Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bourton-on- the-Water Primary School School Hill, Bourton-on-the-Water, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 2AW

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 October 2021

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Outcome

Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do well in this friendly and inclusive school. They live by the school’s CARE statement of ‘Challenge, Amaze, Respect and Enjoy’ in all they do. Pupils respect adults and each other. They have a strong sense that regardless of difference ‘everyone is treated equally’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal success. Teachers challenge pupils’ thinking and expect them to work hard. Pupils respond positively to this. Pupils with additional social and emotional needs receive high-quality specialist help and support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave sensibly in and around the school. They enjoy the range of activities on offer at lunchtimes, from sports to games such as ‘What’s the time, Mr Wolf’. Pupils know that if bullying happens, leaders deal with it quickly and effectively. Consequently, this is a safe and happy place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school’s work. They appreciate how adults provide high levels of care, guidance and support. Many parents say that staff go out of their way to create a nurturing environment where all pupils can succeed.

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

The headteacher has created a culture where everyone feels valued. Across all areas of the school, including governance, there is a tangible sense of teamwork. Everyone pulls together and puts the pupils’ best interests first.

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

Leaders and staff prioritise reading across the school. In the early years, staff focus on developing children’s early communication and language. They instil the youngest children with a love of stories from the moment they start pre-school. Children enjoy acting out passages from familiar stories, such as ‘The Three Little Pigs’. Children in Reception enjoy learning phonics. They are quick to learn new sounds. Across the school, there is a well- organised approach to teaching early reading. Staff use assessment well. Leaders have 13 and 14 October 2021

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identified pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge, including as a result of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Extra help is in place for those who need it. Teachers use books to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 know about the plight of refugees from reading a class novel. Many enthuse about how ‘reading takes us to a different place’.

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Since the previous inspection, leaders have revised and improved the school’s curriculum. Subject leaders have started to identify the knowledge and skills pupils need to succeed. Music is a strength. Leaders use assessment effectively to check what pupils know and can do. For example, pupils build on their listening skills as they progress through school. Younger pupils recognise differences between high and low pitch, while older pupils use the correct vocabulary to describe music, such as ‘ostinato’ and ‘syncopation’. Pupils sing with great spirit and control in lessons. However, not all subjects are as well developed. Some curriculum plans do not set out the precise knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. This means that pupils are not learning as well as they could in a few subjects.

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The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) knows pupils’ needs across the school. She has put in place effective additional support for those who need it. The SENCo ensures that staff are well trained to provide this support. Pupils who use the ‘Nurture Hub’ benefit from tailored support to help them with their mental health and well-being. This is helping pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to manage their emotions. Many parents value how staff give their children ‘coping strategies and a safe place to share concerns’.

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Leaders and teachers inspire pupils to be active and responsible citizens. Low-level disruption to learning is rare. Pupils in key stage 1 know why bullying is wrong and why it is important to be kind to everyone. Older pupils say they are confident to stand up to racism and challenge inequality. They take the view that ‘it should not be happening’ as ‘everyone is equal’. Other opportunities, such as financial planning and participating in various clubs, set them up well for life in modern society.

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Governors take an active part in school life. They know the school’s priorities and the role they play in holding leaders to account. Governors ask challenging questions on a range of important themes, including attendance, the curriculum and the use of additional funding. They ensure that leaders consider staff workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, ensure a strong safeguarding culture is sustained in the school. They check diligently on the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Staff are knowledgeable about how to spot and report any signs of concerns, including any sexual harassment. Leaders are quick to offer help and support to pupils and families where needed. 13 and 14 October 2021

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Through the curriculum, pupils know about ways to keep safe in school and online. They understand the dangers of gaming and social media. Pupils know to alert an adult if they have concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some of the wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not fully identified the precise knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. This makes it harder for some pupils to build on prior learning as they progress through school. Leaders need to make clear the knowledge that pupils must learn and remember in every subject.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Bourton- on-the-Water Primary School, to be good in November 2011.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

17 May 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of the governing body took up post in September 2020.  A new SENCo was appointed in September 2020.  The school has an on-site pre-school provision. It is managed by the governing body.  The school has a dedicated space called the ‘Nurture Hub’.  Staff provide a breakfast and after-school club for pupils who attend the school.  The school does not use any alternative learning providers.

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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 their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, pre-school manager and five governors. 13 and 14 October 2021

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, music and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects, including mathematics.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s safeguarding documentation, including the single central record. The inspector considered how well safeguarding leaders act on concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. The inspector talked to pupils, staff and governors about safe working practices.  The inspector considered 68 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 35 free-text responses and 29 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, 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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