Bollin Primary School

Inspection of Bollin Primary School Apsley Grove, Bowdon, Altrincham WA14 3AH

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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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 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and their parents and carers, are proud to belong to this calm and welcoming school community. Pupils are kind to each other. They are respectful and well behaved. Pupils described with enthusiasm the many things that they like about their school, especially the friends that they make. Pupils told inspectors that this is a great place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from high-quality opportunities that promote their wider development. Pupils learn about the importance of looking after their well-being. They carry out leadership responsibilities diligently, such as looking after the school’s chickens and allotment, or being a school councillor.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils learn well. They benefit from a well-thought-out curriculum. Through the curriculum, adults encourage pupils to develop a love of reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years settle quickly. Staff know children well. Staff provide additional support for children who need it. Children in the early years are well prepared for key stage 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They told inspectors that they use the ‘talk token’ system to confide in an adult about any concerns that they may have. Bullying is dealt with effectively by staff, so it does not reoccur.

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better?

Leaders have worked closely with trustees to design an ambitious curriculum. It is broad and balanced. Leaders have thought carefully about how key knowledge builds from the beginning of the Nursery Year to the end of Year 6. As a result of the well-planned curriculum, most pupils, including children in the early years, develop a secure body of knowledge as they progress through the school.

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better?

Leaders of most curriculum subjects ensure that teachers deliver the curriculum as intended. Subject leaders provide teachers with appropriate training and support. In these subjects, teachers identify and address pupils’ misconceptions quickly and effectively. Pupils recall their past learning fluently, which makes it easier for them to understand and learn new information.

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better?

Conversely, in one or two subjects, the guidance and support that leaders provide for teachers are still in development. This means that some teachers do not know exactly what they should be delivering to pupils. As a result, sometimes teachers find it more difficult to check how well pupils are learning new knowledge. Occasionally, this hinders how well some pupils learn in these subjects. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Leaders prioritise the development of pupils’ reading knowledge. Older pupils develop into avid readers. They told inspectors that reading books transports them into new places. Pupils enjoy reading independently or listening to the stories that their teachers share with them.

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Children begin to develop their phonics knowledge in the early years. They respond well to rhymes, stories and other activities which enhance their ability to hear and recognise different sounds. Leaders make sure that the books that pupils read enable them to practise the sounds that they have learned. Most pupils are fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 2. Well-trained staff support pupils who find reading more difficult to catch up with their peers.

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Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, access the same curriculum. Most pupils with SEND learn well. However, occasionally, some teachers do not use the information that they have about pupils with SEND to adapt the delivery of the curriculum as well as they could. Sometimes, this hinders these pupils’ learning.

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Pupils are attentive in lessons. They said that staff encourage them to try their best. Pupils are motivated to earn the wide range of rewards on offer. For example, they are keen to earn golden tickets in recognition of their achievements.

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Pupils develop resilience and confidence. They learn to see the best in themselves and in each other. Pupils successfully develop new skills and interests through the personal development curriculum. These activities contribute effectively to pupils’ understanding of how to develop healthy lifestyles.

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Leaders work closely with the local governing body and trustees. The expertise of governors and trustees successfully contributes to improvements in the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff value the support that they receive from leaders and governors to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff are vigilant. They notice when pupils’ behaviour is out of character. They pass on their concerns to the relevant personnel. The leaders responsible for safeguarding follow up any concerns raised by staff diligently. Leaders make sure that vulnerable pupils get the timely support that they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders also ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, especially when they are online. Pupils learn to recognise and manage situations which have the potential to be risky. They are confident in using the systems in place to tell adults if they are worried. 21 and 22 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not finalised the guidance and support that teachers require to deliver and assess these curriculums as effectively as they could. As a result, some teachers are not clear about the key knowledge that pupils must learn. Senior leaders should ensure that teachers have all the information that they need to deliver the curriculum well and to check that pupils are learning all that they should.  Some teachers do not use the information that they have about pupils with SEND to adapt the delivery of the curriculum as effectively as they could. On occasions, this hinders how well some pupils with SEND learn. Leaders should ensure that staff use all of the information available to them to tailor the delivery of the curriculum to meet these pupils’ needs.

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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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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Bollin Primary School converted to become an academy school in June 2018. When the predecessor school, Bollin Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The headteacher is the chief executive officer for the trust and is also responsible for another primary school in the trust.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 spoke with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other leaders in the school. They spoke with a group of governors and trustees, 21 and 22 September 2022

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including the chair of the local governing board and the chair of the board of trustees. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. This included the school’s central record of staff and visitors, staff training records, records of safeguarding and samples of the records kept on individual pupils.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, physical education, art and design, and religious education. They spoke with the curriculum leaders of these subject areas. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also spoke with leaders from other areas of the curriculum.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school. Inspectors

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scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Joyce Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 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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