Burton Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 2–3 May 2012 Inspection number 311376 Burton Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 113789 Local authority Dorset Inspection number 311376 Inspection dates 2–3 May 2012 Lead inspector Gehane Gordelier HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (HMCI) the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 285 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marc Perry Headteacher Dean Buckland Date of previous school inspection 18–19 November 2010 School address Campbell Road Burton Christchurch BH23 7JY Telephone number 01202 482588 Fax number 01202 475704 Email address office@burtonpri.dorset.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Gehane Gordelier Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out at no notice. Inspectors undertook a learning walk from Year 1 to Year 6, observed an assembly, 13 lessons and 12 teachers. They also listened to some pupils reading. Inspectors held discussions with staff, some members of the governing body, a group of parents and carers, and pupils. They observed the school's work and looked at a range of documentation. These included the school’s safeguarding procedures, information about the progress and attainment of pupils, school improvement planning, the school’s self-evaluation, curriculum and lesson planning, a range of policies, monitoring undertaken by senior leaders and members of the governing body and reports from the school’s evaluation partner. Owing to insufficient responses, inspectors were unable to take into account Ofsted’s on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection.

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Information about the school

Burton Primary is larger than the average-sized primary school. A smaller proportion than in most schools nationally is known to be eligible for free school meals. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is above the national average. However, the proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower than average.

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Information about the school

There have been significant staff changes since the school was placed into special measures in November 2010. The newly appointed headteacher started working at the school in September 2011, and the new deputy headteacher took up her position at the beginning of this term. There is a new Chair of the Governing Body, and a number of other staff and governors have either left or joined the school.

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Information about the school

There is a private playgroup onsite, which is managed by an external provider and did not form part of this inspection.

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Information about the school

The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Key findings

 The school's overall effectiveness is satisfactory. It is not good because the achievement of pupils is satisfactory overall; teaching in Key Stage 1 does not always build sufficiently on pupils’ prior attainment and the level of challenge for the more-able pupils and support for vulnerable groups are not consistently good or better throughout the school. In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before the next section 5 inspection.

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Key findings

 Although most pupils make at least satisfactory progress, this is variable between subjects and within year groups. The increased rigour in tracking and monitoring the progress of different groups of pupils has led to teachers becoming more challenged by senior leaders to accelerate the progress made by pupils. A few disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, as well as some of the pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, do not always progress as well as their peers, although this is improving. The achievement of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good.

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Key findings

 Teaching is satisfactory and improving, but is not meeting the needs of all groups of pupils consistently well. Teaching promotes active learning in a meaningful and purposeful context. This has helped to engage pupils more enthusiastically in their learning. Teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and there are pockets of exemplary practice for both the youngest and oldest pupils in the school.

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Key findings

 The behaviour and safety of pupils are satisfactory. Most pupils respond positively to the improvements made to the quality of teaching by displaying positive attitudes to learning.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and the Chair of the Governing Body have been effective in building a team of staff and governors who are now working together towards a common goal of raising standards across the school. The effective management of staff performance has contributed to the school sustaining improvements over time. However, the role of middle leaders in particular remains underdeveloped. Although most have been managing their areas of responsibility, few have been actively driving and embedding improvements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the achievement of pupils in English and mathematics from Year 1 to Year 6, especially for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and those known to be eligible for free school meals, so that they all achieve as well as their peers, and ensure that more pupils attain higher levels by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 by: - building more effectively on children's outcomes at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage and sustaining a good rate of progress throughout Years 1 and 2 - ensuring consistently good levels of support for vulnerable groups and good levels of challenge for the more-able pupils throughout the school - ensuring that all pupils can read at a level expected for their age by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is good or better by: - ensuring that planning reflects more fully how the needs of all pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, will be met in every lesson - maintaining a brisk pace of learning for the more-able pupils throughout lessons - encouraging pupils to give reasons for their answers when they respond to questions - ensuring that pupils are able to articulate what they are learning and expected to do during the course of a lesson - making more regular use of information and communication technology to support and enhance the quality of teaching and learning - encouraging pupils to routinely make use of their knowledge of letters and the sounds they represent (phonics) to support them with reading and writing unfamiliar words across the curriculum - ensuring regular use of talk activities before pupils are expected to write.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the role of leaders and managers at all levels, including members of the governing body, so that they all contribute more effectively to raising the achievement of all groups of pupils by: - checking the progress made by different groups of pupils at regular intervals - developing the role of middle leaders so they take an active role in driving and embedding improvements in their areas of responsibility - ensuring that all action and improvement planning includes interim milestones against which the progress of pupils can be measured - developing planning for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs at a strategic level as well as for lessons, so that plans detail what pupils need to learn and how this will be achieved.

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Achievement of pupils

Most children in the Early Years Foundation Stage attain above age-related expectations by the end of the Reception Year. This represents good progress given their starting points. They make particularly good progress in learning to link sounds and letters, as well as in their personal, social and emotional development. One parent stated, ‘They are amazing in Reception, I’m amazed at what my daughter knows.’ The learning and progress of pupils in the rest of the school are satisfactory, with pupils generally making better progress in English than in mathematics, and more progress in reading than in writing. Levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics are broadly average by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels at the end of Year 1 and Year 6 is similar to that in most schools nationally. However, not all disabled pupils and those with special

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Achievement of pupils

educational needs, as well as those known to be eligible for free school meals, progress as well as their peers. This is largely due to historical weaknesses in teaching, learning and leadership and management. Although inadequate practice has been eradicated, some pupils have been left with gaps in their learning. Good additional support, often provided by skilled learning support assistants, helps pupils to make up for the ground they have lost, particularly in reading.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils say how much they enjoy opportunities to undertake practical activities and to work collaboratively. Pupils in Year 6 have made particularly good progress in mathematics this year. They learn about different angles, including acute and obtuse angles, and they can translate shapes on a grid using different coordinates. Their writing is improving apace, with most pupils including complex sentences and embedded clauses in their well-structured and engaging stories, for example about travelling to a new planet. In Year 1 and Year 2, pupils are learning to add and take away two- and three-digit numbers. They benefited from a visit by local farmers with their tractors to help them to learn to describe the properties of different shapes. Practical activities, such as measuring how long their bean plants have grown, have helped with learning to measure.

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Achievement of pupils

The introduction of a rigorous and systematic approach to teaching phonics (letters and sounds) whilst becoming increasingly effective is still relatively new. Although most pupils make good progress with their reading, there are still shortcomings in the skills of pupils of lower ability particularly in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils in Year 6 are not sufficiently competent at sounding out words particularly those containing more than a couple of syllables. In Year 2, some pupils of lower attainment struggle to sound out individual letters or when two or more letters represent one sound. Their levels of comprehension are underdeveloped and they do not make enough use of book language to describe what is happening in a story, relying mainly on the pictures. Parents and carers who spoke to the lead inspector stated that they have noticed a significant improvement in the quality of their children's work, particularly

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Achievement of pupils

since the beginning of this academic year.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching contributes satisfactorily to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In Year 5 for example, links established with a school in Ethiopia have helped to improve pupils’ knowledge and appreciation of a different culture. Teaching enables pupils to work independently and collaboratively. Teachers clarify learning objectives and encourage pupils to check their work. In a good mathematics lesson in Year 3 and Year 4, pupils practised using a range of strategies to help them to solve problems requiring addition and subtraction. Learning was put into a meaningful context, making the activities purposeful. The pupils found different ways of checking the accuracy of their answers, such as using inverse operation. The teaching assistant helped pupils to recall and build on their previous skills by asking questions, such as, ‘How are you going to work it out?’ The teacher in this lesson

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Quality of teaching

checked pupils’ learning and progress at regular intervals, providing additional support where needed. However, not all teachers check pupils’ understanding by encouraging them to articulate what they are learning. This results in some pupils focusing more on the activities than the skills they are meant to be developing. Although teachers generally provide challenge for the more-able pupils at the beginning of lessons, the pace of learning at times flags during the main parts of lessons when challenge is not sustained.

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Quality of teaching

Despite the introduction of phonics this year, pupils are not routinely encouraged to use their phonics to read and write unfamiliar words across the curriculum. There are opportunities for pupils to produce extended pieces of writing; however, writing activities are not always preceded by pupils discussing and sharing their ideas with a partner. This slows the rate of progress made by some pupils, particularly those of lower attainment. Lesson plans do not all contain sufficient information about how the needs of all pupils will be met. This includes for the most-able pupils as well as for vulnerable groups, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Only a minority of teachers make good and regular use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support and enhance teaching and learning. Teachers mark pupils’ work in a helpful and diagnostic manner, identifying how

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Quality of teaching

pupils can improve their work. However, teachers do not always take sufficient account of assessment data and information to inform their planning. Teaching assistants have benefited from additional coaching and support to improve the effectiveness with which they are able to help meet the needs of pupils.

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Quality of teaching

The parents who spoke to the lead inspector recognise the extent to which the quality of teaching has improved in Key Stages 1 and 2 this year.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Most pupils are polite and behave well in lessons and around the school. This contributes to the extent to which pupils feel safe in school. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the behaviour of children is good. In the rest of the school, a small minority of pupils find it difficult to behave when not under the close supervision of an adult. Consequently, undesirable behaviour is most likely to occur at playtimes and lunchtimes. Although the vast majority of pupils display positive attitudes to learning and pay attention to their teachers in lessons, low level disruption sometimes occurs when pupils’ needs are not met sufficiently well. Pupils recognise that not all of their peers behave as well as they should, and at times encourage them to be quiet and get on with their work. The school has correctly identified the need to ensure that all staff are familiar with the school's agreed policies and practice about managing undesirable behaviour and rewarding good

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

behaviour. Staff and pupils recognise that not all staff manage behaviour-related issues consistently or effectively. Parents and carers express a high level of satisfaction with the behaviour of pupils at the school. They are confident that the few incidents of bullying are always fully resolved when brought to the attention of the headteacher and that the school keeps their children safe.

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Leadership and management

Under the strong and determined leadership of the headteacher, there is a clear sense of purpose and direction for the school. Staff feel well supported; one member of staff expressed a view echoed by many that, ‘The school runs smoothly now, it makes you feel proud.’ In addition, the new deputy headteacher has helped to improve the quality of assemblies and is proving a model of good practice in her classroom. Regular monitoring by the headteacher of the quality of teaching and learning, as well as the coaching partnerships for both teachers and support staff, contribute to improving practice across the school. Rigorous tracking of the progress made by pupils enables leaders and managers to identify pupils at risk of underachieving and ensures these pupils receive well-targeted additional support. This is reducing the attainment gap between different groups of pupils.

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Leadership and management

The good leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage has helped to sustain particularly high levels of care and welfare in this part of the school as well as strong rates of progress made by children. The leadership and management for the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensure a sharper focus than has previously been the case on this aspect of the school's work. Although there are now good intervention strategies, for example to support children with their reading, the quality of planning for this group of pupils at a strategic level, as well as in the classroom, is still in need of improvement. This is because plans do not detail sufficiently well what pupils are expected to learn or how this will be achieved. School self-evaluation is accurate and is informing actions that are leading to whole-school improvement. This, together with an effective senior leadership team

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Leadership and management

and satisfactory governance, demonstrates that the school’s capacity to improve is secure. Although leaders and managers have improved the quality of their action and improvement planning, those produced by middle leaders do not all include sufficient interim milestones against which the progress of pupils can be measured. Some leaders are new to their role, but even those who have been at the school for some time have not monitored or evaluated rigorously enough their areas of responsibility.

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Leadership and management

Leaders and managers have revised the curriculum to ensure it better suits the needs and interests of pupils. The curriculum is broadly balanced and has become more sharply focused on progressing pupils’ learning, understanding and skills in different subjects. Key staff as well as leaders, managers and members of the governing body make an effective contribution to promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This includes the local vicar who regularly contributes to assemblies.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has started to monitor the achievement of different groups of pupils and the effectiveness of the school's equalities policy. Consequently, leaders and managers tackle discrimination effectively and are now actively promoting equality of opportunity throughout the school. Safeguarding arrangements in the school are secure.

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Leadership and management

Partnerships with the local community and other schools are developing well. They are particularly strong with the on-site playgroup. Parents and carers appreciate the more regular and timely information sent by the school. They would welcome more information about the transition arrangements for their children due to start secondary school. They are in agreement that the school is now well led and managed.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons, and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

Thank you for making us welcome when my colleague and I recently came to inspect your school. We enjoyed meeting you and were very interested in your views and those of your parents and carers. I am writing to share some of the inspection findings with you. I am pleased to tell you that we agree that your school is a lot better now than it was a couple of years ago. Consequently, we have judged that your school no longer needs special measures and that it is now satisfactory.

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

These are some of the best things about your school.

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

 The youngest children in the school get off to a good start with their education.  You are enjoying your lessons more and some of the teaching is good and outstanding.  Most of you are polite and behave well.  The new headteacher is doing a good job and the governors have become much better at helping the school to improve.

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

To help your school to become even better we have asked those responsible for leading, managing and governing the school to do the following:

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

 make sure all of you from Years 1 to 6 make better progress in English and mathematics and that you are all able to read well by the end of Year 6  make sure most of your lessons are good or better so that those of you who sometimes find lessons easy are suitably challenged, and those with additional needs or who sometimes find learning difficult get good levels of support  make sure that all of the leaders, managers and members of the governing body do all they can to help you to be as successful as possible.

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

You can help your school by coming to school when you are supposed to, continuing to be well behaved and considerate towards each other and by letting your teachers know if you ever find your lessons too easy or too difficult. I wish you every success for the future

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Inspection of Burton Primary School, Christchurch BH23 7JY

Gehane Gordelier Her Majesty's Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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