Bushmead Primary School

Inspection of Bushmead Primary School Bushmead Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 8BT

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and nurturing school. Staff and pupils maintain warm, good-humoured relationships. The school expects pupils to be ‘ready, respectful and safe’, and pupils know this. Pupils are happy in school and enjoy their time here. They are willing to share their feelings and experiences openly with visitors to the school. Pupils are clear that everyone should be treated with respect, regardless of their differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils share high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils listen well in lessons and work hard. For pupils who need it, support in the nurture group helps develop their resilience and improve engagement with learning. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils know that they can always speak to staff if they have worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Consequently, most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a stimulating learning environment and plenty of space outdoors. This is used to develop their resilience, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Pupils enjoy a range of trips that help bring the curriculum to life. They learn about people, places, cultures and customs that they would not necessarily encounter in their everyday lives.

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

The school’s curriculum clearly identifies what pupils should learn in each subject. This starts in the early years. Learning in most subjects is carefully sequenced to enable pupils to deepen their learning over time. Some subjects are more developed than others. This is because the school has taken the time to implement the changes in a considered way.

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

Outcomes in national tests have steadily improved over time. However, sometimes, teachers do not check effectively what pupils have learned. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always identified and some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. Therefore, some pupils do not progress as well as they might.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified accurately and assessed promptly. When thoughtfully tailored support is provided to pupils with SEND, they progress well. This is particularly effective in The Tree House, the school’s nurture provision. Sometimes, support in class for pupils with SEND is not as effective. Activities are not always broken down into small enough steps or resources do not consistently match their needs.

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

The school has established a love of reading. All pupils benefit from reading and being read to regularly. Year 6 reading ambassadors are passionate about promoting reading. Teachers choose texts that broaden pupils’ knowledge and vocabulary. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite books. Pupils in the early years get off to a good start with their reading. They learn to read new sounds in a logical order. Teachers help them to practise and build on what they already know. They regularly check children’s 15 and 16 October 2024

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understanding. Staff provide timely additional support for pupils who need it. This helps them to keep up. However, sometimes, a few pupils do not read books matching the sounds they have learned. Consequently, it becomes more challenging for them to understand words and slows their reading fluency.

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The school manages pupils’ behaviour well. In the early years, strong relationships and clear routines create an environment where children feel safe and happy. They focus well and engage in play and learning across all curriculum areas. Pupils behave well in classrooms and around school. They display positive attitudes to learning and want to do well. Pupils who need additional help managing their emotions and behaviours are supported well. Promoting regular attendance remains a key priority. Leaders monitor attendance and punctuality carefully. They use this information effectively to help pupils and families who need extra guidance and support.

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The school enhances the curriculum through regular trips matched carefully to pupils’ learning. These include visits to the theatre or seaside. Pupils visit places of worship, compete in sporting events and perform in community events. Pupils learn how to care for their physical and emotional well-being. They also benefit from various clubs, such as astronomy and musical theatre. This work helps to improve pupils’ confidence and prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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Staff value working here. They appreciate how well leaders support them, offer appropriate training and consider their well-being and workload. The governing body is ambitious for the school. Its members provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, staff do not check how well pupils have learned the key knowledge. This means that the next steps in learning are not always matched to pupils’ needs. This includes some pupils who are given reading books that do not match the sounds that they have learned. As a result, some pupils are not achieving their full potential. The school should ensure that all staff have the knowledge and understanding to assess pupils’ progress in reading and through the curriculum accurately and adapt future learning accordingly.  Sometimes, pupils with SEND do not receive effective support. Resources do not always precisely match their needs and some activities are not broken down into small enough steps. Consequently, they do not progress as well as they could. The school should ensure that all pupils with SEND receive effective support, appropriate resources and activities to maximise their progress. 15 and 16 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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Rebecca Richards

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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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 began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, governors and a representative from the local authority.  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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, design and technology, and physical education. 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.  Inspectors heard pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2 read to a member of staff.  To gather the views of pupils, inspectors spoke to groups of pupils, including in lessons

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and during breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers and considered their responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  To gather the views of staff, inspectors spoke to several staff and took account of their responses to the Ofsted staff survey.

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Inspection team

Simon Eardley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lucille Pollard Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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