Burnwood Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burnwood Community Primary School Chell Heath Road, Chell Heath, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST6 7LP

p.1

Outcome

Burnwood Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love Burnwood Community Primary School. They brim with pride when they talk about their school. Pupils value how much staff want them to succeed. Leaders, staff and governors are ambitious for all pupils.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in school and achieve well. Pupils focus on ‘working together to achieve our best’. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Pupils appreciate a sense of urgency to use their time well in school, learn more and make a difference. Pupils are rightly proud of their ‘Wellbeing Award for Schools’ from the National Children’s Bureau.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very well mannered and most behave exceptionally well. Staff celebrate when pupils show acts of kindness to others. Pupils are confident and resilient. Two children summed up the views of many when they said our school is ‘amazing and really encouraging’.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy exciting activities beyond the school. They take part in reading and sports competitions, and musicians sing and perform at events. Clubs, trips and visitors help to widen pupils’ experiences.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Pupils say staff listen to them and act quickly if there are any problems. Many parents and carers said how caring staff are. The atmosphere in school is calm and purposeful.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

A strength of this school is that it is such a positive place with a can-do attitude. All pupils, whatever their abilities, are inspired to develop new skills and talents. Staff take them out to see new things. Every day, pupils are welcomed into school with breakfast, where they talk about how they feel and have an immediate confidence boost. 20–21 November 2019

p.1

2

Pupils enjoy reading. They particularly enjoy it when teachers read books to them. These books are carefully chosen and linked to their learning in other lessons. For example, pupils in a Year 6 class said that reading ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ helped them when studying the Second World War. Pupils could explain and understand the feelings of characters in the book. Reading for pleasure at home is celebrated and rewarded widely across school.

p.2

2

Phonics is taught well in school. As a result, most pupils are gaining confidence as fluent readers. Pupils are given books that allow them to practise their developing reading skills. Books are well matched to the stage of phonics they are learning. However, sometimes, pupils are able to read the words in books out loud but they do not always know what the words or phrases mean.

p.2

2

Pupils are confident when explaining their thinking and reasoning. In mathematics and music, pupils show maturity in their explanations. They are linking what they already know to new learning. For example, in music, pupils show a depth of music appreciation. Pupils know how to read musical notes.

p.2

2

The curriculum broadens the ambitions of pupils. Teachers make learning exciting. Skilled leadership in subjects such as science, history and music means that pupils succeed. The curriculum develops the pupils’ pride in their community and the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Pupils enjoy thinking like scientists through practical experiments. Lessons build on what they already know. The school has good links with universities to show pupils what opportunities there are locally. Leaders are now in the process of reviewing other subjects, such as geography and modern foreign languages. Leaders are helping staff to know what to teach and how this links to what has been taught before.

p.2

2

Teachers appreciate the work of leaders and governors in promoting their well-being and mental health. Teachers say that leaders care about their workload. Teachers and leaders appreciate how much the school invests in their professional development.

p.2

2

In Nursery and Reception, children get off to a great start in a creative, stimulating, welcoming environment. Efficient routines are established from the outset in the early years. Learning captures the children’s interests and involves parents. During the inspection, for instance, parents were invited to see phonics lessons in Reception. The children concentrated so hard as they taught their parents the games they play in phonics. Parents say this helps them when they read with their children at home. The school’s strong practice in the early years is shared with other schools locally and in the wider area.

p.2

2

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and pastoral team are highly skilled in nurturing and helping children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Pupils with SEND are making strong progress as they move through school. 20–21 November 2019

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The strong culture of safeguarding is secure in all aspects of school life. Leaders carefully monitor pupils who are known to be vulnerable. Record-keeping is detailed. Leaders know the school community. They work tirelessly to engage parents. This fosters positive relationships. Staff know who to go to if they have a concern. Leaders follow up any concerns rapidly. Systems of recruitment and induction of new staff are robust.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are able to read words but they do not understand what they mean. This limits their comprehension. In order to improve this, leaders should continue to share the good practice in many classes to make sure that all staff check for understanding when reading with pupils.  Leaders are in the process of bringing about improvements in some foundation subjects. Leaders are using the high-quality science and music curriculum as exemplars. Leaders should continue to develop the remaining foundation subjects to ensure that they are as strong as the best.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 7–8 October 2015.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 20–21 November 2019

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 20–21 November 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10111751 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Mr Anthony Sutcliffe

p.5

School details

Website www.burnwoodcommunityschool.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 October 2015

p.5

Information about this school

 The school has increased in number since the last inspection from a two-form entry to a three-form entry.  The school introduced a Nursery in September 2018. The Nursery children moved to a new building on the school site in November 2019.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Before the inspection, the lead inspector spoke to the headteacher on the telephone about the context of the school and the curriculum.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders, safeguarding leaders, governors and the school improvement partner.  The school’s records of pre-employment checks and other safeguarding documents, including complaints, were checked. The inspectors spoke to leaders and staff about safeguarding and to pupils about how they learn about keeping themselves safe.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s self-evaluation document and school improvement plan.  Reading, mathematics, science and music were considered in depth as part of this 20–21 November 2019

p.5

6

inspection. This involved speaking with leaders, staff and pupils, visiting lessons and looking at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the early years leader and visited Nursery and Reception classes.  A meeting was held with the SENCo and members of the pastoral team.  Inspectors considered 18 responses to Parent View, in addition to five free-text responses and one letter to the inspection team.  Inspectors reviewed 67 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and checked records relating to behaviour.

p.6

Inspection team

Pamela Matty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Jane Spilsbury Her Majesty’s Inspector 20–21 November 2019

p.6

7

regulates and inspects to 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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7