Bradworthy Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The behaviour of pupils is a strength of the school. The environment is calm and orderly.

Pupils are polite and treat each other with respect. They believe that everyone should have the same opportunities. Pupils are proud of their school.

Pupils are keen to learn. However, the trust has not constructed a coherent or well-sequenced curriculum. This means pupils have gaps in their knowledge across many areas of the curriculum, including their phonics knowledge.

The school is at the heart of the community. Staff know pupils and families well. The school is quick to identify when families need extra support.

The trust ensures that all children have full... access to a broad range of experiences, including a wide range of clubs, that develop interests and talents. Parents comment positively about their children's experiences.

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

The school does not have a well-sequenced phonics curriculum.

The trust has not ensured that staff have the requisite training to deliver a phonics curriculum effectively. Books are not always well matched to pupils' phonics knowledge. As a result, pupils do not have a secure knowledge of phonics.

Pupils who fall behind with early reading do not catch up quickly enough.

Pupils learn a broad range of subjects that follow the national curriculum. While pupils at the end of key stage 2 achieve well in national tests for reading, writing and mathematics, pupils' learning in the wider curriculum is not secure.

The school does not have a well-structured curriculum in many subject areas, including in the early years. The school has not identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember. This means the curriculum does not build on what pupils know and can do.

Content is sometimes duplicated, while other important content is not taught. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge progressively in the wider curriculum, from Reception class to Year 6.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified at an early stage.

The school provides support for pupils with SEND so that they learn alongside their peers. The school ensures that parents of pupils with SEND are fully involved in their children's education. However, pupils with SEND experience the same weaknesses in the curriculum as their peers.

Children in the early years play well together. Routines are established and children follow instructions. Some children understand number well and use this when playing.

However, the early years curriculum does not have a sharp focus on the development of communication and language. As a result, children are not sufficiently prepared for their learning in key stage 1.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities to enhance pupils' wider development.

Pupils participate in national gymnastic competitions. They visit London, and learn to rock climb, surf and wakeboard. This helps pupils to develop confidence and resilience.

However, the school does not have an effective curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE), including relationships education. This means pupils do not have age-appropriate knowledge and understanding about growing up.

Trustees show commitment to the school.

However, they do not have an accurate view of the quality of education at the school. Trustees have not ensured that school leaders receive appropriate support and challenge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The trust has not ensured that there is a well-structured and well-taught phonics curriculum. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure knowledge of phonics. The trust must ensure there is a well-sequenced synthetic phonics curriculum that is taught well across the school.

• Many subject curriculums, including PSHE, are not coherent and do not identify the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not build their knowledge and understanding effectively from early years onwards. The trust must make sure that it designs and implements subject curriculums that enable pupils to gain a rich and coherent body of knowledge over time.

• Trustees have an overgenerous view of the quality of education. As a result, the trust does not provide appropriate support and challenge to the school. Trustees need to ensure that they are well informed to provide appropriate support to leaders and are able to challenge the school on the quality of education provided.

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