Heaton St Barnabas' CofE Aided Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Heaton St Barnabas’ CofE Aided Primary School Rossefield Road, Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD9 4DA

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Outcome

Heaton St Barnabas’ CofE Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and inclusive school which sits at the heart of the community. Leaders and staff have built a caring culture. The core values of honesty, happiness, responsibility, respect, kindness and enthusiasm are central to the work of the school and its pupils. This means that pupils develop as well-rounded members of the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for pupils and ‘want to open pupils’ eyes and minds’ to life beyond Bradford and the United Kingdom. Staff have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school. Relationships between pupils, staff and parents are strong. Leaders’ knowledge of the community means that they have been able to shape the curriculum so that pupils are prepared for life beyond the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive contribution to the school and local community. For example, they held an Eid celebration to raise money for earthquake victims, and take part in inter- generational aerobics with local elderly people. Pupils are proud of their school and its place in the community. Pupils feel safe and well supported by staff. Bullying is rare. When it happens, leaders deal with it quickly.

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

Leaders have prioritised the development of the reading curriculum along with the teaching of phonics. As soon as pupils start in Reception, staff begin to teach the phonics programme. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. This helps them to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Leaders check on pupils’ reading progress each term. Any pupils who fall behind benefit from extra help. Most staff have benefited from training to ensure that they teach reading well. However, there are a few inconsistencies in the teaching of the reading programme because some staff have had less guidance and support. This means some pupils do not make as much progress as they could. 11 and 12 July 2023

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Pupils enjoy mathematics. The curriculum is well considered, which enables pupils to know more and remember more. Staff use their good subject knowledge to explain new mathematical ideas and concepts clearly. Teachers ask questions to help pupils understand new learning or to deepen pupils’ thinking. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, the teacher asked pupils to think about the number of edges on different-shaped prisms. This helped the pupils to identify a pattern they could apply to other prisms. Pupils work hard in lessons and benefit from the careful use of appropriate teaching materials. For example, when tackling calculations, pupils can use objects to help them to work out the answers.

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Leaders want to open pupils’ eyes to the wider world. For this reason, they have developed a curriculum that includes many visits out of school. Leaders have identified the curriculum content for each year group. They have begun to identify and order the knowledge that they want pupils to acquire. This work is not complete for all subjects. Where this work is not complete, sometimes teachers do not teach content in a logical order. This limits the depth of knowledge that pupils acquire.

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The curriculum is taught as a series of interesting and engaging lessons, often linked to questions. For example, questions about a banana box led to pupils learning about South America, climate, and the journey of bananas to pupils’ lunch boxes. Staff check what pupils have learned and remembered at the end of a unit of work. This helps leaders to identify strengths in the curriculum and where further work is needed. Good use is made of local resources. For example, when studying human geography, pupils compared Cartwright Hall to the Sydney Opera House. Teachers carefully select resources to reflect the local community and modern British society. This helps pupils learn about people who are both similar and different to themselves.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school. Like their peers, they benefit from access to the full range of subjects and learning experiences. Staff are patient and supportive of individual pupils and their needs. They offer unobtrusive help and guidance within classrooms.

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Leaders promote pupils’ broader development well. They ensure that pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures that are different to their own. This is delivered through the curriculum, assemblies and special events. For example, older pupils talk about the importance of values, such as respect and tolerance, noting that everyone has a right to make their own choices. The personal, social, health and education programme ensures that pupils become thoughtful members of the community who are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff speak positively about the support that they receive from leaders for their workload and well-being. Leaders ensure that staff are given time to work on new initiatives as well as time for tasks such as report writing. Those responsible for governance know the school and its community well. They make visits so they know where the work of the school is effective and where further improvements may be needed. 11 and 12 July 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training and updates. Staff are alert to any concerns about pupils’ safety. They record these concerns and share them appropriately. Leaders follow up on concerns and work closely with other agencies to offer help to pupils and their families. All the required vetting checks are completed before new staff join the school.

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Safeguarding

The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum teaches pupils how to keep physically and mentally healthy. Leaders have identified risks for pupils, such as road safety, stranger danger and how to stay safe online. Pupils learn about these topics regularly. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variance in how consistently the phonics scheme is taught because some staff have not had the same degree of support, guidance and training. This means that some pupils do not learn to read as well as others. Leaders should ensure that all staff get effective support, training and guidance in how to teach the phonics scheme.  Subject leaders have begun to break down learning into small steps, but there is more to be done to make clear which aspects are the most important for pupils to learn and remember. Pupils do not always learn everything required in a logical order, which means they do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum continues to develop and that teachers understand clearly what pupils need to learn and in what order.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2014. 11 and 12 July 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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255890 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 8 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school offers a breakfast club and several after-school clubs.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school is part of the Anglican Diocese of Leeds.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was December 2019.

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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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and senior leaders, four members of the governing body, including the Chair of Governors, and a representative from Bradford local authority. The inspector spoke with the diocesan education adviser by telephone.  The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject 11 and 12 July 2023

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leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central register. Discussions with staff and pupils were held to check their understanding of safeguarding.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lesson visits, at breaktimes and around the school. Pupils shared their views on behaviour during discussions.  The inspector spoke to parents at the end of the day and reviewed responses to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, as well as staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Amraz Ali, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 July 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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