Barmston Village Primary School

Inspection of Barmston Village Primary School Barmston Centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 8JA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 8 and 9 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Barmston Village Primary School is at the heart of the local community. Pupils are enthusiastic about coming to school. They are keen to learn and they are looked after well. Parents and carers are extremely positive about the school. They recognise and appreciate the numerous ways in which the school supports families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has well-being at the foundation of the way it works. Pupils are taught how to express their feelings and manage their emotions. This begins in early years. This nurturing environment supports pupils to trust their teachers. Pupils feel able to share any worries they have. Most pupils behave well. Pupils sometimes say unkind things to one another. However, pupils are confident that when this happens, adults will take it seriously and support them to resolve any situation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an ambitious curriculum in place. This supports the school in the aim of being ‘the best you can be’. Pupils are eager to learn through this broad and rich curriculum. Beyond the classroom, pupils have many enrichment opportunities. The gardening club is very popular. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibility, such as being part of the environmental group, the ‘green goblins’. The school has a musician in residence. His music enriches the curriculum and helps pupils to appreciate arts and culture.

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better?

The school has put in place a curriculum that prepares pupils effectively for the next stage of their education. An emphasis on literacy provides the foundation for wider learning. Pupils learn much of the core curriculum well. For example, reading and basic operations in mathematics are strong aspects of the learning offer. However, leaders know that in mathematics, there is more work to do to develop pupils’ problem-solving. In some subjects, pupils cannot readily recall their learning, particularly when time has passed since they studied it. Pupils do not routinely have structured opportunities to revisit and recap their learning.

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better?

Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. Pupils can explain their choice of books and they remember the plots and characters. Appropriate choices of texts are used effectively to enrich other subjects, such as history and science.

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better?

Phonics and early reading are taught well. In early years, children make a strong start in developing communication and language through singing songs and rhymes. Leaders track pupils’ progress in reading very carefully. This means that when pupils do not make sufficient progress, they can intervene quickly and provide additional teaching. This intervention is particularly effective for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

Pupils who may struggle with their learning are identified quickly. Staff work closely with external professionals to ensure that pupils with SEND get the help that they 8 and 9 November 2023

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need promptly. This work is effective and is reflected in the high attendance and engagement of pupils with SEND.

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Pupils are curious, polite and friendly, and they behave well. Warm relationships with their teachers are the foundation of this behaviour and conduct. Some pupils need more support to regulate their behaviour. The school works hard to teach pupils about their emotions and how to manage these. This work is successful because it helps pupils to behave appropriately and to be ready to learn.

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The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. This is driven by school values that the pupils know and understand. In early years, this is reflected in children learning to cooperate and make friends. Older pupils are taught effectively about tolerance and respect for different faiths, cultures and ways of life. They value initiatives such as the ‘no outsiders’ programme. This helps them to speak knowledgeably about the impact of bullying and racism. Online safety and healthy relationships learning demonstrates how the school ensures that pupils have the right knowledge to keep themselves safe.

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Governors have a very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They are well informed, which supports them in making strategic decisions and offering appropriate challenge to school leaders. Leaders and governors emphasise the importance of pupil and staff well-being. Responses from parents during the inspection show that they appreciate the effectiveness of how school leaders work together. Staff enjoy working at the school because they feel individually valued and supported, with the right training to do their job effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils struggle to recall key knowledge and concepts. As a result, they are not routinely ready to learn new material and connect it with what they have learned previously. The school should take steps to ensure that pupils regularly revisit what they have learned and commit their knowledge to long-term memory.  Some pupils lack confidence and fluency in mathematics. This means that pupils’ mathematics is less secure in areas such as problem-solving. Leaders should further develop the mathematics curriculum so that this supports pupils to apply what they know and remember in mathematics in order to work out something new and improve their problem-solving. 8 and 9 November 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). 8 and 9 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been no significant change since the previous inspection.  The 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 had 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 and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with governors and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority. 8 and 9 November 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 lead inspector studied a variety of documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation, minutes of governing body meetings, attendance information and safeguarding records.  The views of parents and carers, staff and pupils were gathered through Ofsted’s surveys and face-to-face discussions.

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Inspection team

Carl Sugden, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Baines Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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