Bishops Tawton Primary School

Inspection of Bishops Tawton Primary School School Lane, Bishops Tawton, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 0AE

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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 Good 1 and 2 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bishops Tawton School is a happy and exciting place to learn. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know about the different types of bullying. They say it does not happen in their school. Pupils know that if it did happen, adults would step in and sort it out. Staff know pupils well. Pupils feel that there are always adults they can speak to if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships throughout the school are respectful. Pupils know that adults want the best for them. As a result, most pupils behave well. Pupils who need extra support to help them to manage their emotions receive it. This enables them to attend well and enjoy their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their character through well-planned activities and experiences. They know how to be successful learners. This means that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Some pupils receive additional support to build their self-confidence and resilience. Parents are appreciative of this work and see it as a strong feature of the school.

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better?

Pupils get off to a positive start in the early years. They learn in a calm and orderly environment. All children are actively involved in their learning. They are curious learners. Staff sensitively guide and support them to achieve their best.

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better?

Leaders ensure that children develop a love of reading from the moment they start in the pre-school. Older pupils read to younger pupils and model good reading habits. Children in the early years learn how to listen and respond to stories and rhymes. However, leaders do not ensure that children have enough opportunities to develop their early language and communication skills within all areas of learning. This holds back some children’s development in this area.

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better?

Pupils learn to read through a well-structured phonics programme. They take home books that contain sounds they are familiar with. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers. Older pupils read books from a wide range of authors. They take part in local events to broaden their reading experiences even further. Adults who help pupils to read have the expertise to do this well. They provide high- quality support to pupils who find reading difficult. Leaders help parents to understand how they can support their children’s reading at home.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that inspires and motivates pupils. Leaders consider carefully what pupils need to know and how they will learn it. Pupils understand how their learning links to what they already know. For example, in mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils understand how to divide before moving 1 and 2 March 2022

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on to problem-solving. Teachers check what pupils know and remember over time. However, this is not effective in all subjects. Some teachers do not know if there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support that enables them to access the full curriculum. Adults identify pupils’ needs well. They consider pupils’ views when thinking about how best to help them learn. Leaders ensure that all pupils can take part in the full range of school activities.

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Most pupils act in a kind and considerate manner. They have positive attitudes to learning and take pride in their work. Adults manage pupils’ behaviour consistently well. Pupils are clear about what is expected of them. Pupils take part in community projects such as helping at the local food bank. They say this helps them to learn how to be responsible citizens. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They learn about their ‘digital footprint’ and its impact on their future. Pupils enjoy finding out about people whose beliefs are different from their own. They told us, ‘differences are what make people unique’.

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Staff are proud to work at Bishops Tawton School. They appreciate leaders’ consideration for their well-being. Leaders plan training that enables all staff to improve their practice. This includes those at the very start of their careers. Teachers have good subject knowledge. This enables them to lead their subjects well.

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Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They check that leaders’ evaluations of the school are accurate. Governors understand how leaders identify school improvement priorities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They provide safeguarding training that enables staff to identify pupils who may be at risk. All staff understand the school’s procedures for reporting concerns. Leaders ensure families get the support they need when they require it.

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Safeguarding

Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures. They keep accurate records of the checks made on adults who work at the school. Governors have the appropriate safeguarding knowledge to check that systems are working well. 1 and 2 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the early years, adults do not consistently extend and deepen children’s early language skills. As a result, some children do not develop their language and communication skills as quickly as they should. Leaders need to ensure that there are opportunities to extend children’s communication and language across the seven areas of learning.  In some subjects, assessment information is not used well enough to check what pupils know and can do. Consequently, teachers do not consistently identify gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that there are effective systems to check how well pupils know and remember the intended curriculum.

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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. 1 and 2 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211983 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.bishopstawton- primary.devon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 23 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.  The pre-school includes provision for two-year-olds.  The school is part of a management partnership with Langtree Community School.  There is a breakfast- and after-school club for pupils who attend the school.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, members of staff and representatives from the governing body. An inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority on the telephone. 1 and 2 March 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors checked the procedures for keeping pupils safe.  An inspector spoke to parents as they arrived at school.  An inspector checked all survey responses, including 20 from staff and 43 from parents. They took account of the 38 responses to Ofsted’s free-text service.  Inspectors met with pupils to find out what it is it like to be part of the school.  Inspectors looked at the school’s plans for improvement, minutes of governors’ meetings and monitoring documents.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Shirley Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 March 2022

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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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