Bishopton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bishopton Primary School Drayton Avenue, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 9PB

p.1

Outcome

Bishopton Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Bishopton Primary is a school where all pupils are genuinely welcomed. Pupils are happy to come to school and feel safe. They talk enthusiastically about the variety of opportunities on offer. These could include learning to play the drums, being in a football team or singing in the choir. Pupils are proud of their various roles, such as reading with older people at a community dementia café.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils also enjoy their learning. This is because leaders have designed an engaging curriculum. Books sit at the heart of the curriculum, and pupils gain a good understanding of a wide range of vocabulary through this approach. Pupils access a range of subjects. They know and remember a lot of what they have learned in different subjects. Sometimes, however, pupils do not remember what is most important.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils and want them to work hard and behave well. Most pupils live up to these expectations. Where some pupils find this more difficult, staff provide effective support. Bullying occasionally happens at the school. When it does happen, leaders take swift action to make it stop.

p.1

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

Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for all pupils. The ‘Bishopton’ values focus on developing pupils both academically and personally. Perseverance, self-belief and being open-minded are just a few of the character traits that staff promote. At the heart of what leaders want to give pupils is an equal opportunity to succeed.

p.1

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

Books and reading drive learning in many subjects. The curriculum helps pupils to both learn to read and love to read. This starts in the Reception Year with the daily teaching of phonics and the sharing of many different books to widen children’s vocabulary. Short, focused phonics lessons also happen daily throughout key stage 1. Staff regularly hear pupils read. Many parents do this at home as well. This gives many pupils the start they need to be ready for the next stage. Pupils develop into confident and fluent readers. 7 and 8 March 2023

p.1

2

Pupils build on this strong start through their English and reading lessons throughout the rest of the school. They develop an understanding of a sophisticated range of vocabulary. Pupils increasingly use this vocabulary in their writing across the curriculum. To further improve their writing, leaders have focused on developing pupils’ accuracy when spelling. This has had a positive impact. Pupils’ use of punctuation, however, is not as accurate.

p.2

2

Children also get a solid start in learning about numbers. In the Reception Year, they gain a deep understanding of numbers to 10 and beyond. They develop a secure understanding of ‘more than’ and ‘less than’. Pupils build on this sound start in mathematics through an established curriculum across the rest of the school.

p.2

2

Regular assessment opportunities help staff to identify where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They use this assessment information to give targeted support to pupils and to inform their future teaching.

p.2

2

In other subjects, leaders have ensured that there is a progression of skills mapped out in the curriculum. Pupils develop these subject-specific skills over time and make links between subjects. In many of the subject curriculums, the sequence of learning builds progressively on what has come before. It also teaches pupils some key knowledge and concepts linked to the subject they are studying. So, for example, when learning about the Roman invasion of Britain, pupils learn about why the Roman army was so powerful. Sometimes, however, the sequence of learning does not build progressively or focus on the most important knowledge. On occasion, the work that staff give pupils does not help them to learn what is most important in a subject.

p.2

2

Leaders make sure that they have appropriate systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff adapt their teaching so that pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum. This can be through using different resources, a separate space to concentrate, or additional adult support. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

p.2

2

Pupils behave well in lessons. They listen attentively and can learn, as there are few interruptions. When pupils struggle with behaviour, staff work well to ensure they remain engaged with their learning.

p.2

2

The curriculum at Bishopton is enriched in many ways. Pupils have opportunities to work with a local performing arts organisation. They visit the rich, cultural heritage sites in the surrounding area. Pupils also have numerous opportunities to take part in music and sporting events.

p.2

2

Leaders work well with staff, and staff feel valued. Leaders consider staff’s workload and make changes where possible to reduce it.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 7 and 8 March 2023

p.2

3

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Pupils’ safety and well-being are a top priority. Staff’s training ensures that they recognise the signs that a pupil might be at risk of harm. The systems for reporting a concern are well organised. All staff understand how to use them. Leaders respond swiftly when staff alert them to a potential issue. They liaise with external agencies when required and challenge agencies when they need to. Pupils learn about a range of issues related to their personal safety, including how to stay safe online.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not finalised the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. So, on occasion, the work given to pupils does not help them to learn what is most important in a subject. As a result, pupils do not develop as deep an understanding of the subject as they could. Leaders should ensure that they identify the essential learning in all subjects. They should also ensure that staff have a good understanding of the most appropriate work to give pupils to help pupils to know and remember the curriculum.  Pupils’ use of punctuation in their writing across the curriculum lacks accuracy. This prevents their writing from being as good as it could be. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum gives appropriate focus to ensuring pupils understand how to write sentences using accurate punctuation.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

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

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 7 and 8 March 2023

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 7 and 8 March 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 December 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Leaders use one unregistered alternative provider.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, subject leaders and governors, including the chair of the governing body, and spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, visited lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work from the previous year.  The inspector also looked at how early mathematics was taught through visiting a lesson and speaking to the teacher. 7 and 8 March 2023

p.5

6

 The inspector looked at work from other subjects, including science, geography, and art and design.  The inspector met with the headteacher, who is the designated safeguarding lead. Pupils’ case files were reviewed. The single central record of the checks on staff’s suitability to work with children was scrutinised.  The inspector met with staff to discuss their workload and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  The inspector spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school and how they learn to keep themselves safe.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, the pupil survey and the staff questionnaire.

p.6

Inspection team

Helen Forrest, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7