Bildeston Primary School

Inspection of Bildeston Primary School Newberry Road, Bildeston, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7ES

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 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 29 and 30 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love school. They feel cared for as individuals. Here, they enjoy a wide range of opportunities, for example in sport and music. Pupils learn about the world outside of their own. They raise money for local charities and learn to respect the views of others. Pupils learn to be independent and to take responsibility for their actions from a young age. Staff encourage pupils to express their thoughts and feelings in a calm and measured way. Parents appreciate the lengths leaders go to in caring for their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and behave well in lessons. Classrooms are calm and purposeful places to learn. Bullying is very rare. Pupils know there is always an adult to turn to if they need help. Pupils are confident that staff will resolve any issues quickly. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the very start, pupils achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Children leave the early years as confident learners and ready for learning in Year 1. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum that enthuses them for learning. The school teaches a wide range of different subjects. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils learn well and are very well prepared for secondary school.

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better?

At Bildeston, leaders ensure that learning to read is a top priority. Pupils follow a structured phonics programme from the early years. This ensures that pupils learn about letters and their sounds in a clear way. Adults pronounce sounds accurately and expect pupils to do likewise. Staff check on how well pupils are learning to read. Books are well matched to pupils’ knowledge of phonics. Pupils read regularly at school and at home. Teachers quickly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind with their reading. These pupils receive the help they need quickly. Across the school, pupils read widely, including non-fiction texts and a range of poetry. They become confident and enthusiastic readers.

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better?

Leaders have established an ambitious early years curriculum. Children settle in well and develop positive attitudes to their learning. They play and work together well. Here, children can work in small groups or on their own. Pupils’ learning in Year 1 builds on what they have already achieved in the Reception class.

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better?

The development of language is well modelled by teachers in all year groups. For example, pupils explain their mathematical thinking using precise and appropriate terminology. Teachers use a range of assessments well. This includes regular checks in lesson times to see how pupils are doing. 29 and 30 September 2022

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Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified at an early stage. Staff are well trained to identify pupils’ barriers to learning. They adapt the curriculum so that pupils with SEND achieve well alongside their peers.

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The curriculum is broad and challenging in all subjects. In a few subjects, the knowledge that pupils learn does not clearly build on what they have learned before. This means that some pupils, including some with SEND, do not easily recall important information. This makes it harder for them to make connections in their learning.

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The school’s approach to managing behaviour is working well. Staff are fair. Pupils show a consistent respect for adults and for each other. They behave well and try hard in lessons.

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Leaders provide well for pupils’ personal development. Pupils follow a clear programme to develop their social and cultural understanding. They study different religions from a range of world faiths. As a result, pupils are knowledgeable and tolerant of people different from themselves. They contribute to the life of the school and take seriously their responsibilities as members of the school council or as prefects.

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A wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs add to the richness of the curriculum. A high proportion of pupils attend. They enjoy performing and have sung at events in the community. Pupils’ engagement with a recent charity sculpture trail helped them understand how they can contribute to those in need outside of their school.

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The governing body share leaders’ aims for pupils’ success. They know what is working well and what needs to further improve. The local authority ably supports leaders. Staff work hard, and say that leaders are considerate of their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in safeguarding. They provide regular updates which help to keep staff’s knowledge up to date. Staff are alert to the signs of potential abuse. They understand the school’s arrangements to report safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain careful records of safeguarding concerns. Leaders take prompt action to involve other agencies that work with children and their families when necessary. Pupils learn to keep themselves and others safe, including when using the internet. Leaders ensure that the right checks are carried out before new members of staff are appointed to work at the school. 29 and 30 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The knowledge that leaders expect pupils to know and remember is not sequenced well enough in some subjects. This sometimes limits pupils’ ability to build on what they have learned. Leaders should ensure that the knowledge and skills that pupils are expected to learn is set out and taught in a logical order so that pupils achieve well in all the subjects they study.

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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. 29 and 30 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241944 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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. The 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 executive headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector held a meeting with four members of the governing body and met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with pupils at social times and met with groups of pupils. 29 and 30 September 2022

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 When inspecting safeguarding, the lead inspector looked at the school’s procedures for recruiting and checking on staff suitability to work with children. The lead inspector also considered the effectiveness of staff training and the procedures to keep pupils safe.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ plans to improve the school and records of governing body meetings. They also reviewed the school’s attendance and behaviour records.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents. An inspector met with parents at the start of the first day of the inspection. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, an inspector discussed the curriculum with the subject leader, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils

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about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Daniel Gee Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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