Bridekirk Dovenby CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive here.

They are proud ambassadors for their school. They exhibit the compassion and exceptional manners that are modelled by staff. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), consistently rise to and realise the high aspirations that the school has for their achievement and conduct.

They extend a warm welcome to new arrivals at the school. Pupils are happy here.

In early years, children make an exceptionally strong start to their time at the school.

The interactions that they have with staff and fellow 'buddies' contribute strongly to their early development. Throughout the school, pupils are highl...y motivated by their learning.

The impressive range of activities on offer helps pupils to become confident, resilient and courageous young people.

For example, as 'News Hounds', pupils produce the school newsletter and as sports leaders they run lunchtime activities. Pupils relish opportunities to take an active role in the life of the school and local community. They organise whole school events, volunteer, raise money for charity and give speeches to educate their peers.

For example, about how to care for the earth and sustainability.

Trips to places of worship, the theatre and residential city visits enhance pupils' understanding of the world considerably.

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

The school has designed an inspiring curriculum that is both broad and very ambitious.

It has thought carefully about how pupils' knowledge develops over time. Staff appreciate the clear guidance that they receive about what they should teach and when. This supports their workload.

Children in Reception are prepared thoroughly for Year 1. For example, staff ensure that children have the spoken language skills so that they can talk with confidence and accuracy about their learning. Most pupils achieve extremely well.

Typically, staff are prompt to address any misconceptions that pupils may have about their learning. This prepares most pupils well to learn new concepts. Occasionally, staff miss opportunities to address gaps that some pupils have in their knowledge.

When this happens, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready.

Most of the time, staff use their strong subject knowledge to design activities that help pupils to build their knowledge securely over time. However, on occasion, these activities do not help some pupils to learn the school's ambitious curriculum in sufficient depth.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Staff make effective use of this information to ensure that these pupils learn successfully alongside their peers.

The school pinpoints and addresses the reading needs of pupils with precision.

Staff deliver the school's phonics programme with expertise. The school provides effective support to any pupils who need help to close gaps in their phonics knowledge. Pupils become confident and fluent readers.

They recall with enthusiasm the themes from the books that they read. These themes include identity, different types of families and healthy relationships.

Pupils' exceptionally positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to the calm and purposeful environment that exists at the school.

Children in early years learn to share, take turns and involve each other with kindness in the activities that staff make available to them. They express joy in each other's achievements. Attendance is a high priority at the school.

As a result, pupils attend very well.

The school's provision for pupils' wider development prepares pupils extremely well for life in modern Britain. It prioritises their social and emotional development.

Consequently, pupils demonstrate mature levels of empathy and they instinctively care for those less fortunate than themselves. They are incredibly knowledgeable about how to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Pupils delight in taking up the meaningful opportunities that the school provides to demonstrate that they are respectful and active citizens.

Governors hold the school to account with a very high degree of effectiveness. They have a comprehensive and accurate view of the performance of the school. Governors, and leaders at all levels, set extremely high aspirations for all aspects of the school's work.

The school is highly effective in its engagement with parents and carers. Parents and carers appreciate the exceptionally strong sense of community and all that the school does to help their children to flourish.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, staff design activities that do not help pupils to develop sufficient depth of knowledge in the subjects that they study. This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could. The school should ensure that it supports staff to design learning activities that consistently prepare pupils well for each stage of their education.

• On occasion, staff do not rectify gaps and misconceptions in some pupils' knowledge promptly. This means that some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. The school should ensure that staff address pupils' misunderstandings in a timely manner so that pupils build their knowledge securely over time.