Barlestone Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Barlestone Church of England Primary School Barton Road, Barlestone, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV13 0EP

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Barlestone Church of England 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 Claire Murray. This school is part of Rise Multi 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 (CEO), Dave Ellison-Lee, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Adshead.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the warm welcome they receive here. They know that all staff care about them and want them to do well. This fosters high levels of mutual respect. Staff help pupils succeed academically and support their well-being. Therefore, pupils have a positive and safe school experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They diligently follow the advice their teachers give them. As a result, pupils are successful learners. Staff skilfully support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils have their needs appropriately catered for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very clear on how they are expected to behave. They follow the school’s expectations consistently well. School is a harmonious place to learn and play in. Younger pupils also quickly settle into routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From early years upwards, pupils take an active role in school life. There are a range of leadership roles pupils can be elected to, including sports leaders, school councillors or as members of the ‘Christian ethos team’. All pupils take part in sporting festivals, performances and educational visits in their time at this school. Pupils like meeting other 21 and 22 January 2025

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pupils from across the trust at these events and taking part in the popular Christmas fundraiser. Older pupils benefit from having staff mentors.

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

The school, ably supported by the trust, has in place a curriculum that ensures pupils learn the key knowledge expected for their age. The school has ensured that the reading, writing and mathematics curriculum is ambitious. Most pupils achieve well in national assessments. Pupils therefore are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Pupils become fluent and confident readers. Staff ensure pupils are given regular opportunities to access rich vocabulary and diverse texts. Pupils enjoy reading books chosen from the library or linked to the sounds they have been practising in class. Pupils also understand key mathematical concepts well.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has strengthened the design of the wider curriculum. It has made sure that the detailed prior learning pupils need to build on is clearly outlined. This builds from early years upwards. This is resulting in some pupils being able to recall and connect knowledge in more depth. For example, older pupils can link their knowledge in history, geography and personal, health, social and economic education to show a detailed understanding of the impact of imperialism. However, in a few subjects, these links in learning between subjects are not made explicit enough to some pupils. As a result, some pupils are not yet acquiring knowledge in the depth the school intends.

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

In lessons, staff quickly address any misconceptions pupils have. Staff across the school are clear in the advice they give pupils to help them if they are finding learning tricky. This means pupils catch up, including in reading. Pupils with SEND have reasonable adjustments in place so they can successfully access the curriculum. The school acts on advice from external professionals to meet these pupils’ needs well.

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

The school makes regular and robust checks on how well pupils are securing knowledge. Staff use this information to identify pupils who need additional help to overcome gaps in knowledge. However, these checks are not used to routinely adapt next steps in learning within lessons. This means some pupils have limited opportunities to go over knowledge they are unsure of or extend their knowledge even further. This results in some pupils not gaining the levels of in-depth knowledge the school aspires to.

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

Children in early years are taught how to take turns and be kind. In all year groups, pupils behave well. Pupils respond quickly to reminders. This means no learning time is lost. Pupils play safely and happily outside. They want to be at school and attend regularly. The school takes swift action if this is not the case.

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

The school has a well-thought-out personal development programme. With trust support, pupils access a range of wider opportunities that they may not otherwise receive. These experiences broaden their appreciation of life beyond the school. Pupils are very knowledgeable about cultures and lifestyles that are different to their own lived experiences. They know that discrimination is wrong. They value democratic values 21 and 22 January 2025

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through elections in school to certain leadership roles. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The trust and governors provide robust oversight of the school. They ensure staff and pupil well-being is a priority. The trust ensures staff access ongoing professional development. This benefits pupils as staff share good practice with and from other schools in the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are occasions when some pupils do not get sufficient guidance from staff on how prior knowledge links to new learning. This means that some pupils do not achieve in some curriculum areas in the depth that leaders intend. The school needs to ensure these connections in pupils’ knowledge are secured so that pupils consistently meet the ambitious curriculum aims.  The school is not consistently using checks on what pupils know already to inform next steps in teaching. This means that at times the work set is not sufficiently matched to address pupils’ needs. The school needs to ensure these checks are used to adapt learning. This includes increasing the expectation for those pupils who are ready to extend their knowledge further.

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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 to be 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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Website www.barlestoneprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Rise Multi Academy Trust. A central school improvement team from the trust works closely with the school.  The school does not use any alternative educational provision.  The school is a Church of England school and of a religious character and so is subject to a Section 48 inspection. A Section 48 inspection was last carried out in May 2023. The school will be due its next Section 48 inspection within approximately five years.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, teachers and support staff.  The inspector met with a trustee and three governors, including the chair of the local governing board.  The inspector met with the CEO of the trust, the director of education and the deputy director of education for the trust.  To evaluate the quality of education, the inspector met with staff, visited classes, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils from across the school.  The inspector also reviewed documentation provided by the school, including the school development plan, its self-evaluation document and governor minutes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interest first.

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 The inspector met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspector took account of the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sara Boyce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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