Bishopthorpe Infant School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Bishopthorpe Infant School Sim Balk Lane, Bishopthorpe, York, North Yorkshire YO23 2QQ

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Outcome

Bishopthorpe Infant 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 Kerry Davies. This school is part of the South York 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), Steve Lewis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ian Dolben.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bishopthorpe Infant School is a safe and welcoming environment for pupils. Staff know pupils well. Relationships between pupils and staff are kind and friendly. As a result, pupils feel safe and are happy at school. Behaviour in lessons and at play times is mostly positive. Pupils rightly say that there is no bullying. They are confident that adults will support them if problems arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto, ‘discover, grow and succeed’, describes its ambitious vision for pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has focused on its priorities of teaching reading, writing and mathematics. Typically, pupils achieve well in these subjects. While children in Reception get off to a flying start, in some subjects, pupils are not consistently ready for the junior school curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of enrichment opportunities. They particularly enjoy the outdoor wildlife area, where they learn to care for the environment. Visitors to school help to bring the curriculum to life. For example, pupils learn about dinosaurs and fossils when they are ‘palaeontologists for the day’. Pupils develop their understanding of the world through celebration days such as Chinese New Year.

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

The school has identified and sequenced the knowledge and skills pupils should learn across the curriculum. Recent staff training has brought about a more consistent 25 February 2025

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approach to teaching mathematics. Where teaching is more effective, teachers provide activities that are well matched to learning. They revisit prior learning and provide plenty of practice to help pupils remember more. As a result, pupils recall what they have learned. They build new learning on firm foundations of knowledge and skills. However, in some foundation subjects, teaching does not help pupils to learn as well as they could. Pupils do not secure a firm foundation on which to build new learning.

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Reading is a high priority. Teachers read to their classes every day. Children in Reception learn well-known stories by heart. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics scheme. Children in Reception get off to a flying start with phonics. They use the sounds they have learned to read and spell independently. The very small number of older pupils who need help to catch up with reading develop confidence and fluency.

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Children have a great start to school life. Staff plan the early years curriculum carefully to match the needs of different cohorts. This helps children to achieve well across all areas of learning. Children are eager to explore and try out the things they learn. They have many opportunities to develop character, resilience and confidence.

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Strong communication with pre-school providers and parents ensures that the school identifies pupils with SEND as early as possible. This is appreciated by parents. The school ensures that pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Typically, pupils are well behaved, polite and respectful. Children follow the routines for positive behaviour and learning from Reception. They are active and enthusiastic learners and play well together. Occasionally, a minority of older pupils do not focus on their work. This happens when the curriculum is not as engaging as it could be. The school provides zoned areas for different playground activities. These include bikes and scooters, tennis, a trim trail and playground games. This helps to reduce incidents of over-boisterous play.

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Pupils learn how to keep safe online and in the physical environment. The curriculum takes into account risks in the local area such as the nearby river and road safety. Visits from the police and fire service help to reinforce important safety messages. The ‘Big Talk’ team helps pupils to learn about their bodies and positive relationships in an age- appropriate manner. Pupils have begun to learn about fundamental British values. However, they are not sure how these relate to them and to school life. Their knowledge of people who are different to them and of different faiths and cultures is limited.

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The trust and school leaders have a clear focus on improving the school’s work. They have accurately identified priorities for improvement. The school’s work with partners in the trust, and externally, helps to drive school improvement. Training for staff is carefully sourced. Staff feel well supported and listened to by school leaders. They value the time they are given to carry out additional tasks. They feel included in the changes that are being made to the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 February 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, teaching does not deepen and secure pupils’ knowledge as well as it could. When this happens, pupils do not learn the most important information they need to move on. The school should ensure that teaching secures what pupils need to know to be ready for their next steps in learning.  The wider curriculum offer does not provide sufficient opportunities and experiences for pupils to develop a strong understanding of fundamental British values. This includes mutual respect and understanding of people who are different to them. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should further develop the wider curriculum so that pupils understand and appreciate these values.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Bishopthorpe Infant School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 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. 25 February 2025

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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). 25 February 2025

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School details

Website www.bishopthorpeinfantschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of the South York Multi Academy Trust.  The headteacher is new to role from September 2022. She is the executive headteacher of Bishopthorpe Infant School and Archbishop of York’s Church of England Junior School.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other school leaders, members of the governing body and trust leaders. 25 February 2025

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 The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  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.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents and carers, Ofsted Parent View. This included any free-text responses. They also considered responses to the Ofsted pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Janet Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Sharp Ofsted Inspector 25 February 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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