Bamford Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Bamford Academy continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they enjoy coming to this school because they make lots of nice friends. They are happy at the school as their teachers are kind, and staff know them well. Pupils feel safe.

They trust adults to resolve any problems that they may have. Staff deal with any occasional acts of unkindness or bullying swiftly and effectively.

Pupils behave well.

They listen carefully during assemblies and follow the instructions of their teachers in lessons. They are polite, keen to learn and care for each other. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone with respect, rega...rdless of their differences.

Staff are determined that all pupils will succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try hard to live up to the school's three golden values 'be positive, be respectful and persevere'. Pupils make good progress through a well-planned curriculum.

Pupils enjoy the many wider opportunities available to them. For example, some spoke enthusiastically about the forthcoming Shakespeare festival in which they will be performing. Older pupils have many leadership opportunities, including organising the school's mobile library and joining the 'Tech Team', which assists staff with computing.

There are a wide range of after-school sports clubs for pupils to join.

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

Leaders and governors have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious and introduces pupils to a broad range of subjects. The curriculum provides strong foundations for learning in reading and mathematics.

Leaders have recognised that the school lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the progress of some of the pupils, including those with SEND. Leaders have made sensible adjustments to the delivery of the curriculum to ensure that these pupils catch up quickly in their learning.

Leaders have designed most subject curriculums well so that pupils build logically on what they have learned before.

However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not defined carefully enough the knowledge that they want pupils to acquire. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not learn some of the building blocks essential for their future learning.

Teachers deliver the curriculum well.

They have strong subject knowledge and they explain topics and concepts clearly to their pupils. Children in the early years benefit from well-thought-through approaches to developing speech, vocabulary and an understanding of numbers. Teachers across the school use a wide range of teaching strategies to capture the interest of their pupils.

Teachers encourage pupils to reflect on their learning and to think for themselves. Pupils respond enthusiastically to these strategies.

Teachers are conscientious in checking that pupils understand what has been taught.

This is especially so in English and mathematics. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not identify where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. In these subjects, some pupils are not fully secure in their learning.

Leaders have made reading a priority for all pupils across the school. Pupils said that they enjoy reading and read frequently. Teachers have ensured that there is a broad range of high-quality fiction and non-fiction for pupils to read.

The school mobile library comes to every classroom regularly so that pupils always have an enjoyable book to hand.

Phonics is taught by experienced and knowledgeable teachers. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who speak English as an additional language, to make strong progress.

Well-trained staff support pupils who fall behind with their reading to catch up quickly.

Leaders have high aspirations for pupils with SEND. Leaders identify these pupils' needs quickly.

If necessary, leaders seek advice from experts to ensure that pupils receive the support which best matches their needs. Leaders provide staff with the information that they require to enable them to cater for pupils with SEND in lessons. Staff know each pupil with SEND well and use appropriate strategies to help them to succeed.

Children settle quickly into the Reception Year. They listen well to their teachers. Across the school, pupils are attentive in lessons.

Low-level disruption is rare. Staff provide effective support for those pupils who find it more difficult to concentrate in lessons.

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to develop personally.

The school is an inclusive community, and pupils enjoy learning about different cultures, languages and religions. Pupils know the importance of being kind to each other. They learn about diversity, tolerance of differences and how these issues affect their everyday lives.

Staff appreciate the various ways that governors and leaders have tried to reduce their workload. Governors are well informed. They take a close interest in all aspects of the school.

They also think strategically. For example, they have thought carefully about how to ensure that the school continues to thrive in years to come.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school. Leaders provide regular safeguarding training for all staff. This gives staff the skills to spot if a pupil is in difficulty.

Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. Those responsible for safeguarding are knowledgeable and draw upon links with outside agencies when required.

Through assemblies and in their personal development lessons, pupils learn about the potential dangers that they may encounter in the community or online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders and teachers are not clear enough about the precise curriculum content that pupils should learn. This means that sometimes pupils are not prepared as well as they could be for the next steps in their learning. Leaders should develop further their curriculum design in these subjects so that teachers know more precisely what to teach and when to teach it.

• In a few subjects, teachers do not check well enough if pupils have understood and remembered what they have been taught. As a result, teachers sometimes do not build effectively on pupils' prior learning. Leaders should ensure that across subjects, teachers use assessment information well to identify and address any gaps in learning that pupils may have.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2013

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