Bingley Grammar School

Inspection of a good school: Bingley Grammar School Keighley Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 2RS

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2023

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Outcome

Bingley Grammar School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this inclusive and friendly school. They know that they get a good standard of education and are supported by kind staff to ‘belong, grow and succeed’. Many go on to ambitious next steps. Students in the sixth form are excited to continue their education and training. They know that the school has prepared them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

What is remarkable here, is the warm relationships that exist between staff and pupils. All staff are united in their shared vision to do their best for pupils at this school. Teachers and support staff are proud to make a difference for the pupils in their care. The majority of pupils are keen to do well. They behave well in lessons and as they move around the school. This is a happy and caring school, where pupils flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil leadership is a strength and helps to build their character and advocacy skills. Pupils are developed and empowered to be the change that they want to see. Pupils make good use of the opportunities available to them. Many speak passionately of the fundraising they have done and the conferences that they have presented at.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils and knows the importance of ensuring that they benefit from a high-quality curriculum. Increasingly, this is in place. In many subjects, the school has considered carefully what they want pupils to know and remember. New knowledge builds from what pupils have learned before. There are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit important knowledge. As a result, pupils remember what they have been taught. This helps pupils to make sense of new concepts and develop a deeper understanding of the subject.

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

However, in a few subjects, important knowledge is not as carefully considered. Pupils do not always have the opportunity to revisit what they have been taught before. They struggle to remember important knowledge and teachers have to reteach previous content before they can move on to new learning. This slows the progress that pupils 14 and 15 September 2023

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make through the curriculum, this includes in the wider curriculum. For example, some pupils have little knowledge of fundamental British values. Others struggle to recall what they have been taught about different world religions.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge and give clear explanations in lessons. Pupils, including those in the sixth form, value the help and guidance they receive from teaching staff. Teaching staff receive the training and support they need to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read are swiftly identified when they start at this school. They receive regular interventions to help them with learning to read. However, the training and resources being used by staff are not helping these pupils to quickly learn to read accurately and fluently.

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This is a calm school, where most pupils conduct themselves with respect for others. There is little disruption to lessons. Teaching staff, including those at the early stages of their career, appreciate the consistent approach that there is to manage any behaviour incidents that occur. Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have SEND, struggle to have high levels of attendance. The school is focused on ensuring that pupils attend school well, so that all pupils can benefit from the curriculum and wider opportunities that are offered.

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There is a vibrant and multi-layered model of pupil leadership in place across the school. Form, house and year representatives work with elected ‘student ministers’, who form the student parliament. Pupils are rightly proud of what many have achieved through the wider opportunities available. Some have presented at regional and national conferences while others are part of the global citizenship programme ‘Send My Friend to School’. Pupils speak eloquently of what they have done as an Anne Frank ambassador. Pupils are well supported to develop their own voice, to advocate for others and to stand up for what they believe in.

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This is a happy and productive school for staff as well as pupils. Many staff are proud to have worked at this school for a number of years. Leaders support staff well and consider their workload and well-being. Staff know that they can go to leaders with any concerns and that, wherever possible, leaders will take steps to address these.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils struggle to recall the important knowledge that leaders have highlighted. This is because pupils have not had regular opportunities to revisit this important knowledge and secure it in their long-term memory. This slows the progress they make through the curriculum. Leaders should check that pupils know and 14 and 15 September 2023

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remember key information and concepts, so that any gaps in knowledge can be addressed and pupils learn consistently well across all subjects.  Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read are not sufficiently well supported. This is because staff have not had the training and resources to be able to help these pupils quickly catch up with their peers. Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained and have the support they need to deliver a systematic synthetic phonics scheme with fidelity, so that these pupils can quickly learn to read accurately and fluently.

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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 March 2018.

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 September 2023

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1939

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Date(s) of previous inspection 27 March 2018 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school makes use of seven alternative providers, three of which are registered.  The school is part of the National Centre for Computing Education network of Computing Hubs. As the local computing hub, it provides computing professional development for primary and secondary schools across West Yorkshire.  The school holds a number of awards and accreditations, including being a designated UCL Beacon School in Holocaust Education. 14 and 15 September 2023

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, including school leaders and representatives of the local governing body. Inspectors spoke with teaching and wider support staff, including some teachers who are at the early stages of their teaching career.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, science, art and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at examples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about

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Information about this inspection

the curriculum in personal, social, health and economic education and in reading. An inspector listened to pupils read.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and through meetings held with pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through meetings and informal discussions, and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Belfield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Adam Ryder Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 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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