Bridge and Patrixbourne Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Bridge and Patrixbourne Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak with pride about their school and enjoy their lessons.

They are well-mannered, polite and welcoming. Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their interests and their character. There are many ways in which they can develop leadership skills and there are a number of roles on offer that pupils speak fondly of.

They raise funds for local charities and read to members of the local community, visiting many in their care homes. Personal development is a real strength of the school. These experiences prepare pupils well for life in mo...dern Britain.

Pupils feel safe in school and know adults will support them if they have concerns or worries. There are mental health services available in the school, and pupils talk freely about their feelings. They know how to keep themselves safe online.

Pupils are confident and resilient in their work, and there is a positive attitude to learning throughout the school. They know that working hard will help them to do well and to meet the school's high aspirations. They are proud to share their work and help each other to learn.

Overall, they achieve well.

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

The school has put in place an ambitious, well-structured curriculum. It is planned to support pupils to build up knowledge over time.

Themes are linked carefully to help pupils remember more and be able to apply their understanding across some subjects. Pupils enjoy this approach and are keen to talk about their learning but do not always recall the knowledge that the school intends they gain.

In the early years, children make a strong start to learning.

As with elsewhere in the school, the curriculum is carefully designed, particularly in core aspects such as communication, language and number. As a result, children develop basic skills well. They are beginning to use their knowledge to support further learning in other areas of the curriculum.

The school has planned a comprehensive approach to reading. The reading curriculum is well planned. Pupils become enthusiastic, fluent and accurate readers.

They enjoy reading and can name favourite books and authors. The school has ensured that there is a wide range of texts from a variety of authors. The culture of reading is evident around the school, with numerous posters of authors, book corners, opportunities for older pupils to read with younger ones, stories of the week and a well-stocked library.

Any pupils who need additional support are identified quickly and provided with carefully targeted sessions from well-trained staff. This helps them to catch up and become confident, fluent readers. Pupils achieve well in phonics and are able to access the rest of the curriculum using their reading skills.

In most subjects and areas, pupils' knowledge is checked carefully, and activities are adapted to match their needs. This is particularly effective for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff know these pupils well and anticipate their needs.

However, the checking of what pupils know and can remember is not secure across the school. In some cases, pupils move on to work independently when they still need help. When this happens, they can get confused and make mistakes.

This hinders their learning.

The curriculum supports pupils' broader development well, particularly with the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer to all. Pupils are supported well as they transition through phases and on to secondary school.

Pupils are passionate advocates for equality and fairness. They are very proud to hold one of the many leadership roles available to them. They also volunteer for roles to support the wider community.

They learn about fundamental British values such as democracy in their lessons and through events such as school elections. They take these very seriously.

Pupils behave well across the school.

Any behaviour issues are dealt with quickly and consistently. Pupils know what is expected of them, and incidents of low-level disruption are rare. They attend well and focus carefully on their learning in class.

Around the school, they are quick to support each other. At breaktimes, pupils play well together, treating the resources with respect.

Staff feel valued and supported and say that leaders care about their well-being.

Governors are active in providing support and challenge as needed. They are ambitious for the school to succeed, and continue to enhance some recent, positive changes. They carry out required checks, including those relating to safeguarding in the school.

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, checks on what pupils know and can remember are not used effectively to inform future activities. This means that, sometimes, pupils move to work by themselves before they are ready.

They can get confused, and their learning is hindered. The school should ensure that all staff know how to make the most of assessment and checking activities. ? In some lessons, pupils can talk about their enjoyment of the lesson, but not always the knowledge they are learning.

This makes it harder for them to recall learning later on. The school should ensure that strategies to help pupils remember and apply their learning are fully embedded.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014.

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