Badgerbrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

New leaders have reinvigorated Badgerbrook Primary School. They have provided much-needed ambition, direction and stability after a significant period of turbulence. They are working on the right things, in the right order, as quickly as they can.

The school now has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils understand the school rules and they know what to do if they have any worries. There is high-quality pastoral support available to pupils who need it.

These changes mean that pupils feel safe and secure. However, staff do not yet apply the new behaviour policy consistently. This means that lessons are sometimes affected by low-level disruption.

Pupils... talk confidently about Badgerbrook's three 'character muscles'. They know what it means to be determined, honest and courageous. They do not always apply these positive qualities to their own learning, however.

Leaders know that there is much more to do to ensure that pupils receive a good education, but staff, parents and carers and pupils appreciate the changes that have been made already. One parent summed it up well when they said that this is the 'best year' their child has had at the school.

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

Leaders are in the process of overhauling what pupils learn and how the subject curriculums are taught.

In some subjects, this work is well under way. In others, the new curriculum has only just been launched. The new curriculum plans are all ambitious and well sequenced.

They set out precisely what pupils will learn in a logical order, with key content emphasised and revisited. In English, for example, the new 'learning journey' approach is already leading to improvements in the quality of pupils' written work. However, it is not possible to see the impact of the new curriculum in many of the foundation subjects yet.

Staff do not implement the curriculum consistently well. They do not always check how well pupils are getting on in lessons, which means that learning is not reliably adapted to meet their needs. Staff sometimes fail to correct pupils' misconceptions.

They do not use the school's 'I do, we do, you do' approach well enough to model learning. This can leave pupils unsure about what they need to do and how they need to do it.

The teaching of phonics is a particular strength at Badgerbrook.

Staff have the expertise they need to teach pupils how to read. Staff know the school's chosen phonics scheme well. Pupils are given books to read that are matched to the letter sounds they recognise.

Older pupils are beginning to benefit from a structured approach to the teaching of reading comprehension.

While children in Reception get off to a good start in reading, it is not always clear what they are expected to learn in other areas of the early years curriculum. The 'free-flow' activities that are set up in the classroom and outside can lack purpose.

Children sometimes miss out on the high-quality interactions with adults that they need in order to develop their communication and language skills.

The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is improving rapidly. New systems for supporting pupils with SEND are in place.

Although expectations for what these pupils can achieve have been raised, staff do not reliably adapt their teaching well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

Expectations for attendance have been raised in recent months. The school responds quickly when any pupil's attendance is below where it needs to be.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online and what to do if they feel unsafe. Pupils understand the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise. They like using the sports equipment on the playground to be active at breaktimes.

They look forward to representing the school in sports competitions. However, pupils' knowledge of British values, equality and world faiths is not as secure as it needs to be.

Staff are positive about working at Badgerbrook.

Despite some additional workload, staff feel well supported by the school. They are all on board with the changes that are being made. Staff appreciate the regular training they are receiving.

New leaders have raised expectations at Badgerbrook. However, the school does not yet benefit from strong and effective leadership in all aspects of its work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in early years is not suitably ambitious or well sequenced. This means that children do not build their knowledge and skills incrementally in all areas of learning. The school must precisely identify the important knowledge that it wants children to learn in all parts of the curriculum and ensure that children routinely benefit from purposeful, 'free-flow' learning, both indoors and outdoors.

• Children do not develop their communication and language skills in a systematic way. This means that the early years provision is not preparing children for the next stage of their education as well as it could. The school must make sure that there is a sharp focus on developing early communication and vocabulary throughout the early years provision.

There have been many changes to the curriculum at Badgerbrook. Some of these improvements are very recent. Staff do not yet teach the new curriculum consistently well.

As a result, pupils cannot achieve as well as they might. The school must embed the changes that have been made in every subject, ensuring that staff have the subject knowledge and skills they need to implement the curriculum effectively. ? New leaders have raised expectations at Badgerbrook.

Many new systems, including those for supporting pupils with SEND and for behaviour, have been introduced recently. These new approaches are yet to have the full impact that is intended. The school must ensure that all policies and procedures are embedded effectively and understood by all.