Bardfield Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher, governors and staff, including the office and support staff, work very well together as an effective team to drive improvement.

Achievement is good. Pupils' rate of progress has improved since the last inspection and is now good in all year groups. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and are keen to improve their work and want to do well.

Pupils' behaviour in lessons, around the school and outside of school is good and sometimes outstanding. Rigorous and regular checking of the quality of teaching by senior leaders, supported by a range of well focused training opportunities, has led to good teaching and some... outstanding teaching throughout the school. Additional adult support for pupils who find learning difficult is effective in helping them to achieve well.

The school has good relationships with parents who are very pleased with what the school provides for their children. Relationships throughout the school, including those with pupils, are excellent. It is not yet an outstanding school because : There is not yet sufficient outstanding teaching leading to a secure track record of a high proportion of pupils achieving better than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Teachers are not always consistently setting work which provides a suitably high level of challenge for more-able pupils. Not enough opportunities are provided to develop basic skills, such as writing, in all subjects.

Information about this school

This is a larger than average-sized primary school.

No alternative or off-site provision is used. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding (additional money given to schools for particular pupils, including those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those that are looked after) is well above the national average. Most pupils are White British.

The proportions of pupils who have special educational needs supported by school action and those supported by school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs, are well above average. The school meets the government's current floor standard, which sets the national minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. Since the previous inspection there have been several changes of staff, including the headteacher.