Ofsted recommends next Branscombe school inspection be 'graded'

Ofsted inspectors are recommending the next inspection of Branscombe Church of England Primary School be a "graded" one.

The education watchdog said evidence it gathered in a visit in February suggested the inspection grade "might not be as high if a graded inspection were carried out now".

Ofsted has a four-tier rating system: inadequate, requires improvement, good, and outstanding. 

The school was rated "good" in 2013 and remains so.

When inspectors judge a school to be good, the watchdog normally visits the school around once every four years to confirm it is still good.

If Ofsted finds evidence that a school would receive a higher or lower grade, the next inspection is a graded one, usually carried out within one to two years.

The report

Ofsted described in its report how pupils "like coming to school" and "enjoy being part of a small, inclusive community".

Pupils are "kind and caring" towards one another, behave well, and "understand the expectations of their teachers".

Bullying is "rare", and pupils are confident adults help them when they have a problem with friendship to resolve.

Pupils read "widely and often", and children learn letters and sounds as soon as they start school.

Newly appointed subject leaders have started to establish "a detailed curriculum" for all subjects, which helps teachers plan. Leaders have begun to identify the important knowledge they want pupils to learn, but this work is "in its early stages".

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive help to learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, but staff "do not break down the curriculum precisely for all pupils" so that their learning follows an appropriate sequence.

The education watchdog highlighted how in some subjects, staff "do not implement the curriculum with precision or adapt it for mixed-age classes". It explained that "as a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could".

Ofsted added that leaders "place high demands on staff and their workload" and "do not consider staff's wellbeing carefully enough". It said leaders "need to act more effectively" to ensure staff's welfare.

'We acknowledge... there is room for improvement' - headteacher

Headteacher Katie Gray said: "We are delighted that inspectors believe that our school is still 'good'. It is a measure of all the hard work that the pupils, staff and governors have put in.

"We are also pleased that the inspectors have recognised how much our pupils like being here. We acknowledge though that there is room for improvement and note their comments regarding a graded visit next time.

"We look forward to welcoming our new intake in September." 

Click here to read the report.