Burton Salmon Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burton Salmon Community Primary School Burton Salmon, Ledgate Lane, Leeds, North Yorkshire LS25 5JY

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for pupils at this inclusive, small school. They aspire for them to move on to the next stage of their education with the values, knowledge and skills they need. The school’s ethos is rooted in the nurturing of positive relationships while fostering independence and resilience. This is captured in its vision of, ‘one family, branching out together’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak very highly of Burton Salmon Community Primary School. They value the pastoral support available for children in school, as well as the care offered to their wider family at home. This has resulted in strong relationships being forged between staff and families. Parents appreciate this approach. Activities such as the ‘five steps to well-being’ bring the school community together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They feel safe and well cared for by their teachers. Pupils understand the procedures for reporting bullying should it happen within their school. They understand the sanctions that are in place if there are incidents of poor behaviour. They feel that this is a fair process. As a result, pupils behave well. They are confident, polite and respectful. However, occasionally, a small number of pupils are less focused in class. This prevents them from accessing learning alongside their peers. At times, this is distracting for other pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

While pupils enjoy learning a broad curriculum, they do not have the opportunity to achieve as well as they might in all subjects. This is because the curriculum in some subjects is not yet planned well enough. In addition, some children in early years and pupils in key stage 1 do not make a strong enough start in learning to read. 1 March 2022

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

Leaders know that reading is important. They have begun work to support the youngest children in learning to read. However, the teaching of early reading and phonics is not precise enough to help pupils become fluent readers. Reading books are not well matched to pupils’ needs. Pupils are not able to apply their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words. In some instances, pupils use the pictures to guess what the text may be about. As a result, pupils who are struggling to learn to read fall behind.

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

In mathematics, the curriculum is well sequenced. Curriculum planning sets out the key knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. Pupils are able to talk about what they are learning and how this builds on what they already know. However, the use of specific mathematical vocabulary is not always evident. Teachers use ongoing assessment to highlight any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They then use this information to address misconceptions and revisit learning in subsequent lessons. This is working well to support pupils in knowing, remembering and being able to do more.

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

Leaders recognise that their plans for the wider curriculum are still in the early stages. Pupils access a broad range of subjects; however, subject planning currently focuses on Years 1 to 6. Subject leaders are unable to show how pupils build on their experiences in early years as they move through the school. In more established subjects such as history, older pupils are able to speak with knowledge and understanding about the Second World War. Pupils spoke articulately about the atrocities of the Holocaust and concentration camps. They show understanding of the use of propaganda. In other subjects, the order in which pupils learn is not as well considered. Leaders have clear plans to address this as a matter of urgency.

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

Leaders identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and SEND team liaise closely with staff and parents to make sure that pupils’ needs are met. Pupils with SEND take an active part in school life. All staff have high aspirations for pupils with SEND, and pupils with additional needs access the full curriculum offer alongside their peers.

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

The pastoral team has worked closely with the school community to develop its relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum. Leaders have had open discussions and provided support so that families feel comfortable with discussing RSE with their children. This transparent approach means that pupils are able to speak confidently to staff in school and with their family at home. This open communication was evident when inspectors spoke with pupils. Pupils explained how to keep safe. They also spoke eloquently about healthy relationships and consent.

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

The executive headteacher has worked hard to build stability in the relatively new staff team. Staff recognise this and feel that leaders provide them with the opportunity to develop. They appreciate the action that leaders have taken to reduce their workload by developing a federation-wide leadership structure. Staff feel that leaders and governors promote staff well-being well. Staff said how they appreciate the caring, receptive leadership of the executive headteacher. This supportive approach was evident throughout the inspection. 1 March 2022

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In discussion with the executive headteacher, the inspectors agreed that early reading and the wider curriculum may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a robust safeguarding culture in place at this school. Leaders ensure that all staff access regular safeguarding training linked to both the local and national context. Staff are vigilant in looking for signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. The way in which staff record concerns is precise. Leaders work with external agencies and are tenacious in ensuring that they access support for pupils who need extra help.

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Safeguarding

Pupils understand how to keep safe online. The school’s computing and e-safety lessons mean that pupils know what to do if they have concerns about online material or messages they receive. Pupils are also able to speak with confidence about the local risks they may face and how they would respond to these.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that there is a coherent and systematic approach to teaching pupils to read. This means that pupils who fall behind when learning to read are not given the help they need to keep up with their peers. Leaders must agree a validated, whole-school approach to the delivery of early reading. All staff need appropriate training so that they can implement this approach with consistency to ensure that all pupils can become fluent early readers.  The curriculum is not well planned in all subjects. In some subjects, pupils cannot remember the key information that they need to build on to secure new learning. As a result, pupils do not receive a consistently good quality of education. Leaders should refine the curriculum so that key concepts are clearly identified and sequenced from Nursery through to Year 6. They should make sure that their curriculum thinking includes opportunities for pupils to practise and recall important knowledge.

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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 a section 5 inspection immediately. 1 March 2022

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This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.

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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.

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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 .

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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 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Reverend Anna Burr

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Headteacher

Suzanne MacDonald (Executive Headteacher) Website www.burtonsalmonschool.org.uk

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Date of previous inspection

28 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Burton Salmon Community Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school formally federated to become part of the White Rose Federation in October 2019.  The federation is led by the executive headteacher, supported by a federation senior leadership team.  There is one governing body in operation across the federation of three schools.

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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 of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher and the senior leadership team. Inspectors also held meetings with subject leaders, the SENCos, the chair of the 1 March 2022

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local governing body, representatives of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and an external consultant.  Inspectors visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and listened to pupils reading to familiar adults in school. They also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around school and during lunchtime.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. Inspectors met with subject leaders, and reviewed curriculum structures for a range of other subjects, including art and religious education.  Inspectors examined safeguarding records, including the single central record and recruitment checks on staff. Inspectors considered the views of parents by reviewing the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also spoke with parents as they brought their children to school.  Alongside the responses to the online surveys for staff, inspectors considered views by

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meeting with various groups of staff.  Inspectors also considered views of pupils by speaking with different groups of pupils from all age groups.

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Inspection team

Zoe Lightfoot, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Birch Ofsted Inspector 1 March 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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