Berrow Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Berrow Church of England Primary School Rugosa Drive, Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset TA8 2LJ

p.1

Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 13 and 14 September 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not ensured that the culture of safeguarding is rigorous. While pupils feel well cared for, systems and processes are not securely understood or consistently used by everyone. This puts pupils at risk.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Over recent years, senior leaders and governors have not tackled weaknesses in the school effectively. This means pupils are not getting a good quality of education.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well and work hard. They listen respectfully to teachers and one another during lessons. Pupils can learn well when the curriculum is matched to their needs. However, for some younger pupils, expectations are not high enough. The curriculum is not ambitious enough for them.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ recent work to improve behaviour is having an impact. Incidents at break and lunchtimes have reduced. However, some pupils say that staff do not always listen to, or help with, their concerns. Pupils have a good understanding of bullying. They say that it sometimes happens but staff deal with this. This is not the view of parents and carers. They have little confidence in leaders’ ability to address bullying.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy lots of opportunities to develop through the wider curriculum. They learn to be good citizens. Initiatives such as the ‘Berrow Community Star’ awards contribute to putting pupils at the heart of the local community.

p.2

better?

Working relationships between senior leaders, governors and staff are poor. This has diverted the focus away from school improvement. Significant changes in staffing mean that the momentum of recent improvements to the quality of education has slowed. Many subject leaders are new to their role. The knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is not well thought out.

p.2

better?

Improvements in the curriculums for reading, including phonics, and mathematics are very recent. Training has ensured that staff have the knowledge and confidence to deliver lessons. However, pupils still experience too much variability in the delivery of these subjects. Leaders have recently bought new books that match better the sounds pupils are learning but pupils are not using them yet. The curriculum does not set out the specific small steps of knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn, including in the early years. There is no clear sequencing of knowledge or vocabulary. Pupils sometimes find it difficult to remember prior learning. This means they struggle to know more and remember more over time.

p.2

better?

Assessment is used well in phonics. This means that pupils learn the right sounds at the right time. In other subjects, including mathematics, assessment is not always used accurately enough to adapt learning for all pupils. This is because teachers are not yet clear enough about the knowledge they want pupils to learn. 13 and 14 September 2022

p.2

3

Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently have their needs well met. Recent improvements mean that many more pupils have their needs clearly identified. However, a lack of staff knowledge about how to meet these needs means that pupils are not learning well.

p.3

3

Staff encourage children in the early years in their learning. Children learn to take turns, play together and share. Staff have developed positive relationships with parents. They provide information and resources to help parents to support their child. The early years learning environment is weak. Neither the indoor or outdoor space promote children’s curiosity, independence or critical thinking.

p.3

3

Leaders give pupils lots of experiences that develop their broader character. Pupils enjoy positions of responsibility, such as buddies for younger children, house captains and school councillors. Pupils’ physical and mental health are well supported through the curriculum.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have not prioritised the safeguarding of pupils. Records are poorly organised, which means that leaders do not easily have all the information they need to hand. Records and reports lack detail and actions are not always recorded. This increases the risk that leaders do not have the whole picture of a pupil’s experiences.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders and staff do not have a secure understanding of safeguarding. Staff do not have secure knowledge about how to respond to different incidents, including sexual harassment. This means there is inconsistency and a lack of rigour in the way staff and leaders respond to incidents.

p.3

Safeguarding

In some individual cases, leaders work with external agencies so that that pupils and families get the right help at the right time. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes when using the internet. They feel that adults listen and, in most cases, respond to their concerns.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not secured an effective culture of safeguarding. As a result, steps to protect children are often not swift or effective enough. Leaders need to ensure that staff knowledge, processes and records are rigorous and consistent so that children are safe.  Senior leaders and governors do not have a shared vision for improvement. This lack of direction over time means there is a fragmented approach to school improvement. Senior leaders and governors need to have a coherent, strategic 13 and 14 September 2022

p.3

4

vision that provides direction and support for all staff to make the necessary improvements to the quality of education provided.  Many parents lack confidence in the leadership of the school. This means there is not a positive culture of mutual trust to support pupils’ education. Leaders need to rebuild positive relationships with parents so that they can work together towards the best possible outcomes for all pupils.  Leaders have not sequenced the content of the curriculum well enough. It is not clear what essential knowledge pupils should know and by when, in order to build their knowledge and skills over time, including in the early years. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum identifies the specific knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to learn over time.  Teachers do not have the knowledge to ensure that pupils with SEND have their needs met. This means pupils are not well supported to make the progress in the

p.4

4

curriculum that they are capable of. Leaders need to ensure that teachers gain the appropriate knowledge and understanding they need to provide good support to these pupils.  Staff in the early years have not created an environment that supports an ambitious curriculum. Therefore, pupils do not have enough access to the resources and experiences that develop their curiosity, independence or critical thinking. Leaders need to ensure that the early years environment is inviting and stimulating and used positively to deliver an ambitious curriculum across the seven areas of learning.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 September 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10241616 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 25 and 26 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.  There have been significant changes to staffing since the last inspection.  There have been significant changes to the governing body since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform. 13 and 14 September 2022

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teaching and support staff and members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority and the diocesan director of education.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the

p.6

6

arrangements for keeping pupils safe. Inspectors considered the school’s recruitment procedures, staff induction and training, records of concerns and engagement with external agencies. The inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, they met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also took into consideration responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s improvement plan and documentation relating to safeguarding

p.6

Inspection team

Angela Folland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Gary Chown Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7