Burbage Primary School

Inspection of Burbage Primary School Cavendish Avenue, Burbage, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9AE

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and coming to this school. Overwhelmingly, parents and carers are highly supportive of the school’s friendly and caring ethos. One parent, typical of many, said, ‘Staff know the pupils as individuals and make learning exciting.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of its pupils. The curriculum has recently been redesigned so that pupils learn and remember more. In art and design, for example, pupils remember studying sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and visiting the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Pupils showcase their learning to parents each term. Parents value these events and remark on pupils’ enthusiasm for learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school and feel safe. Their behaviour is excellent. They cooperate very well with each other. They focus on their learning and can be trusted to work independently. Pupils, parents and staff strongly agree that pupils’ behaviour is outstanding.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a range of school clubs that pupils can join. Pupils are encouraged to run their own clubs, including a chess club and a pom-pom club. Pupils relish the opportunity to hold positions of responsibility, including as reading ambassadors, anti-bullying ambassadors and members of the school council.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious in most subjects. Curriculum plans set out the knowledge that pupils should learn. Regular checks take place to ensure that pupils remember what they have been taught. In computing, pupils enjoy creating algorithms when programming. They are keen to extend their learning in the coding club. In history, pupils have frequent opportunities to learn more about their surroundings from local historians. Pupils explained, ‘Historians are detectives from the past.’ Pupils enjoy history and can use technical vocabulary to talk about what they have learned.

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better?

Pupils enjoy reading and like to read on the library bus. Reading ambassadors promote reading by sharing books that they enjoy. Pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they know. Some pupils struggle to blend the sounds to read words. Staff do not consistently use the most appropriate strategies to help pupils blend their sounds. Occasionally, the work provided to help some pupils who are struggling to learn to read is too hard.

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better?

The school is keen that pupils make more progress in their writing. Recent changes to the curriculum have provided pupils with more opportunities to compose writing. Pupils’ writing is improving as a result of this work.

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better?

In mathematics, pupils have regular opportunities to reason and to problem-solve. Pupils remember their times tables well. 19 and 20 September 2023

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Children settle very quickly into routines in the early years. They are enthusiastic and stay focused when they are learning. They receive support in their learning from adults who work with them.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well cared for. Staff know these pupils well. The targets set for pupils with SEND are appropriate and mostly followed. However, there are some occasions when the work is not matched well enough to meet these pupils’ needs in all subjects. This slows the progress they make in their learning.

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Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils understand and show care for each other’s feelings. Anti-bullying ambassadors meet with staff regularly to discuss anti-bullying initiatives. They present their messages in assembly. At lunchtimes, pupils socialise well together as they enjoy their school lunches. In classrooms, pupils are totally engaged in their learning. They can be relied on to work independently or in groups and continue to remain on task.

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The school provides effective support for any pupils who struggle to attend school regularly. These pupils’ attendance improves as a result. Overall, pupils attend well.

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Pupils’ personal development is of a high priority. They are taught how to stay safe online and know to inform a trusted adult if anything worries them. Leaders and members of the elected school council planned a special week last year with a focus on mental and physical well-being.

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People from different faiths and cultures are invited to visit the school. This has increased pupils’ understanding of diversity in modern Britain. However, this work is in its early stages, and pupils do not yet have sufficient knowledge about different faiths. This leads to some pupils having misconceptions. Leaders are increasing the range of diverse texts that pupils will study as part of the curriculum to broaden their knowledge.

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Staff’s views are regularly sought to ensure that their workload is manageable. Staff appreciate the way that their voices are listened to and acted on. Those responsible for governance provide effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in how the curriculum is implemented in some subjects, including for some pupils with SEND. The activities set by teachers do not consistently take into account the prior knowledge of some pupils. As a result, some pupils do not deepen their knowledge and understanding well enough. The school should ensure that staff know how best to teach across all subjects, so that pupils can build their knowledge sequentially.  Pupils do not yet have a deep knowledge of different faiths. This can lead to misconceptions. The school should ensure that the curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge and understanding of a range of religions so that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Chair of governing body Helen Goodman and Elizabeth Crisp (Co- Chairs) Headteacher Anthony Tierney

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The governing body runs a breakfast club.  The school does not use 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, subject leaders and four members of the governing body, including the two co-chairs. The lead inspector also held a telephone call with a representative from the local authority. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.

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Inspection team

Martin Finch, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Evans Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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