Bottesford Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bottesford Church of England Primary School Silverwood Road, Bottesford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG13 0BS

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Outcome

Bottesford Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Emma Barker. This school is part of Learn Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Stef Edwards, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jeremy Benson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bottesford Church of England Primary School is a happy and caring place to learn. Pupils feel listened to. Mutual respect permeates the school. Pupils really appreciate the support that is available all around them. This makes them feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are advocates for the school’s ‘Respect’ values. These include equality, trust and self-belief. Older pupils relish taking on important roles, such as well-being champions, lunchtime champions and being in the sports crew. They say they want to ‘step up and give back’, to help younger pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and wider opportunities. They value the number of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. Favourites include playing football, learning Irish dancing, learning to play instruments and attending many sports events. Pupils appreciate that everyone gets a chance to take part. Lunchtimes and playtimes are harmonious. The school encourages everyone to get active.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations. Pupils appreciate that staff are quick to help them with any worries. They are proud to receive praise and awards. Pupils want to do their best for themselves and their school.

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

The school aims to give pupils the very best education in each subject. Staff review and refine the curriculum regularly. The school’s curriculum is organised so that pupils’ learning builds on what they already know. The school has ensured that pupils can 31 October and 1 November 2023

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develop their vocabulary in each subject. In some subjects, the curriculum is new. It is too soon to see the impact on pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects.

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There have been several changes to staffing responsibilities recently. This has meant that, in some subjects, monitoring does not identify precise strengths and areas for improvement. Where this is the case, staff do not always get all the support and information they need to teach the curriculum consistently well.

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Pupils love to read. The school promotes a love of reading through the study of carefully chosen, high-quality texts. Pupils enjoy using the well-stocked library and the inviting reading areas around the school. In the early years, children start learning to read as soon as they start school. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme well. Teachers make timely checks on how well pupils develop their phonics knowledge. Pupils who need extra support get the help they need to become fluent readers. As a result, pupils learn to read well.

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The school has made sure that the mathematics curriculum builds pupils’ knowledge securely over time. Pupils enjoy using their increasingly speedy recall of number facts to tackle tricky problems. Teachers use regular checks to spot pupils’ errors or misconceptions quickly. They identify any mathematical knowledge that pupils need to revisit. Most pupils achieve well in mathematics.

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The school is welcoming and inclusive. It ensures that barriers to learning for pupils are precisely identified. Extra support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is tailored and kept under constant review. This enables pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum and to achieve their best.

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Children in the early years make a strong start to their schooling. They quickly settle in well and learn appropriate routines. The learning environments, both indoors and outdoors, support children’s learning well. Children play and learn happily together. They are prepared well for Year 1 and beyond.

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Pupils’ mental health and physical well-being are a priority. Pupils learn about different beliefs and family structures. They have time to reflect on their beliefs during collective worship. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong. Pupils have an age- appropriate understanding of relationships education. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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The school has been successful in improving pupils’ attendance, including disadvantaged pupils. The school makes sure that parents understand the importance of high attendance. It works with parents to provide support where required.

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Staff, including those new to the school, enjoy working at the school. Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff are positive about the increased opportunities that joining Learn Academies Trust is opening up to them. The school is ambitious to continue to improve and do the best for every pupil. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for some subjects has recently been refined. It is too soon to see the full impact on pupils knowing and remembering more in these subjects. The school should ensure that the curriculums for these subjects are consistently and securely embedded.  The approach to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of how well some subjects are delivered is not precise due to staffing changes. Some staff do not deliver these subjects consistently well, as they do not get the support they need. The school must ensure that it monitors and evaluates the delivery of all subjects and ensure that staff get the support they need to deliver all subjects consistently well.

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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 October 2014.

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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. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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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). 31 October and 1 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school moved from being a standalone academy to being part of a multi-academy trust, Learn Academies Trust, on 1 October 2023.  This is a Church of England school within the Diocese of Leicester. The last section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in January 2020.  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs coordinator have been appointed.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The school runs a breakfast and an after-school club.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and a range of staff. She also met with the chief executive officer of Learn Academies Trust and the chair of the local governing body.  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 carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and physical education. This included meeting with subject leaders, visiting lessons and speaking with teachers and pupils. The inspector listened to pupils reading to adults, considered leaders’ curriculum plans and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at curriculum documentation and samples of pupils’ work for some other subjects.

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. She considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector met with groups of staff and pupils and considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 31 October and 1 November 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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