Byfield School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

The staff really care about the children and the children really care about each other.' This comment was typical of views of parents and carers. It captures the sense of family that makes Byfield Primary a happy place for pupils to learn.

Pupils are kind and considerate to others. They behave well. There is rarely any bullying.

Pupils are looked after well by staff. They told us that there is always an adult they can turn to if they feel upset. Adults make sure that pupils are safe in school.

The school motto, 'Inspire, challenge, succeed', reflects the staff's high expectations of pupils. Pupils nearly always meet these expectations and achieve well. The c...urriculum is ambitious.

It prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education.

The school is at the heart of the village. Pupils join in community events and help with local environmental projects.

Teachers plan many interesting outings and activities aimed at introducing pupils to a rich variety of cultural experiences. These include involvement in the Junior Award Scheme for Schools, links with a school in Uganda and a range of activities to improve the environment and tackle climate change.

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

Pupils learn about a broad range of subjects.

Leaders have made sure that most subjects are planned well and follow a logical sequence. For example, the curriculum in mathematics provides pupils with interesting opportunities to build on what they already know. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum enables pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to achieve as well as others.

They check that all pupils have the same opportunities to take part in the wide range of activities on offer.

The school's programme for teaching phonics gets pupils off to a good start in reading. Staff give extra help to any children falling behind.

Throughout the school, teachers check that pupils read at home. They recommend books and use rewards to get pupils reading more. Many of the older pupils have a passion for reading.

They loved telling us about their favourite books.

The curriculums in science and history successfully build up pupils' knowledge as they move through the school. In science, pupils have lots of opportunities to find things out for themselves.

The curriculum helps pupils think like scientists. Pupils ask 'big questions' and then come up with ways of finding answers. In history, teachers make connections between topics covered in the past and their class's current work.

Teachers use questions to deepen pupils' understanding. As one pupil put it, 'Our teacher doesn't tell us things, she fishes things out of us.' In some subjects, the quality of education is not this strong.

In these subjects, the curriculums are still being developed to ensure that pupils know more and remember more.The school's work to promote the pupils' personal development is excellent. Every key stage 2 pupil is working towards an award designed to make them confident individuals.

This involves, for example, pupils helping in the local community and taking part in sporting or physical activities. There are numerous clubs, before school, at lunchtime and after school. These cater for a wide range of interests.

Pupils have rich opportunities to learn about the beliefs and cultures of others. Their links with a school in Uganda teach them about the lives of children whose community is very different from Byfield.

Children in the Reception Year make a good start to their learning.

The curriculum is well planned and enables children to achieve well. When we visited the Reception class, we saw children learning and playing happily together. Adults make learning enjoyable.

The children loved making clay models and paintings linked to their story about owls. They enjoyed reciting and acting out their nursery rhymes. The school has just taken over responsibility for an on-site nursery.

Leaders have started to put in place a new curriculum that will meet the needs of children from the age of two to five.

The headteacher is the driving force behind the school's successes. Staff feel well supported by leaders and are proud to work at Byfield.

The trust and the local governing body work well together. They too are playing important roles in improving the quality of education. They put the pupils' interests first when making decisions about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that there are clear arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They act quickly to keep pupils safe from harm.

Leaders are persistent when seeking the right external support for pupils and families.Pupils feel safe in school. They know what to do if they have any worries.

They understand how to keep themselves safe on the internet.Staff provide helpful support for pupils. Parents value the assistance they get at difficult times for their families.

Pupils understand the potential dangers they face when online. Visits to the school by organisations such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children also help pupils stay safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In most subjects, leaders have ensured that the curriculum is well organised and ambitious.

This is not the case in all subjects. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, the curriculum is well planned and implemented so that pupils learn and remember more. .

In January 2020, the school took over the responsibility for the on-site nursery. This is a significant change. Leaders should ensure that the new early years curriculum meets the needs of the two- and three-year-old children as effectively as it does the four-year-old children.

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