Breadsall Hill Top Primary School

Breadsall Hill Top Primary School

Address: St Andrew's View, Derby, Derbyshire, DE21 4ET Unique reference number (URN): 144624

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders use rigorous analysis to identify and remove barriers to pupils' regular attendance. For example, they focus on building relationships, communicating clearly about the importance of being in school and celebrating when pupils make improvements. This has resulted in substantial improvements to pupils' attendance. Notably, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has dropped markedly. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) attend in line with their peers nationally. The proportion of these pupils is high at this school, which has an impact on overall attendance figures. Leaders have high expectations for all and continue to prioritise attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils learn in calm and purposeful classroom environments. They value their education and most take pride in their work. Pupils treat one another, and members of staff, with respect. Staff apply the school's behaviour policies in such a way that pupils feel confident that any issues related to behaviour or bullying would be dealt with effectively, should they arise. Pupils appreciate the supportive and friendly atmosphere in the school, to which they contribute well. Leaders ensure that adjustments are made, when necessary, so that pupils with SEND are treated with respect and supported to behave well.

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Early years Expected standard

Children make a positive start to their education at this school, whether they join the 2-year- old provision, Nursery Year or in the Reception Year. Staff work well with parents, carers and any previous settings to get to know children quickly and identify any needs that they may have. They use their knowledge of how children learn and the children themselves to tailor the curriculum and teaching. Staff ensure that conversations with children are purposeful. They check what children know and help them to develop their understanding. As a result, children are prepared well for key stage 1.

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Early years Expected standard

Reading and the enjoyment of books is central to the well-designed early years curriculum. Children throughout the early years, learn to accurately use a range of vocabulary. Should a child of any age need additional help to develop their language and communication, this is quickly identified and the right support is put in place. Children develop a love of stories and get to know them well, for instance children enthusiastically create storyboards retelling 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. Leaders have prioritised phonics and staff deliver the school's chosen programme well. Children read with increasing accuracy and benefit from clear and helpful advice about how to develop their writing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff get to know pupils well at this inclusive school. They ensure that pupils' interests and needs are identified and shared with staff. Staff use this information to remove potential barriers to pupils' participation in school, particularly those relating to social, emotional and mental health needs. Leaders have carefully designed the school's 'Nest' provision to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need. Personalised approaches to learning help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn well from their starting points and to be part of school life. Staff benefit from training that, typically, enables them to help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff are ambitious about what pupils can achieve. Leaders check the impact of the support strategies that they use carefully and make adjustments as necessary. They work proactively with wider agencies, including the virtual school. As a result, this helps pupils, including those who attend alternative provision, to improve their attendance, behaviour and attainment. Leaders use additional funding effectively to ensure that pupils can participate in the full school offer. For example, any barriers to disadvantaged pupils participating in opportunities to learn musical instruments are removed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are proactive in evaluating the quality of the school's provision and identifying priorities for improvement. When they do so, they take swift and impactful action. For example, leaders have improved the teaching of phonics and significantly reduced pupils' persistent absence. The trust provides focused and meaningful support to the school to ensure that staff receive the guidance and resources that they need to develop their practice. Staff benefit from training linked to trust, school and individual priorities. They take great pride in their work and they clearly have pupils' best interests at heart. Staff contribute to a culture in which all pupils, regardless of disadvantage or need, are encouraged to be themselves and be aspirational.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work strategically to improve pupils' experiences of school. They introduce sustainable strategies based on work with the trust and external experts. Leaders take account of staff's workload. Staff recognise this and are particularly appreciative of the consideration given to their wellbeing. Those responsible for governance know and fulfil their roles well. They provide a balance of support and challenge that enables leaders to reflect on the impact of their strategies in a constructive, professional environment. While leaders are successful in identifying and acting upon priorities, on occasion, school- improvement work is not highly impactful. Sometimes, in some subjects, information about how well pupils achieve is not used to shape teaching practice so that it is consistently high quality.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that pupils learn about a wide range of important topics, which enable them to understand themselves and the world in which they live. Pupils respect difference and contribute to the tolerant and inclusive culture at the school. For example, they celebrate various cultural and religious festivals and make use of the school's multifaith room, which is a space for prayer, reflection and calm for pupils of any background or faith. Pupils vote for, and act as, representatives in the school council and the trust's 'pupil parliament'. They discuss important issues and gain a secure sense of right and wrong. Some pupils are not as secure in their knowledge of the fundamental British values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils enjoy taking part in opportunities to develop their interests and enable them to learn beyond the academic curriculum. For example, they join choir, chess club and sports teams. Pupils throughout the school are included. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils

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Needs attention

participate fully in the school's wider offer. Alongside their peers, they build their confidence and resilience, when taking part in the school's programme of residential visits. Leaders have carefully mapped out wider opportunities, so that pupils broaden their horizons and develop their cultural capital. Pupils complete 'passports' to celebrate experiences throughout their time at school as they visit castles, take part in school discos and hear from visiting speakers from different backgrounds.

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Needs attention

Pupils are prepared for their next steps. They learn about how to keep themselves safe and can confidently share strategies about staying safe when using the internet. The school has ensured that pupils learn about respect and healthy relationships. Pupils engage with this learning maturely. Pupils welcome the opportunities that they have to think about the careers that they may wish to take up in the future.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Their outcomes in external tests have been below national averages over time. Pupils have gaps in the essential knowledge that they need to access the curriculum and to achieve well. For example, some pupils do not have secure knowledge of how to write well, including in relation to their spelling and letter formation. Leaders recognise this and have put actions in place that have begun to address these issues. Pupils are more confident in relation to their understanding of mathematics. This is reflected in the mathematical problems that many pupils are able to solve and the most recent published outcomes for the multiplication tables check, in which pupils achieved similar outcomes to their peers nationally.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils do achieve well. Many pupils in key stage 2, apply their knowledge of creative writing independently to produce interesting and coherent pieces of work. In some subjects, such as geography, pupils can confidently share their understanding, including in relation to complex aspects of the subject, such as how to think like a geographer. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who arrive part way through the academic year, make progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching does not consistently help pupils to develop their understanding of the essential knowledge that they need, particularly in relation to reading and writing. At times, pupils in key stage 2, who need additional help with their reading, do not benefit from guidance that develops the accuracy and fluency of their reading. Additionally, pupils do not routinely read books matched to their phonics knowledge. While teachers check pupils' understanding, they do not use this information to ensure that gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge are addressed consistently well. Leaders have identified and prioritised areas for development. Staff have started to use strategies to help pupils to improve the quality of their writing and the accuracy of their reading. This has had a positive impact on teaching but the strategies remain in their infancy, therefore, practice remains inconsistent. Leaders have ensured that an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum is in place in each

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

subject. They have set out clearly the content and order that pupils should learn the curriculum from the Reception Year to Year 6. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and benefit from training that improves their practice. Teachers provide clear explanations of important knowledge for pupils. They generally adapt their teaching effectively, so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress from their starting points.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy attending Breadsall Hill Top Primary School. They form positive and respectful relationships with their peers and staff. Staff know pupils well, particularly those who face barriers to accessing school. Most pupils attend well and leaders secure rapid improvements in attendance for those who have struggled in the past. Leaders provide caring and effective support to ensure that pupils who need any extra help feel valued and develop a sense of confidence at school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders and staff have worked hard to bring about improvements to the quality of teaching at the school. They have had some successes and pupils have benefited from these efforts. There remains some inconsistency in the effectiveness of teaching practice, which impacts upon how well pupils achieve.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils conduct themselves well and take pride in being part of the school community. They contribute to events, such as the discos that welcome parents and carers into the school. Leaders help pupils to understand the world beyond school and how they can be successful in it, as well as how to make meaningful contributions. Pupils learn about important aspects of self-care, such as physical and mental health, as well as healthy lifestyles. They learn about relationships and about different types of families. Pupils show courtesy and tolerance towards others.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils participate in a range of wider opportunities, including those related to music and the arts. Staff help pupils to see the value in challenging and developing themselves. Pupils benefit from this approach and the wider offer that the school provides, regardless of their needs or any challenges that they may face. Pupils say that they feel safe at school. They know that staff will support them should they experience difficulties, including in relation to bullying.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the evidence-based approaches to teaching that they have introduced are embedded and used consistently well by staff. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies are used consistently well to make changes to teaching practice and ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are addressed. Leaders should ensure that pupils gain the essential knowledge that they need to enable them to achieve well across the curriculum.

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Lead inspector:

Matthew Fearns-Davies, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Jonathan Keay, Ofsted Inspector Becky Lyon, Ofsted Inspector Andrew Lakatos, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place. Leaders should ensure that the detailed and insightful analysis of curriculum and teaching that is often in evidence is used routinely well by leaders, to bring about consistently high- quality practice in each subject and phase.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Transform 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), Rebecca Meredith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Michael Butler.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the CEO, members of the trust leadership team, the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They also spoke with leaders responsible for safeguarding, the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the early years as well as staff and pupils during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone changes to the leadership team since the previous inspection. The headteacher and deputy headteacher took up their posts in September 2025.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Ruth McNeil This data is from 24 February 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 6.0% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.7% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 15.7% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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