Burley and Woodhead CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burley and Woodhead Church of England Primary School Sandholme Drive, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 7RQ

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Outcome

Burley and Woodhead Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are thriving in this remarkable school. All staff have extremely high expectations of pupils in every aspect of school life. Pupils rise happily to this high level of challenge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious in every year group and in all subjects. Leaders sustained these high expectations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and carers appreciate this. Parents told inspectors that there is much about the school that is exceptional, and inspectors agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. There are no noted instances of bullying. The curriculum for pupils’ wider development is exceptional. Pupils have a secure understanding of justice and morality. Pupils in key stage 2 debate philosophical questions with a maturity that is beyond their years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have lots of opportunities to join clubs. Pupils in key stage 2 can join the ‘Worship Wonderers’ lunchtime group. These pupils lead collective acts of worship independently. Inspectors were bowled over by the quality of their work.

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

The headteacher and deputy headteacher exemplify the gospel’s teachings on ‘servant leadership’. They lead the staff team effectively in having the highest of aspirations for pupils.

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

The teaching of early reading and phonics is exceptional. Leaders are determined that all pupils develop ‘the skill and the will’ to become lifelong readers. Before children even start 3 and 4 November 2022

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school, leaders contact families and encourage children to share books with their parents. Children in Reception are given a reading book and a ‘sharing book’ straightaway. Leaders set an ambitious pace for moving pupils through the challenging and engaging ‘reading spine’. A passionate group of Year 6 reading leaders help to select new reading books frequently. Pupils devour these rich and diverse texts. Pupils describe career paths that include aspiring to be published authors and poets.

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The curriculum for mathematics is equally impressive. Teachers give pupils frequent opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to reasoning and problem-solving tasks. Pupils enjoy this. They have developed fluent mental arithmetic skills. For example, pupils in Year 6 answer quick-fire questions without hesitation. They confidently and accurately move between fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion. Pupils are fully engaged and excited about their learning. This is partly why pupils in all year groups behave so well in lessons. Pupils achieve well because teachers implement the highly effective curriculum plans so skilfully. Pupils have gained results well above national averages in English and mathematics for several years.

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Leaders have redesigned curriculum plans in other subjects. They have fully implemented these changes. The new curriculum is well sequenced from Reception through to Year 6. This helps pupils to remember what they have been taught. Working scientifically is a particular strength of the science curriculum. Pupils connect their practical investigations to their written work. This strengthens pupils’ understanding of their science learning.

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Leaders recently changed the way that they monitor the impact of the new curriculum. Leaders give every class teacher time to meet them during the school day. Senior leaders release subject leaders to join these meetings. Leaders evaluate the quality of the curriculum together. This new approach has improved leaders’ knowledge of pupils’ progress in each subject. It has also reduced teachers’ workload. Governors attend some of these sessions to quality assure the process. They check that it is offering good value for money. Governors have the necessary knowledge and skills to do this exceptionally well.

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Leaders work well with parents to ensure that they are informed about the effective curriculum for personal, social and health education. Some parents expressed concerns that the curriculum for pupils’ relationships education conflicts with the church’s teaching. Leaders reminded parents that pupils should respect all protected characteristics. Leaders reassured parents that the curriculum is age appropriate. The curriculum prepares pupils very well for life in modern Britain.

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The curriculum in early years is well designed to meet children’s individual needs. Staff assess children’s knowledge precisely. Teachers use this assessment information to plan each child’s learning.

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Leaders analyse assessments skilfully to identify the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teaching assistants provide the support that pupils with SEND need in order to be successful in lessons. Teaching assistants have been trained to do this expertly. This is helping pupils with SEND to achieve well. 3 and 4 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children.

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Safeguarding

Governors monitor safeguarding arrangements frequently. Leaders sought additional safeguarding training from a successful local authority. Leaders also commissioned safeguarding experts from this local authority to audit the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Leaders have established effective strategies to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have adapted the curriculum to teach pupils about how to keep safe in the local community. Many pupils travel by train when they move on to secondary school. Leaders teach pupils about using trains safely. They use specific educational resources on railways and provide pupils with practical experience of travelling safely on trains for educational visits.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2017.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 3 and 4 November 2022

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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. 3 and 4 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Eleanor Nossiter

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Date of previous inspection

26 and 27 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Leeds. The diocese completed the school’s most recent section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools on 11 January 2018. The timescales for reinspection have been extended in the light of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors met the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the early years leader and the special educational needs coordinator. The reading, mathematics and science subject leaders also met inspectors. The lead inspector held telephone interviews with representatives from Bradford local authority and the Diocese of Leeds.  A meeting was held with three of the school’s governors, including the chair and vice- chair of the governing body. 3 and 4 November 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading and phonics, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety were evaluated on arrival at school, at breakfast club, in the dining room and at breaktimes.  Senior safeguarding leaders met inspectors to discuss recruitment and safeguarding records.  Inspectors spoke to parents during the inspection. Inspectors also reviewed Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and survey responses from staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Linkins His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 November 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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