Birdlip Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Birdlip Primary School is a welcoming community. Leaders and staff provide a high level of nurture in this safe and caring school.

The values of 'respect, resilience and kindness' are deeply embedded. This helps pupils thrive socially and academically.

The headteacher, governors and staff have high aspirations for pupils.

Everyone is committed to the school's motto 'helping each other prepare for a bigger world'. Pupils celebrate diversity. They understand the importance of accepting others for who they are.

Pupils relish the chance to take on leadership responsibilities, such as librarians and house captains.

Pupils care for and look after ...each other. Their behaviour is exemplary.

As soon as children start in Reception Year, they follow the rules and routines. This continues as pupils move up the school. Bullying is rare.

Pupils have complete confidence that any member of staff would deal with it quickly if it happened.

Every parent who responded to Ofsted's online survey would recommend the school to others. Parents are particularly positive about the inclusive approach.

They enjoy sharing in their children's achievements via an online platform. Many commented on how staff motivate their children to aim high in all they do.

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

The interim headteacher leads by example with the best interests of pupils in mind.

Staff share the same vision. As a small school, they have many roles and responsibilities. Despite this, staff feel supported and proud to work at the school.

They unanimously agree that their workload and well-being are of paramount importance to leaders.

Leaders place reading at the core of the school's curriculum. Staff use many strategies to promote a positive reading culture.

From dedicated assemblies to library sessions, pupils develop a genuine love of reading. Teachers select high-quality texts to enrich pupils' vocabulary and expand their general knowledge. Older pupils take inspiration from peer and staff reading recommendations.

By the time they are ready for secondary school, pupils are avid and confident readers.

From the start of Reception Year, children grasp phonic knowledge quickly. Well-trained staff ensure that pupils read books matched to the sounds they know.

This develops their confidence and fluency. Teachers assess pupils' understanding regularly. They make sure that pupils who need help to keep up with reading receive it.

No one gets left behind in learning to read.

Leaders have crafted a broad and ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes. In most subjects, they have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and revisit.

For example, pupils recap multiplication facts in mathematics to help them complete calculations. However, where subjects are less well developed, such as geography, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. They struggle to remember what they have learned before to help them with new learning.

Adults know the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They offer timely and effective support to help them take part in the same learning as their peers. Most achieve well from their starting points.

Nonetheless, the curriculum is not adapted well enough for some pupils with SEND. Occasionally, misconceptions go unnoticed and persist in pupils' work.

Pupils' conduct in lessons and around the school is impressive.

They know the importance of working hard and doing the right thing. Older pupils act as excellent role models for younger children. For example, they help them settle in school by being 'lunch buddies'.

Staff form trusting relationships with pupils. This means they can stop any minor friendship issues from escalating.

Leaders are successfully growing a community of kind and responsible young citizens.

They have developed a varied programme to support pupils' wider development. For example, pupils are able to make informed choices about mental well-being, staying safe and basic first aid. Staff teach them to embrace differences and challenge stereotypes.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about significant and diverse individuals they learn about in assembly. They enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular clubs on offer. Many like competing against other schools in sports.

Governors know the school and community well. They have taken a measured approach to the recent change in leadership. Governors regularly visit to check on the effectiveness of leaders' actions.

They hold leaders and staff to account for the quality of education. They are well placed to bring about further improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have instilled a culture of vigilance at the school. Staff and governors are well trained in safeguarding. They know how to identify and report concerns.

Record-keeping is detailed. The designated safeguarding lead takes quick and appropriate action. This ensures that pupils and families receive the help they need.

Leaders' checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils are thorough.

Pupils know how to keep safe online. They are confident that adults will listen to them if they have concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not made clear enough the precise content they want pupils to know and revisit. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge securely in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that they identify the knowledge that pupils need to learn and revisit in all subjects as they progress through the curriculum.

• Teachers do not adapt the curriculum well enough for some pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils do not learn the curriculum as successfully as they could. Leaders should make sure that all teachers have the expertise to adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND so they know more over time.

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