Burlington Infant School

Burlington Infant School Marton Road, Bridlington, YO16 7AQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 This is a happy caring school. Pupils thrive in this purposeful learning environment.  The headteacher leads the school with drive and enthusiasm. Her inspirational leadership sets a positive tone and ensures that all pupils make the best of the learning opportunities available. Governors and staff share her high ambitions.  Good and some outstanding teaching ensure that pupils, from their individual starting points, make good progress and achieve well. Pupils are well prepared for their next school.  Pupils who are disadvantaged make at least the same good progress as other pupils in the school and other pupils nationally.  Highly effective teaching assistants speed up pupils’ progress by providing well-targeted support in and out of the classroom.  Children in the early years settle quickly and make a good start to their learning because of the high quality provision and teaching.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning. Their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

behaviour in and around the school is consistently good. They move around the school with consideration for others, are very friendly and display good manners.  Pupils feel safe and are cared for very well.  The interesting curriculum and wide variety of additional activities inspire pupils to become eager learners. The school’s focus on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development makes a strong contribution to their respectful, caring and tolerant attitudes. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.  The headteacher and governing body have a clear understanding of what the school does well and where it could do better.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding in order to ensure outstanding achievement for pupils, particularly in reading.  Pupils’ work is not always well presented and marking does not clearly identify what pupils need to do to improve their work.  Pupils’ attendance is consistently below average.  The roles and responsibilities of the recently appointed middle leaders are not fully developed in order to improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement to outstanding levels.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in all class groups of the school, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made a few short visits to observe pupils in small group sessions.  Inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books, observed pupils in the dining hall and the playground, and listened to pupils from Key Stage 1 read.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, middle leaders, special educational needs coordinator, a local authority representative and members of the governing body.  The inspectors spoke informally to pupils in lessons and around the school, as well as having a more formal meeting with groups of pupils from Key Stage 1.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a wide range of documents including: the school’s own information about pupils’ progress; planning; the monitoring of learning and teachers’

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Information about this inspection

performance; organisation of the curriculum; records relating to behaviour and attendance; safeguarding information; how the funding from the pupil premium is spent and the minutes of governing body meetings.  Inspectors took account of the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online survey (Parent View), as well as responses to the school’s parents questionnaire (March 2015), a letter received from a parent, and comments of parents taken during the inspection. The inspectors also took account of 25 returns of the staff questionnaire completed during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Peter Bailey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Burlington Infant School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The overwhelming majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average compared to other schools nationally.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium, is above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding schools receive to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The early years consists of three full-time Reception classes.  The school runs a breakfast club, which was included in this inspection.  Pre-school provision operates on the school site. It is privately run and, therefore, inspected separately and not included in this inspection.  The acting deputy headteacher, acting assistant headteacher and early years leader took up their posts in

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement, particularly in reading, by:  ensuring that the outstanding teaching that already exists within the school is shared more widely  ensuring that pupils’ work is consistently well presented and that pupils are provided with clear steps to improve their work  establishing the recently introduced strategies to improve pupils’ reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by:  developing the roles and responsibilities of the recently appointed middle leaders in order to support the school’s improvement more effectively  strengthening the ongoing initiatives to improve attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides the school with dynamic leadership. She is extremely committed and passionate about driving forward the schools’ improvement and has an unwavering determination to provide every child with a solid foundation for the future.  The headteacher has established a culture of high expectations of all staff where good behaviour and progress are expected and communicated clearly to pupils and parents. As a result, pupils are thriving. Her drive and determination have been crucial in ensuring the continued improvement of the school, ensuring any weaknesses in teaching are quickly identified and addressed.  The headteacher is held in high regard by the pupils, parents and staff. Comments on all of the staff questionnaires returned indicate an extremely high level of confidence in the school’s leadership. Staff morale is high. Staff commented: ‘The school is a caring nurturing school and I am proud to be part of it.’

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The leadership and management are good

and ‘The children are well taught, looked after and nurtured. The staff genuinely care and consider the well being of the children at all times. It’s such a lovely school.’  Leaders have an accurate understanding of how well the school is doing because they evaluate the school’s performance thoroughly. Leaders correctly identify the school’s strengths and the right priorities for further development. However, the roles and responsibilities of the middle leaders are not yet fully developed to support the headteacher in driving forward school improvement and speeding up pupils’ progress.  The leadership of the early years is good. The school is constantly reviewing the provision and curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of the children so that they make good progress.  The school has reviewed its curriculum in the light of changes to the new national curriculum. It provides pupils with a broad range of interesting activities and exciting learning experiences through a themed

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The leadership and management are good

approach to topic work. The school is implementing new assessment procedures to replace the previous national curriculum levels. The initial indications are that teachers are applying them well.  The process to check the quality of teaching is rigorous and well structured. Teachers commented they found the process supportive, with good opportunities in place for training. However, at present there are not enough opportunities for staff to benefit from sharing the outstanding practice within the school.  Thorough systems to check the progress of pupils are in place and provide accurate and up-to-date information on pupils’ attainment. This information is also used with increasing effectiveness to manage the performance of staff. The link between performance and salary progression for staff is clear and applied rigorously.  The school fosters good relationships, tackles any form of discrimination and is committed to ensuring

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The leadership and management are good

equality of opportunity for all its pupils. Leaders make sure that funding to support disadvantaged children, the pupil premium, is used well to target relevant support for individuals. The impact of these interventions is rigorously checked by the school and the governing body. School data show that all groups across the school, including disadvantaged pupils, are currently making similar rates of progress to other pupils in school and those nationally.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and the understanding of British values and concepts, such as democracy, tolerance and the rule of law, are good. The school has strong links with the Priory Church and the pupils took part in the local celebrations to celebrate the Battle of Agincourt.  Pupils have strong moral awareness and the school provides very effective support for pupils’ social development, evident in their willingness to work in teams. They display high levels of cooperation when

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The leadership and management are good

playing and working in group activities. This was evident when groups of Year 1 pupils were enthusiastically discussing photographs of Victorian beach scenes, and comparing them to present day. Pupils are consequently well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The school uses the primary sports funding well. It has been used to increase the scope of sports activities available to pupils during and after school. It provides pupils with the opportunity to be coached by sports specialists and teachers with training to develop their expertise. A wide range of sporting opportunities are available to pupils, which are well attended and contribute to the pupils’ health and well-being.  The local authority has a good awareness of the school’s strengths and areas of development. It has worked well with the school in providing an appropriate level of support.  The school has successfully developed a mutually supportive relationship with parents, especially those of

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The leadership and management are good

children in the Reception classes. Parents are highly supportive and express overwhelmingly positive views of the school. However, despite these efforts, pupils’ attendance remains below average.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is extremely supportive of the school and committed to its success. Over the past year there have been considerable changes in the membership of the governing body. Members have recently undertaken an internal review and skills audit, and they have restructured the committees.  The members of the current governing body bring considerable skills and expertise to the role. Members are knowledgeable and ensure that the school is on a pathway to improvement. They are fully involved in evaluating the school’s strengths and weaknesses, monitoring performance data about pupils’ progress and development planning. They have undertaken training and are increasingly

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The leadership and management are good

effective in holding the school to account. They are determined to tackle the weaker aspects of the school quickly.  Governors have improved their understanding of the management of teachers’ performance. They evaluate the quality of teaching and know how teachers are rewarded for their effectiveness. Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s finances, including the use of the sport funding. They are aware of the impact of decisions about the use of the pupil premium funding and how gaps in disadvantaged pupils’ achievement are closing. The governing body ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is a strength of the school’s work.  Teachers and teaching assistants set a good example of how to respect one another. This contributes to the positive relationships in the school.  Pupils behave well in and around the school. They are polite and courteous to adults and treat one another with respect. They are keen to learn. Teaching is rarely affected by any distracting behaviour.  The school’s behaviour log shows that incidents of poor behaviour are rare. Pupils' behaviour is consistently well managed, particularly for those pupils who display challenging behaviour. Pupils, staff and parents speak highly of the typically high standards of behaviour and strong relationships in the school.  The school’s ethos has a strong sense of fairness and is rooted in the Christian beliefs that permeate all aspects of the school’s work.  Pupils play a significant role in the school. They take on a wide range of responsibilities, helping to build

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Behaviour

their maturity, confidence and social skills. These include being representatives on the school circle (a democratically elected school council), which ensures pupils’ views and opinions are heard in school.  The high standards of pupils’ behaviour and their deep respect for one another testify to the quality of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. They are fully aware of what might constitute potentially dangerous situations and know how to avoid them. The school works hard to ensure that the pupils understand dangers and how to keep themselves safe.  The school takes great care to ensure that incidents concerning the health and safety of pupils are dealt with effectively and quickly.  The school’s safeguarding systems and procedures are thorough and rigorously implemented. The governor with oversight of safeguarding ensures that all practices and policies are up to date and followed.  Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying at the school. They have a good awareness of different forms of bullying. They know the dangers posed by social network sites and cyber bullying, and to report such threats to parents and teachers.  School leaders make sure that pupils are safe in school. Staff are well trained and fully aware of

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Safety

safeguarding policies and procedures. During recruitment, staff are rigorously checked for their suitability to work with children.  The breakfast club provides a safe, healthy and social start to the day. Parents and pupils appreciate this provision.  In their questionnaires, all staff and an overwhelming majority of parents agree that pupils are happy, well behaved and safe at school.  Pupils’ attendance is below average. The school has implemented a range of strategies to address this and appointed a parent support advisor. These strategies are beginning to have an impact in reducing the level of persistent absence.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The progress that pupils make, the work in their books and that displayed around the school indicate that teaching is mostly good or better and that its impact on pupils’ learning is sometimes outstanding.  Teachers have good subject knowledge, which is used to plan and promote learning in contexts that interest and engage pupils. Good use of regular assessment ensures that activities are challenging to pupils of all abilities and maintains their good progress.  Teachers check pupils’ learning carefully by asking probing questions that make pupils think and deepen their understanding.  Pupils are regularly provided with stimulating writing tasks, which enhance and develop their writing skills. Year 2 pupils were totally engrossed in producing a piece of descriptive writing about a sea monster, which was of an extremely high quality in terms of the range of vocabulary and grammar used.  In mathematics, the teaching of basic skills is good and pupils are regularly given opportunities to use

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The quality of teaching is good

their developing basic skills to investigate and solve challenging problems. In a Year 2 class, pupils worked well in groups comparing and measuring the capacity of varying sized containers. They used a litre measuring jar successfully and accurately recorded and analysed their results.  The teaching of reading has recently been reviewed and a new approach to the teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) has been introduced. Recent pupils’ progress data show that this is starting to have a positive impact on improving pupils’ reading skills.  Disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are identified early and receive good support to help them achieve well. The school monitors their progress closely and has reviewed how the pupils are supported so that carefully planned activities ensure that these pupils now make good progress. Teaching assistants are highly effective in supporting pupils’ learning, both within

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The quality of teaching is good

and outside the classroom. They question pupils carefully, encouraging them to stay motivated and really think about their learning and about the answers they give.  Relationships are strong and help pupils’ learning in the classroom. Classrooms are orderly, well organised and attractive. Imaginative displays inspire pupils to learn. Good relationships and the use of praise are strong features in lessons and most pupils are keen to do well. They say that teachers make their lessons interesting and use a wide range of resources to help them learn.  The school has revised its marking policy and the quality of marking and feedback to pupils have improved. However, the presentation of work in pupils’ books is not always of a high standard and marking is not consistently informative. Comments tend to focus on what the pupil has done and so pupils do not always know what they must do in order to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is good. From starting points which are consistently below and often well below those typical for their age, pupils make good progress and achieve standards in line with, and sometimes above, the national average. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education by the end of Year 2.  At the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment dipped in 2014, with standards in writing and mathematics slightly below average and reading well below the national average. However, from starting points, which were well below those expected, the majority of pupils made more than expected progress in mathematics and writing and hence achieved well,  In the national phonics screening check in 2014, the attainment of Year 1 pupils was broadly average but the attainment of pupils re-taking the test in Year 2 was below the national average. The lack of development of these skills in Year 2 had a negative impact on the outcomes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Evidence from the school’s pupils’ progress data and a range of inspection activities, shows the majority of pupils are making more than expected progress and attainment is rising. School data, which has been externally moderated, indicate that in 2015 at the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment will be above the national average in mathematics and writing and broadly average in reading. From pupils’ starting points, this represents good progress.  In 2014, at the end of Year 2, disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium, very few who had special educational needs, did not achieve as well as other pupils in the school and other pupils nationally. These pupils were on average three terms behind their classmates and other pupils nationally in reading and two terms behind in mathematics and writing. The school has recently introduced greater support in order to speed up progress for these pupils. Pupils’ progress data indicate they are currently making

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The achievement of pupils is good

similar, and in some cases better, rates of progress than their classmates throughout the school and the gap in attainment is reducing. Externally moderated data show that at the end of Year 2, in 2015, attainment for disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is slightly below their classmates and other pupils nationally in reading and mathematics and above in writing, showing that the in-school gap has closed , as a consequence of the effective and carefully planned support they receive.  The most-able pupils in Key Stage 1 are appropriately challenged and supported to work towards the higher levels of achievement. In 2014, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 was in line with the national average. In 2015, the proportion of pupils attaining Level 3 at the end of Year 2 is similar to that achieved in the school last year.  The school meets the needs of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs extremely

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The achievement of pupils is good

well. Pupils receive highly effective support from teachers and well-trained support staff, which is closely monitored to enable each pupil to reach their potential.  An overwhelming majority of parents who commented supported the view that their children made good progress in the school.

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The early years provision is good

 The achievement of children in the early years is good. Children start in the Reception class with skills and knowledge that are usually below, and sometimes significantly below, those typical for their age, particularly in personal and social skills.  In 2014, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year, increased from the previous year but was still below the national average. However, from their individual starting points, most children, including those with special educational needs and the most able, made good progress. They were closer to their age-related expectation, particularly in their personal and social development, so that most were well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Children settle quickly into the early years thanks to the good transition arrangements and the high level of care and support they receive. Routines and expectations are quickly established and reinforced. As a

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The early years provision is good

result, children feel extremely safe and secure, and very quickly develop a high degree of confidence and independence.  Children’s behaviour in the early years is good. They concentrate on their activities and listen to staff’s instructions and advice carefully. Children cooperate, share, treat one another well and enjoy one another’s company.  Teaching in the early years is good. The early years team uses the well-resourced indoor and outdoor areas to provide children with stimulating activities and experiences that increase their learning. Teachers and teaching support staff encourage, motivate and guide children well. Children’s books, learning journeys and other records of their progress show that children progress well across all areas of learning. As a result of the high quality provision, externally moderated data show that a higher proportion of children will achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year in 2015.

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The early years provision is good

 The early years is well led and managed. The recently appointed early years leader has established a clear understanding of the strengths and has highlighted areas for development. These include further developing the outdoor area and introducing a computerised system for monitoring children’s progress that can be accessed by parents, in order to continue developing and improving the quality of learning in early years. Staff constantly reflect on the quality of provision and the impact on learning at weekly team meetings, adapting their teaching and use of resources to meet the needs of the children.  Ongoing assessment is established well. Early years staff assess children’s skills continually and accurately from the time they enter school. They use assessment effectively to plan early years provision and meet the needs of all children. A greater involvement of parents in their child’s assessment is planned with the

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The early years provision is good

introduction of the computer-based programme that the parents can access online and contribute to process.  Staff ensure children are kept safe. They teach children to use resources in a safe manner and supervise them well.  The early years team ensure that the school develops good relationships with parents from the time children enter school. They communicate well with parents and listen to what they say about their children’s learning. The weekly stay-and-play sessions are extremely popular and highly valued by parents. Parents spoken to commented: ‘Stay and play is brilliant. It’s fantastic to see the children interact with each other. It’s great to see and know that our child is happy and getting on really well with all the others.’

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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 117833 Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire Inspection number 461865

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 234 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Angela Norton Headteacher Mari-Louise Booth Date of previous school inspection 14 December 2010 Telephone number 01262 673858 Fax number 01262 400941 Email address burlington.infants@eastriding.gov.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

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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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