Bradfield Primary School

Inspection of Bradfield Primary School Heath Road, Bradfield, Manningtree, Essex CO11 2UZ

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 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 Previous inspection grade Good 28 and 29 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their school. They will happily tell you about their day. They say lessons are ‘great fun’ and the teachers are ‘kind’. Pupils enjoy the many opportunities they have to learn new things, such as playing the electric guitar, how to play in a band, or how to be a Bollywood dancer. Pupils enjoy different leadership opportunities, such as being a ‘buddy’ for children in the Reception class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The youngest children settle in well. They learn quickly the behaviour expected of them. Pupils live the school values. They are respectful of one another and value fairness, for example naturally taking turns on the play equipment. Pupils speak of accepting everyone and valuing others’ personalities and differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is little bullying. Pupils say that teachers are strict about this. They trust adults to deal with any friendship issues that may arise. Pupils feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school and the education their children receive. A few parents commented they would like a wider offer of extra-curricular clubs.

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better?

Leaders have refreshed their approach to the teaching of early reading. They check pupils’ learning more closely to ensure that books match the sounds pupils know. This helps pupils to experience success and begin to enjoy reading. Children in the Reception Year make a quick start in learning the separate sounds so they can blend them into words. Leaders give guidance to parents, so they understand how best to support their children when reading at home.

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better?

Adults use their knowledge from appropriate training to teach phonics accurately. This is especially the case in whole class or one-to-one teaching. Occasionally, when pupils are receiving additional help in smaller groups, staff do not spot when pupils have made a mistake. Therefore, some pupils repeat these errors. Older pupils enjoy reading and logging their reviews on the school’s online system. They appreciate the new high-quality books that leaders provide.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about how to organise the curriculum for mixed-age classes. They have ensured that the essential knowledge pupils need is clear and taught progressively. Teachers recap key ideas and revisit subject vocabulary on a regular basis. This is so that pupils can make connections in their learning. As they progress through the curriculum, pupils gain more confidence in their discussions. This is also the case in the early years, where there is a strong emphasis on the use of subject-specific language in everyday conversation. In a lesson learning about their world, for example, children chatted about the bird’s eye view when looking at the aerial photograph of their school. 28 and 29 September 2022

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In the early years, adults skilfully question children to develop their thinking and play. There are well-established routines and clear expectations so that children learn quickly how to share and how to take turns. Early in the autumn term, children are already moving confidently around the classroom, picking up and putting away equipment. Children’s literacy and mathematical understanding are carefully reinforced through other activities, such as role play and construction.

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Teachers know pupils well. They share leaders’ commitment to provide a fully inclusive education. Teachers adapt lessons and learning activities so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND have equal access to and enjoy many of the enrichment activities, such as the residential trips and the daily mile.

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Leaders’ systems for reviewing the impact of adults’ work to support pupils with SEND are cumbersome and sometimes lack precision. For instance, leaders do not have a clear overview of the training staff have completed to support pupils’ needs This, on occasion, means some pupils with SEND do not get the best possible support as promptly as they could.

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Pupils develop the knowledge and skills to help them become well-rounded individuals. Older pupils are good role models for younger pupils. Through the religious education curriculum, pupils appreciate different faiths and cultures. They also take an active interest in local history, for example, through visits from a local historian. They enjoy listening to many forms of music, including Baroque music at the start of their lessons. As part of the music curriculum, pupils learn to play a minimum of three instruments.

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Governors have a strong understanding of the school. They support and challenge leaders to make sure weaker areas of the school’s provision improve. Governors visit regularly and see for themselves first-hand what is going on in the school. They check the workload and well-being of staff carefully to see that it is manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders follow government guidelines closely so that pupils are safe. Staff are well trained. They understand the importance of being vigilant. They know the local safeguarding risks that pupils face and how to report concerns should they need to.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work effectively with external agencies to provide appropriate support to the most vulnerable pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are well looked after. They know, for example, the rules of the climbing apparatus in the playground and how to stay safe when online. 28 and 29 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The second part of the phonics reading session does not guide pupils as well as the first part of the session. The breakout groups are of varying sizes. In the larger groups, some pupils work with the adult, and some do not. This means that some pupils make mistakes which adults do not notice or correct. Leaders should review the organisation and delivery of the phonics sessions to ensure that adults spot mistakes and step in to provide pupils with the support they need when they make them.  The processes and procedures for supporting pupils with SEND are not as streamlined or as effective as they could be. This means that sometimes support for pupils lacks precision. Leaders must make sure that they make better use of the information received to continue to improve the support offered and that staff training is up to date. This is so that staff are confident to act promptly to make any changes needed for all pupils with SEND to enable them to achieve well.

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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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227247 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 17 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

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

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, early mathematics, geography, science and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke 28 and 29 September 2022

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to teachers and teaching assistants, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a selection of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and the procedures for intimate care. Inspectors met with safeguarding leaders and spoke with staff and pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  Inspectors took note of the 30 responses received on Ofsted Parent View and the 14 responses to the Ofsted staff survey, and considered the 78 responses to the Ofsted pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Liz Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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