A primary school near Bath has been given a glowing inspection report by Ofsted, including a judgement of ‘Outstanding’ for the work done in the personal development of pupils.
Headteacher Becky Hayter and pupils | Photo courtesy of BWMAT
Bathford Church School at Dovers Park, which is led by headteacher Becky Hayter, is part of the Bath and Wells Multi Academy Trust (BWMAT).
In the other four areas that Ofsted inspects – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years education – the school is rated as ‘Good’ following the inspection in January.
It was the first time the school had been inspected since converting to an academy in 2018. When the school was last inspected in 2015 it had been judged to be Outstanding.
Since last September, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade.
In their report, published last week, the inspectors say: “Pupils enjoy coming to this happy and inclusive school, where staff create a feeling of belonging successfully. Consequently, pupils attend regularly.
“They know they can speak to any of the caring adults and be listened to.”
The report continues: “Pupils aim to be the ‘best they can be’ in line with the school’s vision. Pupils rise to the high expectations the school has of them. They achieve well across a wide range of subjects.
“Pupils understand the school’s values of ‘grow, care, serve, share’. Typically, pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and want to learn.”
The inspectors note that pupils value having a meaningful voice; for example, they have the opportunity to make key decisions, such as to change the name of the school’s houses to reflect significant people who are important to them. They are empowered to follow their interests and have an insightful understanding of equalities.
The “ambitious curriculum” is highlighted in the report along with the support given for pupils with special education needs and/or abilities.
There is particular praise for the wider development of pupils and the inspectors note the range of activities and opportunities available, which contribute to their wider understanding of the curriculum.
The inspectors observe that pupils understand the school’s clear rules and routines, and effective support is provided for any pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour.
The school takes “robust action” to ensure it focuses on improving pupils’ attendance. As a result, the rate of attendance has increased.
Staff are said to be proud to work at Bathford Church School and those responsible for governance hold leaders to account “diligently” for the quality of education: “Together, the school, trust and those responsible for governance are ambitious for every pupil to achieve their potential.”
The inspectors also highlight an area where improvement is needed, saying some staff do not identify and correct errors in pupils’ writing so misconceptions can persist.
Responding to the report this week, Becky Hayter said: “We are absolutely delighted to see the impact of our school vision and values reflected both in the inspection report and in the ‘Outstanding’ judgement for personal development.
“Our school vision is to help children to grow by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and values they need both to make sense of the world and to become caring, responsible global citizens.
“We are proud to see this work recognised through the glowing comments about personal development at Bathford.
“It was also heartening that the inspectors recognised the dedication of our wonderful staff team and the extensive work done to grow our ambitious curriculum.
“We look forward to continuing to build on the positives reflected in the inspection report, doing all we can, working in partnership as school leaders, staff, governors, volunteers, our supportive parent community and the trust, to be the best that we can be.”
BWMAT chief executive officer Nikki Edwards said: “The superlatives in this report really do reflect the reality of life at Bathford. This is a school with a clear vision which is lived out every day and which is supporting all the children to become the best version of themselves.
“In particular, the ‘Outstanding’ judgement for personal development highlights the work which goes on in key areas such as equality and fairness.
“Within BWMAT, we know the work done by Becky and her team has been of the very highest standard.”
