Barford Primary School

Inspection of Barford Primary School Chapel Street, Barford, Norwich, Norfolk NR9 4AB

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 30 and 31 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy being at this welcoming school. There are warm working relationships between all the school community. The pupils and staff demonstrate the school values of trust, empathy, love, respect and resilience. Pupils and staff value the school being like a family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes to learning and participate readily, including in extra-curricular opportunities. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility, including putting their points of view across in the school council. Pupils are proud of their achievements and pleased to receive rewards and praise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe. They know they can always seek support for any concern from a trusted adult. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Staff look after pupils well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are not yet consistently high enough expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils do not achieve consistently well in all subjects.

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better?

Since the last inspection, the school has experienced considerable turbulence in leadership and staffing. As a result, some important aspects of the school have declined.

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better?

Strong leadership and governance arrangements now in place have resulted in much improved provision. However, there are still weaknesses and inconsistencies in the school’s curriculum and how well it is taught.

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better?

The school has improved the core curriculum of English, mathematics and science by making clear what should be taught and when. This has resulted in current pupils achieving more in these subjects than in recent times, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

The school has recently improved the phonics curriculum. Pupils are now learning early reading skills well. Teaching builds pupils’ phonics knowledge step by step. Staff carry out checks on pupils’ reading skills and provide extra support to help them to catch up if needed. Pupils mainly practise reading with books appropriate to their phonics knowledge. Pupils generally enjoy reading, and staff are developing pupils’ love of reading across the school.

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better?

Subjects other than English, mathematics and science are at different stages of development. While pupils study a broad range of subjects, the school has not made clear what knowledge should be taught and how it builds on what pupils aready know. This means that there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge in a number of subjects. 30 and 31 January 2024

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Staff identify pupils with SEND and put effective support in place for them to access the curriculum. Recent improvements in record-keeping have meant that the timeliness and communication regarding support are improving. As is the case for all pupils, pupils with SEND learn less well in curriculum subjects that are not fully developed.

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The teaching of the curriculum varies across the year groups. Teachers do not always find out exactly what pupils know, remember and can do. This means that teachers do not always know when pupils are ready to move on to new learning. Additionally, some pupils have gaps in important subject knowledge.

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The school is calm and purposeful, with clear routines established for pupils. Leaders have developed a well-defined behaviour policy, which staff implement consistently. Behaviour has improved markedly in recent times.

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The school has improved attendance significantly this academic year through various strategies, including enhanced support for parents. Fewer pupils are frequently absent from school.

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Pupils learn about being a good citizen. They learn about diversity in our society and how to be tolerant of others and to respect different beliefs. The school community is highly inclusive, with pupils showing empathy towards others. The school places importance on times for reflection and celebration, often inviting parents to share pupils’ successes.

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Staff receive regular and effective training, and this has improved the teaching of the core curriculum. Staff can see that the school is making strides forward and are proud to be part of this improving school. Leaders strive to keep staff workload manageable and actively support staff well-being.

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The school communicates regularly with parents Parents recognise the improvements being made and speak highly of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most foundation subjects are not yet fully implemented across all year groups. This is because curriculum plans do not set out the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to learn. The school should complete the work on curriculum plans that set out what pupils should learn step by step. The school should ensure that staff continue to receive sufficient training so they are confident to deliver these plans. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 Currently, teachers do not identify precisely what pupils have learned in some subjects. Teachers do not always know when pupils are ready to move on to new learning. Sometimes, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should make sure that all staff have the skills to check pupils’ prior learning so that they know precisely pupils’ next steps in learning and plan for these accordingly.

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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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Barford Primary school formed a federation with another school to form the Barford and Bawburgh Federation. This became a formal arrangement in September 2023 after working closely in the previous academic year. There is one governing body, with a shared executive headteacher across both schools.  The school does not make use of 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. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 Inspectors met with the chair of governors, executive headteacher and other school leaders. A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, carried out lesson visits, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and looked at work 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.  A range of documentation and information, including the school website and

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several policies, was considered by inspectors.  The inspectors considered the views of staff by speaking with them and reading the 11 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors considered the 21 responses made by parents to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors spoke to pupils and took the 49 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey into account.

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Inspection team

Sue Child, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynsey Holzer Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 January 2024

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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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