Heap Bridge Village Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Heap Bridge Village Primary School Heap Brow, Heap Bridge, Bury, Lancashire BL9 7JP

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2023

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Outcome

Heap Bridge Village Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They strive to model the school’s values of being positive, proactive and proud. Many pupils told the inspector that they were proud of the work that they had completed, even if they found this hard at first. They recognise that the high expectations and positive support from staff helps them to achieve well over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to be successful academically and as well-rounded individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of leadership responsibilities. Older pupils take pride in their roles as sports leaders. They set up a range of different games at lunchtime and encourage younger pupils to take part. Digital leaders play an important role in promoting online safety across the school. Such opportunities build pupils’ confidence and prepare them well for life beyond the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident that staff will listen to their concerns. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying and name-calling effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently well. As a result, pupils’ learning is rarely disturbed by disruptive behaviour.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have ensured that, across the majority of the curriculum, the key knowledge that pupils should acquire is carefully organised from the Reception Year to Year 6.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff benefit from appropriate, ongoing training. This helps them to develop their subject knowledge so that they are well equipped to teach across the different subjects. Leaders and teachers check on what pupils know and remember over time. They understand the key knowledge that pupils must be confident with before moving on to new concepts. When needed, teachers provide pupils with the opportunity to revisit previous learning. Leaders and staff prioritise the development of pupils’ vocabulary across all subjects and 15 and 16 February 2023

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all year groups. Over time, this helps pupils build a deep body of knowledge and the majority of pupils achieve well.

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In one or two subjects, the school’s current subject curriculums do not match the needs of pupils. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

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Leaders place high priority on children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, developing a secure knowledge of phonics. Leaders have ensured that staff have the training and support that they need to deliver the phonics programme well. Children in the Reception class readily learn the sounds that letters represent. Leaders ensure that pupils read books which are closely matched to the sounds that they are learning. Leaders and teachers check on what pupils understand and have learned in phonics lessons. Staff put extra support in place quickly for pupils who need it. This helps these pupils to catch up with their peers. Many pupils become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

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Leaders promote reading well across the school. Pupils read widely and often. Staff read high-quality stories and novels to pupils regularly. Pupils in key stage 2 access a range of high-quality texts, including non-fiction. This enhances pupils’ language development.

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Leaders have effective systems in place that identify the needs of pupils with SEND at an early stage. Staff benefit from support from leaders and external organisations to effectively adapt how they deliver the curriculum for pupils with SEND. Most pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Where required, leaders have put in place individual learning plans for some pupils with SEND. Staff ably deliver these.

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Most pupils display positive attitudes to learning. They behave well in and around the school. Children in the early years cooperate well with their peers. They are keen to follow adults’ instructions and to do their best.

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Pupils benefit from carefully selected opportunities to enhance their wider personal development. Leaders ensure that pupils understand the signs of healthy relationships. Pupils know that there are many different family structures. They are clear that everyone should be treated with respect regardless of their differences. Pupils benefit from opportunities to develop their talents and interests through attending groups such as reading, cooking and chess club.

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Governors support and challenge leaders well. Governors and leaders are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being when making decisions about policies and procedures. Staff are positive about working at the school and value the support that they receive from leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 February 2023

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Leaders and staff are vigilant to potential safeguarding issues. They benefit from regular training that helps them to identify pupils at risk of harm. Leaders respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely manner and work effectively with external agencies when needed. That said, some minor aspects of safeguarding record keeping are not as robust as they should be.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe outside of school. For example, pupils recognise how to cross the road safely and keep themselves safe when playing games online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, the school’s current subject curriculums do not match the needs of pupils. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that they finalise their curriculum-thinking in these subjects so that pupils can build a secure body of knowledge over time.  Some aspects of safeguarding record keeping are not as robust as they should be. This means that some information may not be recorded, which in turn, has the potential for leaders to miss crucial details linked to pupils’ safety. Leaders should ensure that safeguarding records are clear and comprehensive.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 15 and 16 February 2023

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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. 15 and 16 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256212 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 9 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. As part of the deep dives, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, met with teachers and looked at children’s and pupils’ work. He also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other curriculum subjects. He listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with representatives of the local authority. 15 and 16 February 2023

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 The inspector checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. He reviewed a range of documentation and spoke to leaders and staff. He also spoke to pupils about whether they felt safe in school.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. He spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. He also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s pupil survey.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. He also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free- text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 February 2023

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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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