Badsey First School

Overview

Badsey First School is described as a “calm, nurturing and respectful environment” where pupils arrive happily and strive to follow high expectations. The report highlights “warm and caring relationships” as the bedrock of the school, with staff who know pupils well and want the “very best” for them. Most pupils achieve well, supported by a strengthened curriculum and effective provision for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Pupils’ behaviour is “impeccable at all points of the day,” with attitudes to learning that are “second to none.”
• The early years provision is “exceptional,” with highly skilled staff planning “exciting learning opportunities” that ignite children’s interest.
• Staff identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities “without delay” and make “carefully considered adaptations” so they work seamlessly alongside peers.
• Leadership is “well led,” with a “harmonious and happy” staff team that works cohesively, supported effectively by the trust.
• Pupils benefit from a “wide range of activities, experiences and enrichment opportunities” that link closely with the curriculum.

Areas to improve

• Expectations for writing do not always align with pupils’ phonics knowledge, meaning some tasks are “too difficult” for those at the earliest stage of learning to write.
• The school should ensure pupils develop writing skills, including handwriting and transcription, in a “coherent and sequential way” to secure vital foundations.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”