Burgh by Sands School

Inspection of a good school: Burgh by Sands School Burgh by Sands, Carlisle, Cumbria CA5 6AP

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Outcome

Burgh by Sands School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend school and they are eager to learn. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe. They explained that staff care for them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils explained that leaders and teachers always expect them to do their best. Pupils described how teachers help them to learn subjects such as history and geography in the context of their local area, as well as in the wider world. They said that this makes their learning more memorable. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. They take pride in their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to leaders’ high expectations for their behaviour. Pupils are polite, courteous and helpful. They respect one another’s points of view. Pupils also know that bullying is not acceptable. They are confident that adults in school will deal with any incidents of bullying quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy playing in the outdoors. They have lots of exciting play equipment and space to run around. This helps them to be active and healthy. Pupils also take part in a range of activities after school, including golf, hockey and gymnastics. They participate in interesting trips and visits, including adventurous outdoor activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils willingly take responsibility for younger pupils. For example, they become reading buddies. Older pupils read stories with younger pupils and encourage them to develop a love of reading.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, including in the early years. They have identified what pupils, and children in the early years, must learn and in which order. Teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum and they have secure subject knowledge. Overall, the curriculum is well designed. 13 October 2022

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Across the curriculum, and in the early years, teachers use leaders’ assessment systems to check that pupils are learning and remembering the curriculum in the right order. This helps pupils to develop a secure body of subject knowledge. Where teachers identify misconceptions in pupils’ learning, they address these quickly.

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While the curriculum is well delivered overall, in a few subjects, teachers sometimes do not focus sharply enough on the precise subject-specific knowledge that pupils need to learn. From time to time, this means that a few pupils do not have the depth of subject knowledge that they should. Despite this minor weakness, pupils, including those with SEND, learn well and they are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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Leaders and teachers introduced a new way of teaching phonics this term. This is already having a positive impact on how well pupils learn to read. Children learn phonics from their earliest days in the school. Teachers in the early years and in key stage 1 build pupils’ phonics knowledge skilfully. They make sure that pupils read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. Teachers are swift to spot any pupils who may be falling behind with their reading. Staff help these pupils to catch up quickly. Parents and carers who recently attended a phonics workshop in school commented that this was really helpful.

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Children joining the early years settle into school life quickly. Leaders ensure that they have ample opportunities to explore the outdoors. This helps children to develop confidence and independence. They develop their language and number skills well. Across the school, teachers encourage pupils, including children in the early years, to extend their vocabulary. Children in the early years are also well prepared for the demands of key stage 1.

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Pupils behave well. They rarely disturb the learning of their peers. Pupils learn about their rights and responsibilities as future citizens. They understand the importance of developing respectful relationships with people who may be different from them. Pupils take part in trips to places of worship and to cultural centres. These opportunities support pupils’ understanding of cultural and religious differences. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders and teachers accurately identify pupils with SEND at the earliest possible stage. They check carefully that the right support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND they are able to take part in all aspects of school life, including trips and visits.

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Governors are well informed about the quality of education that pupils receive. They know the school and its community well. Governors hold meetings with subject leaders to establish the quality of the curriculum. They also make checks on the school site, to assure themselves that it continues to be safe.

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Governors and leaders take staff’s workload and well-being into consideration when making decisions about the school. Staff feel respected and valued. They appreciate the ample opportunities that they have to participate in professional development and training. 13 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that pupils are safe in school. Staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. They have regular and up-to-date training. Staff know precisely what to do and who to contact if they suspect that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders provide pupils and their families with the help that they need promptly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to be safe, including when online. Pupils learn about the boundaries that they need to observe in friendships and the importance of respecting privacy and personal space.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers sometimes do not focus sufficiently on the precise, subject-specific knowledge that pupils need to learn in some of the foundation subjects. As a result, pupils’ depth of knowledge and understanding in these subjects is occasionally not as strong as it could be. Leaders should ensure that teachers deliver the subject-specific content in sufficient depth across all the foundation subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

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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. 13 October 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. 13 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241940 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Grant Glendinning

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School details

Website www.burgh-by-sands.cumbria.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and four members of the governing body.  An inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record of checks on staff’s suitability to work with pupils. The inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader and checked how leaders record and respond to safeguarding concerns.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with 13 October 2022

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  The inspectors observed pupils reading to a familiar adult and spoke to pupils informally at breaktimes.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jan Corlett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 13 October 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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