Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Diane Hawkes Headteacher Burrowmoor Primary School Burrowmoor Road March Cambridgeshire PE15 9RP

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Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 8 June 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Primary School

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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Primary School

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the 2020-21 COVID- 19 (coronavirus) pandemic. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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Primary School

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

The school should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 ensure that teachers have the training and support they need to implement new curriculum plans effectively  further meet the needs of those pupils with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) who are not being well supported enough, so that they can manage their behaviour and make progress across the full curriculum.

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Context

Since the previous section 5 inspection, a number of new members of staff have been appointed. Following a recent staffing restructure, several teaching assistants have left or are working for fewer hours. Several curriculum leaders are new to their roles. An additional special needs co-ordinator has been appointed. The school’s local governing body was replaced by an interim executive board (IEB) in February 2021. A new governing body is expected to be in place within the next year.

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Main findings

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders, supported by the Active Learning Trust (the trust), have kept a focus on improving the school. They have acted quickly to increase the pace of improvement. Most staff recognise the improvements that have been made and the need for change. Leaders know where teachers need extra training and guidance to iron out the remaining inconsistencies in the teaching of the curriculum.

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Main findings

After the 2018 inspection, leaders introduced new approaches to teaching writing and mathematics. Leaders' curriculum plans in these subjects identify the knowledge that pupils should learn. This is organised in a way that builds on what pupils know and can do. Pupils are remembering and using their mathematics and writing knowledge across the curriculum. Leaders have provided training for teachers to support the teaching of mathematics and writing. They have raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do.

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Main findings

Leaders have made teaching reading a high priority. In the nursery, children learn about stories, rhymes and sounds from the very start. Pupils build upon this sound start as they transition through the year groups. Usually, pupils learn and apply their phonics knowledge well. Teachers are effective in helping pupils read with fluency and understanding. Adults quickly spot pupils who fall behind with reading. These pupils get the extra help they need to improve their reading. Teachers encourage pupils to read often. Pupils can access an increasing number of good quality texts that they can read in school or at home. This is helping many pupils to develop a love of reading.

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Main findings

However, pupils’ learning in subjects other than English and mathematics has been too patchy. Teachers have not consistently identified the subject knowledge that pupils should learn. Teachers have not planned activities that focus on this knowledge. Curriculum leaders have written new plans. Their plans organise learning in a way that builds on what pupils should know and be able to do. These plans are just being implemented. Leaders have planned extra training so that teachers have the subject knowledge and expertise needed for teaching the new curriculum. However, this has not yet taken place.

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Main findings

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help that they need to access the full curriculum. A small number of pupils with SEND exhibit challenging behaviour. Leaders’ actions to help these pupils manage their behaviour have not been wholly successful. As a result, a few pupils do not access the full curriculum. They miss out on learning because they are out of class or excluded from school. The learning of other pupils is also disturbed. Leaders have not used all the information available to find the best ways to support these pupils. Leaders are now getting specialist advice. This is to help staff better support the learning, personal development and behaviour of this group.

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Main findings

Leaders know what is working well and what still needs to improve. Supported by the trust, leaders have put appropriate actions in place to quickly make the improvements that are still needed. The IEB provides helpful support and challenge to leaders to make sure they are focusing on the right things.

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Additional support

Leaders have made effective use of a wide range of support provided by the trust. Curriculum leaders value the opportunities to work with leaders in other schools and trust staff to share ideas and put together curriculum plans. This has helped curriculum leaders develop the knowledge and expertise they need for their roles. The trust has used a consultant and a special school headteacher to provide advice on how to improve provision for pupils with SEND.

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Additional support

Leaders have used support well, for example from the Cambridgeshire maths hub and subject associations, to help curriculum leaders develop plans and resources for their subject areas.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders, representatives of the multi-academy trust, including the chief executive officer, pupils, staff and a member of the IEB to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection.

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Evidence

I visited lessons across all key stages. I looked at work in pupils’ books in a range of subjects. I reviewed leaders’ school improvement plan and self-evaluation summary. I reviewed 26 responses to the online staff survey. I considered the 54 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 11 free-text responses received since the additional monitoring inspection of the school in February 2021.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees (for academies), and the chief executive officer the Active Learning Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Cambridgeshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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