Bishops Castle Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 October 2023

Pupils thrive and are happy in this nurturing school. They are kind to each other and have excellent manners. The school rules of 'ready, respectful and safe' are threaded through all aspects of school life. Equality of opportunity and diversity are promoted very well. Pupils learn about and respect other cultures, faiths and beliefs. Pupils feel safe because they know there are many trusted adults they can talk to, including a school counsellor. They understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Leaders have significantly raised the expectations of what pupils can achieve and pupils rise to these expectations. Pupils are taught to be confident and resilient learners. They have positive attitudes to their learning and this is reflected in the quality of the work they produce. Pupils are proud of their achievements. Pupils behave well. Right from when they start school in Reception, children are taught what good behaviour looks like. They are taught to share, take turns and to listen to each other, and they do. Pupils learn to be responsible and independent through taking on a wide range of roles and responsibilities, such as school councillors and reading ambassadors.

What the school should improve

• At times, the learning activities teachers plan do not precisely match what pupils need to know. This means that pupils remember that task rather than the intended learning. The school should ensure that teachers precisely match the learning task to what pupils need to know and remember.
• While leaders have ensured that their subject curriculum is ambitious, the impact of recent changes have not yet been fully monitored. This means that leaders are not fully clear about the impact of their work on pupils' outcomes in their subjects. Subject leaders should monitor the impact of recent changes to check how well pupils learn the intended curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)