Burlington Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Burlington Junior School Burlington Road, New Malden, Surrey KT3 4LT

p.1

Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

p.1

Outcome

Burlington Junior School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Burlington Junior is a vibrant, inclusive and friendly place. Pupils enjoy coming to school and make the most of the wide range of opportunities provided. Relationships at the school are warm and respectful. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. The school has planned the curriculum so that it offers breadth and variety. The school’s focus on high ambition for all ensures that teaching introduces new learning in clear, manageable steps. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum and receive extra help if they need it.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. If behaviour falls below expectations, staff act swiftly to deal with it. Pupils understand the importance of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’. They are confident to take on responsibilities, such as acting as representatives on the school council. Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that, if it happens, staff will take action to deal with it.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the range of clubs and visits the school offers. These include football, coding club, choir and craft activities. Pupils speak excitedly of the Year 5 ‘Camp Night’, residential trips, visits to Hampton Court Palace and the clubs they attend.

p.1

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

The curriculum is ambitious and meets the requirements of the national curriculum. The school has given careful thought to the knowledge that pupils should learn. This has been logically sequenced. Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit learning and make sure that it is remembered. For example, in music, pupils learn about staff notation in Year 3, revisiting this and consolidating their knowledge as they move up through the school. By Year 6, pupils are more confident about reading music and writing their own increasingly complex compositions. 13 and 14 September 2023

p.1

2

In most subjects, pupils apply what they know and remember with confidence. Teachers plan purposeful activities that allow pupils to make connections between their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils gain fluency when they are learning about more difficult concepts because they regularly practise prior learning.

p.2

2

However, in a few subjects, these strengths are not as consistently strong. The school has identified that this is the case where planning is at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, pupils do not remember what they have learned as clearly because they have not secured the knowledge they have learned previously. This means they are less able to tackle more complex ideas with confidence.

p.2

2

The school has prioritised the importance of reading, which has been placed at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Staff have received comprehensive training in the teaching of phonics. Pupils, including those with SEND, have regular opportunities to practise their reading with books matched to sounds they are learning. This helps them to develop the phonic knowledge and skills they need to read with increasing fluency. Pupils who struggle with reading are given effective support to catch up quickly. The school promotes a love of reading through the curriculum by, for example, including books written by a diverse range of authors. In addition, there are trips to the local library, competitions, and book giveaways. Pupils in Year 6 read to pupils in Year 3 through the school’s buddy reading programme.

p.2

2

Effective systems are in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND and to communicate these to all relevant staff. This helps teachers to make helpful adaptations to the planned curriculum to support them.

p.2

2

Pupils behave respectfully. They attend well and are keen to learn. They understand the importance of being kind and value the school’s focus on treating each other equally. Pupils show appreciation of the range of faiths and cultures within the school community. The curriculum for pupils’ wider development is extensive. Pupils participate in a rich range of clubs and activities.

p.2

2

Music is an important part of the school’s curriculum. All pupils learn to play the recorder in Year 3 and the ukulele in Year 4. High numbers of pupils sing in the school’s choirs. Pupils are proud that they have opportunities to sing in public performances, such as at The Rose Theatre and the O2 Arena.

p.2

2

Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s effectiveness. They have planned priorities for improvement based precisely on clearly defined priorities. There are effective systems in place to ensure pupils attend regularly. Governors are well informed and maintain effective strategic oversight of the school. They have received relevant training and understand their statutory responsibilities well.

p.2

2

Staff, including those at the early stages of their career, are very appreciative of the support from leaders. They say that leaders are approachable and consider workload carefully when making decisions. 13 and 14 September 2023

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s ambitious curriculum is not firmly embedded. In a few subjects, this is at an earlier stage of development. In these subjects, pupils do not remember the foundational knowledge they have covered securely. The school should continue to implement plans to embed the curriculum fully.

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. 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2014.

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.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 13 and 14 September 2023

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Stephen Arbuthnot

p.5

School details

Website http://www.burlingtonj.kingston.sch.uk/

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 uses one registered alternative provider.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with governors and the school improvement partner from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons and spoke with teachers. The inspector spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The curriculum in other subjects was also considered as part of this inspection. 13 and 14 September 2023

p.5

6

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector gathered the views of pupil, parents and carers, and staff through both discussion and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Russell Bennett, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 13 and 14 September 2023

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