Burradon Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burradon Community Primary School Burradon Road, Burradon, Cramlington, Northumberland NE23 7NG

p.1

Outcome

Burradon Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. There are many strong characters and personalities, but the diverse mix results in a marvellous blend where pupils bounce off each other and get along with great humour. Pupils are proud of their village. They can explain the history of the school and the Burradon mining tragedy with appropriate seriousness. They enjoy talking about the ‘cine films’ around their classroom door frames, which document the work completed so far this year. Even the quality of dinners, clean toilets and water fountains are spoken of with pride. The house system encourages pupils to collect points for a half-termly competition. The winners from each house: Hartley, Seaton Burn, Dudley and Weetslade receive a special treat.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils think highly of their teachers. They know adults keep them safe in school physically, citing fire drills as an example. Pupils also talk about how teachers care for their emotional well-being. They especially liked support from teachers during the periods when schools were only open to some children due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pupils said that lessons were fun, and they could talk to their teachers remotely.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils act as ‘buddies’, helping anyone who is upset, or recognising kindness with a special ticket. Behaviour is good. Pupils cannot recall any bullying happening. Any falling- out is dealt with by adults in school. Pupils know to shake hands with their classmate and apologise.

p.1

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

Leaders have focused their efforts on regaining stability in school following disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Momentum in school improvement is building. A strong team of staff support each other. Leaders spot anyone who is under undue pressure. Staff use the regular ‘Staff Wellbeing Group’ to great effect. Leaders and teachers discuss ways to reduce unnecessary workload often.

p.1

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

The mathematics curriculum is well structured. Learning is broken into smaller units that build knowledge progressively. Teachers use assessments to check pupils’ understanding 2 and 3 March 2022

p.1

2

of new concepts. Extra help for some pupils is quickly put in place so they keep up with new learning. Leaders have rightly identified that number bonds, calculation and times tables must remain a focus. Most other subjects are equally well structured, such as geography and design technology. Subject leaders have identified the essential knowledge that pupils need. The key threads that run through the curriculum are clear. Teachers sequence lessons so that pupils build on what they already know. Curriculum thinking in a very few subjects, such as art and design and history, does not reflect the same quality.

p.2

2

Since the national lockdowns, leaders have made sure that younger pupils have been read stories at every opportunity. Older pupils sit transfixed by the story they listen to at the end of the school day. Children in Nursery learn the shapes and sounds of letters. In Reception, children read words by sight and make up sentences that include new words like ‘be’ or ‘me’. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 continue to be taught phonics every day. Pupils, including those with lower prior attainment and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are becoming confident and adept readers. The books they read match their phonics knowledge. This builds their self-confidence. Leaders have made sure that events and activities around school help pupils to love reading. These have included visits from authors, storytellers, and older and younger pupils reading together.

p.2

2

In lessons, pupils behave very well. They know routines such as sitting on their carpet spot in Year 1. Reception children are engaged in lessons and respond with enthusiasm. Even if work is challenging, such as in a Year 5 long-multiplication lesson, pupils work with endeavour to succeed. Leaders have made sure that the school is highly inclusive. No pupil misses out on anything the school offers. Teachers identify pupils with SEND early. The skilled special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that these pupils learn alongside their classmates. If necessary, small changes are made for pupils with SEND. These could be how work is recorded, or providing extra equipment if they need it.

p.2

2

Older pupils speak positively about the opportunities they have to take on extra responsibilities. Two pupils from each class can join the school council, the eco-committee or sports crew. Many planned activities widen pupils’ experiences. Visits to local areas of interest, such as museums, landmarks and places of worship, are being lined up to restart again soon. Cultural and religious festivals are celebrated in school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

The safety and well-being of pupils are of the utmost importance to leaders and the whole school community. The staff’s training means that they can spot the smallest issue or concern with a pupil. Daily morning ‘check-ins’ that staff do with pupils to report their mood can be telling, and sometimes reveal a niggling worry that could turn out to be more serious. Detailed record-keeping links incidents together to give an all-round picture of a pupil. Trusting relationships between leaders and parents mean that both feel confident about raising concerns. Leaders work well with other agencies, and doggedly pursue extra help when necessary. In school, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. 2 and 3 March 2022

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, the curriculum does not include sufficient detail about the knowledge pupils need. Key ideas that thread through subject content are unclear. As a result, pupils do not build a secure knowledge of these subjects. Pupils are unable to apply this knowledge to more complex concepts, or link it to what they have already learned. It is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing about these improvements. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2011.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

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 .

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 2 and 3 March 2022

p.3

School details

Inspection number 10211372 Type of school Primary

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Website www.burradoncommunityprimaryschool.co. uk Date of previous inspection 7 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school is part of the North Tyneside Learning Trust.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, acting deputy headteacher, SENCo, teachers and the school administrator. The inspector also met four members of the local governing body and a meeting was held by telephone with the school development partner from the local authority.  Deep dives were carried out in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and teaching assistants, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to a range of pupils read from different year groups. 2 and 3 March 2022

p.4

5

 The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other curriculum subjects.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits, and at break and lunchtime. He spoke to pupils about their views on behaviour and a group of pupils gave the inspector a tour of the school.  The inspector looked at the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, and spoke to leaders, teachers and pupils about safeguarding.  The views of 32 parents who responded to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, were considered. This included considering the 12 written comments.  The inspector met with staff to discuss their well-being and workload. The inspector considered the 17 responses from Ofsted’s staff survey and the 82 responses from Ofsted’s pupil survey.

p.5

Inspection team

Phil Scott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 2022

p.5

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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

p.6

6

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

p.6