Bowker Vale Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 February 2023

This school is a happy place to be. Pupils, and children in the early years, enjoy being part of a warm and caring learning community where everyone is included. Pupils strive to live up to the Bowker Vale standard, which encourages them to be respectful, honest, fair, proud and kind. They play well together and try hard in their lessons. Leaders are determined for every child to succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents and carers who shared their views with the inspector value the nurture and support that their children receive from staff. Staff expect pupils to behave well. Pupils feel safe at school because they trust staff to take care of them and listen to their concerns. Staff deal swiftly with any bullying or unkindness. They endeavour to make sure that these behaviours do not continue. Pupils take part in a range of activities, including gymnastics, netball and cooking club. They told the inspector how much they enjoy learning outdoors in the woodland area and spending time with Buddy, the school dog. Pupils are proud of how diverse their school is. For example, they have recently welcomed several families from Ukraine. They told the inspector that they learn to respect everyone 'no matter who they are'.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, leaders do not have a thorough enough understanding of how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Occasionally, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge that teachers are unaware of. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies are well matched to the knowledge in the curriculum so that teachers can accurately identify any learning that pupils have missed.

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