Bridstow CofE Primary School

Inspection of Bridstow CofE Primary School Bridstow, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 6PZ

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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 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and caring school. Parents say that staff are very nurturing towards the children and that children love going to school. Pupils agree, saying that they enjoy coming to school to ‘work together, grow together and flourish together’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show sensitivity towards one another. They look after each other and play calmly together. Pupils say that bullying is rare but that adults deal with it if it happens. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents of pupils with SEND appreciate the expertise of adults at school and the level of support they provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children get off to a flying start in reception, sharing in an exciting curriculum within a safe, stimulating environment. Skilled staff encourage children to become independent and resilient learners. Adults join in with children’s imaginative play and encourage them to extend the range of words that they know and understand.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school, pupils continue to take pleasure in learning and take part in wider school activities such as musical instrument tuition. They become very skilled at using electronic devices to create, organise, edit and store their work.

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better?

Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to put an ambitious curriculum in place. They have ensured that in most subjects, pupils’ learning is well sequenced, which helps to deepen their knowledge over time.

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better?

In mathematics, for example, there is a well-planned and sequenced curriculum which breaks learning into small chunks. As a result, pupils become skilled, confident mathematicians as their learning builds on what they already know. In other subjects, such as history, it is not as well sequenced. Leaders have designed a curriculum which is interesting and engaging. However, pupils struggle to remember some of what they learn because lessons do not build well enough on previous learning.

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better?

In lessons, including in the early years, teachers and support staff ask questions to assess how well pupils are learning. This develops pupils’ thinking and understanding so they can articulate what they are learning.

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better?

Reading is a priority from the moment children join the Reception class. Staff use a well-considered approach to the teaching of phonics. This means that pupils become familiar and confident with phonics early in their school life. Most become fluent readers before they enter key stage 2. Teachers and support staff are well trained and know the children well. Leaders track how well pupils read and give additional help to those who fall behind. 6 and 7 December 2022

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While leaders have done a lot to promote a love of reading, they have not given enough consideration to the quality of texts that pupils experience. So, while pupils enjoy reading, and read often, they do not read widely enough.

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Pupils display positive attitudes, enjoy their learning across the curriculum and achieve well. They have access to devices on which they carry out much of their work. However, when they are required to work in books, they do not always have the fluency or stamina they need. The work they produce is typically of high quality, but work in books is variable and sometimes untidy.

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A few pupils find learning difficult. Leaders put in place appropriate support quickly and monitor to establish whether pupils have additional needs. Where pupils are identified as having SEND, leaders work effectively with other agencies to get the support pupils need. Leaders ensure that staff are very well trained and knowledgeable about the additional needs of pupils. Leaders ensure pupils with SEND learn well.

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Pupils behave well at this school. They are kind, helpful and thoughtful of one another. Leaders have ensured that year groups mix at playtimes. and pupils told inspectors that they relish this. When pupils struggle with behaviour, leaders are quick to act. They support pupils to ensure they can access their learning and so they do not distract others from learning.

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Leaders nurture pupils’ all-round development. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their experiences beyond the classroom. They visit a variety of places, including the local church and other places of worship. Pupils really enjoy the visits and visitors which bring learning to life, such as the ‘day as an evacuee’ when studying the Second World War. Pupils develop as young citizens through roles such as digital leaders and school librarians.

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Leaders and governors know the school well and know where improvements are needed. They have established a very inclusive, caring culture in which pupils feel cared for and staff feel valued. Staff say that their workload and well-being are always considered by leaders and that they are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders and governors ensure that rigorous recruitment checks take place before staff and other adults begin to work in the school. They ensure that staff are well trained to identify pupils who may be at risk from harm. Staff keep electronic records which detail concerns and the actions taken. When there are concerns about pupils, staff act promptly and decisively to keep them safe. This includes liaising with relevant external agencies when required. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to stay safe in the real world and online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not ensured that pupils’ learning builds on what they already know. As a result, pupils do not learn the most important knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that they identify the key learning in all subjects. They should also make sure that this content is well sequenced, so pupils’ knowledge builds on what they already know.  Leaders have not ensured that pupils experience a wide range of quality texts. This means that pupils do not gain a broad knowledge of literature. Leaders should ensure that pupils hear and read a broad range of high-quality texts.  Pupils have limited opportunities to develop fluency and stamina in their written work. Therefore, the quality of work which children produce in their books is not always of high quality. Leaders should ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to practise work in books, so the quality of their work is always as

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 October 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Oak Meadow Federation, along with one other school.  The two schools in the federation share a headteacher.  The school provides childcare before and after school.

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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 met with the headteacher, groups of staff and representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  Deep dives were completed in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, an inspector met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and 6 and 7 December 2022

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looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences in school and observed their behaviour around the school. An inspector also met with pupils to talk about the wider curriculum and their learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements in the school, inspectors spoke to members of staff and pupils to evaluate the school’s safeguarding culture. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the school’s policies and procedures. During this meeting, records were scrutinised, including those relating to the safer recruitment of staff. Case files were sampled to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils at risk of harm.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the school gate.  Inspectors considered the feedback provided through the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard His Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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