Bisham Church of England Academy

Inspection of Bisham Church of England Academy Church Lane, Bisham, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1RW

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 3 and 4 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all pupils to ‘learn, love, achieve and succeed’. They have high expectations and aspire for every pupil to be the best that they can be. Leaders have planned a curriculum that includes memorable learning experiences. These ignite pupils’ interest and motivate them to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s Christian values shine through in the way that staff nurture and value every pupil. Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to this school. They are enthusiastic learners and most behave sensibly in class. Although unkind behaviour happens very occasionally, pupils confirm that staff quickly deal with this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the way that ‘everyone knows everyone’ in this small, happy community. They value diversity and show respect for one another. As one pupil explained, ‘The world is a better place when we are all different.’ Older pupils enjoy being collective worship monitors. They are keen to play their part in taking on extra responsibilities and helping out in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are full of praise for the care and support their children receive. As one parent commented, ‘My child has flourished since joining this school.’

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better?

Leaders, trustees, governors and the local authority have worked effectively in close partnership to secure the sustainability and future of this village school. Good leadership has improved all aspects of the school.

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better?

Leaders have planned a broad and interesting curriculum. Although this is generally aligned to the national curriculum, the school does not currently offer a modern foreign language. Some subjects, including English, mathematics and science, are planned carefully. These set out clearly what pupils should learn and remember as they progress through the curriculum. This helps pupils to achieve well. However, this isn’t the case in some subjects in the wider curriculum. In addition, pupils learn many subjects for very short blocks of time. This means that some pupils find it hard to remember what teachers have taught them previously.

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better?

Leaders have implemented a consistent approach to reading that begins from children’s very first days in school. Children get off to a good start when learning to read. Daily phonics lessons and good teaching enable almost all pupils to become confident, proficient readers. Teachers check how pupils are getting on. They are quick to notice and support any pupils who are not keeping up.

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better?

Across the school, daily story times promote a love of reading. Through other areas of the curriculum, pupils also read and listen to many texts. This not only supports their reading; it strengthens their knowledge in different subjects. In the early years, staff take every opportunity to engage children in discussions. This helps children to build their vocabulary and develop their communication skills. 3 and 4 November 2021

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Teachers plan wide-ranging, interesting topics for pupils to learn. Older pupils enthused about previous topics, like ‘Pompeii’ and ‘volcanoes’. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan interesting tasks. However, sometimes they do not take enough account of what pupils already know. Learning tasks are not always aligned as precisely as they could be to what teachers want pupils to learn.

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Leaders have a well-thought-out approach to identifying any pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are alert to any pupils who are not making the progress they expect and who need extra help. The small numbers of pupils with SEND in each class are supported well.

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The school is a settled community, and most pupils behave well. Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is rooted in the school’s Christian values. Pupils are encouraged to show compassion, be respectful and tolerant. They learn how these values are woven and represented in stories from many different faiths.

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The school’s new relationships and health curriculum helps pupils to learn about how to keep healthy and safe. Pupils know how to stay safe online and understand the concept of a ‘digital footprint’. They know the importance of behaving responsibly and respectfully when online. Before the pandemic, the school provided some out- of-school clubs. These are currently paused because of local COVID-19 arrangements. Leaders plan to resume these as soon as it is safe to do so.

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Trustees and governors share leaders’ ambition and determination. They understand and fulfil their roles effectively. Subject leaders work across the trust so that they can share their expertise and support each other. Staff value the trust-wide training they have received in subjects such as mathematics.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know pupils and their families very well. They are highly attuned to any signs of concern and act promptly to provide support and early help. When needed, leaders are swift to refer concerns to other agencies. They readily pursue these if they are not satisfied with the timeliness or level of support.

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Safeguarding

Regular training enables staff to confidently and ably fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. Pupils feel confident that they are safe in the care of the staff. Trustees’ and governors’ regular reviews keep safeguarding, including recruitment processes, under the spotlight. 3 and 4 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum does not include a modern foreign language. This means that pupils are not well prepared for learning this subject in secondary school. Leaders plan to address this omission and, therefore, the transitional statement has been applied.  In most foundation subjects, leaders have not identified precisely the knowledge they want pupils to learn. This means pupils are not achieving as well as they could. Leaders need to make explicit what knowledge they want pupils to learn. Leaders are in the process of reviewing their curriculum. For this reason, the transitional statement has been applied.  Pupils learn some subjects for short blocks of time. This makes it difficult for some pupils to remember what their teachers have taught them and to build on previous learning. Leaders need to review their current arrangements for the organisation of the curriculum to address this issue.  Sometimes activities do not take enough account of pupils’ previous learning or

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

the intended learning. This means some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Staff need to use assessment information to plan tasks that take account of what pupils already know, and that are focused more precisely on the intended learning.

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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. 3 and 4 November 2021

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Ashley Hill Multi-Academy Trust in September 2017. Bisham is one of three Church of England primary schools in this trust. When its predecessor school, Bisham Church of England Primary School, was last inspected it was judged to require improvement.  The school is led by an executive principal and a head of school. The executive principal is also the chief executive officer of the trust. The board of trustees has delegated some strategic responsibilities to the school’s local governing board. This is explained in the trust’s scheme of delegation.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is designated as having a religious character. The last section 48 inspection was in July 2017, when this aspect of the school’s work was judged to be good. The next section 48 inspection is due in this school year. However, this is likely to be delayed because of the pandemic.

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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

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, science and physical education. Inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning, heard some pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors sampled curriculum plans, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the head of school and the executive principal.  The lead inspector met with a group of trustees and members of the local governing body, including the chair of the board of trustees.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the school’s record of recruitment checks and met with leaders to discuss and review safeguarding arrangements. They also reviewed the school’s safeguarding records, policies and procedures. Inspectors spoke with staff and pupils during meetings and at other times of the

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Information about this inspection

school day.  Inspectors took account of the 36 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and met with pupils to discuss their views of the school. They talked with pupils during lessons and at lunchtimes.  Inspectors considered the views of staff during meetings with them and took into account the six responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors considered parents’ views through the 41 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and parents’ written comments.

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Inspection team

Sue Cox, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Shaughnessy Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 November 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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