Bankfoot Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe. They show politeness and respect to each other and to the adults who help them. Pupils move around school in a calm and orderly way and are keen to learn.

Behaviour in lessons and throughout school is good. Pupils understand what bullying is and how to identify it. Bullying does happen, but this is dealt with quickly by leaders.

Children in the early years do not get a good start to some aspects of their education. Some of the early years curriculum is not planned or delivered effectively to make sure that these children are ready for Year 1.

Leaders are ambitious in their vision for the education of pupils in the school.

...However, this ambition is not reflected in the education pupils receive. In some subjects, it is not clear what leaders want pupils to learn. Pupils do not have the opportunity to build up their knowledge in some subjects over time.

Leaders have a vision for pupils' personal development to be delivered through the curriculum. However, because the curriculum in some subjects is poorly planned and delivered, pupils do not develop their understanding of other world faiths, fundamental British values, or about the similarities and differences between different groups of people.

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

Leaders have prioritised reading.

Pupils understand the importance of being able to read. Leaders have ensured that staff have received training to deliver the phonics curriculum with skill and consistency. They have made sure that the teaching of early reading is a strength.

However, the expectations of what all pupils can achieve in other subjects are not ambitious. Parents, carers and governors speak positively about the school but this is not reflected in the quality of education on offer to pupils.

In some subjects, leaders have not thought in enough detail about the key knowledge they want pupils to learn.

Pupils find it difficult to build on their knowledge of different subjects over time. Any gaps pupils have in their knowledge or understanding are not consistently picked up on by teachers. The tasks given to pupils to check their understanding are not well designed to check what they know.

There are systems for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Support plans are put in place with targets for pupils. However, pupils with SEND do not always achieve as well as they could because leaders do not check regularly enough if the support they are receiving is effective.

Pupils have some opportunities to take responsibility in school. For example, there are team captains and school councillors. Pupils are elected to these roles.

The school council makes decisions on which charities to donate to. Older pupils listen to speakers such as medical professionals and the police to inspire them to think about future careers. Pupils take part in different activities, such as dressing like superheroes for a day, but leaders have not made a clear connection to how this develops pupils' character.

Leaders intend British values to be linked to pupils' learning in other subjects. Pupils have a limited understanding of these values because, in some subjects, what leaders want them to know is not clear. Pupils have opportunities to visit places of worship for some world faiths.

Leaders have not made sure that these trips help pupils to understand the differences and similarities between different groups of people.

Pupils generally behave well, in lessons and around school. However, leaders do not have a clear picture of where pupils may need further support, as they do not analyse trends or patterns in behaviour to identify how they could prevent any incidents from happening in the future.

Pupils in the early years are taught to read well. They enjoy books and often choose to read independently. Leaders have started to make improvements to the early years curriculum.

Many improvements still need to be made. The curriculum is not planned in enough detail for the different areas of learning children should experience. Some activities are planned without an understanding of what the activity should be helping children to learn.

Learning is not coherently planned to build from Nursery into Reception and beyond.

In some areas, leaders have an inaccurate view of the performance of the school. They have not made sure that subject leaders check in enough detail how well pupils are taught in different subjects.

Teachers do not consistently have the level and detail of knowledge in the different subjects they are teaching to help pupils to learn well. Governors do not challenge leaders enough about the quality of education for pupils. When governors visit the school, opportunities are missed to understand what is going well and what needs to improve in the school.

Staff feel well supported. Their well-being and workload are given careful consideration by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are systems for identifying pupils and families who need support. Leaders involve external agencies in supporting pupils if more specialised help is needed. Staff understand, and fulfil, their role in creating a culture of safeguarding.

Pupils are taught information about how to keep themselves safe. They understand what bullying is and what to do if it happens. Pupils understand how to stay safe online.

Leaders do some analysis of incidents and trends but this analysis is not detailed enough for them to identify what they might need to do next to protect pupils and support families.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders do not have an accurate view of all the school's strengths and areas for development. Monitoring and evaluation activities lack rigour and focus.

Leaders, including governors, do not have all the information they need to make strategic decisions or to offer challenge about school improvement. Leaders should ensure that they have the right systems in place to accurately evaluate the quality of provision on offer to pupils and the impact this is having. They should use this information to make the necessary changes to secure improvement.

• Leaders have not developed a curriculum in all areas of learning for early years which is ambitious or coherently sequenced. As a result, some children are not well prepared for the next stage of their education. Leaders should ensure that there is a well-sequenced curriculum in each area of learning which prepares children fully for their future learning.

• The personal development curriculum is not well planned. Pupils have a limited understanding of the similarities and differences of people with different faiths, and do not fully understand or recognise fundamental British values. Leaders should ensure that pupils' experiences during their time at school are carefully planned and delivered to ensure that they leave being fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

• Leaders have not broken down the key knowledge they want pupils to know so that pupils move towards the desired end points of the curriculum in each subject. This means that pupils do not build up their knowledge over time in each subject effectively. Some pupils have misconceptions or gaps in knowledge that go unaddressed.

Some teachers have limited subject knowledge in some of the subjects they teach. Leaders need to define the precise knowledge pupils need in each subject. They should work with teachers to help ensure that knowledge is taught effectively in an order that will help pupils know and remember more over time.