Bretforton Village School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are part of an inclusive community. Everyone is welcome here.

Pupils are known and valued as unique individuals. Pupils care about each other as well as the world around them. They are passionate about making a difference.

Leaders want the best for pupils. They have raised everyone's expectations and put in place a more challenging curriculum. They make sure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Staff work closely together to encourage, support and help pupils of all abilities. Leaders and staff are deeply committed to further improving the school.

Pupils are polite and courteous.

They work well together... and show respect to adults and visitors. Pupils are incredibly positive about their school. They know about the different forms of bullying, but are quite sure that it does not happen in their school.

Pupils know that staff care about them and will help them if they are worried or anxious about anything.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They have confidence that their children are safe and well cared for.

They appreciate the extra help and support their children receive if they have medical, learning or personal and social needs.

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

Strong, stable leadership has successfully improved the quality of education across the school. Step by step, leaders have developed a shared vision for the school, based on clear values.

They set high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. Leaders have put in place a coherent curriculum. They have gained the confidence of parents and the local community in their work.

Leaders have designed a curriculum that combines the requirements of the national curriculum with the needs and interests of the pupils. Pupils enjoy learning and the subjects they study. The curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills pupils will learn.

In most subjects, this is carefully sequenced to build on what pupils already know and can do. Some subjects are less well developed and do not provide sufficient guidance to teachers about what to teach and when. Leaders are already reviewing and revising the curriculum, although the pandemic has slowed progress with this work.

Teaching is improving across the school. Staff think about how to teach different subjects in the best way, dealing with the challenges of mixed-age classes. Staff plan learning that is nearly always purposeful and interesting.

Training is helping staff consider how to adapt their lessons in the most effective way to help pupils learn and remember more.

Staff check what pupils know and can do. They are quick to deal with pupils' misconceptions when they arise.

Additional adults ensure that all pupils are included and experience the full curriculum. They adapt instructions and tasks so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are successful and make progress. Staff show a deep understanding of pupils with additional needs.

Similarly, pupils are considerate and supportive of their peers who need extra help. Classrooms are inclusive places.

Leaders have raised the profile of reading and enhanced the range of books pupils have access to.

Staff have good subject knowledge and teach phonics confidently. Pupils get off to a flying start learning their sounds in Reception. Regular checks identify any pupil who might be struggling with their reading.

High-quality support makes sure that no pupil falls behind. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to read. This helps pupils develop fluency and confidence in their reading.

For example, older pupils read aloud confidently in assemblies. Pupils of all ages talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors.

Adults provide lots of time for pupils to talk and develop their ideas and opinions, especially in Reception.

Snack and chat time is used effectively to develop confidence and the speaking and listening skills of the youngest pupils. Pupils' voices are valued and listened to.

Leaders give high priority to pupils' personal development.

Opportunities for pupils of all ages are provided. Pupils get involved in community events such as open gardens. Pupils on the eco council use their knowledge of inspirational figures such as Boyan Slat to persuade others to consider the environment.

Pupils take this work seriously. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and know exactly what makes a good friend. Leaders are rolling out a new approach to personal, social and health education so that pupils can further develop their knowledge of different cultures and fundamental British values.

Governance has been strengthened. Good use is made of individual governor skills in order to challenge and support school leaders effectively. Governors value external reviews and take action to maintain the momentum of improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong, caring culture in the school. Staff are trained well in how to keep children safe.

They are vigilant and know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Leaders ensure that systems for reporting concerns are clear and simple to use. Records are appropriately detailed.

Leaders work effectively with external agencies. They seek out support for vulnerable pupils and their families. Staff teach pupils how to stay safe.

Pupils learn about stranger danger through 'the clever never goes' approach. They know not to share personal information when they use the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects.

However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing this about, and are making any necessary amendments in response to the pandemic. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been taken into account. ? In some subjects, the subject-specific knowledge is not clearly identified.

The teaching of subject-specific vocabulary is not sufficiently explicit. This limits the progress pupils make in developing their subject knowledge. Leaders should continue to sharpen the curriculum to identify the key knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to learn.

• Not all teachers teach new content in a way that helps pupils remember well. This is because some teachers have gaps in their knowledge of the best ways to help pupils learn subject-specific content. Leaders should support teachers to develop an appropriate subject-specific pedagogy that enables pupils to know and remember more over time.