Somerset Bridge Primary School

Inspection of Somerset Bridge Primary School Stockmoor Drive, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at Somerset Bridge Primary School. The school’s exceptional pastoral care helps them to feel safe and valued. As soon as they start in the early years, children and families feel that they belong to the school community. Pupils who have recently joined the school feel welcome and settle in quickly. These positive relationships set pupils up well for learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s four values to aspire, care, be brave and to collaborate, underpin daily life. Pupils are encouraged to play an active role in the school community. Many feel proud of the contributions they make. For example, the e-safety team meet regularly and report back to their classes on different ways to stay safe online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is highly positive. Nursery and Reception children know the routines and adults’ expectations of them. They develop curiosity and confidence in their environment which helps them to build independence. Pupils in key stage 1 and 2 are respectful to one another. This is seen in the way they listen to each other’s contributions and collaborate on tasks effectively. This respect for one another means that pupils of all backgrounds, ages and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well together.

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better?

The school’s vision for excellence is visible in school life. The academic curriculum is designed to give every pupil the knowledge they need to succeed in the future. The wider curriculum for pupils’ personal development, is extensive. The school has thought carefully about its pupils’ local context and needs. This is particularly the case for those who are disadvantaged. The school’s offer broadens pupils’ experiences and aspirations, building cultural capital for all.

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better?

The curriculum is thoughtfully designed, including for the early years. The school has sequenced the knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to know. As a result, pupils’ learning builds over time and they know, remember and do more. This has raised outcomes for pupils, particularly in mathematics and writing. In art and design, for example, pupils learn and refine specific knowledge and skills in painting. They then use these to produce art work of a high quality.

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better?

Children in the nursery enjoy listening to rhymes and familiar stories. This gives them a curiosity for language and communication. As a result, they develop secure foundations for reading and writing in Reception. Adults in the nursery work well together to provide plenty of opportunities for children to practise and consolidate their learning. This gets children off to a flying start before beginning school.

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better?

Children learn phonics as soon as they start in Reception. The phonics programme builds on children’s enjoyment of language, and they learn to blend sounds and segment words well. They enjoy the books they read which are well matched to the sounds they know. As a result, they develop fluency and accuracy as they move 5 and 6 March 2024

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through key stage 1. Older pupils enjoy learning through a broad range of texts that develop complexity in structure, plot and vocabulary.

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Teachers expertly craft learning. The school prioritises effective training for teachers. This means teachers build strong subject knowledge. They use school-agreed teaching strategies to help pupils to learn well. Teachers check on pupils’ understanding and address misconceptions immediately. The school has identified the need to refine assessment in the wider curriculum. Work is underway to match assessments more closely to the knowledge pupils need to know. However, this is not yet having an impact on pupils’ learning across the school.

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Pupils with SEND learn well. This is because their needs or barriers have been accurately identified. Teachers then ensure that these pupils have the right support across the curriculum. The school works well with parents and external agencies to review pupils’ progress and targets to help them to reach their potential.

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Governors are highly committed to fulfilling their statutory duties. They support and challenge the school to achieve its vision for pupils. This stems from a clear understanding of pupils’ contexts and needs. Relationships with staff are highly constructive. As a result, staff feel supported and encouraged. The school is clearly committed to improving the wider school system. It welcomes professionals from other settings to share the good practice within the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Improvements to assessment in the wider curriculum are very recent and have not yet had time to have an impact on pupils’ gaps in knowledge. Therefore, in a few subjects, pupils do not always learn as well as they could. The school must continue its work to refine assessment so that learning builds on what pupils already know and closes any gaps in knowledge across the wider curriculum.

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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. 5 and 6 March 2024

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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). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two, three and four-year-olds.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, curriculum leaders, teaching and support staff, members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and the local authority.  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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, they met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also took into consideration responses to

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the staff and pupil surveys.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation form.

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Inspection team

Angela Folland, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Hicks Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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