Bradshaw Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bradshaw Primary School Ingham Lane, Bradshaw, Halifax, West Yorkshire HX2 9PF

p.1

Outcome

Bradshaw Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Julia Baker. This school is part of The Family of Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Shameem Hussain, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nadim Najib.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The ‘Bradshaw way’ of learning is at the heart of the broad and ambitious curriculum. Leaders set high expectations for pupils. From the early years, pupils are nurtured in an environment rich with learning opportunities. Pupils are active and enthusiastic learners. They appreciate reading for pleasure and for learning. The school’s aspiration for all pupils to become avid and fluent readers before they leave Bradshaw is being realised.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is friendly and welcoming. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. There is a calm and caring ethos. Pupils feel safe and behave well. They know staff will help them with any difficulties or worries they may have. Staff deal with incidents of poor behaviour effectively. Pupils have positive attitudes and engage well in lessons. They relish the outdoor play and learning opportunities.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of school clubs and activities. These include circus skills, embroidery, orchestra, art, ballet and sports. Pupils hold various positions of responsibility. These include being members of the ‘smart’ school council and eco council. Pupils are rightly proud of the successes of the school choir. The choir recently won the shield in the ‘festive class’ at the Mrs Sunderland Festival 2024.

p.1

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

The school has refined the curriculum since the last inspection. Curriculum subjects build and extend pupils’ knowledge from the early years. Staff have a thorough understanding of what they want pupils to learn and when. For example, in mathematics, pupils develop strong arithmetic skills through the new, structured approach to the curriculum. Staff help 10 and 11 April 2024

p.1

2

them to apply their knowledge. Pupils are becoming increasingly competent mathematicians.

p.2

2

The teaching of writing has been strengthened. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, achieve increasingly well in writing. Leaders have mapped out the most significant vocabulary that they want pupils to know from the early years to Year 6. Teachers identify and explain relevant vocabulary through the ‘Bradshaw lesson’ approach. This supports pupils’ understanding and use of language. Pupils develop effective communication skills. They can use and apply subject-specific vocabulary well, including in their writing.

p.2

2

Reading is the school’s top priority. Staff teach phonics well. Children begin phonics at the start of the Reception Year. Staff check pupils’ progress in phonics regularly. They provide swift support, when necessary, to help pupils to keep up with the phonics programme. Pupils become avid readers. Books are prominent across the school. Pupils appreciate the high quality and range of texts available to them. Typically, pupils speak with genuine enthusiasm about ‘being immersed in stories’ and letting their ‘imagination run away’ with them’. They talk knowledgeably about their favourite authors and books that they enjoy.

p.2

2

The school identifies and supports the needs of pupils with SEND well. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to learning when necessary. They ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum. Staff tailor extra teaching and support to meet pupils’ individual needs, when necessary.

p.2

2

Skilled staff nurture and support children well in the early years. Staff interact purposefully with children. From pre-school, staff focus on the development of children’s communication and language. Children develop their early literacy and numeracy skills well. They eagerly participate in the variety of learning opportunities available to them.

p.2

2

Staff check often on pupils’ learning in lessons. They use this information to inform pupils’ next steps. However, leaders do not analyse the assessment information teachers collect for some subjects as well as they do in others. They cannot be sure that all pupils are making the best possible progress in some subjects.

p.2

2

Most pupils attend well. Leaders work closely with external agencies to support pupils at risk of persistent absence. Leaders provide appropriate challenge and support to parents and carers to promote the importance of regular attendance.

p.2

2

The curriculum enriches pupils’ wider development. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online. They learn about life in modern Britain, including the importance of equality and individual liberty. They learn about different faiths and values. Pupils enjoy enrichment activities, including residential trips, musical performances and sporting competitions. The school provides extensive learning and play opportunities outdoors for pupils. These form an essential part of the school’s provision and curriculum and support the development of pupils’ physical and mental health. Pupils enjoy their breaktimes even more. They eagerly try to win the ‘golden welly’ for using their initiative or being kind during their outdoor learning sessions. 10 and 11 April 2024

p.2

3

Governors have improved their oversight of the school. They provide effective challenge and support to secure purposeful improvements. The trust has brought further strength to governance. Staff enjoy working here. Leaders are considerate of staff’s welfare and workload. Staff speak positively of the close-knit school community.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s analysis of the progress pupils make is not as well developed in some curriculum subjects as it is in others. Leaders cannot be sure that all pupils are being supported to do their best in all subjects. The school should ensure that the assessment of what pupils know, and can do, across the curriculum is analysed thoroughly and that leaders use their analysis to ensure that all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2019.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 10 and 11 April 2024

p.3

4

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). 10 and 11 April 2024

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 3 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 A new headteacher was appointed in September 2023.  The school runs pre-school provision on a part-time or full-time basis, for children from the age of three.  The school does not use alternative providers of education.  The school provides breakfast and after-school care.  The school joined The Family of Learning Trust on 1 April 2024.

p.5

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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher who is also the leader for the early years, the assistant headteachers, the human resources and pastoral 10 and 11 April 2024

p.5

6

manager, the attendance and welfare officer, the special educational needs coordinator, three members of the local governing body, including the chair, and some subject leaders. The inspector also met with the human resources director and chief executive officer for The Family of Learning Trust.  The inspector met with some members of staff and some pupils.  Deep dives were undertaken into reading, mathematics and physical education. The inspector looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teaching staff and some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to some pupils reading to an adult.  The inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in music, reviewed some pupils’ writing books and scrutinised information relating to the support and provision for pupils with SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central

p.6

6

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 Ofsted’s surveys for parents and carers, pupils and staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 April 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7