St Barnabas CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Barnabas CofE Primary School Green Lane, Worcester, Worcestershire WR3 8NZ

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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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 Good 17 and 18 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff and visitors are greeted with a sense of community as they arrive at this school. Relationships between pupils and staff are exceptionally supportive. Adults have high expectations that all pupils will achieve their potential. Pupils are successful in their learning. They achieve well over the time they are in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a purposeful atmosphere around school. Pupils focus on their learning well, work hard and want to learn. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are proud to belong to their school. This shows when they speak to visitors about their work. Pupils move around in a calm and orderly manner. During social times they get along well together. Pupils are safe and know who to talk to about any concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. Pupils receive a range of careers, cultural and leadership experiences. Pupils enjoy their responsibilities as librarians, house captains and ‘buddies’ for younger pupils. The school offers a range of experiences, such as a Year 3 residential to Bath. This supports pupils’ work in history about the Romans. Many pupils take part in enrichment clubs across the year, including debating, chess and running.

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

The school has designed a highly ambitious curriculum for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, by the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve well, particularly in reading and writing. The school continues to excel in its work with pupils’ oracy. Pupils show high levels of confidence when talking about their learning and achievements. This is a strength of the school. The school is clear on the improvements still required to develop the curriculum further. For example, leaders are taking effective action to improve phonics outcomes at key stage 1.

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

The school successfully identifies the key knowledge pupils need to succeed across subject areas. Teachers present new subject matter clearly to pupils and use effective questions to check that pupils know and remember previous learning. However, at times, the school does not consistently take enough account of all pupils’ individual needs. Sometimes learning is not adapted sufficiently well to reflect pupils’ needs or build on and address gaps in their previous learning.

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

In the early years, children get off to an exceptionally positive start. Teachers provide activities that are well matched to children’s needs. Staff model effective communication, supporting children to develop their language and independence. This results in high- quality interactions between children and staff, as well as each other. Children are happy and thrive in an environment that is engaging both indoors and outside.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND well. It supports these pupils to access the same, ambitious curriculum as their peers. For those pupils across the school who are at risk of not achieving well in reading, the school quickly identifies the specific support they need to catch up. Well-trained staff help pupils to address any weaknesses 17 and 18 December 2024

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they may have in their knowledge of phonics, grammar and comprehension. The school supports pupils’ wider reading in all year groups exceptionally well. An extensive range of reading activities, using a broad range of texts, helps all pupils to deepen their understanding of vocabulary.

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Pupils show high levels of focus and engagement in their learning. They demonstrate respect for each other during breaktime and lunchtime. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the new zones and activities within the playground. These help pupils to play together in different year groups and to take part in new games and sports.

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Overall, school attendance is exceptionally positive. The school takes decisive action to support the small number of pupils who are absent. It ensures that pupils quickly catch up on any missed learning when they return.

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Personal development is a strength of this school. Pupils take part in local and national sporting and musical events, as well as hosting a local debating competition with other schools. An extensive range of activities enable pupils to successfully support the local community. For example, pupils choose where the harvest festival food is donated each year. The extensive personal, social, health and economic education programme allows pupils to learn about personal and online safety, healthy relationships and treating others with respect. Pupils receive appropriate, comprehensive and timely advice about the next stages of their education and career opportunities. This prepares them exceptionally well for life beyond school as members of society.

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All leaders, including those responsible for governance, understand how the school’s local context impacts on pupils’ learning and attendance. The governing body holds the school to account exceptionally well for all aspects of provision, including safeguarding. The school has implemented a comprehensive and well-thought-out professional development programme for staff, which staff welcome. Any changes to school policies and practice are in line with the school’s commitment to support staff workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not consistently take enough account of the individual needs of pupils in a few subjects. As a result, in some classes, learning is not adapted sufficiently well to reflect pupils’ needs or build on and address gaps in their previous learning. The school should refine its approaches to the use of assessment in these subjects so that teaching across the school consistently and effectively meets the needs of all pupils. 17 and 18 December 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). 17 and 18 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website st-barnabas-primary.worcs.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 April 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Worcester. The school received its last section 48 inspection of church schools in April 2023.  The school uses three forms of alternative provision for a small number of pupils.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 December 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, history, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at the curriculum, lessons and pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning.  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 observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of

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safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about school life.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers, support staff and pupils.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body and three other governors.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and also with a representative of the Diocese of Worcester.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free- text responses. They also took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Stuart Clarkson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 December 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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