John Bunyan Primary School and Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 February 2024

Most pupils are very happy to be part of their school. They appreciate the extra activities and trips provided, especially for sports and to visit local museums. Pupils enjoy regular workshops from a local theatre company to help them with drama and writing skills. Their framed artwork is exhibited proudly in the school gallery. They can sing in the school choir. Pupils say that their teachers are the best thing about the school because they make lessons interesting. Staff expect pupils to get fully involved with their learning and complete work to a high standard of presentation. While the different topics help bring learning to life, the way that learning is organised sometimes makes it difficult for pupils to remember important information and regularly practise their skills in different curriculum subjects. Pupils are kept safe. They do report, however, that a few pupils say unkind things to each other, particularly at playtimes and lunchtimes. A small number of pupils find it difficult to behave consistently well in lessons. Staff take effective action when they see or are told about any of this happening. Leaders and teaching staff are visible and always available at these times, and at the school gates, to talk with pupils and parents.

What the school should improve

• The new phonics scheme has got off to a successful start, particularly in the early years. However, some older pupils are still not reading as fluently as they should. This includes pupils with SEND. The school should continue to accelerate intervention strategies for these pupils so that all reach and secure age-related expectations as quickly as possible. They should also work with the small number of staff who are less proficient in modelling blended sounds so that they better help their pupils to read fluently.
• The way that the wider curriculum is organised does not always help teachers to identify the progress pupils are making in different subjects. The school should review the wider curriculum programme, with a focus on how pupils are expected to build subject-specific skills and knowledge over time alongside the cross-curricular themes. This is so pupils develop and remember even deeper subject-specific knowledge and skills, and so that teachers can track and assess pupils' work in individual curriculum subjects more easily and more effectively over time.

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