St Bridget’s CofE School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They feel happy and safe. Pupils are friendly and care for one another.

Leaders strive to make sure that all pupils can live up to the school's motto and 'let their light shine'. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement. Pupils try their best to meet these.

As a result, most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Leaders and staff make sure that pupils behave in a calm and respectful way. Pupils told inspectors that poor behaviour and bullying happen occasionally.

However, trusted adults stop these behaviours from reoccurring.
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Pupils enjoy learning about their local area. For example, they enjoy 'beach school'.

They look after the environment by keeping the local beach free from litter. Pupils support a wide range of local and national charities and community projects. This helps them to become active and responsible citizens.

Pupils enjoy trips to local and national theatres and museums. They learn about different faiths and cultures. They also learn about careers and how to challenge stereotypes.

This helps to build pupils' understanding of the wider world.

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

Leaders have constructed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have thought carefully about the knowledge they want pupils to learn and when this should be taught.

Leaders work with staff to quickly identify any additional needs that pupils may have. Leaders also ensure that pupils with SEND receive effective support. This means that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as other pupils.

In most subjects, leaders have designed the curriculum so that pupils build their knowledge and understanding from the early years through to Year 6. Leaders have made a conscious effort to plant the seeds of future learning within the early years. This helps to prepare children in the early years for Year 1.

As a result, most pupils, including those with SEND, progress well through the curriculum as they move through the school.

Subject leaders are well trained. They ensure that teachers have the support that they need to deliver the subject curriculums well.

Teachers use the local area as an inspiration for learning across the curriculum. For example, pupils learn about local links to the slave trade. Teachers use the beach and the local national park to support pupils' learning about coasts, lakes, rocks and mountains.

In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies effectively to check that pupils are learning the curriculum. They use these strategies to identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge and to plan new learning. In a minority of subjects, the curriculums have been recently introduced.

In these subjects, leaders are still developing the assessment strategies that teachers will use to check that pupils' learning is secure.

Leaders have prioritised early reading and phonics. Children in the early years particularly enjoy listening to adults read.

There is a systematic approach to the delivery of the phonics curriculum from the start of the Reception Year. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 take home books and activities to practise the sounds that they are learning in class. This helps pupils to build their phonics knowledge and to become confident readers.

Those pupils who require additional support with reading are helped to catch up.

Children learn routines that foster their positive behaviour as soon as they start in the Nursery class. Pupils across the rest of the school also behave well.

They listen carefully to staff and follow instructions. As a result, lessons are rarely disrupted and pupils focus on their learning.

Leaders ensure that pupils have many opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge beyond the academic curriculum.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values such as democracy. For example, they run an election for the school council and eco-council. Recently, the eco-council has campaigned to eradicate plastic straws in school because pupils have a keen desire to reduce the harmful impact of plastic on the environment.

Staff are well supported by leaders and their well-being and workload is prioritised. Despite the challenge of moving to a temporary site, leaders and governors have acted with a sense of urgency to address the actions from the previous inspection. Governors know the school well and carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff have regular safeguarding training. This supports staff to know how to keep pupils safe.

Staff are well trained to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders have clear systems for reporting concerns and leaders act on these quickly. Leaders engage with a wide range of professional agencies to secure support for vulnerable pupils and families.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know not to share personal information online. Pupils also know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, such as on the beach and near a railway line.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculums have been recently introduced. As a result, leaders are still developing the assessment systems to check that the intended curriculum supports pupils to know more and remember more. Leaders should ensure that staff are well equipped to check that pupils are learning the intended curriculum.