Bisley CofE Primary School

Inspection of Bisley Church of England Primary School Hawthorn Way, Bisley, Woking, Surrey GU24 9DF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 19 and 20 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bisley is a school full of polite and enthusiastic pupils. There is a special atmosphere where pupils happily learn and play together. Staff cultivate this strongly, starting in the early years provision. Pupils display character qualities that will prepare them very well for the future. Helping the community is of great importance to pupils. They are keen to play their part, for example, in setting up ‘teas on the rec’ with the elderly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look forward to the well-planned calendar of school trips and overnight stays. Following the pandemic, the school has impressively considered important life experiences as pupils develop independence and explore the wider world. Pupils are very accepting of others. They recognise and value that everyone is different. They enjoy welcoming visitors into the school and learning from them. This includes, for example, a Formula 1 racing driver and a former bodyguard to Nelson Mandela.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and keenly follow the ‘Bisley 5’ code of conduct. They want to succeed and know they need to work hard in lessons. They are also proud to take on leadership responsibilities in the school, take part in forest school sessions and participate in sport and the arts.

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better?

Following the last inspection, the school’s leaders have skilfully redesigned the curriculum so that pupils learn content that is rich in knowledge and meets the ambition of the national curriculum. Published outcomes typically show that pupils achieve well compared to the national average.

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better?

Right from the start of early years, there is a clear pathway for what children need to know so that they are well prepared to learn in each year. Within subjects, the school has identified essential knowledge that helps teachers know what has come before in a pupil’s learning experience. However, at times, curriculum planning focuses on skills instead of the knowledge that underpins this application. It can also mean that some assessment is not as precise as it could be and that teachers do not always set the most appropriate learning activities. Consequently, pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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better?

The teaching of early reading and writing has been transformed. Staff understand the key building blocks that pupils need in Reception Year and key stage 1. There has been an ongoing commitment to ensure staff are expertly trained in delivering the phonics programme. Furthermore, lessons ensure that pupils reread the books from the programme so they sharpen their accuracy and speed. The additional one- to-one sessions are having a strong impact in helping pupils who are struggling to read to gain the reading practice they need.

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better?

The school has put in a comprehensive training package to improve staff’s knowledge of effective teaching strategies. Adults’ interactions with children in early 19 and 20 June 2024

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years, the probing of pupils’ thinking across the school and regular opportunities to recap prior knowledge are securely embedded. Staff also spot quickly where pupils might not understand a concept and adapt their teaching so that they can best help pupils to learn this. There are, however, still some inconsistencies in pupils’ written work. This includes spelling, handwriting and presentation.

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In early years, children in Nursery know how to play together and are inquisitive in what they do. They enjoy singing songs and listening to stories. Staff ensure that the youngest children have the education and care they need to thrive. For two- year-olds, the timetable is carefully planned to build in sleep, regular mealtimes and the additional support they need.

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There are clear systems to identify the help individual pupils may need. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work closely with parents to help pupils access the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates. The ‘flying start’ club and other pastoral provision serve pupils well in managing their emotions. While many pupils do attend well, the school recognises it needs to continue to strengthen the support for some disadvantaged pupils to help them attend more regularly.

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Pupils are knowledgeable about keeping safe online and actions around supporting their mental health. They enjoy learning about different faiths and cultures and knowing ‘how to be good people’. Pupils are full of joy in developing their practical skills and resilience in forest school sessions.

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The leadership of the school is a strength. Governors have played an integral part in improving this school to good. They provide challenge and support to consider the educational standards, pupils’ attendance and the impact of the school development priorities. Staff highly praise the school’s ethos and workplace culture. Early career teachers strongly feel this school provides them with a solid grounding at the start of their teaching careers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the identification of knowledge is sometimes not precise enough. This has an impact on the quality of planned activities and how well teachers check what pupils should remember. The school should ensure that there is clarity in defining all the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn across the curriculum.  There are some inconsistencies in how well teachers implement the curriculum, including the setting of high expectations for pupils’ writing. Where this happens, pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. The school should continue with 19 and 20 June 2024

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training its staff in setting the highest of expectations for all pupils so that the teaching of the curriculum is consistently strong across all year groups.

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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.

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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 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). 19 and 20 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Emma McCargow, Rachel Przybylski and Frances Wilde (co-chairs) Headteacher Clare McConnell

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Bisley is a Church of England primary school, which is part of the Diocese of Guildford. It last had a section 48 inspection in June 2019.  The school offers provision for two-year-olds.  The school currently uses two alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 19 and 20 June 2024

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders and staff. The lead inspector met with three governors, including two of the co-chairs. He held a telephone call with a representative from the diocese who also works with the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, music and physical education. To do this, they met with subject teachers, looked at curriculum plans, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons, listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 views of staff and parents were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s online surveys.

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 Inspectors talked to pupils from different year groups about their learning and experiences at school.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement priorities, policies, curriculum documents, behaviour and attendance records, minutes of governors’ meetings and published outcomes.

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Owen McColgan Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 June 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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