Burton Road Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burton Road Primary School Old Mill, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S71 2AA

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 2023

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Outcome

Burton Road Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Relationships throughout the school are positive. Pupils are happy and safe. They behave well. Pupils appreciate receiving praise and rewards for making the right choices. The school expects all pupils to be responsible, resilient and respectful. These school values come across strongly. Pupils treat each other well. Bullying is uncommon. Pupils are confident that if it happens, adults would sort it out swiftly. Pupils work hard and take pride in their learning. Children in the early years also work hard and behave well. They learn to be kind and how to be a good friend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well. They experience a wide range of opportunities to enhance their learning. For example, carefully planned trips, visitors and enterprise opportunities bring pupils’ learning to life. Year 6 pupils talk enthusiastically about their residential visit to France. They said, ‘It was amazing.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the opportunities the school provides to broaden their interests. Pupils learn how to take on responsibilities. These include being members of the school council, librarians and sports leaders. Sport is a big part of school life. All pupils are encouraged to be active and get involved in sports.

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

The school has successfully refined its curriculum. The most important knowledge that pupils must know is clearly identified. Some of the curriculum improvements are new this academic year and not fully embedded. The school provides opportunities to help pupils develop both personally and academically. Pupils achieve well.

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

The school places a high priority on daily reading. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. Right from the start, in the early years, the school immerses children in books and language. Pupils develop confidence in reading books that match the sounds they are learning. Well-trained staff teach phonics effectively. Pupils who struggle to read receive extra support. Most pupils quickly become fluent and confident readers. Teachers 17 and 18 October 2023

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carefully choose books to read to their class. Pupils love listening to these stories. Older pupils speak excitedly about how much they enjoy reading. Pupils read a wide range of books by different authors.

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Mathematics is taught well. Teachers skilfully identify and address any gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge. In a small number of subjects, the school does not consistently take into account what pupils already know and can do. As a result, some lessons are not sufficiently ambitious for pupils.

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Children in the early years receive high levels of care and support. Adults regularly use questions which deepen the children’s understanding of what they are learning. Children in the early years enjoy hearing a range of stories, poems and rhymes. Adults encourage children to use a growing range of words. The school makes sure that children in the early years learn numbers and numerical patterns quickly. For example, staff use well- designed tasks to teach children key mathematical vocabulary. Because of this, children are well prepared for their next phase of education.

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The school has clear systems in place for identifying the individual needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers effectively adapt the curriculum to support pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is well designed. The school has thought carefully about the content and delivery of PSHE lessons. Pupils learn the importance of being a good citizen.

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Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times is exceptionally good. Staff implement the school’s clear routines and expectations consistently. Pupils are eager to learn. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Effective support is in place for those who do not attend as often as they should.

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Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths. Leaders have identified appropriate priorities for continued improvement of the school. Governors visit the school often, providing support and challenge for school leaders. Leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive.

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Most parents and carers are happy with the school. However, some parents have a negative view of the school. They would like the school to improve communication with parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 and 18 October 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not fully considered how best to assess what pupils have learned. This means that there is not, in these subjects, an accurate picture of what pupils have learned and can remember. The school needs to continue to refine assessment systems and practice, so that what pupils know is precisely understood and used to better inform pupils’ future learning.  A few parents say that the school does not communicate effectively with them about key changes the school is making or how the school has dealt with concerns. This means that some parents are not as well informed about their children’s learning as they need to be. The school should ensure that all parents receive regular and timely communication to allow them to support the school well.

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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 April 2018.

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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’ 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 17 and 18 October 2023

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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). 17 and 18 October 2023

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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provision

Date of previous inspection 25 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  The school has a nursery provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector had several meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher during the inspection.  The inspector met with other senior leaders, representatives of the local governing body, including the chair, and a representative from the local authority. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also spoke to the curriculum leader about the curriculum in geography, history and science.  The inspector examined a range of documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans and documents related to pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspector held formal and informal discussions with pupils about what it is like to be a pupil at this school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record and the school’s safeguarding policy; took account of the views of

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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 met with the designated safeguarding leaders and the school business manager.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers at the start of the school day and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Jean Watt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 October 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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