OFSTED and SIAMS

OFSTED March 2024 (Full Inspection)

The school was inspected by Ofsted on the 19th and 20th March 2024.  

We are very proud that the inspection team recognised and praised our school for being “friendly and inclusive”, that children are “happy and enjoy their time at Barnham Broom”, that they are “safe” and “trust adults” to help and support them. The Inspectors confirmed that our school encourages all of our children to ‘Reach for the stars’, through being “active in their community”, “enjoying roles of responsibility” whilst understanding and knowing how to be “a valued citizen in the future”. We are very pleased that the inspectors identified that our children “learn tolerance, respect and the importance of making a positive contribution to society”.  It is reassuring that the inspectors praised these many strengths within the ethos of our inclusive school, and how we embody this within our vision and values.

It was heartening that the Ofsted team praised our school for its “well planned, broad and balanced curriculum that clearly identifies the knowledge that pupils will learn”.

We are pleased with the many positive and reassuring findings captured during the inspection process. It was wonderful to hear the inspectors comment on numerous occasions about how fantastic the children were during their meetings with the inspectors. The children were praised for being kind, caring and understanding of others, and the inspectors were greatly impressed with how “reflective and thoughtful” our children are. 

The Ofsted report can be found in the documents below or by visiting the Ofsted website (click on the OFSTED icon lower down the page). 

OFSTED May 2018 (Short Inspection)

The school was inspected by Ofsted on the 9th May 2018.  This was a short inspection following our full inspection in October 2014 (further details of which can be found below).  The purpose of this inspection was to verify whether the school would maintain its last 'Overall Effectiveness' judgement which was 'Good' or whether there may be a change in this judgement if the school was to have a full 2 day inspection.  A one day inspection does not report individually on the areas that are commented on in a full inspection report.  The write up of the findings of the visit are presented as a letter rather than in a report format.

The full outcome letter from Ofsted can be found at the bottom of this page.

We are extremely pleased that the inspection recognised and praised the fantastic work of all of our children, staff, governors, and parents. This is testament to the dedication, commitment and hard work of everyone involved with Barnham Broom C of E VA Primary School.

Below are some of the comments made in the outcome letter written by the inspector, following the one day inspection:

"The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have successfully raised pupils’ standards further"

"The dedication of your staff and the very positive attitudes of pupils to their learning are, undoubtedly, contributory factors to the school’s ongoing success."

"All parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that their children are happy and well cared for at school."

"One parent’s comment echoed the sentiment of others: ‘The behaviour of the children is brilliant – they are polite, confident and proud of their school.’ "

"Pupils show consideration to each other in lessons and around the school. Their attitudes to learning are consistently positive and they work and play well with each other."

"Leaders’ vision of ‘reaching for the stars’ is at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils have opportunities to be involved in decision making and exercise social responsibility through the work of the school council."

"Parents and staff in the surveys and discussions I had overwhelmingly agreed that children are safe and well cared for."

The full letter can be found in the documents listed below.

Ofsted October 2014 (Full Inspection)

Below are some of the comments made in the full Ofsted report from 2014. To see the full report, please go to the PDF near the bottom of this page.  Accompanying the report is a letter we sent to parents from the Headteacher and Chair of Governors (The document entitled 'Ofsted BBMB').

"Pupils' attitudes to learning are exemplary.  They are eager to learn and incredibly proud of their achievements."

"Pupils' conduct is outstanding.  They are polite to each other, adults and visitors.  They feel happy and safe in school."

"The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils are immensely positive about their school and their learning. They love to acquire new skills, knowledge and understanding so arrive smartly, eagerly and punctually to school each morning."

These are just a few of the many super comments made about our school during the inspection, there are many more in the report which can be found in the documents list at the bottom of the page.

Our full published OFSTED Inspection Report (October 2014) can be accessed by clicking on the link OFSTED icon below.  

The PDF documents at the bottom of the page also contain the full inspection report and the interim statement.

SIAMS Inspection

As a Church of England school, we are also inspected by the Church of England under the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).  Our most recent SIAMS inspection was in February 2020.

The purposes of SIAMS inspection are:

To provide an evaluation of the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the church school for the governing body, the school, the parents, the diocese/district, the National Society or Methodist Church and the wider public

To meet the requirements of Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 for schools which have a religious character

To verify the outcome of the school’s self-evaluation

To make a significant contribution to improvement in Church schools.

SIAMS inspections focus on the effect that the Christian character of the church school has on the learner.

SIAMS Inspection February 2020

The inspector Anna Reeder was with us for one day and was accompanied by an inspector in training.  The inspector was there to assess how effective the school's distinctive Christian Vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, is in enabling pupils and adults to flourish.  In addition to this, she assessed the impact of Collective Worship and the effectiveness of Religious Education (RE).  Here are her key findings:

• The school lives out its vision of serving others through the care and nurture of the whole community. 

• The school values its members as unique individuals and embraces difference and diversity. 

• The school’s strong leadership, supported by effective governance, ensures its distinctive Christian vision underpins all of school life. 

• Links between the school, the Church and diocese are well supported and sustained which has led to good quality RE teaching and learning, and a breadth of worship styles in school.

SIAMS Inspection January 2015

The Inspector Mr Stephen Green was with us for just one day and was tasked with investigating and evaluating the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a Church school.  Here are some of his findings:

“The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners.”

“The school is very effective at translating its Christian values into spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.  As a result behaviour is excellent and pupils are well behaved.”

“Relationships within the school community are of a very high standard and clearly reflect the school’s Christian ethos”

“Collective worship, the school’s ethos and its Christian values have led to a very high level of spirituality amongst the pupils.”

You can find the full report in a PDF near the bottom of the page. Accompanying the report is a letter we sent to parents.