Barnsole Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at Barnsole.

Pupils are kind, thoughtful and quick to help each other out. Pupils are well looked after. They develop respect and a sense of belonging to their community.

They enjoy brightening the high street through planting flowers, and collecting harvest donations for the Gillingham Street Angels.

In lessons, pupils are attentive and behave well. Teachers expect them to listen, work hard and do their best.

However, some pupils, particularly older pupils, find it hard to manage their own behaviour and need lots of reminders about acceptable behaviour. Pupils are friendly and mostly play well together. They know that if an...y bullying happens, teachers will deal with it.

Leaders have been working hard to design a better curriculum. They want the curriculum to make clear what pupils need to learn and when they need to learn it. However, this curriculum is not yet fully in place and the quality of education is inconsistent.

This means pupils do not learn and remember the essential knowledge they need as well as they should in all subjects.

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

The executive headteacher and trust leaders swiftly identified that the quality of education had declined. Senior leaders have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Members of the trust and governors are working purposefully alongside senior leaders, with a sharp focus on school improvement. Leadership capacity has increased with the appointment of assistant headteachers and year group leaders.

The curriculum is not yet consistently in place in all subjects.

Leaders are clear about what they are aspiring to but they are not there yet and there is more to do. There are many initiatives and approaches that have only recently begun. Some of these are already having a notable impact, for example on the quality of pupils' writing.

There are inconsistencies within and across year groups in the way the curriculum is taught. Staff do not always have secure enough knowledge across all subjects. The newness of the curriculum means that what leaders expect to see in the classroom is not always happening.

Pupils are not always taught or helped to remember key knowledge over time. In mathematics, for example, pupils in Year 6 were unable to draw on previous knowledge of bar models to help them solve problems involving subtracting fractions. In Reception Year, there is a lack of planned activities to develop children's mathematical thinking.

This means that children and pupils do not always learn as much as they should.

Although leaders have decided to teach phonics through a new scheme, the current phonics programme is not appropriate. Phonics teaching starts too late in the early years.

The books pupils read are not consistently well matched to the sounds they are learning. While many pupils use their phonics knowledge to help them read and write, others struggle with reading. This hinders their learning in all subjects.

However, as pupils move through the school, teachers foster pupils' enjoyment of reading and of stories. In the Nursery and Reception classes, there is a strong emphasis on children's communication skills. They have lots of opportunities to learn nursery rhymes and sing songs to develop their language.

Staff choose books carefully to interest and challenge pupils. For example, pupils were very enthusiastic about the class novel they are reading, which they said, 'kept us in suspense'.

A team of staff quickly identify whether pupils have any special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Close liaison with families and external agencies ensures that these pupils receive help in a timely way. This enables them to learn the same things as others and experience success.

Pupils have a range of opportunities to broaden their experiences beyond the academic curriculum.

They learn about democracy, diversity, the needs of others and inclusion. As one pupil said, 'we are all equal here and we don't laugh at anyone who gets things wrong, we include everyone.' Pupils are supported well to be confident, independent and resilient.

Several staff are new to their leadership roles and are developing their expertise and skills. Senior leaders place high priority on training for all staff, including that for teachers new to their careers. Some staff do not feel that senior leaders give them enough support with managing pupils' behaviour.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff receive comprehensive safeguarding training. This means they are able to be alert to any signs that might indicate that a pupil needs help.

Leaders ensure that staff know exactly what to do and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. Leaders then make sure that pupils receive the appropriate help and support, including that from external agencies if necessary.

The school's procedures for safeguarding pupils are regularly checked by the trust.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online. They know who to talk to if they feel worried in any way.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not yet fully planned to show what should be taught in each year group and when, in each subject.

As a result, pupils do not always learn the right things in the right order and there are sometimes gaps in their knowledge. Senior leaders know the further improvements that are needed. They should ensure these are secured as soon as possible, including the new reading programme.

• There are inconsistencies in how the curriculum is delivered across the school. As a result, pupils do not consistently learn and remember the essential knowledge they need in all subjects as well as they should. Senior leaders should ensure that leaders are skilled in supporting teachers to enhance their subject knowledge and to deliver the curriculum to a high quality.

• Some pupils are not as well behaved outside of class as they are in their lessons. They are not always able to manage their own behaviour well. Senior leaders should ensure that staff are supported to manage challenging behaviour and that behaviour management approaches are consistently applied.