Billesdon Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Billesdon Church of England Primary School Gaulby Road, Billesdon, Leicester, Leicestershire LE7 9AG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and are happy and feel safe. Staff know the pupils well and they have positive relationships. Pupils have learned to see differences as strengths. For example, they celebrate Baba Marta in line with Bulgarian tradition to mark the first day of spring.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a culture of mutual respect. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils are aware of what bullying is, but they do not worry about it. Pupils are confident an adult would help if needed. All adults have high expectations of how pupils should behave.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play well together at playtimes. Parents and carers value the care the school provides for their children. Typically, one parent commented: ‘My child mixes with the other older children who are encouraged to help and support the younger ones at lunchtime.’ Pupils have access to a range of extra-curricular opportunities, which they appreciate. This includes a gardening club where pupils grow vegetables.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. However, pupils do not yet experience a well-developed curriculum in some subjects. Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum for all subjects is well sequenced. They do not check closely enough how well pupils recall what has been taught.

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better?

The school has been through a substantial period of change in leadership and staffing. Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, this has hampered leaders’ work to make planned improvements to the quality of education. Leaders are determined in their efforts to improve the quality of education for all pupils.

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better?

The headteacher leads the school with a clear vision. Leaders have made many recent improvements to the school’s curriculum. Some subject leaders have identified the knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which they should learn it. In these subjects, leaders have provided teachers with appropriate guidance and resources so that they can deliver the curriculum well. However, other foundation subjects are still at an early stage of development. In these subjects, subject leaders’ expectations of what pupils must know, and what content teachers should teach, are not clear enough. There are some examples of clearer curriculum thinking, such as in music. In this area, subject knowledge is broken down into smaller steps, starting in the Reception Year. Pupils can show an understanding of pitch and use of voice to begin to develop musical notation.

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better?

Teachers do not use assessment well in some subjects. As leaders have not fully identified what pupils must learn in these subjects, teachers do not regularly check what pupils know. This means that teachers do not always move pupils’ learning on. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They ensure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as other pupils where possible. Leaders involve external agencies to provide support for pupils with complex needs.

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Children begin their school life in early years well. Staff build positive relationships with children. Children are quick to respond to routines and behave well in the welcoming environment. Children experience a well-designed and well-delivered early years curriculum. The children show curiosity and are happy. They are well prepared for their next steps and have a clear transition into Year 1.

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Staff have revisited their skills to teach early reading. Pupils sound out their letters and blend the sounds quickly. They are confident to have a go at words they do not recognise. Teachers make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. Teachers promote a love of reading by sharing texts related to the wider curriculum with their classes. Pupils talk passionately about their wider experiences with reading.

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Pupils benefit from the many opportunities provided to support their personal development. Educational visits are planned to extend their understanding of the world. They visit museums and enjoy trips such as the visit to Duxford. They sing in church and at concerts, and play musical instruments in assemblies to develop confidence. A wide range of clubs are offered, including sport, music and drama. Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. They celebrate diversity. Pupils develop their knowledge of different faiths at different ages. They embrace opportunities to take on additional responsibilities or volunteer to run a club, such as the writing club.

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Governors are dedicated to the school and fulfil their statutory duties. Leaders take into account the workload and well-being of the staff and help them in managing this in an environment where everyone has many roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff know how to identify the signs that a pupil might be at risk of harm. Staff receive regular training and updates. Staff know how to report concerns to alert leaders quickly. Records of concern are detailed. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils and families get the right support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe both physically and mentally. Teachers make sure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils make use of worry boxes if they are worried or upset. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified and mapped out the precise sequence of knowledge that pupils should learn and remember. Consequently, pupils do not build on previous knowledge that will enable them to know more and remember more over time. Leaders need to make sure that the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each subject is clear and carefully set out in order for them to achieve as well as they could.  Subject leaders who are new to their roles have had limited training. They do not lead their subjects strategically or with confidence. This prevents them from being able to provide the support and guidance that colleagues need to deliver the curriculum well in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders have the knowledge and skills they need to deliver the full curriculum as intended.  Leaders do not accurately capture what pupils know and can do in their subject

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

areas. Leaders must develop and implement a consistent approach to assessment in every subject so that pupils’ skills and knowledge are checked accurately and pupils’ next steps in learning are successfully supported.

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10254835 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Carole Ratcliffe

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school is a Church of England School with a Christian ethos. It received its Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) in January 2020.  The school does not use the services of an alternative provision.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher. They also met with the headteacher in her role as the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also met with another senior leader. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 The inspectors met with governors, including the chair and vice-chair. A telephone call was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, music and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with teachers and curriculum leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  The inspectors looked at a range of other subjects, including, science, art and writing. They reviewed curriculum plans and sampled pupils’ work.  The inspectors spoke with pupils formally and informally about different aspects of school life.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents. These included policies related to curriculum, teaching and behaviour. They reviewed the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan and the single central record.  The inspectors considered the views of parents who completed the Ofsted Parent

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View questionnaire. They reviewed responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Ian Toon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

CT Atwal Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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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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