Burford Primary School

Inspection of Burford Primary School Priory Lane, Burford, Oxfordshire OX18 4SG

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Rachel Veeder. This school is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Anne Dellar, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow. 7 and 8 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every child at this vibrant school strives to do their ‘Burford Best’. The school has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils achieve well because of the well-designed curriculum and strong teaching. Staff’s curriculum adaptations help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) meet the school’s high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a keen understanding of the school’s values of respect, aspire and achieve. Staff notice and celebrate pupils displaying these values. Each class creates an assembly journal that encourages pupils to reflect on the school’s ethos. This helps pupils develop kind attitudes towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities. Deliberately designed clubs help pupils gain confidence in sports or games that they would not usually play. For example, there is a girls’ football club for those who have never played the game. This has led to far more girls playing football at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The clear and consistent routines in the school help pupils to behave well. Pupils display positive attitudes towards learning and know what to do if they are struggling to complete an activity. Staff help pupils understand and manage their emotions. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in the school.

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better?

The school has a strong ambition for all pupils to achieve well. The school has carefully designed a well-sequenced curriculum to meet all pupils’ needs. It sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn at each stage, including in the early years.

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better?

When pupils start the Reception Year, the school identifies their individual needs. Precise and individualised adaptations ensure all pupils with SEND successfully access the curriculum. For example, pupils use resources to help them remember important vocabulary. Therefore, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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better?

Staff’s subject knowledge is strong. Pupils benefit from opportunities to discuss learning with each other, as it deepens their thinking. The school uses assessment well to check pupils’ understanding across the curriculum. Teachers quickly address pupils’ mistakes or misunderstandings. However, in some subjects, teachers’ strategies do not always ensure that pupils remember new knowledge or connect it with previous learning.

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better?

Reading is a top priority. Teachers ensure that children in early years learn phonics from the start. Pupils read fluently by the time they reach the end of Year 2 because well-trained staff support them effectively. Pupils particularly enjoy listening to their teachers reading to them. They discuss important vocabulary and events in the 7 and 8 February 2024

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stories that they have read and what they have learned from them. Consequently, pupils have a strong understanding of what they have read and what it means.

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In early years, adults engage children in positive and constructive conversations. Carefully chosen activities develop and deepen children’s knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. These help children to communicate increasingly well. For example, the children, along with staff, enjoy reciting rhymes and poems.

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The school uses initiatives and clear strategies effectively to encourage pupils to attend school regularly. Pupils enjoy being at school and attendance rates are rising. Pupils’ have positive attitudes towards their learning. They try hard and low-level disruption is a rarity. Pupils show resilience when something is difficult. They use prompts to help them, such as discussing their thoughts with a partner. Children in the early years show sustained levels of concentration. They learn to share and collaborate well with each other.

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There is a strong emphasis on promoting pupils’ character, individuality and personal development. There are many opportunities to nurture pupils’ talents and interests and for pupils to display them, for example through clubs such as astronomy and science. Pupils learn to be good citizens and develop an understanding of democracy through opportunities such as being school councillors and eco-leaders. Pupils display tolerance towards each other and celebrate differences.

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The school prioritises staff’s development and well-being. Leaders provide staff with thoughtful and precise training. This results in staff who know their subjects well and structure lessons effectively. Leaders consider the impact of any changes on staff. Therefore, all adults work together towards improving the school further for pupils.

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The trust supports school leaders to focus sharply on school improvement priorities. Governance structures are effective and they challenge, support and check all aspects of the school’s work. Leaders ensure that staff set ambitious goals for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers’ strategies do not always support pupils in remembering as much as they could. This means that pupils cannot always build their knowledge and connect it to what they already know. The school needs to ensure that pupils build their knowledge securely in all subjects. 7 and 8 February 2024

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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). 7 and 8 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2023.  This is a below-average-size primary school.  This school is a part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.  The school does not currently use 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 7 and 8 February 2024

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with the representatives of the local governing board and the chair of trustees. Inspectors also met with the CEO of the trust.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and geography. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documents, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of local governing board meetings, and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Neil Pilsworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kimberley Kemp Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 February 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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