Ofsted regularly inspects schools and the aftermath of an inspection is a report which gets published online. The report shows how the inspectors rated the school on a number of key judgements.
All schools are rated on four judgements: the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and the leadership and management. Where applicable, a school will also be judged on the early years provision and the sixth form provision. Each judgement is given one of four ratings: ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’.
Prior to September 2024, schools subject to graded inspections were given a one-word or two-word judgement which were generated by the judgements (noting that the quality of education was a limiting factor). But this process was scrapped and instead no judgement is given, although it can be inferred, and starting in the next academic year, schools will be given a report card.
Inspections are broken down into several different types, the most common being graded or ungraded inspections, which looks at safeguarding and the general standard of provision. There can also be a monitored inspection, which judges progress rather than the key judgements where a letter is published rather than a report, and an urgent inspection, which is triggered by a “specific concern in a specific school”.
In December, six schools in South Gloucestershire were given a new Ofsted report. These schools fall under the South Gloucestershire Local Authority.
Tytherington Pre-School – ‘Good’ across the board
Tytherington Pre-School is located within the village hall in the village near Thornbury.
(Image: Google Maps)
Tytherington Pre-School, located within the village hall on Itchington Road, was praised by the inspector during a visit on November 8. The pre-school, which has 18 children on its school roll, teaches children an “ambitious and well-structured” curriculum which allows children to thrive.
The teaching interactions from staff are “nurturing and supportive” and children feel safe and secure. The school provides enriching experiences for children, teaching them about the local community and the world.
Staff support children to behave well, but staff “do not consistently make behaviour expectations clear”. The leadership and management team at the pre-school was described as “strong”.
Happy Days Nursery and Preschool (Yate) – ‘Good’ across the board in first inspection
Happy Days Nursery and Preschool, on Dowsell Way in Yate, was rated as ‘Good’ in all key judgments during its first inspection after registering in 2023. Parents are “complimentary” about the care and education that their children receive at the nursery and preschool, which provides 81 places for children.
Children are able to make good progress in their communication and language skills and develop good independence skills. Children receive lots of encouragement and praise from staff to make them feel valued.
The setting is actively involved within the local community, including setting up a food bank for families in order to reduce the financial pressure. The inspector found that if children receive difficulty with a task, staff can sometimes step in too quickly and do it for them rather than letting children learn to persevere and try again.
Severn Beach Primary School – Mix of ‘Requires Improvement’ and ‘Good’
Ofsted said that the quality of education was “not yet good” at Severn Beach Primary School.
(Image: Google Maps)
Severn Beach Primary School on Ableton Lane saw standards drop slightly following an inspection on September 24 and 25, which saw the school formerly rated as ‘Good’ receive a mixed report. The quality of education key judgement, which is a limiting factor in what rating a school would have usually received prior to September 2024, dropped to ‘Requires Improvement’.
Ofsted said that the “quality of education that pupils receive is not yet good” as the visions of the school and trust have not been “fully realised”. The curriculum is implemented well in some subjects and changes have been made to better improve the education, but the impact of this is not yet known.
However, pupils are easier to learn and attendance at the school is managed effectively. The personal development at the school is “rich and varied” and pupils are able to develop their character.
Brimsham Green School – Maintained ‘Good’ standard in monitoring visit
Brimsham Green School provides specialist education for seven pupils.
(Image: Google Maps)
Brimsham Green School, on Broad Lane in Yate, is a secondary school which provides a specialist resourced provision on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council. The school has a total of ten places for pupils with complex medical needs and currently seven pupils are on the school roll.
The breadth of the curriculum is a “strength” at the school and pupils value the wide range of subjects on offer. A range of enrichment activities are also available, many of which are led by pupils.
When the curriculum needs to be adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), it is “done so successfully”. However, too many pupils are absent and some miss lessons even when in school. Steps taken to address this has not had the impact hoped for as of yet.
Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool (Bradley Stoke) – ‘Good’ across the board in first inspection
Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool, in Bradley Stoke, was given a ‘Good’ rating in every key judgement.
(Image: Google Maps)
Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool was praised for prioritising the emotional well-being of children during their time at the provision. The early years setting, on Great Park Road in Bradley Stoke, was inspected on November 28 for the first time after registering in 2023.
The care needs of babies and children are well promoted and staff at the school make sure that they are comfortable and happy. As well as developing independence and communication skills, children are given “patient support” by staff when they struggle with emotions or understanding expectations.
Parents appreciate the nursery’s online communication app which allows them to know what their children are doing throughout the day. But the school needs to support staff to “more effectively plan routines and group times” to ensure children’s continued listening, attention and engagement.
Little Minds Nursery – ‘Good’ across the board in first inspection
Located within Tomarton Village Hall, Little Minds Nursery’s staff were praised for supporting babies’ and children’s emotional and physical well-being. The early years provider has 78 children on the school roll and was subject to its first inspection since registering in 2022.
Staff put the children at the centre of the curriculum and focus on their learning needs closely. Staff develop children’s sense of community and their knowledge on the world by taking children on walks and to visit the neighbouring farm.
Despite a change in ownership of the nursery, there has been a “seamless transition” which has benefited the children as well as their parents. Ofsted noted that the nursery need to help staff to consistently support children, especially older children, to develop their independence skills.
Want the latest Bristol breaking news and top stories first? Click here to join our WhatsApp group. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.