Burraton Community Primary School

Burraton Community Primary School Fairmead Road, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 4LT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well, most notably in developing their speaking, listening and reading skills, which underpin their accelerating progress through the school.  Teaching has been improved considerably since the previous inspection and is now good. Teaching continues to improve, is often of high quality, and promotes pupils’ rapid progress in all parts of the school.  Pupils behave well, are proud of their work and improving progress and greatly enjoy coming to school.  Strengths in keeping pupils safe and in the Area Resource Base continue to be notable features of the school.  The senior leadership team, including the governing body, sustains an unwavering and vigorous leadership that, rooted in careful checking of school performance, continues to drive rapid improvement.  The determined headteacher is fully supported by talented deputy and assistant headteachers who have worked closely and diligently

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

together to cultivate high staff morale through a period of change. Willing team work and full sharing of staff expertise illustrate a strong capacity to bring further improvement.  Staff provide good quality care and support and develop warm relationships with pupils as they experience and benefit from a stimulating range of practical learning activities.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At times teachers do not place enough emphasis on checking and securing pupils’ understanding before moving on to something new.  Occasionally, a few pupils are not encouraged to work hard enough.  Pupils’ basic writing skills, especially spelling, are not developed consistently well as they move through the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 29 lessons and were accompanied by the headteacher during some of these observations.  The inspectors observed morning playtime and lunchtime breaks and also attended a singing assembly.  Meetings were held with members of the school council and many other pupils were spoken to during lessons and break times.  The inspectors met with governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors held meetings with school staff, including senior leaders.  The inspectors examined responses to the school’s own survey of staff views conducted earlier in the Autumn term. The inspectors also spoke informally with a few parents as they brought their children to school. The inspectors also took account of 88 parents’ responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning and undertaking the inspection.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a number of documents, including the

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Information about this inspection

school’s own data on pupils’ progress, planning and leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Alex Baxter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Wendy Marriott Additional Inspector Alan Jones Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, children from service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below that found nationally.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are accommodated in two designated Reception classes.  The school operates an Area Resource Base for pupils with severe and complex learning needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Lift teaching from good to outstanding overall and increase pupils’ attainment in writing by:  teachers more consistently checking pupils’ understanding and re-shaping their explanations and the tasks set so that all pupils sustain concentration and work harder for themselves  ensuring that pupils’ basic writing skills, especially the spelling of words accurately, are emphasised and developed more consistently as they move through the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is good across the school and has improved substantially since the previous inspection because good teaching in all classes has accelerated progress enabling pupils to reach the levels of attainment of which many are capable.  Pupils’ learning in lessons, work in books and the school’s own checks of pupils’ progress show increasingly higher standards in English and mathematics across the school, and now above average levels of attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6.  With stability in staffing now restored rapid progress is a feature for all groups of pupils, including those with more ability, who clearly relish the stimulating challenges presented to them. Joy in learning is particularly successful in developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils’ confidence and levels of skills in mathematics have also been significantly raised with pupils in one lesson in Year 5 proudly exclaiming, ‘We love maths.’

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Current checks of pupils’ work show that pupils who benefit from pupil premium support have quickened their progress because of extra adult support. As a result, previous gaps in attainment between these pupils and other pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2013, of 11 months in mathematics and three months in reading and writing, have all now been closed. All groups of pupils supported by the pupil premium now achieve at least as well as other pupils in these aspects.  As at the time of the previous inspection pupils in the Area Resource Base continue to make good progress because of the skilful way that specialist staff manage their challenging behaviour and keep them learning. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress because staff make sure that questioning and support build on pupils’ previous learning.  Children enter Reception classes with the levels of skills and knowledge expected by their age.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Strengths in teaching communication and personal skills promote good progress in all areas of their learning.  Any remaining gaps in pupils’ skills are now effectively identified and rectified at an early stage to enable pupils to make at least good and increasingly better progress through the rest of the school. Pupils’ writing is imaginative and reflects good gains in extending their vocabulary and ability to write expressively. Pupils’ recorded work is much neater and handwriting too is better and continues to improve, but punctuation and mostly spelling are less well developed.  Reading is taught well and in response to a strong focus on teaching phonics (the sounds letters make), assessments, including phonic screening checks in Year 1, show that attainment in reading has been raised in all classes. Increased reading at home and a much improved range of books also support pupils’ good progress and increasingly above average attainment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Now very supportive relationships between adults and pupils, good management of pupils’ behaviour and careful questioning by all staff, with improved contributions from teaching assistants, promote the joyful sharing of ideas, which typifies most lessons seen.  For example, in an excellent English lesson in Year 5, the teacher reframed the pupils’ responses to questions about the attributes of famous people and drew out the particularly inspirational aspects of their choices to extend their understanding.  When leading discussions teachers emphasise good vocabulary to enrich pupils’ understanding of technical terms across the range of subjects. Adults value the pupils’ ideas and encourage them to think carefully before answering. In response, pupils confidently ask their own questions and share ideas with each other. For example, in a good history lesson in Year 3, the teacher

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The quality of teaching is good

challenged pupils to exchange key facts about Ancient Egypt and to use punctuation accurately to construct meaningful sentences.  Teachers make excellent use of stimulating displays, including in the form of ‘Learning Walls’ to celebrate pupils’ good work and to set targets for improvement.  Teachers also demonstrate secure subject knowledge and plan lessons effectively so that pupils review previous work before moving into new learning. In an English lesson in Year 2, for example, the teacher’s thorough preparation and high expectations set when saying, ‘Are we ready for a learning adventure?’ greatly enriched the quality of pupils’ writing.  However, during a few lessons pupils’ understanding is not checked closely enough and a small number of pupils lose interest and progress slows.  Staff in the Reception classes make effective use of the spacious indoor and outdoor facilities to promote children’s good learning through a range of practical activities. For example, children

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The quality of teaching is good

describe how, ‘weeds strangle the roots of other plants,’ when gardening outdoors and use computers to increase their knowledge of colours and two-dimensional shapes.  Teaching is good for all groups of pupils, including the more able, and all adults are very mindful of pupils’ individual needs, particularly disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Staff are committed to treating all pupils equally and continue to respond well to training and liaise closely with parents and outside agencies to ensure that pupils benefit from well- considered additional adult support.  Staff in Area Resource Base also interact well with pupils and their parents and by emphasising the pupils’ clear understanding of rules and expectations keep them learning successfully.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and make good reference to the specific aspects being studied when giving praise or stating what needs to be improved. Most teachers make good use

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The quality of teaching is good

of National Curriculum targets to raise pupils’ expectations. At times pupils repeat mistakes in their writing, most often spellings, which shows that teachers are not always emphasising this aspect enough to ensure pupils make the intended improvement themselves.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They show positive attitudes to learning. Pupils arrive punctually for school and excitedly enter classrooms enabling lessons to start in good time.  Pupils are welcoming and polite to each other and to adults, with communications from visitors often congratulating the school and pupils for the greeting they received.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are often outstanding, for example when singing, ‘Love is something if you give it away’, with skill and genuine passion during hymn practice.  All members of the school community, including pupils and their parents, describe behaviour as good and much improved. These views match inspectors’ first-hand observations and school records, which show reduced and very infrequent incidents of misbehaviour.  During lessons pupils show good skills in organising themselves, work co-operatively with others and love expressing ideas and exploring feelings.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Low-level disruption is uncommon, but at times a small number of pupils depend too much on adults to settle them into learning and to sustain good behaviour.  Pupils with complex learning needs in the Area Resource Base respond well to encouraging adult support and their good behaviour underpins their interest and enjoyment in learning.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is good. Parents’ responses in the questionnaire also express the view that their children are kept safe.  When questioned pupils say they feel safe and exclaim, ‘We love school.’ Pupils further demonstrate their enjoyment of school and how much it has improved, when saying, ‘Lessons are a lot more interesting and fun now.’  Pupils know about the different forms of bullying, for example verbal abuse, and proudly comment that there is no bullying at the school. Pupils are particularly knowledgeable about e- safety and how to keep safe when using computers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above the national average showing the effectiveness of leadership in strengthening links with parents and increasing pupils’ enjoyment of and interest in learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The very well-respected headteacher sustains high aspirations in leading the school’s fully- shared and unwavering commitment to improvement.  Leaders and managers, including governors, work well together and have effective systems in place to check and manage the performance of teachers, and ensure there is a close match between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils learn.  Most middle managers work effectively, but a few are relatively new to their responsibilities and have yet to impact fully across the school. Even so, senior leaders have successfully redressed the inconsistent provision that constrained pupils’ progress in previous years. The good and increasingly high quality teaching now seen through the school shows a strong capacity to improve further.  Strong team work and a diligent commitment in implementing agreed rules and procedures to include pupils equally in all the school has to offer also typify the continuing good leadership of

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The leadership and management are good

the Area Resource Base and the school’s diligence in promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination.  Leaders and managers fulfil their statutory duties effectively. Actions include the safeguarding of pupils’ welfare through very thorough vetting of all those who work in the school. Finances are managed efficiently to ensure that funds, such as the pupil premium, are used effectively to include pupils in the full range of school activities and to boost achievement.  A refreshed partnership with parents helps to sustain pupils’ enjoyment of school, promotes their above average attendance and is encouraging more successful learning at home.  The well-planned and stimulating range of learning activities harnesses the pupils’ enthusiasm for topic work and competitive sports. Teachers’ expertise in teaching physical education and pupils’ health and welfare are now being enriched effectively by the carefully considered use of

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The leadership and management are good

the additional sports funding, for example by providing specialist coaching and additional sports such as gymnastics for pupils in Key Stage 1 and ‘Street Surfing’ for pupils in Key Stage 2.  Frequent and often innovative opportunities for pupils to explore the local and wider community, such as using computer technology to talk to their Sikh friends in India, successfully enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school’s leaders have cooperated well with the local authority to continue improvement. The local authority currently provides light-touch support to this good and improving school.  The governance of the school:  Governors have strengthened their work since the previous inspection and continue to play an effective role, shoulder-to-shoulder with the headteacher, in driving the school forward. In particular, a close team of very capable core governors ensures that statutory requirements

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The leadership and management are good

are met. Governors diligently fulfil their individual and group responsibilities. These include close partner working with senior staff in checking at first hand that agreed actions bring about the necessary improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievements. Knowledge gathered from frequent visits to the school, from careful checking of the headteacher’s detailed reports and rigorous questioning of data on pupils’ progress keeps governors well informed. As a result, they understand how well pupils achieve when compared with other schools nationally. Governors challenge school leaders to ensure that considerations of teachers’ performance management and salary progression lead to improved pupils’ achievement. Governors have been particularly effective since the previous inspection, initially through a period of significant staff change, in checking that new appointments quicken the pace of improvement. This

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The leadership and management are good

includes, for example, ensuring that additional staffing funded by the pupil premium is used efficiently to accelerate pupils’ academic progress and that new physical education funding develops staff skills and enhances pupils’ health and well-being.

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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 111972 Local authority Cornwall Inspection number 426702

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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 4 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 410 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jayne Gorton Headteacher Lisa Tamblyn Date of previous school inspection 18–19 September 2012 Telephone number 01752 843019 Fax number 01752 840869 Email address secretary@burraton.cornwall.sch.uk 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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