What Ofsted had to say about pupils and teachers at Bispham Endowed

Education watchdog Ofsted said pupils – who were praised for their good behaviour – enjoy heading to class, and praised teachers for their efforts.

Headteacher Michelle Warburton, who took charge last year, told parents this week: “I feel so very proud to be part of the Bispham Endowed family and would like to congratulate the children for showing the inspectors how very polite and well behaved they always are.

“Many children spoke with inspectors and impressed them with knowledge of learning, smiles and examples of their work.

“The staff at school worked tirelessly throughout last year to adapt to remote learning, various ever-changing Covid-19 regimes, class closures, and above all continued to provide a safe, nurturing environment for our children.”

Ofsted inspectors John Donald and Lenford White said the 378-child school has an “ambitious” curriculum that gets youngsters in early years “get off to the best possible start with their reading.

Pupils said their classrooms are “calm and respectful because their teachers expect the best from them”, while teachers “really enjoy working” there.

“They appreciate the positive steps leaders have taken this year to reduce their workload,” the report said.

“Staff explained to inspectors this has had a positive impact on their work-life balance and their well-being.”

Safeguarding is effective and leaders “vigilant”, with teachers given the skills and knowledge needed to keep children safe.

To improve to the top ranking of ‘outstanding’, Ofsted told Bispham Endowed it should further boost the quality of its teaching.

“In most subjects, leaders have organised the important content they want pupils to learn so learning builds on what pupils know already,” it added.

“This is not the case in some other subjects. This prevents pupils from building on what they remember and what they can do already.

“Leaders should revisit these subjects and ensure they identify the important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember.”

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