Boughton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Boughton Primary School Moulton Lane, Boughton, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN2 8RG

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 January 2023

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Outcome

Boughton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their caring and friendly school. Pupils respect their helpful teachers. They feel listened to by adults, who ‘take in what we say and follow it up’. Pupils and parents appreciate the family feel of the school and that they are known as individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy residential trips and visits to interesting places. Pupils appreciate opportunities to develop their interests in sport and music. Pupils care about the world around them and aim to be responsible citizens. They fundraise for charities. Older pupils relish responsibilities, such as being ‘chums’ to help younger children settle in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and follow the ‘Boughton Bs’, to be kind, be safe, be responsible. They enjoy earning house points and headteacher awards. They say bullying is rare and teachers help them deal with any fallouts fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ attitudes towards their learning. Pupils are keen to learn. They learn complex vocabulary that helps them to discuss interesting ideas. Pupils learn from mistakes and improve. They benefit from reading a variety of books. They are confident when solving problems in mathematics. They are helped to learn and remember more over time in many subjects.

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

All leaders and staff aim to give every pupil a good education. Leaders have created an environment in which learning can take place effectively. Leaders have identified the most important concepts that pupils need to know in all subjects. Leaders provide detailed guidance on the exact knowledge needed to understand these concepts. This helps teachers ensure that pupils know and remember more over time.

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

Curriculum leaders are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subjects. However, senior leaders have not yet ensured that all curriculum leaders have the training and opportunity they need to check how well their subject is being taught across the school. 10 and 11 January 2023

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As a result, not all curriculum leaders ensure that their subject curriculum is implemented consistently and that colleagues are helped to improve further.

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Leaders make sure that reading is a priority in the curriculum. They make sure that teachers teach phonics well from the start of Reception. Pupils read books that match their reading abilities. Teachers select increasingly demanding books to study, including poetry, stories, non-fiction and books that link to other subjects. They read to pupils every day. Teachers explain the meaning of the complex language that pupils encounter in books. However, there are some pupils across the school who struggle to read. They have not kept up with their peers. They do not always have the opportunity to practise the most crucial missing knowledge to help them catch up quickly enough.

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In mathematics, teachers follow an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. Teachers know the subject well. This enables them to spot pupils’ errors or misconceptions quickly. Teachers use regular assessment checks. They quickly identify any mathematical knowledge that pupils need to revisit. They use resources well to help pupils use their knowledge to solve problems.

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Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as other pupils. Teachers ensure that pupils receive appropriate support.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. Relationships are warm and positive between adults and children. Staff ensure that children are safe and happy. Staff prioritise children’s language development. Children enjoy the interesting activities that staff prepare. Children make a secure start that prepares them for Year 1 and beyond.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ well-being. Pupils are encouraged and guided to work through difficulties and show resilience to achieve their goals. They are respectful of each other and adults alike. They learn about different beliefs and family structures. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong.

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Parents hold the school in high regard. Staff are proud to work here. There is a strong team ethos. Staff feel leaders treat them fairly and with respect. Trustees work with senior leaders to manage workload and continue to streamline procedures to focus on what is most important.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders put pupils’ welfare first. They ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe, including when online. Pupils know who to go to if they have a concern and that staff take their concerns seriously. They say they feel safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff know to pass on the smallest concern. Leaders provide regular training for staff. Leaders ensure safeguarding records are robust and actions are appropriate. Recruitment processes are thorough. Leaders work well with external agencies to secure help for 10 and 11 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils at the early stages of reading do not always receive the precise support they need to catch up. This does not help them to learn to read as quickly and efficiently as they could. Leaders should ensure that pupils who need additional support to read receive precise support to enable them to become confident, fluent readers.  Leaders are still developing some aspects of their leadership skills, particularly checking how well the curriculum is being implemented. As a result, they are not yet providing clear guidance on how to improve the teaching of the curriculum in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders have the skills and expertise they need so that they can lead their subjects and support teachers effectively.

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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 October 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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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 10 and 11 January 2023

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pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10 and 11 January 2023

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School details

Website www.boughtonprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The school has been a single academy trust since 1 September 2012.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. A meeting was held with members of the board of trustees, including the chair of the board.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including school policies.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. This included meeting with subject leaders, visiting lessons and speaking with teachers and pupils. The inspector listened to pupils reading to adults, considered leaders’ curriculum plans and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. 10 and 11 January 2023

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 The inspector also met with other subject leaders and looked at curriculum documentation for some other subjects.  The inspector met with groups of pupils. The inspector visited the lunch hall and playground.  The single central record was scrutinised as part of the inspection of safeguarding. The inspector met with safeguarding leaders, spoke with a range of staff and pupils and considered safeguarding records.  The inspector spoke with parents at the end of the school day. She reviewed the staff and parental responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 January 2023

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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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