Busbridge CofE Aided Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Busbridge C of E Aided Junior School Brighton Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XA

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Outcome

Busbridge C of E Aided Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this lively and inclusive school. The school’s motto of ‘Cherish and challenge’ is lived daily, underpinning how all staff engage with pupils and their families. The school community recognises and appreciates the deep sense of care for each child. As one parent commented, ‘Children are at the heart of every decision made here and it shows in how happy pupils are to come into school and how proud they are of it.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has extremely high expectations for every pupil. These expectations are fully realised in English and mathematics. The school is continuing to refine the curriculum in some foundation subjects to ensure that, across the subjects, all pupils reach their full potential.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They live up to the school’s expectations that they will be active and engaged learners. Pupils work together collaboratively in their lessons, sharing ideas and supporting each other’s learning. Most pupils attend very well. The school takes highly effective action to support any pupils who attend less well.

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

Pupils achieve exceptionally well in English and mathematics. The school ensures that when pupils arrive in Year 3, staff have a very clear picture of all pupils’ starting points. This enables the school to adapt the curriculum to ensure that all pupils quickly acquire the important building blocks they will require to learn across the school’s full curriculum. Careful assessment continues as pupils move through the school to ensure that teaching continues to build on what pupils know and addresses any gaps in understanding. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in particular benefit from this careful tracking and responsive teaching. No ceiling is placed on what pupils will achieve, particularly in English and mathematics. This is reflected in the high standards that pupils reach in the key stage 2 assessments. 20 and 21 March 2024

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In other subjects, pupils enjoy their learning and talk knowledgeably about some topics, for example the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. However, the school’s curriculum in some subjects is not fully enabling pupils to develop a depth of understanding. In these subjects, there is less clarity about what pupils need to learn and remember precisely, meaning teachers do not always know exactly how to help pupils build their knowledge and skills.

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The number of pupils with SEND has risen steadily over time. The support the school provides for pupils with SEND is highly effective. Academic expectations for pupils with SEND are consistently high. The school ensures that all teachers understand how to provide support to meet the needs of every pupil. Alongside their peers, pupils with SEND are included and considered in every aspect of school life.

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Any pupil needing additional support in reading is swiftly identified. Each of these pupils receives highly effective catch-up support. Throughout the school, there is a strong focus on developing pupils’ love of reading. As they move through the school, pupils become increasingly confident, competent ‘reading explorers,’ who read widely and broadly.

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Pupils’ personal development is a top priority. Pupils benefit from a rich and diverse education that enables them to thrive together. They develop a clear understanding of each other’s differences and value different faiths and cultural influences. The curriculum is enriched with a broad range of carefully selected trips and experiences. Pupils particularly enjoy the whole-school ‘double days’, when pupils work with others of different ages on a particular theme, such as internet safety. This helps to deepen their understanding of the different topics explored. Pupils benefit deeply from extensive opportunities to develop their talents and interests. The school ensures that individual music lessons are made available to all and provides a broad range of clubs and sporting opportunities.

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Governors have a very clear vision for the quality of education they want all pupils to receive. They understand what the school is working on and refining to ensure that pupils receive the same exceptional quality of education that they receive in English and mathematics across the curriculum. Staff feel very well supported. They too want the very best for every pupil and work closely with leaders to ensure that this vision is enacted.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not consistently achieve as highly as they might in some foundation subjects. This is because the curriculum in these subjects does not always set out precisely what pupils need to learn and remember at each stage. As a result, pupils are not consistently building a rich and coherent understanding of the subject. The school should continue to refine its curriculum in these foundation subjects. 20 and 21 March 2024

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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 September 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.

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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). 20 and 21 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Martin Hanak-Hammerl

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School details

Website www.busbridge-junior.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of governors was appointed in September 2022.  The school is a Church of England school. The school’s last section 48 inspection was carried out in May 2019.  The school is not currently using any alternative provision.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The inspector met with representatives of the school’s governing board, including the chair of governors, and spoke to representatives of the local authority and the diocese. 20 and 21 March 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and art and design. 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 pupils’ work. For the reading deep dive, the inspector also listened to pupils reading. The inspector held discussions about the curriculum in some other subjects, including history, and spoke to pupils about their learning in these subjects.  The inspector considered pupils’ behaviour and attitudes throughout the inspection and discussed the school’s analysis of pupils’ behaviour and attendance with leaders.  The inspector considered personal development through all deep dives. They met with leaders to discuss the school’s personal development programme, including the curriculum for personal, social and health education and relationships

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education. The inspector talked to pupils about the school’s personal development programme.  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.

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Inspection team

Alice Roberts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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