021

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1002

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School details

Website www.bridgelearningcampus.org.uk Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is one of four schools that make up Trust in Learning (Academies), a multi-academy trust.  Since the previous monitoring visit, there have been some changes in staffing. A new head of early years foundation stage was appointed in September 2021. There is new leadership of mathematics, in both the primary and secondary phase. There is a new assistant headteacher in charge of teaching and learning and early career teachers.  A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at one of three registered providers. The school currently uses one unregistered provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. 5 and 6 October 2021

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the chair and chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust and representatives of governors.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, art, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator to consider the quality of provision for pupils with SEND.

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 Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding, checked the schools’ single central record and scrutinised policies relating to safeguarding. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and reviewed a sample of case files.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and around school. They spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, to discuss their views about their school. Inspectors also met with leaders to consider aspects of behaviour and pupils’ personal development, including careers education.  An inspector met with a group of early career teachers and the senior leader overseeing their professional development.  Inspectors considered 30 responses to the Ofsted survey, Parent View, alongside free-text responses from parents.

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Inspection team

Sarah McGinnis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paula Marsh Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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