Byron Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Byron Primary School Barkerend Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD3 0AB

p.1

Outcome

Byron Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are committed to developing the whole child. Senior leaders have embedded a culture of high aspiration and high expectation. They have created a core curriculum model that is enhanced by many wider opportunities. For example, all pupils leave the school with a qualification in basic first aid. Pupils are actively involved in the trust initiative of becoming a carbon neutral organisation through activities such as planting trees. Some pupils are given leadership roles on the school council and as junior librarians. This makes them feel proud. They feel like they have a voice and that they are making a difference.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and enjoy being at school. They say that bullying does not happen. If it does, they know that adults will always help them. Pupils trust the adults in school to look after them. They say that every adult cares.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well both in lessons and during breaktimes. They earn stickers for following the five school rules. These can be exchanged for a prize from the ‘treat trolley’. This motivates pupils to work hard.

p.1

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that makes sure pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education. Leaders have sequenced the knowledge and skills pupils should learn to ensure they are built on and developed each year. Teachers have the required subject knowledge to ensure that pupils achieve well in the subjects they teach. Lessons are vocabulary rich, with pupils given the opportunity to debate and justify their views.

p.1

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

The school has worked hard to instil a love of reading. Pupils read regularly for pleasure. The English and phonics leaders have a very clear vision of how they would like phonics to be taught across the school. However, this vision is not currently being implemented effectively. While assessment is used well to identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind, interventions to support these pupils are not delivered by early reading experts. 4 and 5 October 2022

p.1

2

Some learning support assistants lack the subject knowledge and confidence to correct misconceptions. In these sessions, pupils are not given enough time to practise recognising and saying the sounds that they are learning. They move on to writing too quickly and are not given enough opportunities to revisit the sounds that they have already been taught. As a result, these pupils do not catch up quickly.

p.2

2

Leaders have developed a well-planned and sequenced mathematics curriculum. Leaders ensure that teachers fully understand pupils’ prior knowledge at the beginning of each new unit of mathematics work. This helps teachers to plan with precision and deliver interesting and appropriate activities to all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.2

2

It is clear that science plays a prominent role in the life of this school. Pupils develop a broad range of scientific knowledge and vocabulary. Assessment systems consider the key skills that have been mapped out alongside working scientifically and the broad concepts of knowledge. As a result, teachers swiftly identify any pupils who have fallen behind and intervene. Consequently, achievement in science across the school is strong.

p.2

2

The history curriculum is brought to life by visits and visitors that enrich pupils’ learning experiences. For example, actors regularly visit the school and immerse pupils in periods of history such as the Aztecs and Ancient Greece. Pupils enjoy these enhancement days and can recall, in detail, the knowledge and skills that they were taught. However, assessment systems are not embedded in all subjects. Consequently, teachers do not recognise that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

p.2

2

Pupils’ wider development is at the heart of everything the school does. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities available to them. They are taught about safety in their local area through partnerships that work closely with their school. Sessions are specifically targeted to areas such as bicycle safety, safety on the railways and weapons awareness. Pupils also learn about racism and challenging gender stereotypes. As a result, pupils are tolerant and respectful of different views, beliefs and opinions.

p.2

2

Provision for pupils with SEND is strong. Leaders are quick to identify pupils who require specific support. They work well with external agencies and parents. They establish clear plans and strategies that are implemented well by teachers. This ensures the needs of pupils with SEND are fully met.

p.2

2

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the leadership team. They feel valued, supported and respected. Trustees and the local governing body know the school well and offer appropriate levels of support and challenge to school leaders.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all adults in this school are well trained in all aspects of safeguarding. Regular briefings as well as key training ensure that staff have a solid understanding of the risks that pupils at this school might face. Systems for reporting and recording 4 and 5 October 2022

p.2

3

concerns are well established. Leaders work with families, early help partners and external services to actively support children and their families. Leaders ensure that checks are made on the adults who work with pupils in this school.

p.3

3

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the risks that they might face both online and when in the local community. As a result, pupils show mature attitudes to these risks.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils who find learning to read difficult do not receive effective support to help them to catch up quickly. This hampers their ability to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Leaders should ensure that staff receive appropriate training in phonics so that they are able to support pupils who struggle to read effectively.  For some of the wider curriculum subjects, such as history, strategies to check whether pupils remember what they are taught are not established. Consequently, some teachers do not recognise if pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that a full assessment system is implemented and embedded for all subjects.

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/outstanding]. 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Byron Primary School, to be good in December 2016.

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. 4 and 5 October 2022

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 4 and 5 October 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10241372 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 9 December 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school joined the Nurture Academies Trust in December 2016.  The proportion of pupils in receipt of additional funding through the pupil premium grant is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils attending the school who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, two assistant headteachers and curriculum leaders. 4 and 5 October 2022

p.5

6

 Inspectors met with two members of the governing body, including the chair, and also spoke with the Chief Executive Officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also observed adults listening to pupils read.  The arrangements for safeguarding were checked. This included checks on the single central record, staff training and safeguarding records. Inspectors also talked to the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors discussed the school’s records on attendance and behaviour with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime. They also met with two groups of pupils.

p.6

6

 Inspectors looked at the school’s self-evaluation document and improvement plans.  Inspectors talked informally with pupils in lessons and at breaktimes and took into account the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors took into account the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors met with some staff and took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Simon McCarthy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Marcus Newby His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 October 2022

p.6

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7