Bolton Primary School

Inspection of Bolton Primary School Bolton, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria CA16 6AW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Bolton Primary School. Leaders’ values of ‘caring, inspiring, enjoying and excelling’ are lived out by pupils, including children in the early years. Pupils are kind and caring towards each other. They value the friendships that they have with pupils of all ages, and appreciate the family feel of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders address any concerns that pupils or parents and carers have quickly and effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Most pupils behave well. They listen to their teachers and concentrate on their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils have embraced opportunities to visit Bulgaria, Spain, Greece and Italy. Children from these countries have also visited the school. These experiences have been shared with pupils of all ages. These opportunities help pupils to experience life in other countries and to develop a sense of the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enthusiastically participate in after-school clubs including rounders, football and dodgeball. They enjoy using the wildlife area and the trim trail in the school grounds.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. They have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and when they should learn it. Leaders have also ensured that the curriculum is relevant to the local area so that pupils, including children in the early years, can develop a sense of place. Pupils achieve well.

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better?

Pupils who may have additional needs are identified early. Staff get to know children well before they join the Reception class. This helps staff to identify any additional needs that these young children may have at the earliest opportunity and to put support in place quickly. Pupils with SEND are supported effectively to learn the same curriculum as their classmates.

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better?

Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They teach their specialist subject across the school. Pupils benefit from teachers’ subject expertise from the early years through to Year 6. Teachers check what pupils know and remember. However, in a few subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers consistently address errors and misconceptions in pupils’ work. This means that some pupils’ learning is not as secure as it should be in some subjects.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. Leaders’ ‘strive for five’ incentive successfully encourages pupils to read widely and often. Leaders have established an effective phonics curriculum from the beginning of the Reception Year. The books 27 and 28 June 2023

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that pupils read match the sounds that they have been taught. Pupils in key stage 2 who need help to catch up are supported well to do so. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

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Most pupils behave in a calm and sensible manner around the school. They are courteous, considerate and mature. However, on occasion, in some lessons, a few pupils’ behaviour disrupts the learning of others. Leaders deal with any rare incidents of negative behaviour, including the use of discriminatory language, quickly and effectively.

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Older pupils have embraced the opportunity to lead clubs for younger pupils at lunchtime. They enjoy being positive role models and are proud of how well younger pupils engage with the activities that they organise.

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Leaders have developed a curriculum that successfully supports pupils’ personal development. Specialist staff teach personal, social and health education across the school, including relationships and sex education. Pupils benefit greatly from these staff’s expertise. For example, pupils have a clear understanding of healthy relationships, fundamental British values and different faiths and cultures. This helps to prepare them to be citizens in modern Britain.

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The school is well led and managed. Governors know the school well. They understand their role and hold leaders to account effectively. Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders prioritise staff’s workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the support that they get from leaders and feel valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that there is a culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff have had the training that they need to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. They know how to report any concerns they may have. Leaders keep a record of staff’s concerns and act swiftly to address these. However, the system for staff to record and report their concerns is cumbersome. It does not help leaders to check for patterns effectively or to consider the bigger picture. Leaders are aware of this and have taken appropriate action.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils receive support from specially trained staff in school. They also secure help for vulnerable pupils from other agencies. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. 27 and 28 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not ensured that their high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour are shared by staff. This can hinder some pupils from achieving as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour.  In some subjects, teachers do not address pupils’ errors and misconceptions. This means that some pupils’ learning is not as secure as it should be. Leaders should ensure that teachers have a consistent approach to identifying and addressing errors in pupils’ work.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255961 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 22 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use 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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders in school. They also spoke with a range of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. They also considered the responses to the Ofsted surveys for staff and pupils. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The lead inspector examined a range of safeguarding documentation. Inspectors spoke with staff to check how well they understand safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, in lessons and around school. They also spoke to pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. The lead inspector also considered the curriculum in some other subjects. Inspectors met leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons. They also spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects and looked at examples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a trusted adult.

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Inspection team

Sally Timmons, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 June 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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