Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School

Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School Dunkirk Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, CM0 8LG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Good leadership from the headteacher, other leaders and governors has successfully improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement since the last inspection.  The headteacher has raised teachers’ expectations of how well pupils will behave and achieve.  Teaching is good across the school and pupils achieve well in most subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching in Reception is good. Children enjoy a stimulating range of well-taught activities and are well prepared to start Year 1.  Teachers’ high-quality marking and verbal feedback enable pupils in all years to improve their work and make good progress.  Teachers explain tasks and concepts clearly, so pupils know what they are to do and make good progress in their learning.  Staff show a great deal of care for pupils, who feel very safe. Relationships between teachers and pupils are strong.  Pupils behave well and demonstrate positive

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attitudes to their learning, taking pride in their work.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although the gap is closing, pupils who are supported by the pupil premium funding do not make the same progress as others in the school in reading and writing.  Standards in mathematics are not as high as those in reading and writing because teachers do not provide pupils with enough opportunities to improve their mathematical knowledge and skills by applying them in different subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 22 lessons, five of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and teachers, pupils and four members of the governing body.  They held discussions with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of documents, including a summary of the school’s self-evaluation and development plan, policies aimed at keeping pupils safe, and information about the management of teachers’ performance.  The views of 85 parents and carers were analysed through their responses recorded on the Parent View website. Inspectors also spoke with parents during the inspection.  Inspectors considered the views expressed by the 26 staff who returned questionnaires.  Inspectors also listened to pupils read in Year 2.

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Inspection team

Kelly Stock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, at 9%, is below average.  Almost a third of the pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which provides funding to help disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or looked after by the local authority. This proportion is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in mathematics in Key Stage 2 by giving pupils more opportunities in different subjects to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills, particularly in real-life situations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure pupils who are supported by the pupil premium make similar progress to others in the school in all subjects, by rigorously tracking their progress and providing them with extra support as soon as it is needed, especially in reading and writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s determination has been instrumental in raising the expectations of staff and pupils since the last inspection. Teachers now have a much clearer understanding of pupils’ capabilities, so they push them to achieve more. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and behaviour has improved and they are now good.

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The leadership and management are good

 Carefully-considered appointments since the last inspection have enabled leadership to be shared, for example, a specialist mathematics teacher now leads the subject across the school, and changes since September are already having a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject coordinators are enthusiastic and ambitious. Leadership of the provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is improving. In reading and writing a small number of pupils are not making expected progress and additional support has been put in place. Changes made since September are already having an impact and staff are now taking more responsibility for these pupils’ progress in their classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is good. Extra activities such as the Boy’s Club raise boys’ interest in reading and writing. Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop their understanding of British values as well as their cultural and spiritual understanding. Leaders ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities in school and that any discriminatory behaviour is tackled quickly and decisively.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents and carers, and staff are highly positive about the school, and at times ‘delighted’ with its work. The redesign of the reception area has also led to better communication and parents and carers make good use of the school’s internet page to keep up to date with immediate news about their children’s’ learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Reception leader is very knowledgeable and uses good systems to assess and monitor children’s achievement. She works closely with the local authority and an outstanding school to sharpen staff skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the extra sports funding to very good effect. Staff have received extra training and pupils now have the opportunity to take part in a much wider range of sports. Pupil premium funds have been used appropriately to support disadvantaged pupils. However, the tracking of such pupils’ progress is not always rigorous enough to identify when they are starting to fall behind, so that extra support can be provided in a timely manner.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided good support to ensure that the assessments of pupils’ work and starting points are accurate.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is willing to look beyond the local area to identify best practice; as a result the school now benefits from effective practice sourced from across the country.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school offers a wide range of clubs and after-school activities. The coordinator for the Sports Funding has worked hard to organise a range of activities from fencing, parkour and orienteering to sailing. These are very well attended.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets all safeguarding requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance is good. The governing body, and in particular the chair of governors, offers very strong support to the school. There is an excellent range of skill and experience on the governing body. Individual governors are well placed to challenge the headteacher as they have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and performance data. Governors are fully involved in the decisions about the running of the school, from recruitment to the performance and pay of teachers. They ensure that teachers do not receive a pay rise unless they meet their targets.  Governors closely monitor the spending of pupil premium funds, and they are now starting to evaluate the impact of support more quickly in order to close the gap between the attainment of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium and others in the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons and around the school it is consistently good. Relationships with teaching staff are strong and pupils enjoy their learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupil attitudes to learning are positive; this is seen in their efforts in lessons, their pride in their work and their eagerness to talk about their learning to visitors. They listen carefully to each other and to their teachers.

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Behaviour

 Pupils who join the school other than at the start of the year settle quickly, including pupils who have specific learning or physical difficulties. Pupils who have complex needs are well supported so that they behave well and can enjoy all the school has to offer, as well as making good academic progress.

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Behaviour

 The systems used for checking attendance and following up absence are very thorough and the school has adopted a hard line approach. As a result attendance is above average and the attendance of pupils supported by the pupil premium has improved.

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Behaviour

 All staff, including the site manager, midday assistants and support staff, are positive about pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. During the inspection, it was evident that the older pupils take good care of the younger children, for example, in the playground.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. As a result pupils feel safe and confident in school. Pupils know who to turn to with any concerns.

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Safety

 The school’s records and parental views taken from Parent View confirm that there have been improvements in the last few years in the way bullying is handled. When it does happen, it is dealt with quickly and parents and carers are fully involved. There have been no recorded racial or homophobic incidents for several years.

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Safety

 Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe in potentially dangerous situations and on the internet.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across all year groups. Pupils’ books and children’s learning journals show that they work on a wide range of activities that interest and challenge them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The relationships between pupils and teachers are positive. Teachers have high expectations for all groups of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers encourage pupils to use technical language in English and mathematics. As a result pupils are confident using the correct terms in their written work and are able to explain what they mean.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the most effective lessons, there are established routines, relationships are highly respectful and activities fully capture pupils’ interest and imagination. Teachers give clear explanations and examples and use a good range of resources to support pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is good and pupils are able to use their phonic knowledge well in their reading and writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children enjoy reading. The recent introduction of ‘book swaps’ enable all pupils to access a wide range of reading materials. Teachers hear pupils read regularly and frequently. Reading sessions run by specialist football coaches have successfully raised the profile of reading, especially for boys.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Boys are particularly enthusiastic about their writing and pupils fully participate in lessons. In mathematics the most able pupils write at length in their problem-solving tasks.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work conscientiously and give pupils clear guidance on the next steps in their learning in addition to correcting spelling mistakes and punctuation.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The learning support assistants provide good support. They are particularly effective in explaining tasks to the least able pupils so that they are clear about what they have to do. Learning support assistants are quick to spot any pupil, regardless of ability, who may need extra help and are effective in moving their learning on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Progress for all pupils in mathematics is not as good as that in reading and writing because teachers do not provide pupils with enough opportunities to apply their skills in subjects other than mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school with skills and understanding that are below those that are typical for their age, particularly in terms of their social and literacy skills. Most make good progress in developing their skills and knowledge in all areas of their learning. When they leave Reception the proportions achieving a good level of development are high.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children reach well above-average standards in the Year 1 phonics check. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards have improved and are now above national averages in reading and writing, and well above national figures in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Key Stage 2 standards in writing have also improved. In 2014, Year 6 standards were above average in reading, average in writing, but below average in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The gap between pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is closing. In 2014 they were around three terms behind other pupils nationally in mathematics and one term in writing. Their attainment in reading was similar to other pupils nationally. In comparison with other pupils in the school, they were about two terms behind in writing and one term in reading. Their attainment in mathematics was similar to other pupils in the school. Nevertheless, such pupils made good progress in reading and writing, but not as good as other pupils in school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who have recently joined the school, including pupils in Year 6, have settled well and are being supported effectively so they are making good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is improving, especially in reading. A small number of pupils across both key stages are currently not on track to make expected progress and consequently additional support is being provided to support these individuals.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A small number of pupils across the school speak English as an additional language, and they were seen to be making good progress. In Year 6 these pupils are on track to make expected or better than expected progress in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A newly appointed coordinator for the most able and gifted and talented pupils carefully tracks the progress of these pupils across subjects. They make good progress. Over 50% of these pupils are now working at a higher level of attainment from September.

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The early years provision is good

 The provision is well managed and has benefited from effective support from the local authority and an external consultant. As a result teaching is now consistently good. Children make good progress in all areas of development and are well prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s progress is monitored regularly and frequently. Teachers’ accurate assessments show that there are no gaps in achievement between children supported by the pupil premium and others.

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The early years provision is good

 The outdoor area and the refurbished inside areas provide a vibrant learning environment, which encourages children to explore and learn.

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The early years provision is good

 Teachers are well supported by learning support assistants. Where children are able to select their own activities, this is closely managed to make sure they engage in a wide range of activities.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave well and enjoy their learning. They pay close attention to the teacher and take turns well.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 114821 Local authority Essex Inspection number 442010

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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 343 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pam Langmead Headteacher Nicky Patrick Date of previous school inspection 13 December 2012 Telephone number 01621 785740 Fax number 01621 785223 Email address admin@burnham-on-crouch.essex.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 and 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

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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School details

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

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