Burnhope Primary School

Burnhope Primary School Langley Avenue, Burnhope, Durham, DH7 0AG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 Most children start school with skills that are below, and sometimes well below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils continue to make good progress across Key Stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics to reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 6. This represents good achievement from their individual starting points.  Teaching is good. Successful partnerships with teaching assistants mean that pupils are well-supported when they have specific needs.  Pupils feel happy and safe in school. They behave well in lessons and around the school showing positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils have a good understanding of what is right and wrong.  School leaders carefully check the quality of teaching and learning. This has led to important improvements being made since the

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This is a good school

last inspection. Pupils are making increasingly faster progress because of higher quality teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although teaching is good, not enough is outstanding.  Marking does not always tell pupils how to improve their work. Presently, there are too few opportunities for pupils to return to their work and make improvements.  More-able pupils do not always make good progress in mathematics. This is because these pupils do not always start working on tasks that immediately challenge them.  Pupils’ mental agility in mathematics is not as rapid as it could be and pupils have too few opportunities to use their skills to solve problems which are real to them.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, there were a number of other short visits to lessons and she listened to pupils read from Years 1 and 6.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, pupils, and members of the governing body, staff plus a representative from the local authority.  There were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to allow results to be shown. However, the inspector talked with parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector took account of 10 staff questionnaires.  The inspector observed the school at work and considered the school’s evaluation of its work. She also looked at the work in pupils’ books, the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance and information relating to safeguarding.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils during morning playtime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Kate Pringle, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  There are three mixed-age classes in the school and a separate nursery class.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those children in local authority care or from service families, is more than twice the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average. Those supported at school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the governments’ current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school care facility for pupils.  The school has reduced staffing because of a fall in numbers associated with closure of the on-

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching in order to raise standards, particularly in mathematics and for higher- ability pupils by: - ensuring that tasks are well matched to the differing abilities of pupils - making certain that pupils start working at levels which challenge them immediately - making sure that marking always tells pupils how to improve their work and what the next steps in learning are - providing opportunities for pupils to return to marked work to make improvements - increasing pupils’ mental agility in mathematics - challenging pupils’ independent learning through investigations and problem solving by setting tasks which reflect real life situations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start the Nursery class with skills and knowledge which are below, and often well below those typically expected for their age. Children show particularly poor speech and language, and personal and social skills when they start school. By the end of the Reception class, children have made good progress and the levels of their skills are much closer to those that are expected for their age.  Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. By the time pupils leave Year 6, standards are broadly average in English and mathematics.  Progress in reading, writing and mathematics is good overall but the proportion of more-able pupils making more than expected progress in mathematics is lower than in reading and writing. Pupils’ mental agility including their skills with number bonds is not yet rapid enough and pupils have few opportunities to use their mathematical skills in activities which challenge through

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The achievement of pupils is good

problem solving in situations that reflect real life.  Improvements in the teaching of writing have been very effective. Teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ past work to set clear expectations in grammar, vocabulary and punctuation.  Standards are rising in the national screening check for phonics (the links between sounds and letters) at the end of Year 1 because the school has strengthened its approach to the teaching of blending of sounds that letters represent. Pupils make good attempts to use their skills in sounding out words as they try to read words that are new to them. This is helping to accelerate their progress in reading and writing.  Older pupils read well. Pupils enjoy books and read with pleasure. They choose books to reflect their individual interests and confidently attack words new to them. Those who find reading difficult are well supported through the use of good quality books and well-trained teaching

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The achievement of pupils is good

assistants.  The school has a strong commitment to equal opportunity and strives to ensure that all pupils achieve as best as they can. As a result, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in line with their peers.  Pupil premium funding is used very effectively. Pupils who are supported using the funding reach the same standards as other pupils and the progress they make is at least as good as other pupils and sometimes better.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good with some that has outstanding elements. There are strong relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils say that they enjoy school and show positive attitudes to learning.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes benefit from a wide range of activities both outdoors and in the classroom. The shared teaching assistant works well in partnership with teachers and leads learning by posing challenging questions and carefully monitoring achievement. Learning journals are shared with parents. Teachers use the assessments made within the learning journals to plan the next steps of learning for each child.  At the start of each lesson in Key Stage 1 and 2 teachers explain to pupils about what they are expected to learn and how they can check if they have learned the right things. In the most successful lessons, teachers pose questions which enable pupils to build on their past learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

This was observed in a Key Stage 2 lesson about the London Blitz in which pupils successfully used their historical knowledge together with their English skills to write a letter to persuade parents to evacuate their children to a place of safety.  Teaching assistants are well trained and contribute strongly to learning. They provide extra specialist help through delivering individual programmes for pupils and this means that pupil in receipt of the pupil premium and those with special educational needs reach their full potential.  Although the majority pupils make good progress in mathematics, the progress made by more- able pupils is not quite as rapid as in other subjects. Although teachers plan for the different abilities within the class, too often pupils begin their tasks at the same level and then more difficult tasks are used for those who finish first. This means that the more-able pupils spend too

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The quality of teaching is good

much time on work that they can already do before addressing work which challenges them and encourages them to use and adapt their skills.  Marking of work has been a point for improvement over recent months and books are marked regularly. This provides feedback on the quality of pupils’ work but does not always tell them how to improve it. Additionally, teachers do not always refer to pupils’ individual targets when they are marking pupils’ books. When pupils do achieve their targets, it is not always made clear what pupils need to do to move their work on to the next level. There are too few opportunities for pupils to make improvements to their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They happily work and play together. They are polite and welcome the opportunity to talk with visitors. They appreciate that different people have different views, and have a good understanding of what is right and wrong. They know that their actions can bring about rewards or consequences. This is clearly demonstrated in their understanding of well-embedded behaviour ‘rules’.  Pupils understand the differing forms that bullying may take and although they acknowledge that there can be occasional bullying, pupils say that this is rare and that staff address concerns quickly swiftly resolving situations.  In the majority of lessons, pupils are interested and work hard. They concentrate and persevere to complete their tasks. On occasions when lessons move along at a relatively leisurely pace, pupils sometimes lose focus and their learning slows.  Attendance has improved over the past three years as has the levels of persistent absence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Overall attendance is now average.  Pupils, especially older pupils, welcome opportunities to take on responsibilities. Many have special jobs and act as school councillors and monitors. They participate well in a wide range of sporting activities in which they are very successful. Sport is seen by the school as an enjoyable way to instil a sense of discipline and fair play encouraging pupils to work together as team players.  Those parents spoken with are very happy with the school. They say that their children are happy to come to school and believe that poor behaviour, or bullying, is not a concern.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection leaders and governors have been determined to improve achievement by raising the quality of teaching. Despite significant falls in pupil numbers and the reduction in staffing levels, they have managed this well and have achieved their goal.  School self-evaluation is rigorous and judgements are secure. The school’s improvement plan reflects a good understanding of where the school needs to improve. The school has successfully addressed all of the issues identified by the last inspection but is aware that there is still work to do to quicken pupils’ progress, especially in mathematics.  Higher expectations of the quality of teaching have impacted successfully on outcomes for pupils. Tracking is thorough and teachers monitor achievement well, immediately tackling any underperformance. Important improvements have been made to the way phonics, reading and writing are taught and have resulted in pupils making good progress from their low starting

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The leadership and management are good

points in these subjects. A similar focus on mathematics has begun and already there is strong improvement to the number of pupils making expected and better progress. However, levels of progress and attainment are still not quite as good as those in reading and writing, especially for the most able.  Performance management of teachers is well embedded and linked to the expectations of pupils’ outcomes. Teachers’ salaries are directly related to their performance and this is closely monitored by governors. There are good opportunities for teachers to develop professionally.  The curriculum provides pupils with a good range of learning opportunities enhanced by visits and visitors to the school. These help to extend pupils’ experiences and encourage a better understanding of themselves, the local community and the wider world. Pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development successfully develops children into confident and caring young

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The leadership and management are good

people.  Since the last inspection the local authority has provided effective support which has aided the school in improving the quality of teaching and, as a result, the progress of pupils.  Statutory safeguarding requirements are fully met.  The governance of the school:  The appointment of new governors has resulted in a much wider range of experience for the school to draw upon and their roles reflect their differing areas of expertise. Their understanding of the school has improved because they have undertaken training to develop their skills. Consequently, they are now in a better position to identify areas of development, to challenge the school more and to further improve pupils’ outcomes.  A good understanding of finances ensures that the school provides good value for money. Pupil premium funding is spent thoughtfully and governors are aware of the positive impact it has had on these pupils. The new sports funding has been allocated to further develop an

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The leadership and management are good

already good provision for sport. There is a clear commitment to spending this money to secure the professional development of teachers in addition to widening pupils’ experiences.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 114041 Local authority Durham Inspection number 425799

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 65 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Gibson Headteacher David Collingwood Date of previous school inspection 24 January 2012 Telephone number 01207 520243 Fax number 01207 529427 Email address d.collingwood100@durhamlearning.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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