Bantock Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bantock Primary School Aston Street, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV3 0HY

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 October 2021

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Outcome

Bantock Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if the inspector were to carry out a section 5 inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They think that learning is important and participate eagerly in lessons. They work hard and enjoy the challenges that their teachers provide for them. Pupils of all ages love to share what they know. Leaders have very high expectations of pupils and want them to achieve the best that they can.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Respectful relationships are evident across the school. Pupils support and encourage each other without being asked. For example, pupils translate for pupils who are newly arrived with little or no English. Pupils show kindness by including others and noticing how they are feeling. They use the worry and happy boxes, confident that adults will listen and respond quickly to any worries, concerns or hints of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, staff and governors work together to help every pupil shine. Extra-curricular activities are carefully considered and planned. Pupils relish chances to represent the school at events such as a tag rugby festival or develop their leadership skills as a media ambassador. Residential trips help develop a sense of belonging as well as bringing the curriculum alive. Staff inspire, nurture and educate pupils very well. Pupils get a good deal at this school.

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

Senior leaders are deeply committed to this school and its community. They strive in all they do to improve the life chances of pupils. Highly efficient and effective processes ensure that the quality of education, pupils’ well-being and personal development are always top priority.

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

Leaders have worked systematically with staff to develop an effective curriculum for all pupils. It helps pupils build knowledge and skills across all subjects. Leaders ensure that developing pupils’ vocabulary is given priority. The curriculum sets out the specific subject 13 and 14 October 2021

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vocabulary that pupils will learn. For example, in computing, terms such as algorithm, bug and alert are taught and practised until pupils really understand what they mean.

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Leaders make clear to staff how to teach the different subjects. This results in a highly effective and consistent approach to teaching across the school. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good because of the high-quality support they get from leaders. Teachers understand how to help pupils learn well. They build in opportunities for pupils to revisit and recap on prior learning. Teachers assess what pupils know and can do before introducing something new.

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Teachers adapt lessons to meet the needs of individual pupils effectively. Interventions for specific pupils are carefully considered. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively.

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Phonics is taught as soon as pupils start at the school, whether in the nursery or as a newly arrived pupil in Year 5. Language barriers mean that sometimes it is hard for pupils to master the sounds straight away. Occasionally, adults do not insist that pupils pronounce their sounds correctly. This hinders pupils when they try to blend the sounds together to read words. Extra support is provided every day for pupils who need help to catch up and keep up. Guided reading sessions build on the success of early reading. Pupils learn how to predict, infer and retrieve information successfully. Pupils love the ‘reading round the world’ challenge. They are eager to choose a book from the reading vending machine. By the time pupils leave the school, they have developed the ability to read, comprehend and take pleasure in a book.

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Mathematics is similarly prioritised and taught well. Teachers skilfully show pupils what to do and quickly address any misunderstandings. Teachers review their plans to make sure that pupils are challenged and can work independently.

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A clear focus on getting children ready for learning is evident in the nursery. Adults make the most of every opportunity to teach pupils the key knowledge and skills they need to use in their independent learning. Adults help pupils work together and develop confidence. Routines are already deeply embedded, and pupils know what is expected of them.

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Pupils behave very well. The school is extremely calm and learning-focused. Staff work closely together to teach pupils to be ready, respectful and responsible. They help pupils make the right choices. Quick reminders and gentle encouragement are used effectively and consistently.

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Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for their pupils and actively promote pupils’ wider development. They ensure that trips, sporting and musical events widen pupils’ experiences and raise aspirations. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously. For example, the digital ambassadors play a key part in preventing and dealing with online bullying. They tell pupils, ‘If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, do not say it online.’ Pupils develop confidence and self-assurance. Leaders give pupils a voice and a role in the decision-making. 13 and 14 October 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff care deeply for the pupils and want them to thrive. Staff are vigilant for any change in a pupil’s demeanour. Reporting of any concern, no matter how minor, is swift. Leaders act quickly to support pupils and their families. Highly efficient systems underpin the strong safeguarding culture in the school.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum offers many opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. A high priority is given to teaching pupils how to stay safe online. Staff work with pupils to help them develop the confidence to share their concerns and worries with adults they trust.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, adults do not ensure that pupils pronounce their sounds precisely. This slows some pupils’ progress in phonics and hampers their ability to blend and read fluently. Leaders should continue to ensure that all staff check how well all pupils enunciate, segment and blend sounds.  The mathematics curriculum is being further developed and refined. Leaders should ensure that teachers think carefully through the teaching sequence so that all pupils are appropriately challenged.

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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 school to be good in October 2016. 13 and 14 October 2021

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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.

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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. 13 and 14 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200213 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 29 September 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, members of staff and the school business manager. The inspector held a meeting with eight governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Deep dives in reading, mathematics and computing were carried out. These included discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work. The inspector also met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects and listened to pupils read.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school, curriculum plans and the school website. Minutes of governor meetings and reports from external advisers were also checked. 13 and 14 October 2021

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 When inspecting safeguarding, the inspector considered the school’s procedures for recruiting staff, the quality of staff training and the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers at the end of the first day of the inspection. She considered the 11 responses, including the 6 free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire. The inspector considered the 31 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 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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