Burton Fields School

Inspection of Burton Fields School Outwoods Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE14 2PJ

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Madelaine Burkett. This school is part of Central Cooperative Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Richard Simcox, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Trevor Sutcliffe. 20 and 21 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this warm, welcoming and friendly school. They show an excellent level of respect for every member of their school community. Pupils know how to be good friends to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ‘five Rs’ of responsibility, resourcefulness, readiness, reflection and resilience are the golden thread running through all aspects of school life. Respect is evident in the way pupils talk to each other, to adults, and in the excellent behaviour that is always on show.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The ambitions the school has are realised. Pupils love to learn and engage fully with their learning and each other. Inclusion is at the heart of all the school does. Pupils told inspectors that: ‘Our school is really diverse, and we love that!’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school because they know there is always someone they can talk to when things become difficult, either socially or emotionally. The way staff care for pupils is impressive. The many activities available at lunchtime ensure that there is something for everyone to enjoy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils summarise Burton Fields well: ‘It’s just a really nice place to be!’

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better?

The school and trust leaders have developed a highly effective and ambitious curriculum in almost all areas. However, the school has not ensured that there is an effective approach to the teaching of phonics. This means that a small number of pupils do not develop a secure phonic knowledge and struggle to become fluent readers. Checks to identify gaps in phonic knowledge are not started quickly enough. This means that the support some pupils receive is not enabling them to become confident readers quickly enough. It also means that pupils are not given the right reading books to help them practise and embed the sounds they do not know. For the vast majority of pupils, the reading curriculum ensures that pupils build up skills confidently and they read very well. They have access to a wide range of books written by a variety of authors. This helps them to develop a love a reading and books.

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better?

Where the curriculum is successful, the school makes sure that learning builds on what pupils already know and what they need to know. Subject leaders have carefully set out what they want pupils to learn and when they want them to learn it. A range of carefully designed learning activities ensure that pupils are able to remember what they have learned. A wide variety of trips and inspirational visitors help to deepen pupils’ understanding and enjoyment of different curriculum subjects. Pupils show excellent attitudes to learning. They want to learn and are keen to learn. The way they engage with learning in lessons, and with each other, is 20 and 21 September 2023

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impressive. They behave equally as well during playtimes and lunchtimes. The school is a calm, safe and orderly place because of how well pupils follow the rules and show respect to each other and staff. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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The school supports pupils with SEND well. Staff identify their needs quickly and ensure that any barriers they might have are overcome. Staff make regular checks to ensure that pupils’ support plans are well implemented. Staff subtly adapt the curriculum in different ways to meet the needs of individual pupils. Pupils who can become overwhelmed are taught to manage their emotions independently. This enables them to re-engage with their learning quickly. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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There is an exceptional personal development offer for all pupils. Pupils learn not to discriminate against others, such as by race, faith or gender. They have a very deep understanding of tolerance and respect. They learn about different religions and celebrations. Pupils proudly take the lead in teaching their peers about their personal beliefs and faiths. Staff encourage pupils to think about others. Pupils show a mature understanding of worldwide events and feel a sense of responsibility to support victims of earthquakes and floods, as best they can, through charity work. Their charity work is impressive.

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School leaders, the trust and governors of the school are highly effective. They know the strengths of the school well, but are also aware of where further improvements are needed. Parents speak extremely positively about the support, education and care their children receive. Staff workload and well-being are carefully considered. Staff feel extremely well supported. They speak equally as positively about all those with responsibility for leading and managing the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not developed a coherent approach to the teaching of phonics. This means that the small number of pupils who are still at the early stage of learning to read are not getting the right support to become fluent readers. The school should ensure that appropriate phonics teaching is in place for pupils who do not have secure phonics knowledge to enable them to become fluent readers, and ensure that all staff are suitably trained to deliver phonics well. 20 and 21 September 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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’ 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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 20 and 21 September 2023

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the Central Cooperative Learning Trust.  Burton Fields School converted to become a sponsored academy June 2019. When its predecessor academy, Kingfisher academy, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be inadequate overall.  This is a smaller than average junior school.  This school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 September 2023

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 The lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher, CEO of the trust, subject leaders and the SEND co-ordinator.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, religious education and geography. 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.  The inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of subjects including writing, personal, social, health and economic education, history and science.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the local governing board, including the chair, and members of the trust board.  Inspectors spoke to parents on the school playground.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at different times of the day, and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as

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well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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 inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.  The inspector talked informally with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, they took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s, pupils’ and parents’ views.

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Inspection team

Keri Baylis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Buckle Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 September 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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