Burlington CofE School

Burlington CofE School School Road, Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria LA17 7UH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, with support from middle leaders, provides strong and determined leadership that has secured rapid improvement since the last inspection. Together with governors, leaders have improved teaching and the outcomes for pupils are now good.  Leaders have secured consistently good teaching across the school. As a result, pupils make good progress, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and they are keen to learn as much as they can. They are polite, courteous and treat one another and the adults in the school with great respect.  Pupils feel safe in school and have every confidence that the staff look after them very well. They typically comment the school is like one big family.  Teachers accurately assess pupils’ work and identify strengths and weaknesses. They use this information well to plan lessons that move pupils forward in their learning and swiftly clear up any

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This is a good school

misunderstandings.  The curriculum is varied and interesting and supports pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. An exciting range of trips and visits broadens pupils’ experiences and stimulates their learning.  Governance has improved significantly since the last inspection. Governors are well informed about pupils’ progress and hold leaders to account for the standards reached across the school.  Provision for children in the early years is good. They make good progress in all areas of their learning and are well prepared to start in Key Stage 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The outcomes for pupils in writing are not as strong as they are in reading and mathematics.  Teachers do not always give pupils enough opportunities to write for a sustained period of time and across a range of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes for pupils in writing by making sure that teachers, including in the early years, give pupils enough opportunities to write for extended periods of time and across a range of subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has developed a strong leadership team that has addressed the issues arising from the last inspection and is well placed to sustain these improvements as they continue to move the school forwards. Her ambition that all pupils will achieve to their full potential is shared by all staff and no stone is left unturned if it will help to make things even better for pupils.  Leaders check on the quality of teaching through observing lessons, looking at work in pupils’ books and reviewing pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They use this information to identify any weaknesses and take swift action to secure improvement, for example, through sharing good practice within the school or taking up opportunities to work with other local schools.  Strengthened leadership of English and mathematics is helping to improve outcomes for pupils in these subjects. Leadership of other subject areas in the curriculum, for example science, history and geography, is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

yet to develop, so leaders’ accountability for pupils’ progress in other subjects is not quite as secure as it is in English and mathematics.  The curriculum is rich and interesting and pupils enjoy their learning. The broad and balanced curriculum is supported by a variety of clubs and activities outside of school. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the wide range of visits to places of interest. They have visited, for example, the Roman army museum at Vindolanda and a local further education college where they had exciting opportunities to learn about engineering and how to apply their understanding of science, technology and mathematics to a range of practical activities.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Daily collective worship sessions give them opportunities to reflect on their own feelings and experiences and to consider their rights and responsibilities in relation to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

others. Pupils have good awareness of values such as courtesy, tolerance, respect for differences and simply being kind to one another. A recent school council election, run alongside the national election campaign, gave pupils the chance to learn about how democracy works in our society. The study of Christianity, together with other faiths such as Buddhism and Judaism, supports pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  The pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils take part in the full life of the school, including educational visits and clubs. It is also used well to support disadvantaged pupils’ academic progress when needed.  The physical education (PE) and sport funding is used effectively for staff development and professional coaching sessions. It is used particularly well to engage pupils’ interest in orienteering. Many pupils take part

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

in the sport and go on to compete successfully in wider local and regional competitions.  Leaders give safeguarding a high priority and make sure that procedures are effective and adhered to by all staff. Parents support the view that pupils are safe in school and well looked after. They typically comment that all staff, governors and volunteers play their part in making Burlington a happy, safe place for children to begin their journey in education.  The governance of the school Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They regularly visit the school and share leaders’ ambition to make Burlington school the very best it can be. Since the last inspection the structure and membership of the governing body has changed significantly. A review of governance, effectively supported by the local authority and a national leader of governance, helped governors to develop their roles and they now effectively hold leaders to account for pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progress and improving standards. Governors understand procedures for the performance management of staff, including that of the headteacher. They ensure that the management of teachers’ pay is effective in rewarding teachers for improved outcomes for pupils and for the quality of their teaching. Governors keep a close eye on the school’s finances and make sure that any plans for spending are linked to the correct priorities for improvement. They ensure that the pupil premium and PE and sports funding are spent appropriately and result in better outcomes for pupils.  The governing body ensures that arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching is characteristically based on friendly relationships and a warm, nurturing climate for learning in all the classrooms. In this relaxed but purposeful atmosphere pupils are keen to share ideas with one another and work well together in pairs or small groups.  Teachers’ skilled use of questioning supports pupils in really thinking about what they are learning and makes sure that they have a thorough understanding of new concepts and ideas. This means that pupils are confident learners and well prepared for the next steps in their education.  In almost all lessons, teachers plan activities that challenge and motivate pupils to learn as much as they can. For example, in one lesson with Years 4, 5 and 6 the teacher encouraged pupils to discuss the meaning of ten unfamiliar words including ‘limbo’ and ‘salary’ and then challenged them to include all of them in writing a single humorous paragraph.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Recent actions taken to improve the quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils have been effective in giving pupils good advice on how to improve their work. Evidence seen in books suggests that pupils’ understanding is developed through having time to respond to teachers’ comments in later lessons. However, not all teachers routinely make time for this and this occasionally limits the impact of the marking.  Teachers expect pupils to work hard and produce a great deal of work in lessons. However, they do not always give pupils the chance to write for a long enough period of time or take every opportunity to let pupils practise their skills in writing across a range of subjects. This is why pupils’ progress in writing is not as good as it is in reading and mathematics.  Teaching assistants are highly skilled and they have a strong impact on learning outcomes. They are particularly effective in supporting pupils with special educational needs within the classroom so they are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

fully included in lessons at the same time as receiving the extra help that they need.  The vast majority of parents say that they receive good information on their child’s progress. Comments made in response to the end of year written reports typically indicated parents’ confidence in teachers and their pleasure in the amount of progress their child had made.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  All members of staff have received training to safeguard pupils, including the designated safeguarding leader. Systematic checks are carried out on new members of staff and regular visitors to the school. As a result, pupils at Burlington are confident, safe and secure within the family of the school. They enjoy coming to school and are happy to talk about their very positive experiences of school life.  Leaders have developed a school-wide climate of respect and encourage pupils to actively embrace differences in views and cultures. Pupils say that there is never any bullying of any kind. They occasionally fall out with one another, but not for very long because they enjoy learning and playing together so much.  Pupils are punctual and attend school regularly. Overall attendance is above average.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Both in lessons and in and around the school, pupils’ behaviour is consistently good. Pupils play well together and older pupils enjoy taking responsibility for younger ones, for example, by serving them drinks at lunchtime.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning in lessons are positive because the vast majority of lessons are interesting and stimulate them to want to learn as much as they can.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe inside and outside of school. For example, they are well informed on internet safety and explain that they would tell their parents or another responsible adult if they happened to come across inappropriate images. They also understand the danger of giving out any personal details via email or chat rooms.  Pupils take pride in their achievements and are smart in their uniforms. Occasionally their handwriting and presentation of work is a little untidy.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils make good progress throughout the school and in a range of different subjects across the curriculum. Very small cohorts make statistical comparisons of standards with national averages unhelpful. For example, in 2015 the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics combined was below average. However, there were only six pupils in the cohort with a wide range of abilities and special educational needs. The school’s information shows that they all made good progress from their starting points.  Pupils’ progress in writing is good but is less rapid than it is in reading and mathematics because pupils have too few opportunities to write for sustained periods of time in lessons.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs make just as much good progress as other pupils in the school because they receive effective support for their learning. There were no disadvantaged

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils in the 2014 or 2015 Year 6 cohorts.  The most-able pupils are challenged in lessons to achieve well and they make good progress in their learning.  Pupils enjoy reading and receive lots of encouragement to read widely in school and at home. Time is given in all year groups to allow pupils to read and to improve their comprehension skills. This means that pupils make strong progress in reading. The number of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard at the end of Year 1 phonics (letters and their sounds) check increased significantly between 2014 and 2015 due to improved teaching in focused support groups.  Pupils’ good progress in their academic and personal development means that they leave the school as confident learners and well equipped for the next stage in their education.

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Early years provision is good

 Children are happy to come into the Nursery class where they play and learn along with their friends in the Reception class and Year 1. There are plenty of stimulating activities that motivate them to learn, including reading, writing, construction and sorting. Staff use good questioning skills to develop children’s language and thinking skills.  Cohorts vary, but children’s starting points when they enter the Reception Year are generally those typically expected for their age. They make good progress and most of them reach at least expected levels or above at the end of the Reception Year and are well prepared for the Year 1 curriculum.  Children swiftly settle into school because teachers and other adults have created a warm and interesting environment for them to explore. Children are happy. They listen well to instructions, behave sensibly and are keen to learn.  Teaching is good. Teachers create a real climate of excitement for children to play and explore, for example

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Early years provision is good

by cutting open a pumpkin and letting the children take out the seeds and feel the different textures inside. However, there are not enough activities in the outdoor area for children to practise their writing and counting skills, and this sometimes limits their progress in these areas of learning.  Even though there are three year groups taught within the classroom, teachers make sure that all children have appropriate levels of challenge for their age and ability. For example, while younger children explored the pumpkin, older pupils in Year 1 worked with the teacher to write recipes for pumpkin soup.  The early years is well led. Record keeping is strong and regular assessments help teachers to plan just the right activities for children’s individual learning needs. Good partnerships with parents mean that parents are involved in their children’s learning and can further support them at home. An example of this is when

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Early years provision is good

teachers take pictures of the children’s learning and then share these electronically with parents to let them know what the children have been doing.  Leaders ensure that children are very safe. Recent improvements to the outdoor learning areas mean that children have ample opportunities to learn to take measured risks as they run about building dens, balancing and digging in the garden.

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School details

Unique reference number 112281 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 10002264 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 81

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christopher Dean Headteacher Sarah Powell Telephone number 01229 889210 Website www.burlingtonschool.org.uk Email address head@burlington.cumbria.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 November 2013

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Information about this school

 Burlington is a smaller than average sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average. There are no disabled pupils currently in the school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the additional pupil premium funding is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those who have been eligible for free school meals at any time in the last six years and children in the care of the local authority.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed lessons in all classes and in a range of subjects. One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also visited a collective worship session and listened to pupils read.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in and around the school including on the playground and at lunchtime.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the English and mathematics subject leaders, four members of the governing body and with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector met with groups of pupils to discuss their opinions about the school and their learning.  The inspector took account of 14 staff questionnaires. Twenty-seven responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey (Parent View) were considered along with a range of parents’ comments contributed by text message. Additionally, the inspector met informally with parents on the yard at the beginning of the

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Information about this inspection

school day.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes of the governing body meetings, information on pupils’ outcomes and the school’s evaluation of its own performance. Attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Jan Corlett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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