Barnard Grove Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Barnard Grove Primary School Barnard Grove, Hartlepool TS24 9SD

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Outcome

Barnard Grove Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Lee Walker. This school is part of Ad Astra Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andy Brown, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richenda Broad.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Barnard Grove Primary School. They feel happy, safe and valued here. Parents explain that the school feels like a family. This is reflected in the warm relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils are keen to make their teachers proud. They work hard and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations that are clearly summed up in their school values of ‘ready, respectful, safe and kind’. Pupils understand and live these values. They are rewarded for demonstrating them in their daily experiences. They tidy up and hold doors for visitors unprompted. Pupils are taught how to behave well. They recognise this as the ‘Barnard Grove way’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils are prepared to be positive citizens. They learn about the importance of community. Pupils go on kindness walks in the local community and deliver plants and cakes to elderly residents. They organise local projects to encourage recycling clothing. This encourages pupils to learn the importance of giving back.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ school experience is enriched by a range of trips and visits. They talk with enthusiasm about outings to Beamish, York and the local theatre. Many pupils also enjoy taking part in a wide range of extra-curricular sporting clubs and competitions. 5 and 6 November 2024

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

Pupils achieve well at Barnard Grove. From their arrival, pupils begin learning important foundational knowledge quickly. In the early years environment, children encounter numbers and stories from the outset. Phonics and mathematics are taught well throughout school. Staff make sure that pupils have lots of opportunity to practise their mathematical knowledge. Even the youngest children regularly problem solve and apply their mathematical learning to real-life scenarios.

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

The school has ensured that staff have the expertise to teach phonics effectively. Pupils are able to use their phonic knowledge to well matched books. Pupils who find reading more difficult are well supported to keep up with their peers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress with learning to read.

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

The school has an ambitious wider curriculum in place. It has been designed to make sure that pupils learn about their own community as well as the world beyond. In history, pupils learn about important local figures and the River Tees in geography. They also learn about the civil rights movement and the slave trade, so they have an understanding of the wider world.

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

Recently, the school has moved to mixed-age classes in key stage 2. This means that some pupils will experience the curriculum in a different order. The school is in the process of re-developing the curriculum to ensure that all pupils, whatever their starting point, are able to build on what they already know, so they develop a deeper knowledge and understanding over time.

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

Staff introduce new content clearly. Explanations are precise and staff use modelling well. Staff address misconceptions and ensure that pupils understand why answers might not be correct. Pupils are keen to learn and engage in lessons. They are confident to share their ideas and happy to give things a go.

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

The school is an inclusive community and staff have been well trained to identify pupils who may have SEND. Leaders, including those from the trust, are supporting a small number of pupils with increasingly complex SEND needs. Adaptations are in place in school to meet the needs of these pupils. However, additional training for staff in how best to support pupils with complex SEND needs to achieve their potential, is an important next step. This will ensure that pupils with complex SEND can regularly access the curriculum.

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

Pupils attend well, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with SEND. The school makes sure that pupils and parents understand why attending school is important. They work with families to remove any barriers to attending school, including the introduction of a walking bus.

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

Pupils across school are kind to each other. Across the inspection, older pupils were seen helping and playing with younger pupils. Even the youngest children are patient with each other and understand how to share and take turns. Pupils know what bullying is and 5 and 6 November 2024

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explain that it is taken very seriously in school. They are confident that teachers would sort it out quickly.

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Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. Staff and parents explain that leaders are visible and willing to listen. Staff feel well supported in school. They give examples of when leaders have considered their workload and made changes. Staff, pupils and families are proud to be part of this school community.

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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, due to mixed-age classes, pupils experience the curriculum in a different order. This means they sometimes miss foundational knowledge that they need for new learning. As a result, some pupils find it more difficult to build securely on what they already know. The school should continue to develop the curriculum so that pupils are able to make links between prior and new learning in all subjects.  The school is dealing with a rise in the number of pupils with increasingly complex SEND. Some of these pupils do not access the curriculum regularly enough. The school should provide further training for staff to better support pupils with complex SEND.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Barnard Grove Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2012.

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3 to 11

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Ad Astra Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision. A small number of pupils attend an additionally resourced provision for special educational needs and/or disabilities, within another local primary school.

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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 routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. She also met with members of the governing body, and representatives of the trust. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector/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 inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Katie Spurr, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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