The primary school on the outskirts of Bristol has been downgraded following its latest Ofsted inspection

A primary school on the outskirts of Bristol has had its rating downgraded by Ofsted following an inspection in May. Barley Close Community Primary School in Mangotsfield is rated ‘Requires Improvement’ in its latest inspection on 14 and 15 May.

The South Gloucestershire primary school, which provides education for 278 pupils aged four to 11, was last graded in May 2017, where it was graded ‘Good’. However, an ungraded inspection in June 2023 indicated that the grade “might not be as high if a graded inspection were done now”.

The most recent inspection saw the school graded in five categories. The quality of education, behavior and attitudes, and leadership and management were all rated as “Requires Improvement”. The primary school was rated ‘Good’ when it came to personal development and early years respectively.

READ MORE: Bristol primary school downgraded to ‘requires improvement’ seven years after ‘good’ rating

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Ofsted praised the Barley Close community for making pupils feel safe at school and for staff building positive relationships with pupils. Ofsted noted that the early years curriculum “meets children’s needs well”.

The personal development of pupils at the school has also been praised by the regulator, as pupils learn about economic and financial management through the ‘honey wood bumblebees’ project. Ofsted added: “Pupils enjoy listening to inspirational athletes from their community and pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs the school offers, including football and yoga.”

The primary school has developed the curriculum since the previous ungraded inspection a year ago, but because it is at an early stage, it is not yet as effective. It noted that the school does not have an accurate understanding of the impact of the curriculum on learning, and while there are plans to remedy the problem, it prevents the school from “addressing any deficiencies that may exist”.

Some areas of the curriculum were described as being more developed than other areas. This also includes in science, where Ofsted said: “The school has designed a curriculum that identifies precisely what pupils need to learn and remember. A strong emphasis on developing scientific vocabulary and opportunities to review previous learning helps students develop knowledge.”

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Reading is another area that has become a priority in the curriculum, which has been praised by Ofsted for its strong focus on communication and language skills. Staff are able to help students who are falling behind to catch up, especially in phonics.

The curriculum is not sequential enough to support all students when it comes to mathematics. Ofsted said: “In maths, pupils are not secure with basic number facts such as times and number links. This inhibits their ability to tackle more complex problems because they lack fluency in the basics.”

Due to the fact that the syllabus was not yet well ordered, students described losing focus and becoming disengaged from lessons. While support for SEND students has been prioritized, they face the same difficulties as other students across the curriculum. Pupil attendance remains low across the school, however the Barley Close community is working hard to improve attendance.

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Ofsted praised the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum, saying: “The PSHE curriculum helps pupils to understand the importance of being a responsible citizen. Students know that a democratic process is a correct approach to selecting leaders.

“The school promotes healthy living through the PSHE curriculum. Students can explain the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol. They learn how to swim and how to cross the road safely. Students talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe online.

“The Start Small, Dream Big project provides opportunities for students to engage in science, technology, engineering and maths workshops at university. All of this broadens students’ horizons and prepares them well as they look to their adult lives.”

Ofsted concluded that for the primary school to improve it needs to:

• Develop a well-structured curriculum that also tests what students know and remember

• Fix attendance issues and make sure students are able to catch up

• Evaluate all aspects of its work to analyze the impact of the curriculum on students

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