Bleasby Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bleasby Church of England Primary School Station Road, Bleasby, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG14 7GD

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Outcome

Bleasby Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this school. They frequently demonstrate the school’s ABC (Achieving, Belonging, Caring) values. Pupils say that everyone is kind and cares about others. Older pupils in key stage 2 often look out for their younger peers. As one pupil typically explained, ‘We are all like a family here.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff model how they expect pupils to behave. Most pupils conduct themselves very well. Pupils say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ without prompting. They treat each other, and staff, with respect. Bullying is unusual and staff resolve any issues quickly. Pupils engage enthusiastically during lessons. They are keen to try new activities and to share their ideas. Low-level disruption is uncommon. Pupils say that staff deal with the few incidents of poor behaviour fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive on the busyness of school life. They enjoy taking part in music and sports activities or being a member of the garden-and-grow club. Pupils like having responsibilities as ambassadors, sports leaders, prefects, door monitors or members of the school council. They know these roles make a positive difference. Pupils play an active part in the school’s local community. Their harvest festival donations benefit the local food bank, while their cake sales support people in Ukraine.

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

This school has been through a period of change. Since joining the Minster Trust for Education (MITRE) and the appointment of the new headteacher, things have stabilised. Staff appreciate how everyone works together as a team. Parents and carers are positive about the quality of education their children receive. One parent reflected others’ views by saying, ‘My children want to come to school every day and love learning.’

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

Leaders have recently reorganised the curriculum. They have designed an ambitious two- year curriculum cycle. This ensures that pupils studying in mixed-age classes do not repeat the same content. The curriculum identifies precisely what pupils need to learn and 28 February 2023

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when, starting with the early years. Over-arching enquiry questions each term help pupils to make connections between different subjects. Pupils are excited to find out about these new topics. They are keen to tell others about what they have learned.

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In mathematics, there is a clear progression in the complexity of knowledge and skills that pupils learn. Pupils get better at solving problems and explaining how they have worked things out. Teachers make good use of their subject knowledge. They check pupils’ understanding carefully and modify the curriculum to plug any gaps. However, teachers do not always make sure that pupils respond to advice about how to improve their work. This is also true in other subjects.

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Most teachers think carefully about how to deliver the curriculum in each subject. They choose suitable activities to help pupils learn new content. Occasionally, the curriculum lacks ambition. When this is the case, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), sometimes struggle to remember the details of what they have learned.

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Reading is a high priority. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme. Children in the early years start learning their letters and sounds straight away. They have plenty of opportunities to use the sounds they have learned and to practise their writing. Teachers track pupils’ reading progress closely. When pupils fall behind, they get extra help. However, some of these pupils do not practise their reading often enough. Adults who hear these pupils read do not always know enough about phonics.

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Pupils experience books from a range of genres, authors and cultures. Whenever pupils get a spare moment, they pick up books they have chosen and read. Pupils in key stage 2 enjoy reading classic novels such as ‘The Hobbit’ and modern spy thrillers by Anthony Horowitz. Some teachers encourage pupils to read books that will challenge them.

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Pupils benefit from trips, including to the National Holocaust Centre and local museums, as well as residential visits for pupils in Years 4 and 6. Pupils welcome visitors to learn about people who have backgrounds that are different from their own. They often reflect on how the school’s values help to develop their character. Weekly rainbow assemblies give pupils the chance to celebrate their achievements together.

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Staff feel well supported. They appreciate training opportunities to improve their practice. Teachers value the joint-planning time allocated to plan the curriculum.

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Local governors and trustees are well informed about leaders’ work. They are mindful of the school’s context and the challenges of running a small school. They provide the support and challenge necessary to help leaders improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to spot and report any safeguarding concerns they have about a pupil. Leaders take appropriate action to keep pupils safe. They update staff about any changes 28 February 2023

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to a pupil’s circumstances. Leaders involve external organisations when necessary to ensure that pupils get the right support. Occasionally, pupils’ safeguarding records do not include sufficient information about leaders’ actions to protect pupils from potential harm.

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Pupils feel safe and well looked after in school. They learn about keeping themselves safe online. Pupils know how to stay safe near roads or water, or if there is a risk of fire.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Support for a small number of pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read is not sharp enough. Adults who read with these pupils are not always knowledgeable enough about how to support them using phonics. These pupils do not become accurate and fluent readers as quickly as they could. Leaders must make sure that staff who support these pupils with their reading have the necessary expertise to do so.  The curriculum in each subject is well planned and sequenced. However, teachers are occasionally not ambitious enough. Their expectations of what pupils can achieve are sometimes too low. When this is the case, pupils do not produce work at the level they should. They cannot recall what they have learned in sufficient detail. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum provides all pupils, including those with SEND, with sufficient challenge in every subject.  Pupils do not always make the most of guidance from teachers as to how they can

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

improve their work. They do not consistently use this information to correct any errors or deepen their understanding. Leaders must ensure that pupils make the most of the feedback given to them by teachers, so that the quality of pupils’ written work and their understanding improve.

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Background

When we have judged 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Bleasby CofE Primary School, the school to be good in March 2019. 28 February 2023

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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.

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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 February 2023

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Bleasby Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school with the MITRE in July 2019. When its predecessor school, Bleasby CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The headteacher took up the role in January 2022. She is also the school’s designated safeguarding leader.  A new chair of the local governing body has been appointed recently.  A section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in June 2017.  The school runs a breakfast club each morning, overseen by governors. There is an after-school club run by a private company.  The school does not make use of the services of any alternative providers.

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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. 28 February 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and the chief executive officer of the multi- academy trust. They met with other school leaders, including the coordinator of the provision for pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector met with two trustees, including the chair of the board of trustees, and with the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors did deep dives in three subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, and considered pupils’ work. They spoke with pupils and teachers. The lead inspector listened to some pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 read with an adult.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils. They spoke with pupils informally and observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks, holding discussions with leaders, staff and

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pupils and reviewing documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors took note of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors also spoke with some parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation audit and school improvement plan. They considered information about behaviour, pupils’ attendance and the wider curriculum.

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Long Ofsted Inspector 28 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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