The John Bamford Primary School

Inspection of a good school: The John Bamford Primary School Crabtree Way, Etching Hill, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 2PA

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Outcome

The John Bamford Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a strong, inclusive ethos. The school values of respect, resilience, collective responsibility and reflection thread through every aspect of life in school. This helps pupils develop a strong sense of community and belonging. Pupils attend school well and are punctual. Pupils feel secure and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils show a vibrant love of learning. They get off to a flying start in early years. Learning in the early years is exciting and engaging. Older pupils help younger pupils to care for the school rabbits, Betty and Derek. Leaders develop a nurturing and caring learning environment. Many parents and carers speak about the support shown by staff and how well-being is given a high priority.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy earning ‘JB pounds’. These are awarded for living the school values in their daily lives. Classes collectively agree on how to spend their rewards. They learn to save them up for class treats. These activities, alongside opportunities to be part of the Junior Leadership Team and Junior Lunchtime Supervisors, help pupils become responsible members of their school community.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and engages learners well from early years to Year 6. Learning to read is a priority. The new phonics programme sets out clearly the sounds children should know by the end of each term. The books pupils read in school and online at home are matched to their reading ability. Staff are trained on how to teach phonics. However, there are some inconsistences in how phonics is taught to different classes. This means that some pupils do not become fluent and confident readers as quickly as they could.

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

In many subjects, the curriculum is sequenced well with clear and ambitious outcomes from the early years to Year 6. In science, for example, pupils build on their existing 11 and 12 June 2024

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knowledge as they explore which type of chocolate melts fastest. Pupils learn about how to plan an experiment and how to keep the tests fair. There is a strong focus on pupils accessing practical experiments. Teachers have secure subject knowledge to teach science and additional adults support pupils’ learning effectively. However, in a few foundation subjects, the curriculum does not always set out precisely the subject knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn and remember. As a result, some pupils do not learn all the knowledge they require and subsequently have gaps in their knowledge.

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Teachers use assessment effectively. Careful consideration has been given to the curriculum offer where there are mixed-age classes. Some subjects are taught on a two- year cycle. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 enjoy learning to play the guitar. Pupils are proud to perform their musical compositions and songs in school and in the local community. Pupils eagerly anticipate performing guitar at the local county showground.

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The curriculum in the early years places a strong emphasis on children learning new language and ways to communicate. The environment is book-rich and children listen to stories and learn rhymes and songs. Children use their mathematical language to explain doubling numbers. The indoor and outdoor environments are well designed to support the ambitious curriculum. The curriculum in Reception provides a strong foundation for key stage 1.

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The school has placed a strong importance on pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn to be respectful of others. They show a strong understanding of local, national and global issues. This is strengthened through the weekly discussion assemblies, where pupils have the opportunity to debate topical issues. One pupil summed this up well when they said, ‘It gives the whole school a voice.’ Pupil voice is embedded throughout the school. Pupil leaders are active in their roles. For example, ‘reading ambassadors’ regularly go on ‘owl on the prowl’ walks to review book areas in school. They also take responsibility for areas in school, including raising money for books in the outdoor classroom.

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Staff are proud to be part of the school. They report that their workload is taken into account. There is a strong sense of team and working together for the benefit of all the pupils. Staff value the school’s well-being approach for pupils and staff. This work is recognised; the school has recently received an award for their well-being work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are some inconsistencies in the fidelity to the school’s approach to teaching phonics. This means that not all pupils are learning to read as accurately or quickly as possible. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to teach the phonics curriculum consistently and effectively. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 In some foundation subjects, the key knowledge that pupils should learn and remember has not been identified in sufficient detail. This means that the curriculum knowledge is distilled and pupils do not build their knowledge well. The school should ensure that the knowledge that pupils should learn is clearly identified for all subjects and that this is monitored and reviewed.

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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 November 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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use 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 inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussion the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The inspector met with governors and spoke with a member of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, science and music. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 The inspector looked at samples of work in other subjects, including history and geography.  The inspector observed a selection of pupils reading to members of staff.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: checked the school’s single central record; spoke to senior leaders about safeguarding procedures; took account of the views of parents, 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 met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and life in school.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans. She checked records of attendance and behaviour. She also observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime and talked to them about behaviour, bullying and welfare.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted Parent View and the pupils and staff

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Inspection team

Pamela Matty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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