Byerley Park Primary School

Inspection of Byerley Park Primary School Greenfield Way, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham DL5 7LE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. There is a strong sense of mutual respect and shared values underpinned by the ‘Byerley beliefs’. Pupils are happy and confident. They say that staff are always there to provide help if needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, governors and staff want pupils to thrive. They have made rapid improvements to the teaching of reading and mathematics. Pupils quickly learn to read. Initiatives such as ‘secret reader’ ensure that pupils enjoy stories and poems. Pupils enjoy mathematics lessons. Many say that mathematics is their favourite subject. Leaders are improving the way they teach other subjects. This has strengthened the quality of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have prioritised pupils’ mental and physical health. There are lots of opportunities within the curriculum for pupils to gain self-confidence. There is a wide range of popular clubs on offer. These provide opportunities for pupils to make friends and develop new interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A small number of pupils struggle with their behaviour. Leaders seek specialist advice, bring in extra staff and develop thoughtful plans to support these pupils. Any disruption is carefully managed and has little impact on the school routine or pupils’ learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying is rare. Leaders keep a close eye on any incidents that might indicate bullying. They work sensitively with pupils and parents and carers to address any issues that arise. In lessons, pupils learn how to recognise bullying and how they can get help. Pupils are confident that they can approach staff with any concerns.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. The improvements to the teaching of reading and mathematics are clear to see. Pupils enjoy these subjects and achieve well. Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have full access to the curriculum. These pupils also achieve well because they get extra help from well-trained staff.

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better?

Leaders have also improved foundation subjects, such as geography and history. In these subjects, the key knowledge that pupils must learn is carefully sequenced from Reception. Consequently, teachers know exactly what important knowledge and vocabulary they need to teach. This helps pupils learn and remember key knowledge in these subjects.

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better?

The knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is not well ordered in some subjects, such as religious education (RE) and art. In these subjects, pupils’ understanding and skills are less well developed. This is because the curriculum 1 and 2 February 2022

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does not build accurately on what pupils have learned before. Leaders have strong plans in place to improve these subjects.

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Most of the subject leaders are new to their role. Despite this, they are providing effective support to their colleagues and strengthening the curriculum. Their work is improving teachers’ subject knowledge. Subject leaders feel well supported. They have received the training they need to check on standards in their subject. However, this work is at an early stage.

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Teachers are quick to identify and support pupils who are at risk of falling behind. They make regular checks in lessons and at the end of units of learning. Teachers give extra help in lessons to pupils who need it. If pupils need more help, they receive it during other times of the school day. This support is effective. It enables pupils to catch up.

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Leaders have prioritised reading. Children start to learn phonics and enjoy stories from the beginning of Reception. They build their knowledge of phonics and common words throughout key stage 1. Pupils practise the sounds they have learned by reading books that match the sounds they know. As a result, pupils quickly become fluent readers. Leaders ensure that pupils hear lots of different stories and poems. Teachers often read to pupils in class. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about these texts. They particularly enjoy stories they hear in assemblies and when staff share favourite texts as part of ‘secret reader’. These initiatives encourage many pupils to read the texts they have heard or to seek out other material by the same authors.

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Children make a good start and achieve well in Reception Year. Staff get to know children very quickly. They make sure that all children, including those with SEND, get the support they need. Leaders have developed a strong curriculum. Children have lots of opportunities to build their knowledge. For example, they read and write recipes for the mud kitchen and count out the snacks at breaktime. Parents are well informed about their children’s progress through an online platform.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. The wide range of clubs are popular with all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Pupils are keen to take responsibility. Some stand for election as school councillors. Others take roles such as those of playground buddies and house captains. In lessons, pupils learn about relationships and how to stay safe. Pupils say that these lessons are relevant and valuable. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to learn about different cultures and world views. As a result, pupils show respect for each other. ‘The things that make us different are what makes us unique,’ is a typical comment from pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 and 2 February 2022

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School systems are robust. Leaders ensure that all necessary recruitment checks are made and recorded.

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All staff, including support staff and midday supervisors, are well trained in safeguarding. They know what to do in the event of a concern.

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The curriculum enables pupils to identify risks that are relevant to their lives. Pupils can give examples of how they have made changes to their online activity after lessons on internet safety.

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Governor safeguarding audits are thorough. Governors receive detailed reports on leaders’ work to keep pupils safe. Consequently, governors are able fulfil their statutory duty.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum areas, such as RE and art, the curriculum is not well ordered. The skills and knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn do not build on pupils’ previous learning. As a result, pupils’ learning is muddled. They do not remember what they have learned before and their use of subject-specific vocabulary is limited. Leaders should review their design of their wider curriculum to ensure that pupils’ learning is carefully sequenced. Leaders have secure plans in place to improve this, and so transition statements were applied.  Subject leaders are new to their roles. They are reviewing their subjects and improving the subject knowledge of teachers. However, they have not all had the opportunity to make checks on the quality of pupils’ learning. Consequently, some subject leaders do not have a detailed understanding of the impact of their work. Leaders should continue to implement their plans for developing new subject

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

leaders, so that all subject leaders can identify weaknesses and make improvements to the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

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

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 1 and 2 February 2022

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 1 and 2 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.byerleyparkprimaryschool.co.uk

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Date of previous inspection

29 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since January 2021. The deputy headteacher has been in post since April 2021.  The number of pupils eligible for free school meals has risen significantly since 2019 and is now in line with the national average.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the 1 and 2 February 2022

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governing body. The lead inspector also held conversations with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with several teaching and support staff and considered responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  Inspectors met with pupils throughout the inspection, both formally and informally, during breaktimes, lessons and breakfast club. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and history. Inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, listened to pupils read to a familiar adult, talked with pupils and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  To evaluate the school’s management of safeguarding, inspectors considered relevant school policies, and examined the single central record and the school’s procedures for the safer recruitment of staff. Inspectors talked with staff,

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governors and pupils to check their views on safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour in and outside lessons. Inspectors also examined school behaviour records and spoke with pupils about behaviour.

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Inspection team

Ian Dawson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Amy Keith Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 February 2022

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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.

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