Dean Barwick Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Dean Barwick Primary School Witherslack, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6RS

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Outcome

Dean Barwick Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy coming to Dean Barwick Primary. There is a real sense of family and community in this small rural school. Pupils know each other very well. They said that all staff look after them and treat them fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils live up to these high expectations and achieve well. Through the curriculum, leaders promote a sense of adventure, spirituality and community. Pupils enjoy trying new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what bullying looks like. They explained that leaders deal with poor behaviour quickly to stop it reoccurring. Leaders address any incidents of bullying promptly and effectively. As a result, pupils feel safe in school. Leaders have high expectations for the behaviour of pupils. In lessons, pupils behave well. This allows them to get on with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many challenges and experiences that the school has to offer. They learn about the environment through interesting projects. Recently, they planted trees and developed boardwalks and habitats through their conservation projects. Some have taken part in a 10-mile walk to raise funds for a national charity. Pupils learn about responsibility by caring for the school chickens and guinea pigs. 21 March 2023

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

Leaders have developed an interesting and ambitious curriculum. They have enhanced it with many outdoor learning opportunities that capitalise on the unique setting of the school. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to build on what they already know. This includes in the early years, where children get off to the best possible start.

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

Leaders have recently modified the class structure from three year groups to four. They have adapted the curriculum structure to reflect this change. However, leaders are at an early stage in checking that staff are successfully implementing this revised curriculum so that pupils have no gaps in their learning.

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

Pupils recall prior learning well. In lessons, staff provide expert support to enable pupils to make links between new learning and what they remember. This helps pupils to deepen their understanding and achieve well.

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

Leaders have recently adapted the way that the school teaches the early reading and phonics curriculum. This is a recent initiative and they have not checked how well this new approach is being implemented. Phonics lessons begin in the early years. In lessons, teachers ensure that pupils learn new sounds in a logical order. They use assessment strategies successfully to identify any pupils who are falling behind. Teachers give these pupils extra support to catch up with their peers. Pupils enjoy reading and they talk confidently about books and stories that they have read. They take home both a reading book for pleasure and books to practise the sounds that they have been learning in class. Pupils develop as fluent and accurate readers.

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

Leaders have well-tested systems in place to identify the specific needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers make sensible adaptions to their teaching to help these pupils to learn successfully. Staff have the necessary skills to support pupils with SEND well. These pupils successfully follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

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

Leaders provide pupils with many opportunities to develop personally. For example, pupils learn to have an appreciation and respect for other faiths and cultures. They take part in well-planned trips and visits to learn about aspects of life in modern Britain. Older pupils take on a wide range of additional responsibilities to help around the school. Many pupils take part in the wide range of extra-curricular activities. These help pupils to develop their skills and confidence. Pupils excel at cross country running.

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

Members of the governing body know the school well. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education offered to all groups of pupils in the school.

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

Staff are very happy working at Dean Barwick. They appreciate the efforts that senior leaders and governors take to make sure that they have manageable workloads. Staff were very positive when describing how leaders pay attention to their well-being. 21 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

School leaders have clear processes and procedures to ensure the safe recruitment of new staff. Staff know the school’s safeguarding procedures well. Leaders ensure that staff complete appropriate training. They provide updates which help to keep staff’s knowledge of safeguarding up to date so that they can spot signs of potential neglect or abuse.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have established strong relationships with families and with a range of other agencies. This enables them to secure help for families who need it.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about important aspects of safeguarding, for example the dangers of country roads and ways to keep themselves safe while online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not monitored the impact of recent alterations to the structure of the curriculum. They should check that the implementation of the new two-year programme is having a positive impact on what pupils know and remember.  Leaders have not monitored how well staff are implementing the new approach to phonics and reading. They should check that all staff are implementing the phonics and reading programme as intended, to enhance pupils’ fluency and accuracy in reading.

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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 May 2013. 21 March 2023

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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 pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256125 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 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 provision.  The school has moved from a three-class to a four-class structure.

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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 carried out deep dives in early reading and phonics, mathematics and history. They met with subject leaders. Inspectorsvisited lessons, spoke with pupils and viewed examples of their work. They considered curriculum structures and content in a range of other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read to familiar adults.  Inspectors examined a wide range of safeguarding documentation. They spoke with staff to check how well they knew how to keep pupils safe. Inspectors also checked records of safe recruitment of staff and volunteers. 21 March 2023

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 Inspectors spoke with pupils about behaviour.  Inspectors met with teachers to discuss their workloads and their well-being. They also met with the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors met with three members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers before school. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nick Capron Ofsted Inspector 21 March 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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