St Bede Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Bede Church of England Primary School Gordon Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 7DD

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2013. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and joyful school where pupils arrive keen to learn and leave each day buzzing with ideas. Passionate and inspiring leadership underpins the shared aspirations and standards achieved here. Dedicated staff support all pupils to benefit from the rich curriculum which is enhanced by a range of experiences and clubs. Pupils immerse themselves in all that is on offer. They become confident, collaborative learners who achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers report that the school ‘feels like a family’. They value how their children flourish in this caring and inclusive learning environment. Kindness is everywhere throughout this school. Pupils are nurtured to feel safe and protected and are given opportunities to shine.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘growing together’ values of love, peace, courage, trust and friendship are very much in evidence. From the very start, children in Reception are taught to value and respect each other. Pupils help each other however they can. For example, Year 6 pupils relish their leadership roles to support younger children or to contribute to the life of the school. All of this, coupled with excellent behaviour and high aspirations, makes St Bede a special place to be.

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

This is a school where everyone shares a passion to provide all pupils with a wide-ranging and high-quality education. Pupils and staff are committed to the school’s expectations of ‘Be safe, be ready, be respectful’. These shared values are the bedrock of the school’s calm, studious and happy learning environment.

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

The school’s curriculum is crafted carefully in order to motivate and engage pupils. Curriculum design, monitoring and delivery in Reception is most impressive. Throughout the school, most subjects are very well organised and clearly identify the knowledge pupils need to learn and in what order. In English and mathematics and other subjects, regular training helps teachers maintain strong subject knowledge. Pupils’ knowledge is regularly monitored and well-targeted activities help them apply their prior learning in new situations. Pupils recall keenly how their knowledge and skills have built steadily over time.

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

When pupils need extra help, personalised plans are used successfully. Disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported effectively. Staff work well together to identify pupils’ needs precisely and target teaching that helps them achieve well over time.

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

The school is determined that all pupils will become confident and fluent readers. This begins straight away in Reception where children are already enjoying recognising their sounds and letters. Staff have been trained well to deliver the phonics programme. They teach the early reading curriculum with accuracy and confidence. Effective monitoring identifies targeted support for any pupils who fall behind. The love of reading is promoted 8 and 9 October 2024

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particularly well. Teachers’ modelling of reading for pleasure during regular story time sessions is enthralling.

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The curriculum in a minority of subjects does not identify the specific knowledge pupils should acquire with enough accuracy. Also, there are gaps in some teachers’ and teaching assistants’ subject knowledge. Therefore, there are times when activities in lessons could support pupils to learn more consistently and securely. The school has rightly prioritised continued training and curriculum improvements to ensure pupils know and remember more in these areas.

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Leadership and management is impressive. Staff value how the school prioritises their professional development. Teachers at the start of their careers are very well supported. Furthermore, the school engages with the local education community in a focused and purposeful way. Effective partnership work has helped other schools to improve.

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Pupils’ behaviour across the school is excellent. This begins in Reception with clear routines and structures which all children follow. Positive relationships and clear expectations enable pupils to concentrate and enjoy their work. Disruptions are very rare. This school knows its families well. Helping all pupils to attend regularly is a priority. Where some find this more difficult, bespoke support has been effective in reducing absence.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is very effective indeed. All pupils can access a wide range of experiences that are carefully thought through. A comprehensive personal, social and health education curriculum promotes independence and resilience. The school provides a wide range of activities for pupils to develop their own leadership skills. These include school council, eco-council and a range of ambassador roles covering areas such as kindness, sports, learning and equalities. Parents are, rightly, delighted with everything the school offers. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their lives when they leave the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development. Here, and in a few other areas, a minority of staff are less confident to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils effectively. Consequently, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school needs to complete the design of the curriculum and continue with its ongoing programme of staff training so that all pupils can achieve consistently highly across all subjects. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 February 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 There have been changes to staffing and leadership roles in recent years.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  This school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Winchester. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2018.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic 8 and 9 October 2024

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began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, including the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator  The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector spoke to representatives from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and science. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. They also reviewed a sample of pupils work in English and other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those relating to

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behaviour, attendance, governance and leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils to discuss their views about many different aspects of their school and to talk about their work. Inspectors also held informal conversations with pupils at breaktime and lunchtime.  The views of pupils, parents and staff represented in meetings and the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys were considered.  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.

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Inspection team

Matthew Newberry, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Bateman Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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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