Bilton CofE Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 March 2023

The school values of respect, kindness, honesty, forgiveness, perseverance and friendship sit at the core of Bilton CofE Junior School. Pupils learn about their importance because staff model these values. This contributes to a community where all are welcome and pupils are happy and safe. There are 'no outsiders' in this inclusive school. Pupils are active school citizens, willingly taking on responsibilities. These range from being members of the school science council to physical education monitors. Leaders and staff expect pupils to work hard and do their best. Pupils know this. They 'think hard' when their work gets tricky. Teachers encourage and support pupils so that they do not flounder but instead persist and ponder. Pupils' good behaviour means that they can learn in lessons. Teachers revisit the school rules of 'respectful, ready and safe' each half term. These rules are evident in classrooms and throughout the school. Pupils learn what bullying is. They know how to share any concerns by, for instance using the school worry box. Staff act promptly when a pupil raises an issue, including any potential bullying. Staff guide pupils to 'talk and repair' to put things right. They make regular checks afterwards to ensure that issues do not reoccur.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, leaders have not set out the detailed knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that teachers do not know the key knowledge, concepts and ideas that every pupil needs to accurately know and remember. Leaders should ensure that the precise knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in every foundation subject is clearly defined, ensuring that each teacher knows the small steps that pupils should be making.
• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers know what pupils have learned in previous years and what they will be learning in subsequent years. As a result, teachers cannot help pupils to see how their new knowledge integrates with what they already know. Leaders should ensure that teachers have a detailed understanding of the prior knowledge each pupil should have gained in each foundation subject in preceding years and the pivotal knowledge that they will need to remember for later learning.
• Leaders have not ensured that teachers have a clear overview of the sounds pupils are learning in their reading intervention. This means that pupils' phonics work is not being reinforced in their classroom learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff have a clear understanding and overview of the sounds that pupils who are in phonics interventions are working on. They should ensure that staff use this information effectively so that gaps in phonics knowledge do not prevent pupils from accessing the full curriculum.

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