Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Barningham CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School Church Road, Barningham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 1DD

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteachers’ high ambition for the school and for each and every pupil is shared by all staff. Together, they ensure that pupils make good progress both academically and in their personal growth.  Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of where the school’s strengths lie and where improvements still need to be made.  Leaders ensure that pupils are well cared for and safe in school. Teachers know their pupils and their families well.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is excellent. Pupils display great enthusiasm for learning. They and their parents and carers are very positive about all aspects of the school.  The early years provides a great start to children’s education. From the moment they join the school, children make exceptionally strong progress in a well-organised and stimulating environment.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 1 and in the Year 1 phonics check

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

has been consistently in line with or above the national average for three years.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. It continues to improve because leaders provide staff with support and challenge them.  Pupils enjoy school and overall attendance is improving towards the national average. However, there is still a small proportion of pupils who struggle to attend school on a regular basis.  Pupils do not make as much progress in mathematics during key stage 2 as they do in reading and writing. Leaders have revised the way that mathematics is taught, and progress is starting to improve.  Some pupils would like more opportunities to apply the mathematical ideas they are learning to real-life situations.  Pupils enjoy a rich curriculum that introduces them to languages, history and geography, the arts and science, as well as English and mathematics.  Leaders of subjects other than English and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

mathematics have not identified the essential skills and knowledge that pupils need to achieve future success in learning these subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve pupils’ progress by: – developing and embedding leaders’ strategies to increase the extent of challenge for all pupils across key stage 2, especially in mathematics – ensuring that pupils in key stage 2 have opportunities to apply their mathematical skills across the curriculum and in real-life situations.  Raise overall attendance by continuing to work with parents to remove the barriers that prevent a small proportion of pupils from attending school regularly.  Improve the quality of the curriculum by identifying the essential skills and knowledge pupils should acquire in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and senior leaders have established a culture of high expectations for staff and pupils. All staff know that the contribution they make to the life of the school is appreciated and they value the professional development they receive. The headteacher enjoys the full support of the staff.  The belief that every pupil is important and can be successful is championed by the headteacher and the governing body. The school is inclusive and welcoming to all pupils and their families so that pupils who join during the school year quickly settle and make friends.  The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, are supportive of the school. One parent wrote: ‘It is obvious that a lot of thought and consideration is put into the education, well-being and safety of all its pupils.’ Many parents commented on the friendly ‘family’ feel of the school and the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

approachability of all the staff.  Leaders and governors have an accurate view of what is working well and what needs to improve. Leaders’ plans for improvement in 2018/19 correctly identified priorities to raise standards at key stage 2, particularly in mathematics. All members of staff and governors are involved in writing, and monitoring the impact of, these improvement plans. This ensures that priorities are understood by all parties so that there is a shared vision of what the school is aiming to achieve.  Leaders also have an accurate view of the quality of teaching in the school. This is because of regular monitoring by senior leaders. Their evaluations are used to inform staff training that develops individual areas of need and supports whole-school goals.  The headteacher welcomes external support from the local authority and other headteachers in her drive to raise standards. She actively encourages her team to look

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

outwards, including checking their judgements about pupils’ learning and making the most of training opportunities with other local schools.  The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively to drive up standards in PE and ensure that pupils enjoy the subject and achieve well. Pupils enjoy lessons taught by specialist coaches, as well as lessons with their class teacher. The extra funding is also used to improve facilities that all pupils benefit from, such as the new ‘trim trail’. Twice a week, sports coaches run activities at lunchtime and after school. Attendance at all after-school sports clubs is free for all pupils, and sessions are always full.  The pupil premium is used very well to support the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders identify the barriers to learning for each individual and put in appropriate support to enable them to have the very best experience of school. The headteacher

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

insists that all disadvantaged pupils, including those who are making strong progress, receive extra support to boost this progress further.  The headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), ensures that spending to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is used effectively. Teachers’ careful planning meets the specific needs of individual pupils. Teaching assistants are assigned to provide support where they are most needed and can have the most impact.  The school promotes equality and diversity well, and prejudice-related incidents are extremely rare. All groups of pupils take part in all activities, where the learning needs of individual pupils are planned for very well.  Provision for pupils’ social, spiritual, moral and cultural development is particularly effective. The science curriculum has recently been reviewed to ensure that it is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

sufficiently challenging for all pupils.  Pupils’ books contain a wide variety of history, geography and art work, which demonstrates well the breadth of the school’s curriculum. However, there is not the same clarity around what it is important to know or what skills are being developed across the year groups as in English and mathematics.

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Governance of the school

 The governors know the school well, and understand its strengths and the areas where improvement is still needed. They ensure that financial resources are used effectively and prioritised where most needed. For example, the investment in training an emotional literacy support assistant has had a positive impact on the well-being of vulnerable pupils and their families.  Minutes of governing body meetings demonstrate the breadth of the discussions with the headteacher and other senior leaders that enable them to build a clear picture of where the school is and benchmark it against other schools nationally. Individual governors take responsibility for monitoring one area of the school improvement plan, which includes visiting the school and presenting a progress report to the rest of the governing body.  The governing body ensures that appropriate pre-employment checks are made on all staff and that the school site is safe and well kept.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is a strong culture of care and safeguarding in the school. All pupils who spoke to the inspector said that they felt safe in school, and the overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Parent View agreed that their children are safe in school.  Staff receive regular safeguarding training and demonstrate an excellent understanding of the signs that might suggest a pupil is vulnerable. Teachers know their pupils well and are quick to bring any anxieties about pupil welfare to the attention of the headteacher.  All concerns are carefully logged, and records of the school’s contact with other agencies are well maintained and demonstrate how tenaciously the headteacher follows up these concerns.  Pupils are very aware of the potential dangers of the internet, and their online ambassadors ensure that all pupils are kept up to date with information on how to

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Safeguarding

keep safe when online. Pupils also talked confidently about recent lessons on keeping safe on the roads and around animals.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching is characterised by excellent relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils of all abilities feel well supported by teachers, who care deeply about their progress.  Teachers have high aspirations for pupils. They accurately assess pupils’ work and use this information to inform their planning. Leaders monitor the progress of all pupils carefully and hold teachers to account for how well their pupils are doing.  Classrooms are vibrant, stimulating, yet calm and purposeful places in which pupils learn. Teachers plan a variety of activities across the school day that capture and maintain the interest of the pupils. Pupils undertake individual, paired and group tasks with enthusiasm. They enjoy discussing their ideas and are not worried about making mistakes.  Pupils have a genuine love of learning and often want to find out more about the topics they are studying. They take opportunities through homework projects to explore an

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

area that has interested them the most. The outcomes of these projects are regularly shared with parents and other pupils in homework assemblies and displayed around the school.  Teaching assistants provide effective support to pupils. They work closely with teachers and they understand the needs of the pupils they are supporting. Their careful explanations of tasks and effective questioning support pupils with SEND to make good progress.  Most teachers question individual pupils, and groups of pupils, skilfully in order to gain an understanding of what pupils know in English and mathematics and what they need to know to move their learning on.  Leaders’ actions have improved the quality of mathematics teaching across the school. For example, pupils of all ages are expected to be able to explain their answers and mathematics books show more problem-solving activities. Teachers provide tasks that are well matched to the ability of the pupils and so the progress of all groups of pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

is improving. However, some older pupils feel that mathematics lessons have become too predictable and would appreciate more opportunities to apply their skills in real situations.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They take pride in their work and are keen learners who engage in tasks and discussion with great enthusiasm.  Pupil are highly supportive of each other and make the most of opportunities to work and play together. Pupils also learn to look out for the needs of others, both in and out of school. Older pupils enjoy taking responsibility for looking after younger children in the school.  Teachers provide opportunities in class and through assemblies to challenge stereotypes and prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Understanding different cultures and religions is a school priority, and so pupils develop a clear awareness of the diversity that exists across Britain today.  Pupils are very confident and knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe online and in different situations. All staff know the pupils in their care well and communicate

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Personal development and welfare

regularly with parents to share concerns and celebrate success.  Pupils fully understand what does and what does not constitute bullying. They were unanimous in their assertion that bullying just does not happen at their school, although they recognised that people can be unkind to each other at times. They were all confident that they would be listened to if they went to an adult with a concern in school.  Pupils enjoy taking on responsibility, and the school provides them with many opportunities to do so, from joining the eco council to becoming an online ambassador or, ultimately, representing their group on the pupil parliament. Pupils are proud of their achievements and know their ideas will be listened to. For example, the eco council raised money through a cake sale and bought flowers, which now brighten the front of the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils conduct themselves well and are polite and well-mannered. They are welcoming to visitors and speak confidently about their school and their learning.  Around the school at break and lunchtimes, pupils get on well together. The dining hall at lunchtime is calm, and pupils display good table manners.  Routines are well established at an early stage in Reception. Pupils throughout the school model excellent behaviour to new joiners and support each other in meeting the high expectations of staff.  The small number of pupils who display more challenging behaviour are managed very effectively so that they do not disrupt learning; all are dealt with in a positive, appropriate and effective way by staff.  Almost all pupils attend school regularly. The persistent non-attendance of a small number of pupils has kept attendance figures just below the national average. Leaders

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Behaviour

work closely with families to help them support their children’s education and overcome the barriers that prevent some pupils from attending school regularly.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Small year groups mean that published outcomes must be interpreted cautiously. The school population has above-average mobility, which means that many more pupils arrive or leave mid-year or mid-phase than is typical nationally. For example, in the current Year 6, a quarter of the pupils arrived in the school in Year 5.  Pupils do well in key stage 1. In 2018, at the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the expected standard and at greater depth was above the national averages. Attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been consistently at or above national for the past three years.  Pupils acquire secure knowledge, understanding and skills in phonics. Attainment in the phonics screening check for Year 1 pupils was in line with the national average in 2018.  By the end of key stage 2, pupils’ attainment and the progress they made in reading and writing are broadly average, although below average in mathematics.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Leaders analysed closely the 2018 end of key stage 2 mathematics tests to identify where there were gaps in pupils’ understanding. They have raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do in mathematics through targeted training and by changing the way that mathematics lessons are delivered. This is having a positive impact on the progress of current pupils in key stage 2. Pupils’ books clearly show they are making more sustained progress over time.  Reading has a high profile in the school and pupils are very clear about why it is important to be able to read well. Staff ensure that all pupils get plenty of opportunities to read to an adult, as well as reading in class every day. Pupils who read to the inspector did so with enthusiasm and understanding.  Pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged make good progress from their starting points. Individual needs are promptly identified, and teachers and teaching

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Outcomes for pupils Good

assistants work effectively together to support these pupils both in class and through well-targeted individual and small-group work.  Teachers have also become skilled at quickly identifying gaps in the knowledge of pupils who arrive at the school mid-year and ensure that extra support is provided so that they do not fall behind other pupils. This means that, across the school, pupils make good progress overall.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 The commitment that the headteacher has for all children to achieve and fulfil their potential is shared by the adults who work in the early years. The early years team is highly experienced and dedicated to ensuring that all children get the best start.  The Reception classroom and outside space make a rich and stimulating environment that provides a range of high-quality learning opportunities to enable children to make strong progress in all areas of learning. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception is consistently in line with the national average. School assessments show that virtually all children have made substantial and sustained progress during this school year.  The progress that children make in their personal development and behaviour means that all children are very well prepared for their move into key stage 1. Reception children join the rest of the school for assemblies and at break and lunchtimes. Their

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Early years provision Outstanding

behaviour during assemblies is excellent, and they confidently participate alongside older pupils.  Teachers reinforce learning through careful planning of linked activities. For example, children were enjoying a morning of activities which gave them multiple opportunities to practise counting beyond 10 and saying the number that is one more and the number that is one less. Children’s confidence at adding and subtracting grew visibly because of this repetition and also because they had to apply their knowledge in a variety of ways.  Links with parents are strong. Parents can access their children’s learning journeys online, and parents bringing their children to school at the start of the day commented on how easy staff make it to keep in touch on a regular basis.  Questioning is effective, and adults allow time for children to think things through so that they work things out for themselves. Adults are skilled at turning small events and

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Early years provision Outstanding

conversations into learning opportunities.  Reading, as both a skill and for pleasure, is emphasised. The inspector observed very effective teaching of phonics, successfully building the mechanics of, and strategies for, reading. Reception children who read to the inspector were able to use their phonics knowledge to sound out words independently.  There has been an emphasis this year on children strengthening muscles in their fingers, hands and wrists to increase control and manipulation of tools and to develop their pencil grip for writing. This has helped them to form letters well from the start. The success of this is seen in the children’s writing books, where most are confidently forming recognisable letters and words.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address frances.parr@barningham.suffolk.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 November 2015

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Reception children are taught in a single year group. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 are taught in paired year-group classes.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  There is high mobility in the school’s population, with a significant proportion of pupils arriving either mid-year or mid-phase. Over one third of the pupils currently in key stage 2 started at Barningham after key stage 1.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average and rising. The school is in line with other schools nationally for the proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is broadly in line with the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in every class. Some of these observations were undertaken with members of the senior leadership team. Pupils were observed at lunchtime and during an assembly.  A wide range of pupils’ workbooks were scrutinised. Pupils read to the inspector and talked about their reading habits and preferences. The inspector met three groups of pupils and talked informally with pupils at lunchtime and in lessons.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders and members of the governing body. There was a phone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector considered the 38 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, which included written comments as well as the views of parents who spoke to the inspector during the inspection. Fifteen responses to the staff questionnaire were looked at.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including information about pupils’

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Information about this inspection

achievement, behaviour and attendance and the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Inspection team

Lesley Daniel, 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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