St Benedict Biscop CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Benedict Biscop CofE Primary School School Road, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire WV5 9DZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Learning and growing together in Christian friendship’ is the motto at St Benedict Biscop CE Primary School. Leaders have created a strong and inclusive community. They work hard to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Pupils and children earn badges for demonstrating the school values such as generosity, forgiveness and perseverance. Pupils treasure these badges and they support pupils’ exemplary behaviour. Pupils know what bullying is and say that, although it happens rarely, they are confident that all staff will support them to resolve difficulties. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that pupils get off to a strong start in nursery. The well- developed curriculum takes children’s early learning into account and builds on it successfully as pupils move through key stages 1 and 2. As a result, all children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy school. They persevere in the face of difficulties. Teachers use their knowledge of pupils to support them and also to challenge them. Pupils welcome this. They value the wide range of extra opportunities that are provided for them. Leaders plan activities to support pupils’ learning and to develop their talents and individual interests, for example the art club, sports clubs and Christian Club.

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision to enable pupils to achieve well. They are knowledgeable about what makes high-quality education and use this to secure further improvement. Leaders have planned the curriculum to ensure that pupils develop their knowledge and skills over time. In all subjects and across all year groups, leaders identify the essential learning that pupils need to remember. Teachers use consistent approaches to help pupils learn. These approaches enable pupils to apply what they have learned independently.

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better?

Teachers use assessment strategies to provide well-matched activities for pupils. They are ambitious for what all pupils, including those with SEND, are able to achieve. Successful adaptations support all pupils to access the curriculum. For example, teachers print text on coloured paper to support the learning of pupils with dyslexia.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. Leaders seek to ensure that all pupils develop as fluent, confident readers by the time they leave the school. From Nursery, teachers choose class storybooks which help pupils to develop the vocabulary they need when learning in other subjects. For example, teachers choose texts to develop pupils’ knowledge of Sikhism and World War Two. Leaders use a structured phonics 28 and 29 March 2023

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curriculum to help pupils learn to read. Teachers are clear about the sounds and words that pupils need to remember. Teaching activities are effective to help pupils to do this. For a small number of pupils, the books they read are not well matched to the sounds they are learning.

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From the early years, adults intervene skilfully to deepen children’s learning and develop their language. Learning is supported by a rich variety of additional opportunities. For example, older pupils take part in visits to different places of worship, including a mosque and a gurdwara. Pupils take part in a very wide range of varied clubs and activities such as football, art and creative writing. Many pupils, including those with SEND, take part regularly.

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Leaders have a clear commitment to pupil and staff well-being that begins from Nursery. Pupils build on the strong start from the early years. For example, children in Reception understand ‘perseverance’ and demonstrate it. Pupils work hard. They are resilient when faced with difficulties and are motivated to improve. As one pupil said, ‘In all the lessons, we never run out of challenges.’

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Pupils know that adults will support them if they need help. ‘Worry boxes’ and ‘worry monsters’ are used to help them to share concerns. Leaders take highly effective action to support pupils’ personal development. This is considered in detail. There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to take responsibilities, for example by being on the school council or being a play leader. Pupils are exceptionally mindful of one another. As one parent said, ‘The school works as a community, where personal development is important and explored through the Christian values.’

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Leaders and teachers model these values in all aspects of school life. Consequently, they can be seen in the daily behaviours of children and pupils, who are consistently kind and thoughtful to each other.

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Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness. They have shown impressive determination to rapidly improve the school since the last inspection. Governors and trustees are highly engaged and often visit the school, to challenge and support leaders. Together, school and trust leaders have provided highly effective support to all staff to enable them to teach and support pupils well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Clear safeguarding procedures are understood by all staff. Regular training for staff and leaders keeps their knowledge up to date. This helps them to identify if a pupil might be at risk from harm. Arrangements for safeguarding are closely monitored by leaders and governors. Leaders use their knowledge of their pupils and families to ensure support where this this needed. They are aware of risks that pupils may face locally. Teachers ensure that pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe. Pupils understand hazards and how to manage situations that may present a risk to them, both online and offline. They are confident in talking to adults if they are concerned. 28 and 29 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For a small number of pupils at the early stage of learning to read, the books they read are not always well matched to the sounds they are learning. This sometimes limits pupils’ ability to use their prior knowledge of phonics to read fluently. Leaders should ensure that the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds pupils are learning, so that those who struggle to read are supported well to catch up.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268293 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.st-benedictbiscop.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 and 13 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The school received its last section 48 inspection of church schools on 16 June 2016. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.

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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 held meetings with governors, the headteacher, lead teachers, teachers, an early careers teacher and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather information about school life. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 Inspectors focused on the following deep dives: early reading, mathematics, science and physical education. Inspectors looked at leaders’ curriculum planning, visited lessons, heard pupils read to a familiar adult, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils and teachers about pupils’ learning. Inspectors also looked at the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s website was also checked.  Inspectors talked to staff and leaders about safeguarding arrangements. They examined how leaders make employment checks on staff and scrutinised further safeguarding records. They also looked at how incidents that are reported by pupils are recorded and analysed.

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 Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.

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Inspection team

John Rowe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Peters Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 March 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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