Bare Trees Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this busy and friendly school. They are warmly greeted each day by staff.

Pupils appreciate the considerable care that staff give to their well-being. This contributes to pupils feeling happy, valued and safe in school.

The school has increasingly high aspirations for pupils, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Many pupils achieve well and they are successfully prepared for the next stages of their education.

Children in the early years settle quickly into school life. They learn how to respond to instructions, take turns and play cooperatively with each other.

Pupils embr...ace all aspects of school life. In lessons, pupils listen attentively to their teachers and readily apply themselves to their learning. Pupils also enjoy a wide range of clubs, such as reading, football and crochet.

The school prioritises pupils' wider development. Pupils benefit from the extensive outdoor facilities where they learn about the environment and how to care for different animals. Many pupils have positions of responsibility, for example they are librarians, sports leaders and school councillors.

Pupils value the opportunities that they have to work as a team, such as leading different games in the playground.

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

The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. It has identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn and when this content should be taught.

Equally, the school has ensured that children in the early years secure strong foundations in their learning. This prepares them well for Year 1 and beyond.

The school's published data for 2023 shows that the proportion of pupils who met expected standards in mathematics and writing at the end of Year 6 was below national averages.

The school has strengthened its curriculum design to address the gaps that remained for some pupils as an ongoing result of the COVID pandemic and subsequent low rates of attendance. Currently, most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well across a range of subjects.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and they have received appropriate training to enable them to implement the curriculum well.

In most subjects, teachers explain concepts clearly and they check that pupils understand and remember what has been taught. From time to time, the activities that teachers design are not matched closely enough to the knowledge in the curriculum. Occasionally, some pupils develop misconceptions that then need to be rectified at a later date.

Reading is a priority across the school. Pupils of all ages have access to a wide range of texts. Pupils' love of reading is established in the early years where children enjoy a plethora of stories and rhymes.

Pupils build a rich vocabulary through their reading and exposure to new words through subject curriculums.

Staff deliver the early reading programme effectively. Pupils successfully build their phonics knowledge from the Reception Year.

Pupils practise their reading with books that are well matched to the sounds that they have learned. Pupils who find reading more difficult receive the extra support that they need to catch up quickly. Most pupils become confident and fluent readers.

The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff work closely with parents, carers and external organisations to implement appropriate support for pupils. Staff are skilled at making adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum.

This enables pupils with SEND to learn well.

Pupils display high standards of behaviour throughout the school day. They play well together in the extensive activities available to them during unstructured times.

During lessons, pupils engage purposefully with their learning. Many pupils attend school regularly. However, a small number of pupils do not attend school as often as they should.

Pupils' well-being is a high priority and pastoral staff give considerable time to identifying and addressing any concerns or worries that pupils may have. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They also develop a strong understanding of the importance of being tolerant and respectful to others.

As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

The school has recently revised its leadership structure. As a result, senior leaders have greater strategic oversight of the school.

This is enabling the school to better prioritise improving pupils' progress and attainment.

Governors are highly experienced and they know the school community well. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Staff appreciate the school's consideration of their workload. For example, the school has given careful thought to the calendar so that staff's workload is balanced over the year.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasion, some teachers do not design learning that supports pupils to learn the knowledge in the curriculum sufficiently well. From time to time, some pupils develop misconceptions that remain unaddressed. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to choose the most appropriate pedagogy to deliver the curriculum consistently well.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, these pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that there is effective support in place for these pupils and their families to improve their rates of attendance.