Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton

Inspection of a good school: Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton Henderson Close, Taunton, Somerset TA1 4TU

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 2023

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Outcome

Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at Bishop Henderson Primary School. The school’s vision, ‘Rooted together in love, we flourish and grow’, underpins the culture and ethos of the school. Pupils value the kindness and care that staff and pupils show for one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils have positive attitudes and enjoy their learning. They recognise that sometimes learning can be hard. Pupils show resilience when learning is tricky. They appreciate the support they receive from staff to help them with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. There are clear expectations for behaviour, which pupils understand, and staff share. Pupils are enthusiastic about the rewards system. As a result, pupils behave well. There is a positive and respectful culture in the school. Pupils listen well to adults and their peers. This starts in the early years, where pupils learn to take turns when playing games and sharing equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. They know that there are trusted adults who will help them if they have a worry. This means pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on opportunities for leadership, for example school councillors, play leaders and sports leaders. This helps pupils to learn about responsibility.

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

The school has carefully designed the curriculum to include the essential knowledge that it wants pupils to learn. Staff ensure that the curriculum reflects the needs of pupils in the school. The curriculum clearly identifies the steps in learning that pupils take over time. 17 and 18 October 2023

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Teachers adapt learning effectively for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers. However, pupils’ support plans do not always precisely identify the small steps pupils with SEND need to take.

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The school has prioritised training for staff in some subjects, such as mathematics. This means teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the planned curriculum. The school has identified the vocabulary they want pupils to learn. Staff model this well. As a result, pupils use subject-specific vocabulary when talking about their learning. For example, in mathematics, older pupils explain the link between simplifying fractions and divisors.

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In core subjects, teachers check what pupils know and remember. They identify where there are misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers use this to inform the next steps in learning. They ensure that pupils’ learning builds over time. In the wider curriculum, teaching does not always check what pupils know and remember over time. As a result, in some subjects pupils do not regularly revisit and recall prior learning, which means they do not regularly build on what they already know.

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Pupils learn to read from the start of Reception Year. The reading curriculum is well sequenced and progressive. The school encourages pupils to develop a love of reading. For example, the reading hut provides an opportunity for pupils to enjoy a good book at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The Year 6 reading ambassadors take their responsibility seriously for looking after the reading hut. Pupils talk about books they enjoy reading. However, when reading for pleasure, some pupils do not read widely.

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Most pupils read books matched to the sounds that they know and have learned. However, some pupils do not get the precise help and support that they need to read accurately. When this occurs, they do not get the practice they need to develop fluency and to read confidently.

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Lessons are generally calm and purposeful. Pupils learn without disruption. They play well together during social times.

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The school values help pupils to learn about being a good friend, for example through the values of kindness, love and goodness. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and about difference. This helps them to understand how to be thoughtful and considerate of others.

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The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ physical health and well-being. It offers an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs. These help pupils to develop talents and interests. The recent well-being week provided opportunities for learning beyond the academic. Pupils enjoyed opportunities to connect with others and the environment. They enjoy taking part in a range of sporting and creative activities. This helps pupils to learn how to keep mentally and physically healthy.

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Leaders and governors are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Staff value this support and are positive about working at the school. 17 and 18 October 2023

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Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. All those who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school to other families.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The wider curriculum is continuing to be developed. In some subjects, teaching does not routinely check on or revisit learning. As a result, teaching does not ensure that pupils’ knowledge is fully developed and secure. The school should ensure that teaching routinely checks on pupils’ learning and supports pupils to recall their learning so that they know more and remember more over time.  There is variance in how consistently the phonics scheme is implemented. Some phonics teaching is not as precise as it could be. As a result, pupils do not always receive the support they need to learn to read well. The school should ensure that staff are trained well to deliver the phonics programme and that it is implemented effectively.

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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 May 2013.

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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. 17 and 18 October 2023

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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). 17 and 18 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.bishophendersonschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells.  The school is a Somerset local authority maintained school.  This is a larger-than-average primary school.  Since the last inspection, there has been a change of headteacher.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school had its last denominational education inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in May 2017, where it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other members of the school’s senior leadership team. They held meetings with governors, representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. The inspector also reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted’s Parent View online survey. They

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also spoke with parents at the end of the school day. The inspector considered the responses to surveys for staff and pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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