Bletchingley Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Under new leadership, the school is raising expectations of pupils' learning.

The school is ambitious for every pupil to achieve their best. This includes the substantial cohort of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These ambitions are reflected in the strong start that children make to their schooling in the early years.

However, older pupils do not learn as well as they should. This is because the school has not ensured that the curriculum is taught well enough in some subjects.

Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning.

Staff praise them for persevering in their learning, and for trying new experiences. Child...ren in the early years settle into school routines quickly. In the playground and in classrooms, pupils interact well with one another.

They feel confident in asking staff to help them with any worries or concerns that they have. Lessons are calm and focused. Staff are consistent in how they expect pupils to behave.

This helps pupils to make the most of their time for learning.

Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities within school, such as becoming prefects. They look out for younger pupils and help them with lunchtime games and activities.

Pupils are patient and considerate with each other, including those who attend the specially resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs.

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

The school has made widespread changes to its curriculum in the last academic year. Some aspects of this are structured more effectively than others.

For example, in design and technology, pupils revisit key ideas about the design process. This helps to deepen their understanding over time. In some other subject areas, the school has not given enough attention to gaps in pupils' learning of the previous curriculum.

For example, in history, pupils often lack the knowledge they need to make sense of new topics and ideas about the past. As a result, they do not develop their understanding securely.

The teaching of early reading is a strength of the school.

Staff are precise in ensuring that pupils have understood each letter or sound before they move on. If pupils need additional practice, staff listen to them read regularly. Over time, weaker readers become more confident and fluent.

Outcomes in the phonics screening check in Year 1 reflect the strong impact of the early reading curriculum. In the Nursery, staff make sure that children hear and understand a wide range of vocabulary. Children learn to listen out for certain words and sounds.

This helps them to be ready for starting phonics learning in Reception Year.

Some other subjects are not taught with as much precision. Teachers are inconsistent in how well they check pupils' learning.

Consequently, mistakes and gaps in pupils' knowledge are not picked up on quickly enough. In mathematics, some pupils, including those with SEND, find it difficult to access the work set. This is because the tasks do not build on what pupils know and can do already.

Some staff do not make use of the resources the school provides to help pupils' understanding of number. As a result, pupils are not able to develop their mathematical understanding as well as they should. In the early years, learning is tailored to meet the needs of all children.

Staff are skilled at making sure that children develop the knowledge and skills set out in the curriculum. As a result, children in early years, including those who are disadvantaged, are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

The school has improved pupils' attendance substantially over the last year.

Staff work tirelessly to support families who find attendance and punctuality difficult. The school makes sure that they understand these barriers and find ways to overcome them. For example, personalised welcomes help pupils to overcome anxieties about arriving at school.

Throughout the school, pupils develop the positive attitudes that the school intends for them. They behave well, and they focus their attention on learning.

Pupils know how to stay safe, especially online.

Children in the early years learn about the importance of healthy eating and staying active. Assemblies, visits and workshops extend pupils' cultural learning. Through planned discussions about current affairs, pupils consider different views from their own.

The trust and the headteacher have a clear sense of the work that needs to be done to improve the school. This urgency is shared by those responsible for governance. They recognise that there needs to be more rigour in making sure that the curriculum is delivered well for all pupils.

Staff are positive about the opportunities for professional development that accompany the changes being made in the school. However, more work is needed to turn leaders' vision into a reality for all pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some areas of the curriculum, the school has not made sure that the sequence of learning addresses deficits in pupils' prior learning. As a result, pupils find it difficult to access some of the tasks set, or to integrate new learning into their wider understanding of each subject. The school should make sure that the curriculum in all subjects gives pupils the component knowledge they need to access and embed new learning.

• Teachers do not consistently check that pupils have accurately understood the intended learning from the tasks set. This leads to errors persisting in some pupils' work and gaps in their understanding. The school needs to ensure that staff are thorough in making sure that pupils understand the key knowledge set out in the curriculum.

• There is variation in how effectively leaders, including middle leaders, go about developing strong shared practice among staff. As a result, there are inconsistencies in how well staff deliver the curriculum for pupils. The school should ensure that leadership processes at all levels are embedded and focused on high-quality learning for all pupils.